Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Crewe turned to me when he realized I was there. He didn’t change his posture or look alarmed like he’d been caught doing something wrong. “Hello, Lovely.” He greeted me with a slight smile but didn’t touch me.
The nickname wasn’t enough affection for me. I grabbed his hand and interlocked our fingers. It was the first time we’d held hands this way. It was juvenile affection, something young lovers did. But I wasn’t going to stand there and let this woman think Crewe was available.
Crewe stared at our joined hands but didn’t make a comment. “Allow me to introduce you to Josephine, The Duchess of Cambridge.”
I gave a slight bow, still wearing a forced smile.
“And this is London.” Crewe didn’t refer to me in any possessive manner. But there wasn’t a realistic title to explain what I was to him. Prisoner? I doubt that would go over well with the duchess.
She wore a smile faker than mine. “Pleasure to meet you. Please excuse me.” She walked away, her pink gown moving across the floor. She held her shoulders so far back that her chest looked even more robust. Diamond earrings hung in her lobes, sparkling under the light of the chandeliers. She looked more graceful than the queen herself.
When she was gone, Crewe took his hand away from mine. He placed it around my waist instead. That arrogant smile stretched his lips, and I already knew what he was going to say before he even said it. “You know, it kinda seemed like you were jealous for a moment there.”
I stared him down, not finding his words remotely comical. “I was.”
He was about to chuckle but stopped himself when he heard what I said. He nearly did a double take, surprised by my confession.
“I saw the way she looked at you.”
Crewe’s eyes darkened, his eyebrows slightly furrowing.
“What is she to you? Were you once together?”
Crewe didn’t answer my question. “That’s none of your concern.”
That was enough of an answer for me. “Is it over?”
“I’m here with you, aren’t I?”
That didn’t answer my question. “I want to be the only woman in your bed.”
His eyes narrowed again. “For a prisoner, you sure seem to like me.”
He was a playboy, a dictator, and an asshole. It would be tough work to make this man fall for me, let alone simply care about me. But Joseph was right. Pulling his heartstrings like he was a puppet would be the only way out of this mess. “Is it really so much to ask for your fidelity?” I wouldn’t be able to manipulate him if he was getting action everywhere else.
“It’s too much to ask for anything. I’m in charge here. Don’t forget it.”
I grabbed him by the tie and pulled his mouth to mine, giving him a kiss that was a little too rough for such a public place.
But he didn’t stop the kiss.
I was the first one to pull away, to feel the swelling of my lips.
He stared at me hard, his brown eyes trained on my expression. He looked like he wanted to pick me up and pin me against the wall, fucking me then and there. “We’ll pick this up when we get home.”
“No.” I released his tie and smoothed it out over his chest. “We’ll pick this up in the car.”
19
Crewe
I thought I would enjoy the hurt look on Josephine’s face.
But I didn’t.
Actually, I didn’t care at all.
Slowly, the blood drained from her face, and her cheeks turned pale. Her eyes lost their innate sparkle, something I’d come to notice since I knew her so well. The second she laid eyes on London and saw our fingers intertwined together, she knew I’d moved on.
And it broke her heart.
Too bad, so sad.
After we said our goodbyes, we returned to the roundabout entryway and waited for my driver to arrive. All I wanted to do was return to the castle so I could rip that expensive gown off London and fuck her until dawn. I liked the possessiveness she showed, although I couldn’t explain why. She was definitely mine, but I would never be hers. She wanted me to be monogamous with her, and I was, but I refused to tell her that. She would know she had some kind of control over me.
I couldn’t allow that.
I would much rather her think I was out fucking around every time I wasn’t in her presence than let her know she was enough to satisfy me. The greatest kings had been destroyed by the greatest women. Men were the ones who ruled the world, but in reality, the world was ruled by the women who ruled the men.
I wouldn’t let that happen to me.
It didn’t matter how fond I’d grown of London. It didn’t matter that I actually respected her. It didn’t matter that I didn’t mean a word I said when I threatened to kill her brother. There were lines I refused to cross.