Page 50 of Royal Desire

Our gazes lock so tight, we might as well be fused for life. I shove Ansel away and dip a hand into her hair. I pull her lips to mine like it’s an everyday occurrence rather than the twelve-year span that’s been my living hell.

Her eyes widen as I take her mouth. My fingers bite into the flesh of her back thanks to the deep dip of her icy blue dress. Her hands are rigid on my pecs, not pushing me away, but not giving in either.

I can’t hold back.

I forget my reality. What she’s running from. The anger, hurt, depression, and every other fucking stage I’ve experienced since she left me. I cup the back of her head and angle her face to mine.

She finally relents.

Her fingers grip the lapels of my sport coat, and she hangs on for the trip down memory lane. Her lips part, and my tongue does exactly what it wants.

Dips inside to taste her.

Fuck.

She’s like fine wine—better with age. Every memory I have with her flashes through my mind like a rapid cartoon. From the girl with dirty, torn clothes and messy hair, to the beauty she was the night we both lost our virginities to each other. It wasn’t like those romances where I claimed her like some caveman and made her mine.

With us, it was never like that.

We belonged to each other. I was hers as much as she was mine.

Until we weren’t. One day my life was rich with Ruby, and the next...

Poof.

She was gone. She wasn’t mine, and I wasn’t anyone’s.

But this moment is different.

This is all of me claiming all of her for everyone to see.

So, fuck you, Enzo Caruso, whoever the fuck you are. And Ansel Reid can kiss my rich ass, because I know two things.

One, my personal portfolio is twice his.

And two, he will never—and I mean fucking ever—lay a finger on Ruby Sinclair again.

I’d give every penny to my name to not let this moment end, but reality proves to keep on ruining my life. I don’t give a shit about the past or the future and kiss her like it’s my last breath on earth. I wonder if this is how death row inmates feel when tasting their last meal before the dramatic end.

Nothing on earth matters but the woman in my arms. The feel of her body against mine. Her skin beneath my touch. And our tongues tangled as one.

Whoops and cat calls seep into our reunion like a fresh dead skunk on the side of the road. Ruby feels it too. She goes from an active participant back to tense in my arms. I do the last thing in the world that feels natural and tear my lips from hers, but don’t let her go. I hold her tight in my arms and don’t let her move an inch as I stare into her blue eyes.

Neither of us have ever been shy of the limelight. We ignore our audience and do our best to catch our breaths.

“What was that?” she asks in a hushed tone for only me to hear.

“Play along. I’ll explain later,” I demand, and nudge the tip of her nose with mine. My arms tense around her. “Kiss me again.”

If eyes could beg for answers, hers would. “You’re crazy.”

“If you’ve ever trusted me in anything, now is the time, Rubes. Fucking kiss me.”

She pulls in a breath and mulls it over. Three beats pass, but she obeys and lifts to her toes.

And once again, my world stops spinning when our lips touch. This kiss lingers, and it’s Ruby who doesn’t want to break our connection.

When she finally does, I pull her to me, bury my nose in her soft hair, and put my lips to her ear. “Do not leave my sight for the rest of the evening. And when you’re done with the show, and I’m done kissing every ass in this room, we’re talking. Do not fucking leave this manor. Got it?”