Page 77 of Vicious Kingdom

“You can’t have her! I’ll stop you,” he spewed.

I frowned. Maybe he wasn’t just spoilt. Maybe the explanation for this behavior was that he hated me for almost stealing his company.

Well, now I was stealing his cousin.

I laughed darkly. “I’ve already had her, and now she’s going to be mine…forever.”

The man struggled and wriggled. He was surprisingly strong for how skinny he was. I wrestled him to the door and tossed him out, but I was breathing harder than I should have been.

“She’s not even wearing your ring,” the cousin protested. “There’s nothingrealabout you two!”

“Run along.” I jerked my chin.

“What’s going on?” Annaliese appeared at the end of the hall, her eyes widening with surprise.

“He was snooping in your room!” Jonatan protested.

Annaliese folded her hands in front of her. The pretty, demure picture of politeness. “I asked my fiancé to fetch my shawl.”

“It’s not proper for men to be in your room.” Jonatan scrambled to his feet. His fingers twitched at his side. His body vibrated with a nervous energy.

The fighter in me cataloged his movements, ready to tackle him again if he should move.

“Run along. Uncle Jon is looking for you.” Annaliese pointed to the stairs behind her.

A wordless burst of anger croaked from the man, but he obeyed. Annaliese quickly side-stepped him as he passed, clearly not wanting to irk her cousin more.

Jonatan paused at the end of the hall. “This isn’t over!”

His thundering steps faded, leaving us in a relieved silence.

“Dramatic, that one,” I muttered.

“Yes, well—” Annaliese waved her hand “—he’s the golden boy.”

She crept closer, pausing at her door. So close, the citrus and vanilla tickled my nose. But there was a darker scent lingering on her skin. I leaned forward until my nose brushed along the length of her neck.

“What are you doing?” Annaliese murmured.

“Hmm,” I growled. My mouth watered for a taste. “Have you been to the coffee shop today, Anna?”

She stiffened. “Earlier. Yes.”

I pulled back just enough to stare into her eyes. Those impossibly blue, glittering eyes. “What are you doing on your laptop these days?”

“Working.” The answer was clipped, both truthful and a secret at the same time.

“I’ll bid you goodnight, fiancée.” I drew the back of my knuckles against her jaw. Strands of light hair fluttered over my touch.

“Wait! What about the party— The guests— What?” she stammered.

“My work here is done.” I pulled away. Because if I didn’t leave now, I wasn’t going to be able to resist her siren’s call.

“Leonard.” She placed a hand on my shoulder. “What were you doing in my room?”

Her feather-light touch branded me. Dropping my gaze, I noted the slim, gold bands stacked on her fingers. Each finger was captured in metal.

Where’s my chain?I was her fiancé, dammit. She should have one from me. Bigger than the others.