Page 19 of Fierce King (L.A. Ruthless 1)

‘Well, that bulge in your trousers suggests that at least some part of you thinks it’s sexy,’ she said with a grin as she settled back against the seat.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or reprimand her, so I did neither. I reached for my cock and adjusted myself to a more comfortable position, before leaning back against the seat too.

Half an hour later, our car pulled up outside the exclusive restaurant and I could already see the swarm of paparazzi waiting for us. It wasn’t unexpected. I’d had them tipped off myself. People were starting to ask questions about my new wife and this was the perfect, public way to answer them.

If Alana was bothered by the press, nothing in her demeanor showed it. I expected, being the pampered princess that she was, she would probably enjoy the attention.

The car door was opened for us and I stepped out first, reaching for her hand and helping her out. I pulled her close to me and the scent of her perfume caught me off guard. She smelled so good, I wanted to push her back into the car and eat her for dinner.

Instead, I leaned my head down and whispered in her ear. ‘Best behavior. The whole world is watching.’

‘Of course,’ she smiled at me.

I slipped my arm around her waist and we walked towards the restaurant. Cameras were flashing in our faces and people were shouting our names but Alana didn’t flinch.

‘Mrs. Montoya,’ a reporter sidled up to her with a microphone in her face. ‘This is the first time we’ve seen you and Mr. Montoya together since your surprise wedding. Can you tell us why you’ve been hiding away?’

I waited. This was her chance to tell the world what a bastard I was.

She turned her body to mine and rested her hand on my chest. ‘Have you seen my husband?’ she asked with a flash of her eyebrows. ‘We’re newlyweds. Why do you think we’ve been hiding away?’ Then she gave them all a killer smile and they broke into laughter as the cameras kept flashing.

She looked up at my face, gazing adoringly at me and I couldn’t help but smile at her.

She was an incredible actress. I leaned down and pressed my mouth over hers. I was taking a liberty doing this in public, but I also wanted to see how she’d handle it.

She placed her hand on my cheek and kissed me back. I slipped my tongue inside for an instant, but I regretted it as soon as I tasted her.

I’d kissed her once before, but that had been in front of my mother and I’d been distracted. Tonight, she tasted of peppermint and strawberries, and sin, and now I knew that, I wanted more of her. In fact, all I could think about was sliding my tongue into the other parts of her body that belonged to me.

I pulled away and looked into her eyes. Had she enjoyed that as much as I had?Before I could read her, the maître d was out of the restaurant and ushering us inside.

‘I’m so sorry about this intrusion, Mr. Montoya,’ he said. ‘I’ve reserved you your favorite table.’

I placed my hand on the small of Alana’s back and we walked into the restaurant and away from the baying photographers.

Heads turned as she passed. She was beautiful, with curves in all the right places and a certain kind of confidence that I’d rarely seen in a woman. But she seemed to have no idea of the effect she had on people. And that didn’t fit at all with the spoiled little princess I’d thought I was marrying.

Our marriage was a business arrangement. I had chosen a woman who would give me an heir and nothing more. I didn’t want to like her, to think she was funny, or smart, or wonder what she was doing when she wasn’t with me. I certainly didn’t want to fall in love with her. I didn’t have time for such complications. That’s why I’d chosen a woman I could never fall in love with - but it seemed I’d been duped.

Alana Carmichael was proving my assumptions wrong at every single turn.

---