Page 19 of Royal Beast
But I can’t move, not with the way her pussy clamps onto my cock, milking it for everything I’ve got. My eyes roll back in my head as I feel myself release into her, Darcy’s walls fluttering as she joins me.
We come down from our climax and lie side by side as we catch our breath. “You’re mine,” I whisper again. “Don’t ever forget that.”
We end up going a few more rounds, taking separate showers before falling asleep in the bed together.
The next day, Darcy leaves to get her daughter and to start the process of moving their things into my place. While she’s gone, I clean out a bedroom for the kid, putting the stuff in my basement storage room so there’s enough space for her. I arrange for some new furniture to be delivered, as well as a few toys and a large pink dollhouse.
I have no idea what the kid might like, but I want to make sure that Rose has everything a little girl could ever want.
When the two of them arrive, Darcy leads Rose into the penthouse and says, “This is where we’ll be living from now on, Petal.” Rose takes it all in, her eyes wide.
“I’m Kellan,” I say, stepping forward. Rose’s eyes meet mine and she looks me over.
“I’m Rose,” she replies, extending her hand. I take it gently, and she lights up, a big grin on her face. There’s something in her smile so familiar that it causes me to inhale sharply.
I realize that she looks like our family. She’s got eyes shaped like Rory’s and the same straight-sloped nose as Lucky and me, though mine is a little crooked from being broken.
Is it possible that Rose is my daughter?
I glance up, searching Darcy’s eyes, but she’s closed off, her expression unreadable, arms crossed. I’m probably not going to get the answers I seek from her.
Disappointment fills me, but I brush it away.
9
DARCY
The morning light filters through the blinds, illuminating every corner of Kellan’s pristine penthouse, reminding me, once again, of just how far out of my own element I am. Every line, every shadow in this place feels like him—sharp, unyielding, and impossible to ignore.
I don’t belong here and yet here I am, trying to carve out some small piece of normalcy amid all this cold luxury. My days have been a careful balancing act since I’ve arrived. Whenever Kellan’s around, I keep myself busy, making sure Rose is occupied with activities, keeping my hands full and my distance even fuller. I don’t let myself linger in his gaze too long. I keep our conversations polite and measured, always leaving just enough space between us to fool myself into believing I still have control.
Because the truth is, that first night when I let myself fall so easily back into bed with him, I lost some of my control. And it’s infuriating. I promised myself I wouldn’t let him get to me, wouldn’t let myself fall back into the trap of his presence, his touch. Now here I am,marriedto him, living under his roof,playing the role of his wife, all while trying to keep Rose from noticing the tension.
Buthenotices. I catch him watching sometimes, that slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth whenever I brush by him or leave the room with Rose in tow. I know he thinks it’s only a matter of time before I slip again. And maybe he’s right. But I’ll be damned if I make it easy for him.
A few days into our new arrangement, the three of us are having breakfast together. Rose is attempting to eat her toast, her fingers sticky with jam, while Kellan sips his coffee at the far end of the table, watching us with that irritating calm of his.
I keep my focus on Rose, listening to her chatter about her favorite cartoons and what she wants to do later. I smile as I respond to her questions, keeping my replies light and polite whenever Kellan tries to pull me into conversation. It's not that I want to ignore him. It’s that I need to, for my own sanity.
Kellan clears his throat, breaking the temporary peace. “I’ve arranged for a nanny to start looking after Rose,” he says casually, as if he’s simply suggesting I try a different brand of coffee.
The words slam into me, and I turn slowly to meet his gaze, my patience unraveling by the second. “A nanny?” I repeat, my words edged in disbelief. “I told you before we married, Kellan.Imake the parenting decisions for Rose.”
He meets my gaze without flinching, that maddening confidence still intact. “And I agreed to respect your decisions where Rose is concerned, but a nanny isn’t negotiable. You’re busy with work, and Max isn’t here to watch her anymore.”
“I’m her mother,” I say, my voice rising. “I don’t need, or want, someone else raising my daughter.”
Kellan raises an eyebrow, unfazed. “A nanny won’t be raising her, Darcy. She’ll be helping you. You have a lot on your plateright now, and I don’t expect Max to rearrange his life to come here every day.”
I clench my fists under the table, trying to keep my voice steady. “Kellan, I’ve been doing just fine. I don’t need a stranger involved in our lives like this.”
For a moment he’s quiet, his gaze steady and unyielding. “I know you can take care of her. This is simply support, Darcy. And it’s happening whether you like it or not.”
I stare at him, struggling to keep my composure, but there’s no mistaking the finality in his tone. And it’s that very finality that snaps something within me. “I don’t care if you already hired her. That doesn’t make it right, and it doesn’t mean I’m just going to stand back and let you decide who stays with my daughter.”
“But you’re my responsibility,” he says coolly, his eyes hardening. “And that means Rose’s care is something I have a say in.”
A stiff silence stretches between us, and I can see he’s not going to back down. A knot forms in my stomach as I realize I might have to find another way to handle this. But there’s no way I’m letting him win this easily.
