Page 104 of The Alpha's Cursed Queen

Katherine checks her watch again. “Right. Call me later, Alice.”

She waggles her fingers at me in a flirtatious manner, and I shake my head, exasperated. She knows that Darian will not back out of the contract. Everything has been hammered out and tied up with a bow. Canceling the project now would cost his company millions of dollars.

Darian glowers at her as she walks past him, and once it’s just the two of us in the room, he states accusingly, “I thought she was just a friend.”

I walk over to the oven to check the timer. “She is.”

“Then why was she kissing you on the cheek?” He trails after me, and when I turn around, I realize he is blocking my way out, locking me in between the counter, the oven, and the cupboard.

“She’s my friend, and she’s touchy-feely. Why is that your business?”

He lifts his hand and rubs it against my cheek where Katherine’s lips were. His expression is dark. “She’s allowed to kiss you, and I can’t even touch you. How is that fair?”

“Well, for starters, she and I don’t have a gruesome past. And she’s been there for me. She and Mary both.”

Darian’s eyes are on my cheek, and I catch the flicker of unhappiness in them. “Still, you shouldn’t let her kiss you. I don’t like it.”

I raise my brows. “Did it hurt your feelings? Let me get you a tissue.”

“You haven’t lost your mean streak,” he mutters. “And I must be a masochist because I still find it hot.”

I try to ignore how my lower muscles tense up as he says that. It’s not easy since I’m also trying not to react to the way his calloused thumb is rubbing against my cheek. It’s as if he’s trying to rub away Katherine’s very essence.

“Stop touching me,” I finally say.

“You didn’t complain when she touched you,” he growls.

“You’re not Katherine.”

Darian looks me deep in the eyes. “No, but I am your fated mate.”

This time, it’s my turn to bristle. I bat his hand away. “Stop bringing that up. You stopped being my fated mate when you walked past me to Willow. Everything between us finished that day, Darian.”

His expression instantly changes. “I already told you—”

“And I told you that it doesn’t change anything. You cannot erase the past. You cannot erase what I went through. Look, the only reason I let you come here is so that you can spend some time with Mira and get to know her.”

“I’m divorcing Wi—”

“I know,” I say softly. “And I will be honest with you. For Mira’s sake, I’m happy you’re doing that. And for your sake, I hope you find someone you can actually love. But I don’t have any love left to give, Darian. You were the first man who let me believe in love. And whatever your intentions were, you crushed those fragile feelings into dust. I can’t control my heart. I can only tell you how I feel, and I will never trust another man again. So becontent with your daughter and find a woman who will make you happy. It will never be me, though.”

I expect Darian to give me that same hurt look from before. However, his jaw hardens. He takes a step toward me, and when I move in response, my back hits the cupboard behind me. He proceeds to cage me in with his arms on either side of my head.

“I believe you. But I also know that fated mate bonds are very special, Alice. I’m willing to give you time. But I’m not going to tear out the bond or find another woman. Because whoever I find, no matter how perfect and beautiful and funny and smart she may be, she will never be you. And I will never live with a shadow of you.”

My heart skips a beat at his words. It’s hard to ignore what he’s saying because a tiny part of me still wants to believe. But fear resides within my soul now. As lovely as the dream he’s promising me seems, I know it’s not going to be without its own problems, problems that could result in another betrayal or something worse. So, I tighten the chains around my heart. If I don’t let him borrow space for himself inside there, when the worst does happen, it won’t hurt as much.

“Let me go, Darian,” I say tightly, trying to calm down my heart, which is pounding against my ribcage. “I’m not playing these games with you.”

“Only you would call this a game.” He’s too close to me, and his hot breath makes my skin tingle. He smells like cologne and aftershave, but his true scent—that wild, dangerous scent that is unique to him—isn’t hidden. It brushes against my wolf, making it rumble in satisfaction. Unlike me, my wolf’s desires are drivenless by emotions and more by the physical aspect of things. It sees its fated mate and wants to bask in his scent and presence.

“Try to kiss me, and I’ll knee you in the groin,” I inform him, my voice tense.

“No, you won’t.” He’s leaning forward.

“Don’t test me,” I warn him.

Our faces are mere inches apart, and he searches my gaze as if trying to decide whether I mean it or not. He finally sighs. “Alright, I—”

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