Page 58 of King of My Heart

“But you haven’tlivedin my house before.” His gaze was locked on mine, serious, and I decided not to fight him on this.

“Okay. Go ahead.”

“Don’t leave dishes in the sink overnight.”

“Fair.”

“Don’t touch the thermostat. I like it cold.”

I pursed my lips. “Guess I’ll never sleep naked then.”

“I’ll keep you warm.”

“Fine with me,” I said with a grin.

“No baking.”

“But—”

“No. Baking.”

“But why? It’ll make your house smell amazing.”

He raised a brow. “Are you saying my house stinks?”

“No, of course not. But you’d be surprised at how relaxing it is sitting around the house with the smell of freshly baked cupcakes around you.”

He studied me carefully, making up his mind about his rule. “Fine. You can bake. But you clean up afterward.”

“Of course I will,” I promise with a gentle smile. “Anything else?”

“Yes.” He took a step closer, looking around to make sure nobody was casually walking by. His eyes met mine, and he lowered his head before whispering, “We fuck every day. No exceptions.”

My breath hitched. That’s a rule I would definitely obey. “Gladly.”

“Good girl.”

Shivers ran down my spine as he left me standing there on the porch while he grabbed my bags and carried them inside. I followed him inside when I managed to get my legs to work. He carried the bags to his bedroom, and when he returned, he stood in front of me again.

He cupped my face with both hands, leaned in, and kissed me softly. I eased into him immediately and rested my hands on his chest. He pulled back a little while later and rested his forehead against mine. “I’m glad you’re staying with me,” he whispered.

“Me too.” I smiled, kissing him again, and wrapping my arms around his neck. He held me close, putting his arms tightly around my waist.

Yeah, I definitely stayed a while longer. I wanted more of this moment. More of him. Of us.

Hilton Beach wasn’t just a detour anymore.

It was starting to feel like a place where I might just belong.

***

Two weeks later, I managed to follow the four little rules he had asked me to follow. I especially enjoyed rule number four:fucking every day.

He rarely made me catch my breath or give me time to let my body relax, but all the soreness from all the fucking felt good in a way. He was restless, and when I asked him if he had always slept this little, he just laughed.

Of course, he had slept way more hours before I turned up at his door a couple of weeks ago, but he didn’t seem to miss it.

Today wasn’t about him or our rules. Today, I needed to get out of the house for a bit. I convinced Caspian to let me walk to the general store to get a few ingredients for dinner tonight. Ipromised him I’d text him the second I arrived, even if the store was just down the road. He wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea, but he relented.

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