Page 52 of Born a Queen

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Raina ached everywhere. It was the ache of using muscles she hadn’t used in a long time. Throughout the week she'd been training with Mateo, Angela or Danny depending on who was available. The more she got out on the mat, the more she wanted to spar. All of her opponents were highly skilled, and she was learning fast.

Despite the fun she was having, Raina decided to take a day off to recover. She was curled up in her window seat, a plush blanket wrapped around her shoulders and a cup of herbal tea on the table beside her. At her feet was a battered romance novel that Mateo had sent to her room. The Hellion Bride by Catherine Coulter. Either Mateo had a thing for historical fiction, or he was making a joke at her expense.

She was in the process of painting her toenails bright pink. When she was finished, she was going to start the book.

Raina had to admit that her life at the mansion was starting to settle into a kind of pattern, an enjoyable one even. During the day she either worked or shopped. In the afternoons she usually sparred with whoever was available, and in the evenings, she had a leisurely dinner with Mateo.

So far he'd shown up for every single one, despite the pressure of taking over one of the biggest crime capitals in the world. Their meals had not only become a must, but something that she wanted to do. Sometimes, she and Mateo didn't speak at all, just sat and ate in companionable silence. Sometimes they chatted about their daily activities, like what Raina shopped for that day or how the renovations on the mansion were going. Other times, they fought like cats and dogs, but Raina loved every minute of it. For some reason, she felt safe using her sharp wit on Mateo. He never got angry with her and his counterarguments were intelligent. He filled her mind with things that she never thought about before.

Without warning, her bedroom door opened, startling her. She frowned at the presumption but let out a sigh when she saw Mateo.

"I thought we talked about the knocking thing," she grouched at him, carefully applying the next layer of polish to her toenails.

He didn't address her snarky comment, but walked closer to her, watching her carefully. He always did that. Watched her with a look in his eyes that he reserved especially for her. A kind of intense scrutiny, but not one that made her nervous. On the contrary, by the time his face smoothed into a blank expression she usually managed to catch a brief look of satisfaction. As though he was pleased with everything he saw when he looked at her. It started a small glow inside of her, one that grew brighter with every passing day, with every glance.

"May I sit?"

Raina shot him a skeptical look. "Since when do you ask?"

Mateo reached out for a chair and pulled it up next to the window seat, sitting beside her, close enough that his knee brushed against her thigh. At that single accidental touch, her entire body began to vibrate with tension. She didn't know how he did it so easily, but something about him made every particle of her being stand up and take notice. It was like the skin of her thigh had suddenly become hypersensitive.

"Pretty colour," he said, nodding toward her feet, his voice gruff.

Raina raised an eyebrow at him and stuck her toes out for him to admire. She replaced the top on the nail polish and set it aside, then shifted in the seat to give Mateo a piercing look.

"You didn't come in here to talk to me about my nails, did you?"

"Perhaps I like being with you, no matter what you're doing." His eyes held hers so that she could see the seriousness, though the banter was light.

She snorted and pushed her glasses back up her nose. "Next you'll tell me that you watch me while I'm sleeping."

He gave her a wolfish grin, one that stole the breath from her chest. He rarely looked at her like that and when he did, he captivated her. "You do this adorable snore when you sleep on your back. And you sigh like a woman having secret dreams when you roll over onto your side."

Raina stared at him in horror. Was he serious? Or was he just pulling her leg? She couldn't tell. But if she was being honest with herself, she would admit that he absolutely had the capacity, ability and arrogance to watch her sleep.

Sometimes he seemed like such a normal guy and then other times… she didn't have a clue what he was thinking.

"Are you going to tell me why you're here?" she pushed. "I doubt it's to watch me sleep since it's only 4 o'clock."

He nodded, his face growing serious. "Our wedding is less than two months away."

Raina made a hissing sound as she sucked air in through her teeth. "Thanks for the reminder."

"You do need the reminder," he countered, his voice growing harder. "As far as I can tell you haven't made a single wedding plan."

"You expect me to plan this wedding? A wedding that, I should remind you, I want nothing to do with." A jolt went through her as she said the words. Something inside her brain whispered liar. "Why don't you plan the wedding?"

Mateo studied her, his face shuttered, not giving anything away. She wondered if she'd hurt him by telling him to his face that she didn't want to marry him. She shrugged it off. It was his own fault for forcing her into the situation. What did he expect? That she would be all sunshine and roses when it came to the idea of planning her own shotgun wedding.

"If you leave the wedding planning to me," he drawled. "Then we’ll be getting married tomorrow in my office and you’ll be moving into my bedroom directly after. Is this something you want? Would you like to expedite our wedding?"

He spoke with such a quiet intensity that Raina knew immediately he was serious. If he had the choice, he would marry her tomorrow. Her heart sped up at the idea and her mouth went dry. Though she suspected his question was rhetorical, meant to scare her, she actually gave it some thought. What if she did take the plunge? Marry Mateo tomorrow, move into his bedroom, become his wife for real.

A warm glow slowly spread through her body at the thought of marrying Mateo and sharing his bed in less than twenty-four hours. But that warm glow was followed closely by a wave of fear. She couldn't do it. She wasn't ready. The whole situation was too much. Mateo was too much. She was still learning how to navigate her new reality.

She shook her head. "I’d rather wait."

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