Page 214 of Reign

She takes it, confused. “What?”

“You should cross him off too.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s your list.”

Her gaze flicks to mine.

For a moment, the guardedness slips. Then she looks down and draws a second line through Zephyr’s name, darker than mine.

Much better.

I take the pen back before she can notice anything on my face.

She returns to the names. I return to the berries. This time, when I bring the fork to her mouth, she opens without being told.

She looks content—too content sitting in my lap, reading a list of men I’m supposed to be willing to introduce her to while I feed her breakfast from my hand.

She pauses halfway down the page.

Then she takes the pen from the table and puts a small star beside Throne Kingston.

I stop moving. “Why did you do that?”

She looks at me. “What?”

“The star.”

“Oh.” Her eyes drop back to the page. “I like his name.”

“You like his name.”

“Yes. Throne Kingston? That’s a cool name.”

“You’re choosing men based off names.”

She shrugs. “I should like the last name I get, right?”

“He’s a sadist.”

Her amusement fades.

“That’s pain, right?” she asks. “He enjoys inflicting pain?”

“Yes.”

The answer comes out too flat.

She looks down at the name again. I wait for her to cross him off.

She doesn’t.

My hand tightens on her waist.

“Take the star off.”

Her brows lift. “Why?”