Page 25 of The Royal in Room 3

I barely noticed his absence.

Jude filled the doorway with his presence. From the inside, I could smell a blend of spices and herbs that made my stomach flip. Or maybe that was from the intense way Jude was looking at me.

“Sorry I’m late,” I said, clutching the straps of the crossbody bag.

“It’s okay. I’m glad you came. Is it okay to hug you?”

The tension eased out of my body as I nodded. “I’d like that very much.”

Jude wrapped his arms around me and gathered me to his chest. His hold tightened, and he made a satisfying sound, lifting me a little off my feet and making me laugh.

“I thought you’d changed your mind,” he said, setting me back on my feet.

“I did, but it wasn’t about you. Some family matters came up, and it made me sad for a while.”

“I see. Come in, then. I hope you’re hungry. We can start there and let me fill your belly.”

A thrill ran down my spine as I imagined this man naked, on top of me, filling me up. I wasn’t kidding about how long it’d been since I’d gotten fucked by anyone, and I was partly late because I’d wanted to be prepared for anything to happen, mainly me on my knees, arms pinned behind my back while he drilled into me.

“I love your home,” I said, following him inside.

“Thank you.”

The entryway opened into a bright living room with wide windows facing the water. A long wooden console stood beneath the windows, its surface smooth and dark beneath a vase of fresh flowers. The coffee table had thick, rounded edges, and the bookcases along one wall stretched from floor to ceiling, all made from the same warm-toned wood.

There was a simplicity to the pieces that made everything about Belvaria seem excessive and unnecessary.

“I like your furniture,” I said.

“I did most of the work.”

“Most?”

“The sofa isn’t mine.” He pointed toward it. “Though I rebuilt the frame after one of the legs gave out.”

I smiled. “Wow, you’re very talented. When I was little, my brothers and I had heraldic relief carvings and marquetry as a part of our roy—umm, our education. I was never any good at it. In fact, I was never good at anything.”

“Hmm, I doubt that. Sometimes it takes a little longer to find out what you’re good at.”

The house carried his touch everywhere: a narrow bench beneath the staircase and shelves tucked into spaces I would have thought too small to be useful. Back in Belvaria, I’d grown up surrounded by priceless furniture that people were afraid to touch and that was dusted several times a day. Here, every piece seemed made to be used.

The thought made me love the house even more.

“Hungry?” Jude asked.

The smell coming from the kitchen made my stomach answer before I could.

“Before I say yes, what are the odds of you having sex with me tonight?” I tilted my head to stare directly at him while he searched my face as if trying to figure out if I was serious.

“You want to have sex with me tonight?” he asked carefully.

I shrugged. “Well, it’s been a while, and it’s safe to say I’m attracted to you. Don’t you feel the same?”

He frowned. “I do, but I don’t usually sleep with my subs.”

“I’m not asking about other subs. I’m asking about me.”

“Let’s eat,” he said, turning toward the kitchen.