Ruthless King

“Oh.” Shoot. That came out sounding sad when she hadn’t meant it to. Of course he had work he needed to attend to. She didn’t expect him to sit around all day and keep her company.

Although she’d been hoping she would be awake tonight when he got into bed. She’d fallen asleep early last night before he’d made it back, and when she’d woken this morning, he was already up.

Her first night sleeping with Regent Malone . . . and she’d slept through it!

“You should go.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Regent, I’m fine. You should go.”

He glanced away. Did he look guilty?

“Will you be all right?” he asked.

“Yes! I’ll be fine. I’m just lying here, doing nothing.”

He eyed her suspiciously. “You’re to stay in bed. Promise me.”

She sighed which sparked a coughing fit. Sheesh.

“I’ll stay in bed,” she grumbled.

“Promise.”

“I promise I’ll stay in bed.”

“I’ll put Gerald’s number into your phone.” He picked it up so she could unlock it for him. “If you want anything else, message him.”

Yeah, she wasn’t going to do that, but she didn’t tell him that.

“You will message him if you need something,” he said firmly, as though he could read her mind.

“All right.”

He wasn’t abandoning her. She was fine. Just because she was in a new place where she didn’t know where anything was . . .

She was fine.

Everything was good.

Nothing was wrong.

“Hey, look at me.”

He sat facing her, cupping her cheeks with his hands.

And just like that, her doubts melted. Because he was here.

Regent Malone.

The man of her dreams.

“Are you really all right?” he asked. “What if you have another nightmare?”

“That was only because I had a fever, which I don’t anymore. Really. I feel good. My throat is fine now.” She did have a slight headache, but she thought she’d just keep that to herself.

“You’re still pale, though. Perhaps I should stay.”