I stayed downstairs, making my rounds to lock the doors and check the windows and collecting the damn rabbit that I found chewing a hole in a bag on the pantry floor. When all things were secure, alarms were set, and the rabbit was securely snuggled under my arm, I joined Bianca in our bedroom only to find her fast asleep.
CHAPTER 23
BIANCA
It was midweek when I finally got around to walking through my little house to take in all the upgrades. It was gorgeous, way more than I could have asked for, and if it wasn’t for Royal, all this would have never been done. Sure, I dreamed of doing the upgrades, but my father always needed money or care, and didn’t family always come first?
New floors, counters, appliances, roof, paint . . . it must have cost a fortune. Then there was the added cost of landscaping. Why? Why would he bother spending so much on a property that wasn’t even his? A voice in the back of my head whispered, he cares about you, but I ignored the voice, not really sure if Royal really cared about anything but money and power.
I met the leasing company on the property, and filled out all the necessary paperwork, shocked at how quick the process was. But then again, the company was employed by Royal, and he tended to be efficient. By this time next week, my home would have another occupant, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I loved the luxury of Royal’s house, but the relaxed comfort of my own called to me.
The agent pulled out of the driveway, and I checked my watch, noting that the appointment took less time than I thought it would. I had taken an extended lunch break, anticipating a longer meeting time, but fifteen minutes to sign on the dotted line, check a few boxes, and mark a few initials, and all leasing and tenant responsibilities were out of my hand.
I got in my car and headed back to work, deciding if I made it on time, which I was almost positive I would, I would eat a frozen dinner I had stored in the freezer as lunch. A glance in my rear-view mirror confirmed Royal’s babysitter had pulled out behind me, and I decided for once I would let him be instead of trying to intentionally lose him.
Except for a few cars, the parking lot was empty. I parked, my babysitter pulling in next to me. I flipped him off, he blew me a kiss. It was funny, really. Even though I knew Troy was an actual adult with big responsibilities and not just a loser like I initially pegged him for, I still couldn’t help but egg him on. He was almost the fun side to Royal’s dark and broody demeanor, and maybe that’s why they worked because they seemed to complement each other in the most unlikely of ways.
I entered the office through the employee’s door, thankful it was left unlocked for once, so I didn’t have to walk all the way around the building to use the front entrance. After dropping my purse at my office station, I went into the breakroom in search of a delicious tray of frozen enchiladas and Spanish rice. Delicious might be a stretch, but I needed the mental build-up to force myself to eat it.
When I walked in, the breakroom already had a coworker heating up a tray of what had to be an equally unappetizing frozen meal. “Cardboard for lunch?” He nodded as he used a plastic fork to push the food around. “Same.”
I slit the plastic on top and popped it into the microwave before leaning against the counter and facing Dr. Ricardo Cruz again. “Long day?”
He came closer to me and groaned. “The longest. Would it kill people to floss?”
“Ha, you would think. And then people wonder why they get cavities.” I leaned over, checking the time on the microwave.
“You’ve been busy lately,” he pointed out.
“Not that busy, but my clientele is consistent.” No busier than usual, I guess. I’d always had solid bookings; a lot of females prefer a female dentist for comfort reasons, and my ratings were phenomenal. Well, minus the lousy review my damn husband managed to spread in less than twelve hours before we got married. Pussy.
I outwardly smiled at the thought. If he were here and I called him that he would be outraged. He probably would embark on some quest to prove to me just how manly he was, complete with pinning me against a wall so I could feel his hard, manly length rubbing against my body. I involuntarily shivered at the thought.
Ricardo’s eyes traveled over me like he sensed my sudden discomfort. “I meant outside of work.”
I shifted where I stood at the exact moment the microwave dinged. Thankful for the distraction, I reached over, pulled the door open, and used a towel to pull out the package. When I turned back around, he was there waiting to pick up the conversation where we had left off. Damn it. I was hoping he forgot in the few moments it took to grab my food.
“I’ve gone out with my friend for drinks here and there,” I replied, using that one time I went out with Natalie as an excuse.
He made a sound in his throat. “Hmm. I would have thought something more was going on. I haven’t seen you work late in a few weeks.”
“Nope, just normal life.” I shifted uncomfortably again.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “No boyfriend?”
I debated what to tell him. Ricardo was nice, good looking, and by all accounts, a good catch. But I did think it was crossing a workplace line by asking about my relationship status. I opened my mouth to respond and closed it again. What would I say anyway? I was in a relationship, sort of. The truth, I’d tell him the truth.
I opened my mouth to try again, cleared my dry throat, preparing to speak when a voice came from the door behind us. “She doesn’t have a boyfriend.” Ricardo and I both turned, my heart picking up at the sight of Royal, a giant brown paper bag in his hand.
He stepped toward us, covering the space in three strides. His free hand was instantly on my waist as he pulled my body into his. He leaned in, and I wanted to pull back, but like a magnet, my body instantly melted to his, my pulse beating in anticipation. His lips met mine, stealing a kiss, and I wanted to pull away, I really did, but instead, my body only fought to get closer, hating even the smallest millimeter of space between us.
