He leveled his gaze at Hugo, the head of his security team. He was a burly man, whose bulk had come in handy in protectingAléx in one or two unsavory jams he’d found himself in. But tonight, Aléx didn’t have time for protocol. Something was wrong with Regina, and she would never tell him what it was with his security team treating her like a potential threat to him in her own home.
Hugo gave an understanding nod and dropped his hand from Aléx’s forearm. With the restraint gone, Aléx stepped inside. Before she could ask if his men were coming in, he closed the door and cupped her jaw gently.
The feel of her skin beneath his again transported him back to their one night together four months ago. A resulting fire flickered in his belly, but he refused to acknowledge it because this wasn’t the time. Something was wrong, and he needed to know what it was. How could he fix it if he didn’t know what she was facing?
“Treasure, what’s wrong?”
She tried to shake her head, but he slipped his hand down, placing firm fingers against the back of her neck to keep her eyes focused on him.
“Don’t lie to me, Regina. What has you so upset?”
She swallowed, closed her eyes, and took a steadying breath before she set her glassy eyes on him. The shimmer of her unshed tears made the rich brown of her irises sparkle.
“It’s silly,” she muttered. “I just had a fight with my sister. She’s none too pleased with this situation I’ve created.”
He scanned her eyes again, trying to get to the bottom of this. Regina’s strong countenance was gone. Instead, hurt vibrated through her, from her inability to hold his gaze to the way she held herself with protective arms. The twins hadn’t just argued. Whatever Reigna said had hurt Regina to the point that she was shaken, worn.
He dropped his hand from her neck and removed his suit jacket, tossing it on the long sofa behind him. He rolled up the sleeves of his white button-down shirt and reached for her hand.
“Where’s your bedroom?”
Regina raised a questioning brow, making the corner of his mouth lift in amusement.
“Not for that, Regina. Whenever I was emotionally wrought as a child, my mother used to run me a bath and let me soak until all the tension of my harried feelings washed away with the water. Then she’d tuck me in and lie next to me until I was ready to talk. It’s a practice I still use to this day. Whenever being king is too much, I take a soak, then go lie down to gain perspective on my thoughts and feelings. I’d like to do that for you…if you’d allow me to.”
She studied him. Whatever she was looking for in his expression, she must have found it, because her lips curved into a soft smile before she said, “Down the hallway, last door on the right.”
He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before he followed her directions.
He didn’t take time to appreciate the decor or even notice where anything was. Once she pointed him in the direction of her en suite bathroom, he set about his task.
He gave the room a brief glance before he spotted the large black hot tub with several decorative glass containers of different bath salts. He skimmed their labels until he found the lavender he was looking for.
When the tub was ready, he walked out of the bathroom in time to see her exit what appeared to be her walk-in closet in a red silk robe that fell to her mid-thigh. His body instantly tightened at the thought of what that robe was barely covering.
When she headed toward the bathroom, he cautioned himself not to look as she passed, because he knew what would happen the moment he saw that rich dark skin of the back of her thigh.
He was an admitted fool, however. Just as she passed him, his gaze dropped, and his cock went from twitching to semihard.
He pulled his gaze away just as she closed the door behind her, and thank goodness she had. If he’d listened to his body, he’d have followed her into that bath.
Giving himself a mental reprimand for not having better control over his body’s reaction to her, he sat down on the foot bench of her king-size bed.
Think of financial reports, security council meeting minutes, lobbyist pitches, anything to get your body under control.
Eventually, the thought of dry reports calmed his body down, and he was able to make himself presentable.
When he looked up again, Regina was coming out of the bathroom. Now she was wearing a black camisole set with tiny silk shorts that instantly did away with all the hard mental work he’d done to make himself soft.
“So, what now?”
He was tempted to answer her question by lifting her up so that her thick legs wrapped around his waist, and he could devour her mouth while walking them to her rather large and convenient bed. Ultimately, he ignored his hardening length’s demands and stood. He quickly pulled the linens back, taking her hand and pulling her to the bed.
He meant to step aside and bid her good-night, but she scooted to the other side of the bed, leaving space for him as her eyes, soft with sleep, silently pleaded for him to join her.
You are such a glutton for punishment.
He was, but how could he be expected to deny her anything she wanted when she begged so prettily it literally unlockedsomething in him that made him fulfill her wishes, even if he didn’t intend to?
