Page 31 of Scorned Queen

“I’d love that,” I say.“I’d ask to try your chicken, but you ate it all.”

“Shit.I did.I should have offered.”

I laugh.“I’m teasing you.You know I don’t love chicken.”

He laughs now, too, and the thing is, despite all that is happening in our lives, it feels good to remember how good we are together and how well we know each other, too.We’re that good together.Because we’ve known each other a lifetime, and I’ve never been more comfortable with a man in my life and yet so darn attracted to him, too.

“I remember exactly what ruined chicken for you.”Amusement lights his eyes.

“Oh yeah,” I say, “prove it.”

“Because we went to that buffet years ago, and your chicken squirted blood.”

I cringe just hearing it.“Yes.It was so horrible.”I scrunch my face up.“It was really, really gross.”

“You were traumatized.”

“Still am.”

He laughs and shakes his head.“I should have given you some of my chicken.You’d forget the buffet.It was that good.Next time.”He sips his drink and asks, “How was your morning?”And the thing about the question that makes it matter is that I believe he really wants to know.It’s in his eyes, in the way he watches me and waits for my answer.

When I’m with him, and this dates back to childhood, I feel like he narrows his massive world and makes it all about me.It’s not something I’ve ever felt with anyone but him.

“Good,” I say.“I filmed the intro for several episodes.”

“Are you done with Dierk now?”

I laugh and shake my head.“Are you really jealous?”

“As fuck.”He shoves aside his empty plate and laces his fingers together on the table.“He’s a hound dog.Are you done with him?”

“No.We film the second half of his episode in about a month, but his mother will be chaperoning.”

“I’m not sure that matters.”

“Is he that much of a hound dog?”

“Most men are until they find the right woman.”His eyes dance with mischief as he adds, “Or until they finally convince her to move in with them.”

My stomach flip-flops at the reference to me being the right woman.“Youwerea hound dog.Big time.You kissed me while with another woman.”

“Girl,” he amends.“She was a girl.We were teenagers, and for all I knew, I’d never see you again.I was standing there, trying to say goodbye without touching you, but I couldn’t.”His voice lowers, a smoky quality to it, as he adds, “It felt like walking away without kissing you would have been one of the biggest mistakes of my life.”

Emotion thickens my throat at the idea that he cared that much about me, and I never believed it to be true.I let insecurity frame too much of my life.“It all worked out.”

“Not quite yet, baby, but I’m working really damn hard to fix that.Can I bring Adam in now?”

At that whiplash change of subject, nerves erupt in my belly at the idea of some strange man following me around.“Do we have to?”

“Yes.We have to.”He glances at his watch.“It’s late, and I want to lay the groundwork between you two while I’m present.”

I shove my plate aside now as well.“He needs a chair, I guess.”

“I’ll get him and a chair,” he says, “and I already told him you’re hands off.”

My eyes go wide.“No, you didn’t.Please tell me you didn’t say that to that man!”

He laughs a low, raspy, sexy laugh I feel low in my belly.“You’re a beautiful woman, Alana.You’re damn straight, I did.”He pushes to his feet and walks to the door, leaving me as mortified as I am blown away by his possessiveness.

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