AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay,” I reply and he nods, holding my gaze for so long that for a second I think he’s going to kiss me. I freeze, my stomach flipping. “Beast?”
“Go change. You can take my bed. I’ll sleep on the couch,” he says, stepping back abruptly.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I do,” he insists.
“I can take the couch. Seriously, it’s fine.”
“Princess, for once in your life just do as you’re told,” he says with exasperation.
“Sure, okay,” I concede. “I’ll just be a minute.”
“I’ll put the kettle on, unless you want that cup of cocoa?” He grins, some of the tension between us releasing with his smile.
“I could do with something stronger. Got any bourbon?”
“Sure do,” he replies as I head into his bedroom, which is as sparse as the front room, and he strides into the kitchen.
I quickly change, removing my dress and chucking it on the bed before pulling on his boxer shorts that slip low on my hips given he’s that much bigger than me. His t-shirt is like a nightie but I don’t care though, wearing his clothes makes me feel safe somehow.
By the time I’ve changed, he’s sitting on the couch with a glass of bourbon in his hand, staring at the liquid like it holds answers to all the questions that are clearly troubling him. I wonder if he’s as thrown by tonight’s events as I am. Given how he reacted to the King, I’m sure he is.
There’s no denying that Carter was acting weird, the sheer fact he’s going into business with that creepy arsehole is testament to that. I don’t like the King, and neither does Beast, which has me questioning why Carter trusts him. I thought he was smarter than that.
“Thanks for the clothes,” I say, stepping into Beast’s line of sight.
He slowly lifts his gaze, his eyes dragging up my bare legs, over my t-shirt covered chest until they finally rest on my face. Heat rises beneath my skin from his slow perusal and there’s nothing I can do to hide the fact that my nipples stand to attention beneath his heated gaze.
“You’re welcome,” he murmurs, lifting the glass to his lips and taking a sip as he passes me a glass already filled.
I take a seat, pulling my legs up and under me as I twist to face him. “What do you think Carter’s up to?”
Beast sighs, knocking back the rest of his drink. He places the glass on the table and folds his hands into his lap. “I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.”
I take a sip of the bourbon, relishing the burn. “You really think that?”
“He’s an astute businessman, Princess.”
“And an arsehole.”
“I reckon he’s just having an off day,” Beast says, playing it down. “Don’t take too much notice.”
“An off day? He’s been shitty towards me ever since I handed you the gun to shoot Saxon.”
He doesn’t agree but he doesn’t say anything to the contrary either.
“And the King, what do you think about him?” I ask, knowing full well he dislikes the man as much as I do, that much was obvious from the way he reacted to him this evening.
“I’m not a fan.”
“He’s a dick…” My voice trails off as I nurse my shot of bourbon and we fall into an awkward silence that I just don’t seem to have the energy to fill. I’m exhausted all of a sudden and honestly, all I want is some human comfort. A hug. Apart from the occasional brotherly hug from Hudson, I’m sorely lacking in that department.
“Princess, about what Carter said earlier,” Beast says after a while, drawing my attention back to him.
“What, about dressing like anattention-seeking whore?” I laugh bitterly, still feeling the sting.
“Yeah.” He nods. “Your dad was wrong.”
