Page 29 of Reign

“Hang on!” I threw on a robe and squared my shoulders. Before I reached it, the bedroom door opened.

I was struck dumb. Connor had not shaved, stubble covered his jaw, and he was in the same clothes as last night. But whereas last night my brain had been muddled, today I was well rested. Holy cow! He was stunning! Like, seriously hot. His body was To. Die. For. A dark, fitted shirt in some strange shimmery material covered his large arms, his impressive pecs and hugged his washboard abs.Dayum…I openly gaped, drinking in the sight of his powerful and controlled movements as he walked to the balcony, balanced the tray, opened the glass doors with one hand, and put the tray down on the small table.

I shook my head. So he was gorgeous, that didn’t mean I should blindly trust him.

He sat down and eyed me, his piercing blue eyes sparkling, a small smile curling his mouth. My pulse spiked, and warmth hit me between my legs, making my center feel alive just like the night before. My nipples pebbled, and I flushed, hyper-aware I was naked beneath my robe. His gaze heated. He inhaled, his smirk turning predatory. My fingers curled into my soft robe, pulling it closer around me.

Tension filled the silence. He took a big breath and exhaled, pulling his gaze from where my fingers grabbed at my robe. Instead, he turned his attention to the breakfast tray.

“Proper tea or ginger tea?” he asked as if the tension between us didn’t exist, and eating breakfast with his captive was a perfectly normal thing to do.

Maybe it was.

Come on, be brave. He hasn't hurt you yet, and if you want answers, you need to play nice.And ginger tea? What the fuck? I wrinkled my nose. "No. Who drinks that shit? Proper tea, please." I frowned. Since when do I speak with such snark? Was that more like who I really was?

He grinned, clearly pleased with my response. Chuckling, he poured some tea into a cup. His big fingers grabbed the milk jug, and he put a bit in with the tea. "Milk, no sugar. Just as you like it." Still grinning, he held out the steaming mug and winked at me.

My stomach did a stupid flip. Not feeling in the least bit in danger, I walked forward taking the cup and lowered myself into the chair opposite him. The skin on my arms tickled as if being brushed by static. I rubbed at them. Connor tracked my movements but didn’t comment.

“Did you sleep okay?” he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

I thought about lying, but what was the point? “Yes.” I leaned forward, staring at his handsome profile. "I want to see my father, I mean Rex." Maybe it was stupid to antagonise my captor, but for some reason, he made me want to challenge him.

"He's not your father. He's...someone else's." He paused and cocked his head, studying me. "So, no sickness this morning?"

My eyes widened, and I almost choked on the sip of tea I’d just taken. “How did you know I’ve had a stomach bug?”

He shrugged those impressive shoulders and smirked. “I know lots about you. So have you? Been feeling ill this morning?”

I shook my head, realising with a jolt that I hadn't. "Umm, actually, no." I had to concentrate hard to stop my cheeks from heating. Had that been his orgasmic magic too, or was my stomach just recovered? In answer, my stomach rumbled loudly. I grasped at it through my robe, groaning in pure embarrassment.

He chuckled. “Good. That means you can eat. Come on. We’ll eat together.”

I glanced at the huge amount of scrambled eggs and bacon he had brought. I was ravenous, but should I eat with him?

"It's okay; eating with me doesn't mean you are siding with the enemy or that you believe me over Rex. You can shelve your guilt for a while and just eat. You need your strength."

He piled two plates high and leaned forward, setting one in front of me. I looked up from the plate and found him still leaning in, his attention on me. That enticing spicy scent that seemed to be uniquely his filled my head. I inhaled deeply, unable to help myself. He smiled, all relaxed and friendly, the sort of smile you'd give someone close to you. And gods damn, it was beautiful. The chip I noticed in his canine only made him more devastating. Butterflies took flight in my stomach, and my skin downright buzzed. Heat washed through me, settling between my thighs, causing me to shiver. I took another gulp of tea to cover my reaction, but when I sneaked a peek at him, that smile had turned into a satisfied smirk.

“Toast?” he asked innocently, but I got the feeling he knew exactly what effect he had on me. He smiled and held out the toast rack.

“Thank you.” I picked a piece, determined not to let him throw me so much. “In fact, thank you for all of this.” He didn’t have to look after me so well. This was really confusing. My reaction to him was completely off the charts. I’d never even really wanted to be touched by Jed until I’d decided I should at least try to be his fiance. And even then, even though I’d grown to like him, even when I’d felt a little attraction to him, it had been nothing like this. Jed had never sent my senses reeling or my heart rate sky high just by being near me.

“Anytime. And I mean that,” Connor said softly.

It was strangely comfortable eating with him. Every now and then, he snuck a look at me, almost as if he were checking to see if I was eating enough. He seemed satisfied when I’d finished my plate of food, eaten two slices of toast and had another fresh mug of tea in front of me.

He smiled again, his eyes soft. “Better?”

I nodded. Surprisingly, I was. I’d been throwing up for days. No matter what I ate, it hadn’t stayed in my stomach long, and now I seemed utterly settled.

“That’s good.” He rested his elbows on the table and clasped his fingers together in front of his mouth. “I’ll give you some time to dress, then we’ll talk again.”

I swallowed but nodded. Why did I feel so comfortable with him? He was a killer. "Alright, but I want to see my father...I mean Rex before we talk."

His face hardened, and he stood. Damn, he was tall. Much taller than me. My body went fluid. What would it be like to be his? To have his hands on my waist, to be thoroughly wrapped up by that powerful body?

“No. You aren’t going near that man. Ever again.” His jaw was tight, his eyes almost black.

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