Page 30 of Royally Lucky

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to cross boundaries here. I’ve never done this.” She waved her hand in a wild arc while trying to wiggle free. “You’ll be heading home and don’t want to spill all your secrets to a woman you only met and...and slept with because you happened to—"

Kendrick held her tighter. “Shut the fuck up,” he growled. “I screwed up. What I said wasn’t what I should’ve. I’m the one who isn’t good with words.” He blew out a breath.

“Really, you don’t have to explain anything to me.”

He shook her, lifting her the few inches off the ground until they were eye-to-eye. “I said shut up. I fucked up. I want to do everything with you. Not just fuck you six ways to Sunday and, when we are satiated, do it all over again. No, this is not about me hooking up with some random woman, Sutton. You asked what I was thinking, and I didn’t want to tell you I was going through all the ways I could get you locked down, tied to me, owned by me. That’s the kind of shit that had been running through my head. I didn’t think you were ready to hear that yet. Hell, you’re probably not, but fuck it.”

Her hands slid up and over his shoulders. “Oh,” she breathed.

Kendrick blinked a couple of times. “Is that all you have to say to what I said?”

Sutton licked her lips. Her gorgeous eyes held his as she leaned forward. “I’m taking it all in and letting it marinate.”

He groaned as sensations buzzed through his veins. “Woman, you’re killing me.”

“Do you think we could make love again before you keel over? It would be a huge shame to die without me feeling your cock inside me at least one more time.” She laughed as he mock growled, sealing her lips over his. Kendrick didn’t think there would be a woman more perfect for him, but damn, he’d been wrong. How he’d gotten so fucking lucky, he didn’t know, but the universe blessed him royally.

“Ah, Boss?” Andre called from behind him.

Kendrick broke their kiss, pressing his forehead to Sutton’s. “Yeah?”

“King and Duke are waiting at the clubhouse with their guy Keys. Looks as though there’s an update I think you want to hear.” Andre didn’t interrupt him unless the matter was life-threatening or truly urgent. In this case, Kendrick had a feeling it might be both.

“We’ll be right there.”

Chapter Fourteen

After they entered the clubhouse, it took her body a little longer to relax. Kendrick left her at the bar while he and Andre went into a backroom with the others.

She spun around on the barstool, holding her glass of tomato juice. With a sigh, she got down and walked around the vast space. Each table was slightly different as it was a large slab of wood with a skull and crown burned into the center.

In the light of day, the place appeared different from the night of the reception. Although the lights were on, they were still dimmer than at a typical restaurant or bar. From what she knew, they’d expanded the original clubhouse by four and added a second level. The floor shined like it was polished marble. However, it was concrete, which Ayesha said had been done by a master craftsman to look that way. Sutton thought it was a genius move on whoever designed it since the cleanup would be less work in case of spills. And, if a fight broke out, there wouldn’t be any fear of blood ruining things. All they’d need to do was haul in a hose, and bam, the place would be clean. Like the floor, the tables had a thick layer of clear polish that made them easy to clean.

The word is such an oxymoron because she knew without a doubt the things she and Kendrick would be doing would not be clean. Hell, she hoped like all get out he would defile her in all ways possible.

“You’re nothing but a little slut, Sutton James. You’ll never be anything but a whore in training. Look at you, walking around the house dressed like that. Of course, it’s your fault.You got what you were asking for. Now I have to deal with what you brought on. Go to your room.”

“But, mama, I didn’t—”

Sutton fell to the floor as her mother slapped her across her face. Her broken arm hit the hard tile first, making her cry out as she rolled away, trying to avoid more abuse. The familiar scent of alcohol and weed filled the air. The only blessing she could count on was not seeing Jarvis. Or JarJar, as her mother called her stepfather.

“You did, or the cops wouldn’t have come and arrested JarJar, you lying little slut. Now get up and get out of my face. If social services weren’t coming tomorrow to see us, I’d—”

“Please, mama, stop.”Sutton dodged the foot aimed at her head.

“Then get your fat, lazy whore ass up and out of my sight before I kill you myself.”

She saw the hate and truth in her mother’s eyes and knew she’d follow through with her threat if given a chance. Sutton stumbled to her feet, using the wall to brace herself when she nearly fell. Without looking back, she hurried to the tiny room at the back of the house and shoved a chair under the door since she didn’t have a lock. God, why did her life suck so damn much? Next year, she’d be thirteen, and still, she couldn’t get a job, but maybe someone would hire her to babysit so she could save some money. Not that her mom or stepdad would allow her to keep anything for herself.

Sutton’s stomach heaved, and she stumbled. She had to grab onto one of the high-top tables and force herself to shut out the memories of her past. “Fuck, I got past that shit,” she whispered.

“Hey, are you okay?”

She spun around, facing a man who made Kendrick look tiny. “Um, yeah. I’m great.”

He shook his head. “It’s me, T-Rex. I won’t hurt. I swear, you know my ole’ lady would cut my dick off if she thought a woman got hurt on my watch. I promise you’re safe here. I just saw you standing here for a long time, and then...well, you started shaking. I didn’t want to touch you out of fear of causing you more trauma. Here,” he passed her a bottle.

Sutton took the bottle of water and unscrewed the cap. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized how thirsty she’d become. “Thank you,” she said in a rasp.

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