Lucy never came to Amos’ room, so he wasn’t worried about it, but he also didn’t know who else it could be. “Come in,” he called out, and because the gods clearly hated him, Lucy walked through the door.
The woman pulled up short, eyes wide when they landed on Clover. “I didn’t know you had company. I can come back.”
Clover grinned, the gesture anything but friendly. “Oh no, that’s okay. You can stay.”
Lucy smiled tentatively. “I’m Lucy.” Amos almost grunted with the sharp stab of fury that shot down the bond.
“Hello, Lucy,” Clover responded coolly. “I’m the new Desert Queen.”
Amos pinched the bridge of his nose.For fuck’s sake.
24
Clover stared at Lucy, hands planted on her hips in the absurdly soft dress Jennifer loaned her. She begrudgingly admitted to herself that she liked Amos’ fake mate, even if she was too pretty to be within spitting distance of him. It wasn’t her fault she was born that way.
Lucy, however, could eat a pile of shit, because she had beamed at Clover’s husband like he’d hung the godsdamned moon. Although after Clover’s introduction, she just looked confused.
Amos shifted forward, ready to insert himself between them if needed. “Lucy, Clover is my mate.”
“And wife,” Clover added, never taking her eyes off the other woman to gauge her reaction. As expected, something flickered across her face, but it vanished too quickly to read. Still, the fact that Lucy hid how she truly felt told Clover everything she needed to know.
Lucy smiled politely. “It’s nice to meet you. I remember Thomas talking about you.”
Lucy stuck out her hand, and Clover shook it. Being queen meant being diplomatic, even if she wanted to drag her out of the room by her hair. “Thomas told me about you when he came tothe Mountain Kingdom a couple of years ago. You two broke up, right?”
Lucy’s smile faltered. “Last month.”
Clover nodded, having heard about it from Isabella, who had become a good friend. The two wrote to each other often.
“What did you need?” Amos asked hisclose friend, voice tight.
Lucy backed away. “It really wasn’t important. We can catch up later.”
“Catch up now,” Clover clipped. “Don’t let me stop you.”
“You might as well tell me now, since you’re here,” he said, sounding exasperated.Smart man.Sometimes.
Hurt flickered across Lucy’s features before she smoothed it away. “I was just saying hi since you haven’t been back in a few weeks.”
“That’s sweet.” Clover glanced at Amos. “You two should chat. I’ll be back later.”
She tried to leave, but Amos caught her around the waist and pulled her to his chest. His lips brushed against her ear. “You’re not going anywhere,” he murmured too low for Lucy to hear. “I’m going to fuck that attitude out of you.”
His threat sank straight to her core, and much to her delight, Lucy shifted, visibly uncomfortably.
Amos lifted his gaze to Lucy. “It was nice to see you, but you need to leave so I can fuck my wife.”
Lucy paled. “O-okay. I’ll talk to you later.” She rushed out of the room and closed the door.
Clover turned in Amos’ arms and tilted her head back to look him in the eye. “I don’t want her in your rooms ever again.”
She felt his already hard cock thicken. “I like it when you’re jealous, little viper.” He tugged her closer. “I’ll relieve her of her duties here if that’s what you want. Just say the word.”
As much as Clover hated the idea of someone in their house pining over her mate, a small seed of guilt took root in her gut. Taking away Lucy’s income didn’t sit right with her. They could find her a job elsewhere, but she’d worked here for years. It didn’t feel right. Having a conscience was wildly inconvenient.
“She can stay,” she decided, “but if she comes into your rooms again, even your sitting room, she’s fired. Make sure she understands that.”
Amos released Clover and dropped to his knees, never breaking eye contact. “Whatever you wish, wife. Lift your dress and hook your leg over my shoulder.”
