Page 117 of The Umbra King

He took a sip of water and smiled. “I can say whatever I want.”

Her boot found his shin under the table, and he grimaced with the impact. “Save it for the bedroom, Miss Raven.” The table of women next to her stopped talking, and Rory begged the ground to swallow her whole.

“You look a bit flustered.” Caius observed, making her cheeks burn brighter.

She ripped into her sandwich with her teeth and chewed mechanically while glaring at the villain across from her.

“If you eat too fast, your stomach will hurt,” Caius warned. “And we have plans tonight with your friends.”

She choked down her too-big bite. “Have you ever been to the bar in town?”

The chair beneath him groaned as he shifted. “A few times with Sam, but we prefer to drink in the palace.”

“Why not put a bar in the palace for you and the staff?” she suggested. “Everyone there is used to being around you regularly, and it might not be as uncomfortable for you.”

His fingers toyed with the wrapper of his sandwich. “I like that idea.”

She stopped chewing. “You do?”

“It’s a good idea,” he replied. “And youarequeen. You could put a bar in the middle of the lake if you so wished.”

A woman beside them spewed her drink across the table, and Rory threw a napkin at Caius. “I am not the queen,” she announced loud enough for the woman to hear.

Caius turned to the woman. “She will be.”

“You haven’t asked me to marry you,” she said sharply. “To be queen, we must be married.”

“Is that what you want?” he asked, folding his napkin. She set herself up.Damnit. “If a proposal is what you want, I will get down on one knee here and now.”

He rose, and she leaned forward to push him back down. “Stop being ridiculous.”

His expression turned grave. “The sooner we marry, the sooner you will become immortal. Your essence will return, and you will be faster and stronger.”

“That is not a reason to get married,” she said, shaking her head. “If you want to marry me, earn it, but more importantly, mean it.”

She never wanted to get married in the first place, but even she couldn’t deny her growing feelings toward the king. It was scary and new. Going from hating someone and wanting to murder them to whatever they were now was surreal.

“When you realize you love me, I will drop to one knee wherever we are,” he murmured for only her to hear.

She shook her head. “It won’t matter if I love you or not. I refuse to marry someone who doesn’t love me back.”

His lip tugged to the side. “I will fall first, Miss Raven, and we both know it.”

Her lungs took it upon themselves to stop working, and when her breath returned, she used it to change the subject. “Is everything you own black?”she asked, gesturing to his shirt.

If the question surprised him, he didn’t show it. “My pants were grey last night.”

“Sweatpants to bed don’t count,” she quipped. “Even your athletic clothes are black. Why don’t you like color?”

Rory became obsessed with colorful clothing once she could see it. While a lot of her comfortable clothes were still black, she liked to buy dresses and blouses in brilliant colors.

“I like black.” He popped a chip into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “I can wear the grey sweatpants tonight if you’d like.”

She thought of his dick outlined in his sweats. “No.” She didn’t want anyone enjoying the view but her.

He winked and grabbed another chip. “You should wear that dress from the first Plenilune. It’s my favorite.”

“You destroyed that dress,” she reminded him.

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