Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 95609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
So I do what comes naturally. I throw myself bodily at the intruder, ready to defend my life and honor. Though that’s a ridiculous word. I wouldn’t be losing my honor. However, I’m not letting it happen.
“Anika, it’s me,” a familiar voice says as he wraps his arms around me, holding me close. “It’s just me.”
I take a long breath. Just him? Luca is the bane of my existence. I know that’s hyperbole, but it’s late and I’m tired, and he snuck into my bedroom via the wall that is supposed to be a freaking wall and not some kind of doorway to wherever he’s come from. And he’s holding me like I’m precious. Like he doesn’t want me to get hurt. I can smell the soap he used. I would bet he’s recently showered because he smells like bergamot.
What am I doing? If I stand here another minute, I’ll tilt my head up and basically beg the man to kiss me. The man? The king. He’s a literal king, and this is ridiculous.
“What do you want?” I’m well aware of how bratty I sound.
“A truce?” He offers me a medium-sized paper bag.
I stare at him for a moment. There are snacks downstairs. Well, if one can call fruit a snack. There are an enormous amount of rice cakes, for some reason. Nothing in that pantry had sounded good, but I could think of one thing I wanted. “Is it a cheeseburger?”
His lips curl up in the sexiest grin. “And fries. Cheddar cheese, mustard and ketchup, no onions, double pickles.”
He’s my hero again. I take the bag and open it, inhaling the heavenly scent as I move over to the bed, sitting down. “Where did you come from?”
He sits on the bed across from mine. He’s ditched the tux for sweatpants and a T-shirt that shows off the fact that the king likes to stay fit. “There are tunnels between here and the hotel I’m staying at across the street. They lead up to the basement of each building. I suspect it had something to do with bootlegging during Prohibition. Though I don’t know why this building has so many secret doors. There are at least four. This one leads to a hidden stairwell that goes down to the basement. So I can get here without anyone seeing. I asked to make sure you were in here alone.”
I have that burger halfway down my throat when it sinks in. “This was Janice and Chloe’s room.”
He grins. “Yes, it was. So sad I had to let them go.”
Okay, maybe there’s another side to this man. I’d viewed him as this wholesome hero, but there are some underworld, manipulative asshole vibes coming off him now. I wish it didn’t do something for me. I should probably be in therapy. “You let them go so I would be alone in here?”
He shakes his head, and his expression changes in what I assume is an attempt to look innocent. It doesn’t work. “Not at all. We didn’t connect in the same way I did with… Ich kann das nicht machen. Anika, I’m sorry about earlier. I was surprised to see you and I didn’t handle it well. I’m afraid my suspicious nature took over. I thought perhaps you had tried to get an advantage on the other women.”
“I didn’t.” What language had he just spoken? Because it was hot. I hate how hot this man is. Even at two in the morning he’s gorgeous, and I’m worried I look like I survived a dumpster fire. Barely.
“I know that,” he agrees. “I talked to Joseph. He cleared everything up.”
That’s surprising. I’d gotten the feeling he wanted to keep it a secret. “You told him we met?”
He nods. “I told him everything. He said it was one night, and we didn’t know each other. It doesn’t disqualify you.”
That didn’t explain everything. “He was supposed to tell you to cut me.”
“He did,” Luca replies casually. “I chose not to. The producers agree with my decision.”
“Because of the live stream stuff?”
He shrugs. “Apparently we have chemistry. Joe wanted to honor his deal with you. It wasn’t his fault. It was my choice. I was being selfish. Even thinking you might have manipulated our first meeting, I still wanted you here. From the moment I saw you falling out of that carriage, I knew I wouldn’t cut you.”
I down a couple of the fries, well aware that I’m probably not making a great impression, but I’m so hungry. “Because you wanted to punish me.”
He frowns, an expression that does nothing to mar his gorgeousness. “Punish?”
“Well, you said it yourself. You called me Persephone.”
That frown curls into a grin I can only describe as intimate. “I thought it apropos. This feels like hell to me, and I kidnapped a beautiful woman to make my time here less terrible.”