Page 16 of Dark King (Advantage Play 2)

I motion to the damn shirt that refuses to cooperate. “Micromanaging, King?” I return with a scowl. “You try it. These things are stubborn.”

His amused lips drop a quick kiss to my nose before he lays me down on the bed, and I’m surprised by his gentleness. As my weight presses into the mattress, he grabs the waistband of my jeans and tugs them off in one quick yank, nearly taking me with them. The action pulls a fit of giggles out of me.

So much for being gentle.

“Careful, King! Or else I’ll end up on the floor!”

“Would you land on your knees?” he razzes, quirking his brow in interest.

“Shut up and get your shirt off before I change my mind.”

With ease, his fingers triumph in the battle between buttons and man as he finally starts to take off his shirt. My mouth waters as more and more skin is put on display for my own personal view. Yes, I’ve seen him without a shirt before, but it never fails to impress me. The muscles of his chest tighten, and his abs flex, showcasing a six-pack that is damn near edible before the white material slides down his thick biceps. My hands itch to reach out and touch them when his voice distracts me.

“Yeah, I don’t see that happening,” he comments.

“Huh?” I ask, confused but refusing to look away from his hot, tan skin that’s on full display.

He laughs. “You changing your mind. I don’t see that happening. Not when you’re looking at me like that.”

If I had any sense of pride, I might prove him wrong, but I’m a helpless mess right now, and I need him. I need him so damn bad it’s not even funny. So, instead, I give him a half-assed glare before sitting up and hooking my fingers into the belt loops of his slacks. Then I tug him toward me. He catches himself with his hands as I find myself on my back being caged in by a strong, powerful man who could squash me like a bug if he wanted to.

But instead, he looks down at me as if I’m more valuable than the Mona Lisa. And I kind of love it.

“I’m going to make you mine now, Ace,” he murmurs. It isn’t a question, and he sure as hell isn’t asking permission, yet I know he’d stop if I asked him.

And I kind of love him for that too.

Snaking my arms around his back, I drag my fingers up to his shoulders and pull him down until his weight is sandwiching me between his muscular frame and the mattress. Satisfied, I comb my fingers through the back of his hair as he bends down for another kiss. And once again, I find myself lost to him.

He’s right. He does own me. And he’s about to prove it.

And in this moment, as he takes a piece of me that I’ve finally given willingly for the first time in my life, I feel normal. And maybe even a little loved too while my rules take a backseat, and Kingston steals the spotlight.

Chapter Nine

Kingston

“Alright, Mister. It’s time we get to work.” Ace is in nothing but my dress shirt from earlier. The hem almost reaches her knees, but she’s left the top few buttons undone and looks nothing short of exquisite.

We’ve just finished cleaning up dinner, and I watch in fascination as she heads for her backpack and comes back with a worn deck of cards.

“You ready?” She quirks her brow, shuffling the cards like a pro even though her hand is still lightly bandaged to keep her stitches from getting infected.

I groan but pull out a chair across from her. “Am I allowed to say no?”

With a light laugh, she shakes her head. “Sorry, Mister. It’s time for Bossy Ace to make an appearance. You have a lot to learn and not a lot of time to learn it. Now, tell me what you know.”

Clearing my throat, I go over the different types of hands and their strengths. “There’s a two pair, three pair, four pair, full-house—”

“Which is?” she interrupts, waiting for me to reply.

“A two-pair and a three-pair in the same hand.”

“Good. Go on.”

I laugh at her praise before following her orders to proceed. “There’s a straight, which is all the numbers in order such as two, three, four, five, and six. And there’s a flush, which is all five cards having the same suit.”

“Good.” Her face lights up with pride, and my chest swells with it too as she presses forward. “So, you’re familiar with basic strategy, then?”

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