Page 229 of Reign

“Nothing important,” I say. “This is nice. And now I’m hungry.”

His hand stills on my thigh. “What do you want?”

“Something sweet.”

“You need actual food.”

“Then why did you ask?”

A quiet laugh moves beneath my cheek. “Stay here.”

He kisses the top of my head before getting up.

The top of my head.

Like a boyfriend.

Like someone who’s allowed to make my chest ache because I mentioned being hungry and he immediately decided to do something about it.

I stare at the television while he walks away, pretending I’m deeply invested in a woman arguing about satin. I’m not. My head is doing that horrible thing where it tries to make sense of him, and my heart is doing that worse thing where it refuses to wait for instructions.

He returns a few minutes later with a plate in one hand and a bottle of coconut water in the other.

My traitorous heart patters again.

He sets the bottle on the table, then places the plate beside it. Berries, cheese, crackers, and dark chocolate.

I look at the plate.

Then at him.

“This is very fancy for a snack.”

“It took four minutes.”

“It has sections.”

“You like options.”

That shuts me up for a second.

He knows I like options.

Luciano sits, then pulls me onto his lap.

Apparently, this is where I live now.

I should protest.

I don’t.

He picks up a strawberry and brings it to my mouth.

My stomach flips, but I open. It’s cold and sweet. His fingers brush my lower lip.

I forget how to swallow. It’s humiliating, but lasts a second.

Luciano watches me like he knows.