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“Tai,” I say, extending a hand toward her. “It’s nice to meet you, Maddison.”
“Maddie,” she corrects me lightly as she slides her palm into mine. My skin sings where it’s connected to hers.
“Tai, really?”
She crooks a brow.
“My lady-in-waiting said to address you by your proper titles, but she neglected to tell me what yours was.”
“Your lady-in-waiting said what the queen probably instructed her to say. The queen likes to pretend. I don’t. So, call me Tai.”
Her dark eyebrows rise slightly. “Now there’s a conversation starter if I’ve ever heard one. The queen likes to pretend. Is that true?”
I bite the inside of my cheek, knowing I need to tread carefully, a niggle at the back of my mind warning me to be cautious. All of the Omegas have signed NDAs, but it doesn’t mean this beautiful, delicious Omega won’t share my thoughts on the queen with the woman herself.
“Perhaps it’s more accurate to say she likes to control the narrative,” I reply before I can stop myself, surprised at how easily the words fall out. Like I’ve subconsciously decided to trust her before I could consciously make the choice.
I clear my throat at the surprised way her eyes widen at my candor.
“I’m not interested in having the narrative controlled right now,” I continue. “We’re potentially going to be bonded to you, right? I don’t see the point of pretending when the possible outcome is being together for the rest of our lives.”
She stares at me for another beat, her eyes unfocused until she blinks and smiles at me again. “Okay. I like that. If you’ll be candid with me, then I’ll do my best to be honest with you.”
I don’t miss the part aboutdoing her bestrather than just offering unrestricted honesty, but I’ll take it. Besides, I’m not the type to pry information out of someone who isn’t ready to share it willingly.
“Great,” I say, pleased this is going so well, so fast. “Ask me anything you want to know and in return, I’ll answer honestly.”
“Oh, okay,um…” She trails off, thinking, but as she reaches for her tea, she knocks the cup over. It spills quickly across the white tablecloth and even though only a few drops roll over the edge to drip onto my lap before I can move, she groans and reaches for a wad of napkins.
When she moves like she’s going to mop up the tea from my lap, I gently catch her wrist and shake my head.
“That’s really not necessary. I’m fine. See?”
I scoot back a little so she can see I’m mostly dry, but then I realize what I’m doing is presenting her with my crotch. And that she’s staring at it. And that I’m half hard through my dark trousers.
Fucking hell.
Clearing my throat when my cock swells harder against my fly, I move my chair back under the table.
A butler comes to replace Maddie’s drenched saucer with another. A fresh cup is brought too, then the table is flipped with a new cloth, the pastry tray reset.
Finally finished, the butler looks at me. “Are you all right, William? Shall I have a maidservant fetch you new trousers?”
“Tai,” I say automatically, unable to conceal the flare of annoyance from my tone. “I’m fine. Thank you. You can leave.”
Once we’re alone again, Maddie blushes like she was caught naked in the archbishop’s favorite chair. “I wish I could say that doesn’t happen often, but since we’re being honest, you should know that I’m incredibly clumsy. It’s a curse.”
Clumsy?
My…the queen willlovethat.
I smile even though something in my stomach twists at the realization that this Omega, as perfect as she may seem to me, may not be one of the few the queen will give her blessing to bond with. I ache to reach out and take her hand, but I resist the urge.
This Omega has a rather interesting effect on me. Touching herisn’ta good idea.
She cocks her head before frowning in the direction of the server who’s resumed his post just out of earshot. “Wait, why did he call you William?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
