Page 113 of The Royal Art of Revenge

“Yes. Thank you.” She grabs my hand under the sheets, links her fingers through mine, and brings our clasped hands up to her chest. After a couple of adjustments, she settles.

Her pussy occasionally lightly twitches around my cock, even as her breathing becomes shallower. Her body relaxes, getting heavier, and I feel almost the exact moment she gives over to her exhaustion.

Without me moving.

She’s asleep.

With my cock inside her.

Fuck.

That turns me on more than it should, and I turn my face into her sweet-smelling hair to get myself under control.

If only she knew what she did to me.

If only this crazy, vindictive, broken woman had any idea just how addicted to her I was becoming, she’d never doubt her worth again.

And by fuck, I’m going to make sure that happens. I’m going to make sure she knows.

I won’t stop until she realises just how completely she’s taking over my life.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR – HATTIE

“How did that meeting go, by the way? You never said.”

Finn loops his tie around the back of his collar and pauses, looking at me. “I didn’t want to bring it up after everything, and you didn’t ask, so I didn’t think you wanted to know.”

“I do.” I slide out of bed and walk over to the vanity that I’ve slowly taken over in the past few days since our engagement announcement. “I kept meaning to ask, but I always forget.”

“Oh, well, if you’re sure…” He eyes me, almost as if he thinks I’m going to break out into a fit of hyperventilation any moment now.

“Yes, I’m sure. I’m fine now.” I grab the hairbrush as I sit on the stool. “I promise. I’m not going to start having a panic attack just because you mention my stepmother’s name, you know.”

“I know, I just… I don’t want to trigger you, that’s all.”

“Join the club,” I say dryly. “Sometimes, I don’t even know what does. It’s just one of those things.”

“All right.” He finishes securing his tie and perches on the back of the sofa, watching me as I brush my hair. “It went about as well as I expected. To be honest, I thought they’d be more openly angry than they were. Even Jasmine didn’t raise holy hell as I’d assumed she would. They wanted to know how everything had come about and seemed more put out than anything. Your father asked a lot of questions, and Rosalyn…” He hesitates. “She questioned your ‘suitability’ to be my wife.”

I snort. Of course she did. “I bet she dressed it up as concern I may bring the royal house into disrepute because of my upbringing, right?”

“That’s almost exactly what she said. How did you guess?”

“One of the things they’ve always drilled into Jasmine is that she must behave herself and mind her manners. They’ve always said, ‘You’re going to be a royal. You cannot do anything to cast a shadow on the Royal Family.’” I set the brush down and switch on my curler. “I had a feeling that was the first path she’d go down. It’s an easy target given the past, after all.”

“Well, your feeling was correct. After that, both Mum and I apologised for not communicating the situation with Jasmine sooner, and I made it very clear that I never have had and never will have any desire to marry her.”

“You said that? To her face?” I spin on the stool, raising my eyebrows. Damn it, why’d I have to miss that? “I bet that went down well.”

“Depends which sofa you were sitting on.” Finn grins, an almost boyish-like glint brightening his eyes. “I had a great time. Jasmine… Not so much.”

I press my lips together to fight back a smile. “Finn.”

“And I said it all right after telling her that I chose you to be my wife, and that I would choose you every time. Boy, did she hate that. Almost as if she thought you’d tricked me into becoming your future husband with your wicked ways until that very moment.”

This time, my smile breaks my containment. “You did not.”

“I did. I thought to myself, ‘What would make my wife smile?’ and it seems like I chose the correct option.”