Page 60 of Beast

Oh, that was rich.“You didn’t think this was important information to share?”I demanded.

He tilted his head, and his blue eyes held mine as he spoke.“I can’t help you if you won’t help yourself.Finding the balance as a leader takes time.I made plenty of mistakes in the beginning.The men need security, and one thing I learned was to be decisive in my commands, even if I had no idea what I was doing.”

He got up from the chair and walked over to me.“When you stop fighting who you are, this will get easier.”

I bent forward, resting my head against his stomach.“I don’t want this,” I murmured.

His fingers threaded gently through my braids, lulling me into a false sense of comfort.And then he dropped the bomb.“I think you do.”

My head snapped up so fast it should have yanked out an entire braid.“How can you say that?”

His comforting smile disarmed me.“You hate authority, especially mine.You’re a natural at giving orders and making sure everything runs like a well-oiled machine.You have no fear, even when you should.Your only obstacle is Marinah the weak.Once you let her go, everything will fall into place.”

Marinah the weak.He hit the nail on the head.I’d spent so much time hiding from life, from challenges, from responsibility.I was weak.

“You don’t miss the old me?”I asked quietly.

His smile turned wolfish.“Not in the least.”

“No fair,” I whispered.

King took my hand, pulling me up from the bed.His arms circled me as he gazed deep into my eyes.Ms.Beast didn’t protest, and I felt a wave of relief.“You are not weak,” he said before kissing me.He was wrong because by the time he finished, my knees could barely hold me.

“Can we forget about who leads and who looks into my eyes for now?”I murmured.

“Your wish is my command,” he said with a grin.

I wanted to complain about his choice of words, but then his hands found the sensitive area beneath my breasts.A woman shouldn’t complain when a man was making her feel so good.“I have something for you,” he whispered.I needed him to stop talking and move his hands higher.

Instead, they dropped, and he left me standing there while he rummaged in our closet.He returned with a bag and placed it on the bed.“I found these in the city when I went scavenging.”

I looked inside the bag, and tears immediately welled up.Boots.And not just any boots.

Doc Martens.Size nine.Camouflage.

He’d found these while he was angry with me.

“You like them?”he asked softly.

“I like them,” I said, my voice trembling.“And I love you.”I wiped away a tear as my lips quivered.Then I remembered my gift for King.It was stupid, really, and nothing compared to these boots.“I have something for you too,” I said hesitantly.

He was going to hate it.

I rummaged in the nightstand drawer and pulled out a small bag.Handing it to him, I watched nervously as he opened it.

King pulled out the silver chains.They were from a novelty store, cheap metal that probably wouldn’t last.As he fully removed the necklaces, he could see the charms at the ends.Script writing.One said KING, the other QUEEN.

My embarrassment grew as he stared at them silently.Then he lifted his head, and I saw pure love in his expression.“Come here,” he whispered.

I stepped into his arms, and he held me tightly, rocking gently from side to side.

“I’ll wear mine if you wear yours,” he said softly into my hair.

I pushed back slightly, and he placed the necklace around my throat.It took him a few seconds to work the clasp.When his hands dropped, he pressed the word QUEEN lightly into my skin with his finger before handing me his necklace.I secured it, turned the clasp to the back, and pressed his KING into his skin in return.

That’s when a multicolored blur caught my eye.The kitten leapt onto the bed and then bolted off just as quickly.King noticed too.“Was that a cat?”

I nodded.If he wanted decisive, I’d give him decisive.“She’s my cat.Her name is Callie, and she’ll be staying in our room from now on.”

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