His lips were hot, hungry, taking all I wasn’t willingly giving to him, and when a moan escaped me, I didn’t even try to stifle it. How could I? Not when all logical thoughts were torn from my mind, and all my senses were flooded with Royal.
He pulled away, keeping his hand solidly on my waist to steady me before turning to Ricardo, who was looking a bit uncomfortable. “Bianca doesn’t need a boyfriend when she has a husband like me.”
I saw Ricardo swallow hard and stutter a bit before introducing himself to Royal. Royal took his hand and shook it, and I saw the moment when Ricardo suddenly got starry-eyed over my husband. It was ridiculous, the way Ricardo looked at Royal like he was a damn celebrity, and suddenly my whole existence was forgotten.
I cleared my throat, offended that both men were ignoring me. Ricardo looked in my direction, his eyebrows furrowed, his eyes narrowed, and I would’ve shrunk away if it wasn’t for Royal’s suddenly tight grip on my waist. As if Ricardo wasn’t mid-speech about his viewpoints on downtown’s reconstruction, a project which one of Royal’s businesses was heading, Royal cut him off. “It was nice to meet you, but I’ve come to have lunch with my wife.”
He again stressed the word wife, and I didn’t miss the way his eyes narrowed before he turned back to me, placing another, slightly tamer kiss on my lips. When he pulled away this time, his attention was entirely on me, his back turned toward Ricardo dismissively.
He held up a plastic bag. “I knew you were at the rental during lunch, so I brought food.”
I took the bag from him, thankful that I didn’t have to eat the frozen meal. Leading him over to the table, I sat the bag on top and peered inside. “You went to my favorite Italian place?” He nodded proudly. “How did you even know?”
His body came behind mine as he leaned over me, taking the cartons of food from my hand. “I asked the receptionist.”
He said it so casually, but despite the simplicity of the task, I felt like my privacy had been invaded. After all, how did she know who he really was?
“You what?”
He opened the carton in front of me and pulled out the chair. “I called and asked the gal who answered what I should feed you and if you’d arrived back yet.”
“I don’t think she had a right to give out that information.” I plopped down in the chair and picked up the plastic fork.
He pulled out a chair next to me. “What harm could it cause, Bianca?”
“You could be a murderer. Or be bringing me poisoned food. She could be contributing to my death right now,” I huffed.
He picked up his own fork and speared it into his lasagna before shoving a huge bite into his mouth. He chewed slowly while making a face of concentration. “I told her I was your husband. So, you’re not going to eat the best lasagna in town because I might have poisoned it?”
I thought about it. “Well, no. I’m still going to eat it.”
He nodded his approval, as I shoved my fork full of food into my mouth, then he leaned into me, close enough to whisper so that only I could hear. “Besides, if I wanted you dead Amore, I wouldn’t ruin a perfectly good lasagna to do it. I have no problem gutting a person until their insides fall into a pile on the floor seconds before their body follows.”
I nearly choked. I knew what he was saying was true, but hearing the admission still shocked me. He never made his job a secret from me, but somehow, I managed to forget that even monsters can wear well-tailored suits. I put my fork down, pushing my food away.
He rolled his eyes and sighed. “Would you like me to lie to you, Bianca?”
I had to think about it. Did I want the truth, even knowing sometimes it’s ugly? “No.”
“Then eat your food and stop acting like a spoiled brat. You know who and what I am; don’t pretend like it's appalled you before. Eat your food.”
He pushed the food closer to me and watched me until I picked up the fork and shoveled another bite of the lasagna in my mouth. It was amazing, even if it could be poisoned. We ate in silence for most of the meal, but surprisingly, it wasn’t uncomfortable. I didn’t want to admit it to him, but he was actually growing on me, even if his methods were unconventional and completely backhanded.
I glanced at my phone and shot to my feet. “I forgot I have a patient in five.”
He grabbed a napkin and wiped his face, still chewing his food. When he swallowed, he glanced up at me as he rubbed his hands. “Should I go out and warn them now?”
I glared. “Don’t you dare. Despite what you think, I’m an excellent dentist, you just happen to be the biggest baby on the whole west coast.”
He made an irked sound. “I am not a baby. I’ve been stabbed more times than you’ve been laid probably.”
He quirked his head. “Are you using now to fish for past relationship information?”
“I saw an opening, and since your coworker was trying to flirt with you, it got me thinking.”
I looked down at my watch again. “Four minutes. Now is not the time.”
“That’s four minutes of chatting time, Amore.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.
“Why are you like this?” I blurted out, and he only smirked. “As far as you are concerned, I have had no previous relationships. My virtue is still intact and was waiting for you.”
“Is that true?” He looked skeptical and rightfully so.
I huffed out a laugh. “Of course, it isn’t true. I couldn’t possibly dream I would be in this predicament right now.”
He loosened his arms and turned his watch to check the time. “Three minutes. I guess it doesn’t really matter. Whatever you’ve had up to this point is never going to measure up to a single night with me.”
I furrowed my brows. “You’re mighty cocky for a man who has yet to have sex with me.”
“I will.”
