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“Have you forgotten that it takes two bottles of wine for you to become palatable?” she quips, and I chuckle.
“Come on, serdtse,” I say, as I offer her my hand. “We’re eating in the dining room tonight.”
“The dining room?” she echoes, more surprised than confused. “Is this supposed to be some sort of a joke? Aren’t you worried I’m going to try to make a run for it?”
“Not really,” I reply with a nonchalant shrug. “I’m way faster and bigger. My men are all around. You’d be foolish to even try. Besides, you had your chance last night, and you didn’t take it. How about you accept this gesture?”
“You’ve always said I’m smarter than you think. So, start showing me how smart you think I am. What’s stopping me from spitting on your food when you turn your back?”
I smile. “Once we’re both tired of being stubborn, you’ll understand that all I want is to make you happy. But until you’ve realized that, you might want to reconsider how often you spit in my food. I’m able to do many more things than just that. Like withholding sex.”
Katarina’s nostrils flare. At this moment, I swear I can see a blaze in her eyes, smoldering as if she wants to light my ass on fire. The fact that she can’t is slowly getting to her, driving her crazy.
She likes our dynamic.
Loves it, even.
She’ll get used to being my queen.
“We’ll see about that,” she says, and glares at me. “If you want this date to happen, you better behave.”
“I’ll be on my best behavior,” I promise, and hold my hand closer to her. “Come on, serdtse.”
She narrows her eyes, examining me, and decides I’m worth taking a chance on. Katarina slips her hand into mine, a jolt passing through my fingers.
I guide her down the tunnel, my hand never leaving hers. With my other one, I open the painting, allowing her to climb out first. She tries to retrieve her hand, but I pull her back.
“I’m not done with you just yet,” I murmur into her ear, and feel her shiver. I lead her through the hallway until we reach the dining room. I’ve lit the space with candles, which makes the china and cutlery sparkle in the dim light.
“Gorgeous,” Katarina whispers, glancing all around and taking it in. “Like everything else.”
“Like you,” I say, and guide her to her seat, pulling out the chair for her. “Let’s eat.”
She scowls. “Are you sure you should be giving me orders on this date you’re hosting?”
I chuckle. “I guess you’re right. It’s hard to switch from being a boss to . . . a fiancé.”
“You’re the boss of my prison, not my fiancé.”
“Not of that hot mouth of yours, that’s for sure. But I’ll get you there.”
“Yeah, well . . .” Katarina trails off, shifting on her seat and looking anywhere but at me.
“When we’re done eating, I’ll show you around the house,” I promise.
She narrows her eyes at me, yet scoops up her fork and knife to dig in. Once she starts, she can’t stop.
“This is delicious,” she murmurs, almost close to drooling. “Even more delicious than the food in the cell.”
“I’m happy to please you. How are you holding up in there?”
Surprised, she lifts her gaze to meet mine. “I’m getting kind of used to the weird setup.”
“I hope it won’t last much longer,” I tell her. It’s supposed to sound consoling, yet there’s a hint of guilt in my tone.
“It’s weird to hear something like that from you,” she says, and stuffs another spoonful into her mouth.
I rub my thumb against my lip in thought. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
