Page 41 of Reckless King

I lean toward Tate. “Is he always so… intense?”

“That’s one way to describe him. Roman is all business all the time. Ever since his divorce. More so since becoming CEO.”

I can’t help the small gasp that escapes me. “He was married?” It’s hard to imagine the aloof eldest King brother having a wife.

Tate tracks his brother’s departing back. “When he was younger. It didn’t last long.”

“He’s not dating anyone now?”

Lips turned up, he shakes his head. “Wining and dining women is pretty low on his list of priorities.”

I hit him with a faux innocent smile. “Must be a family trait.”

Eyes glittering, he brushes his thumb against my pulse point and leans in close. “I’m sure you’d agree that some of us have developed far more enjoyable skills when it comes to women.”

His focus drops to my lips, but before my heart can hammer more than twice, he turns his attention over his shoulder toward the ballroom behind us. “Delilah’s right, we should socialize. Make sure people see us together.”

I inhale, taking a moment to center myself. I’m here for a reason, and I’m determined to do a good job, despite his deliberate attempts to ruffle my feathers.

“Okay.”

When he stands, I follow his lead.

Delilah looks up and mouths, “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” I mouth back. Then I take a deep breath and follow Tate as he leads me into the crowd.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

TATE

When I put my hand on Violet’s lower back, it’s easy to tell myself it’s what the act calls for, but I’m self-aware enough to know that it has more to do with how much I enjoy touching her. Sitting next to her, stroking her silky skin while she chatted with Delilah and occasionally joined in my conversation with my brothers, felt far better than such a simple thing should.

The way she shivered under my fingertips had all sorts of dirty thoughts spiraling through my head. She’s so fucking responsive. If she were really my girlfriend, I’d tease her like that all evening, knowing that at the end of the night, I’d take her home and make good on that teasing until the sun came up.

I’m starting to understand why Cole can’t keep his hands off Delilah.

With my focus on the crowd we’re approaching, all of them sizing up each other with glittering eyes and razor-sharp smiles, I bend down and murmur to Violet. “Ready to dive into the shark tank?”

Her laugh comes out on a nervous breath. “As long as I don’t get bitten.”

I can’t help it when my attention drifts to the swell of her breasts in that sexy-as-fuck dress, but I have enough respect to fight the urge to imagine marking her creamy skin with my teeth.

Violet’s body presses close to mine as we navigate through the crowd, her head moving from side to side as she takes it all in. Her eyes are wide, and there’s a nervous tilt to her full lips.

“Lesson one in high society,” I say close to her ear. “Always smile, even if you can’t stand the people around you.”

“You mean like this?” She gives me the same too-sweet smile she used to give me whenever she visited Mark.

I chuckle. “Not sure I believe you still hate me, butterfly.”

Her brows pull together. “I—I never hated you?—”

“So your nose just wrinkled every time I walked into the room because…?”

Her nose wrinkles again, proving my point. “Because you always had some poor deluded woman trailing after you, desperate for a night in your bed.”

“Don’t be so judgmental. Those women knew what they wanted and weren’t afraid to ask for it.”

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