Page 34 of The Crownless King
She turned to face him. “What do you want from me, King?”
He shook his head. “You can’t help yourself.”
She chuckled. “You can talk to people any type of way, but you can’t take it when I do the same to you?”
“Only you could make the title sound so mocking.”
She shoved him gently. “You gave me a nickname, I did the same. Now answer my question and quit stalling.”
Levi lifted her from the bench and into his lap, refusing to admit to her that the name had grown on him. The feel of her soft curves on his legs was nearly his undoing. The hungry growl he released was entirely involuntary. He lifted her chin to stare into her eyes. He wanted to tell her that he just wanted her. That his spirit craved her and sought her out as the balance between monster and man.
Watching Amaya’s face let him know that she wouldn’t take well to that response. So, he tamped down on the truth and gave her a simple answer.
“For now, I want us on good terms. Can we at least call a truce?”
He used his other hand to trace the curve of her shoulder. Amaya shivered, goosebumps raising on her skin. Levi wanted to nuzzle in the hollow of her neck, but he wanted her answer more, and he had a feeling that if he lowered his eyes, she would deny him that.
Her eyebrows bunched. “What does that entail?”
His thumb traced her bottom lip. “I’ll take you not cussing me out every time you see me to start.”
The smile on her face made his dick hard, but that was neither here nor there. Her body relaxed in his arms. Unable to resist any longer, Levi dipped his head, rubbing his cheek against hers. He sighed, inhaling her floral scent and closing his eyes.
“I can do a truce. But I want more freedom. I’m done being trapped in your mansion under your thumb.”
He lifted his head and scoffed. “At which point were you under my thumb? You won’t even have dinner with me.”
Amaya raised a trembling hand to cup his cheek, the seriousness of her gaze sobering him. “I want to be able to move freely. See my cousins. Hell, make stops in between here and work, small shit I took for granted.”
“Fine.” He agreed easily; he would give her anything, except her escape.
She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Are you setting me up?”
“God almighty, girl,” he grumbled.
She laughed. “Okay, small truce.”
“The guard stays because letting your uncle go means he could get you into some more shit. Which, by the way, I never do. If it gets out that I’m getting soft…”
“Relax, King. I can’t imagine anyone calling you soft and living to tell the tale.”
Tucking his face into her neck, he shivered as her scent filled his body with comfort. He would take any concession from her that he could get, if only to be able to access this slice of peace she gave him.
Chapter twelve
It had been three days since she’d made her truce with King Levi and he’d kept up his end of the bargain. He allowed her more freedoms… She grimaced at that thought.
Allowed.
Gods, how far she’d fallen. A maleallowingher to do anything. She shook her head.Going out sad, girl.
“So…fine ass shifter is your shadow?”
Her cousin Tracy’s words broke into her thoughts. They were having lunch at the Archive café and she’d been catching her cousin up on the bizarreness that her life had become. A month in Levi’s mansion and honestly, Amaya couldn’t complain. His house was better than the one she and her mom rented, and despite the way the relationship started, she felt safe. Which…
Amaya hadn’t realized how bad their life had gotten. The very fact that being kidnapped and kept prisoner felt safer than her old life was a damning testament. The whole time, if asked, she would’ve sworn that she and Anita were fine, but their time with Levi showed her different. Yes, she was stressed about how to get out from under Levi’s control, but the first words out of Tracy’s mouth when she saw her had been how Amaya was glowing.
Eating regularly and not stressing about her mother’s health had done that.