If there was an award for the number of eye rolls in five minutes, I was positive I would have gotten the first-place ribbon. “Feeling pretty confident in yourself today?”
“There isn’t a day I wake up where I’m not feeling confident, Amore.”
He stood, his body suddenly closer than I was comfortable with. I inhaled, which was an absolutely bad idea because not only was my body close to his, but my senses were drowning in all things Royal, and I wasn’t even positive if I wanted to be saved. I lost my thoughts, unable to answer him, and he knew it. He leaned down, his lips caressing my ear as he whispered, “Two minutes.”
Damn him, but I could hear the laughter in his voice taunting me. I took a step back as he took a step forward. “I have to get going.”
“I never pictured you as one to scurry away like a frightened lamb, Amore.”
Yeah, well, I never wanted to hate someone as much as I wanted to fuck them, so there was that. A first for both of us. But I didn’t voice it. “I’m hardly running away; I have work to do.”
“In a minute and . . .” He glanced at his watch, “twenty-three seconds.”
I stepped back again, my hand searching for the counter I knew was somewhere behind me. “So precise.”
“A man is nothing without precision,” he pointed out. “But you wouldn’t know that, would you?”
But I wanted to know, god, I really, really wanted to know just how precise he would be. He stepped closer, and I avoided his eye contact, positive I heard footsteps in the hall coming in our direction. He cocked his head, and I was confident he heard them too. The approaching steps didn’t stop him from advancing. In fact, they encouraged his strides until I found myself pinned between the counter and his hard body.
“Forty-five seconds,” he whispered, then tilted his head, his eyes roaming my face before his lips captured mine. I kissed him back, hating myself for the weakness this man caused but elated at the sparks he sent through my every nerve ending.
A throat cleared, and neither of us parted. It cleared again, this time louder, and reluctantly, I pulled away. How did my fingers wind up so entangled in his hair? Movement from the doorway caught my eyes, and I tore my gaze away from Royal’s penetrating gaze. Ricardo stood there, shifting from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable.
“Yes?” My inquiry came out more of a croak than an actual word.
“Hmm.” He shifted again, his eyes looking between the both of us. “Reception asked me to let you know your one thirty is here since I was coming back in this direction anyway.”
I nodded my acknowledgment, and he was gone. I turned back to Royal, my fingers still intertwined in his thick locks. I loosened my grip. “I thought you said you wouldn’t make the next move, that you wouldn’t kiss me.”
He used the counter to push back, separating his body from mine before going and grabbing the trash off the table and tossing it in the trash can. “That, Amore, wasn’t a kiss.”
“No?” I watched him wearily.
“No. That wasn’t a kiss, it was a claim.” He didn’t wait for me to respond, he turned and walked out.
CHAPTER 24
ROYAL
After leaving Bianca at lunch, I stewed on my annoyance all afternoon. The nerve of her coworker giving her flirty eyes while dismissing my existence. Not that he knew I existed at the time, but that wasn’t even the point. The fact remained he was checking out what belonged to me.
Unacceptable.
The only choice she gave me was to break my vow and show her just how much she was mine. She played into it like she was meant for the damn role. Her body melted to mine in an instant, the soft sounds she made in her throat only confirming that although she might fight me in spirit, she would always belong to me.
It was really that simple.
What I wanted, I always got. Bianca was no exception. Sure, I only marginally wanted her when her smart, sassy mouth was talking down to me while I was in the dentist's chair. But, the very moment when I realized I could have her, the moment I saw that sweet girl from the old photo was, in fact, the very woman who had my blood boiling and my annoyance rising . . . well, there was no other option. She. Was. Mine.
Troy cle
ared his throat, reminding me that my thoughts should be on business, not foolish daydreams about the woman worming her way into my life. I turned my head back to him. “I’m sorry, did you say something?”
He gave me a fuck off stare, but he was too polite to voice it, at least to me anyway. “I said, the buy-in for tonight’s fight is huge. The newest fighter really hit it big with his impressions.”
I bit my lower lip, thinking about it. “Do you think we should keep Ruben on permanently?”
“I don’t know about permanently, but definitely give him a few more tries in the ring before we decide.” Troy crossed his arms and leaned back.
I nodded my head. “Fair enough. Have him sign for . . .” I paused, thinking about it. “Have him sign for three more fights with the possible option to extend the contract if we see fit. Give him temporary access to the gym as well, pending the extended contract.”
Troy looked down at his phone and typed out a few lines. “Done. Bianca’s father’s situation?”
I internally cringed. “I talked it over with her and she does not want the money lent.”
Troy flinched. “Should we offer him a job? I don’t want to imagine the consequences if he does owe someone that much cash.”
“Offered and denied,” I informed him. I shook my head, unable to process how someone as perfect as Bianca had come into this world and been raised by such a low life as Frank. Maybe he wasn’t always this bad. Perhaps it was always there and just got progressively worse, but the fact remained, Bianca was too good for her parentage.
Troy clicked something then moved down his list. “Yeah, that was a fucking awful decision. The rental agency sent a message to inform you that Bianca’s property has renters lined up.”
Resisting Royal (The Repayment Series) Page 12