Ruthless King

Jose jumped out and ran around to open his door, his head swiveling back and forth.

“I don’t like how dark it is on this street,” Jose commented.

“It’s a quiet, suburban street. I doubt there’s ever much excitement here.”

Jose grunted. “As long as that excitement doesn’t start now.”

Regent strode across the street, aware that Jose remained leaning against the car, ready for anything.

He raised his fist and banged on the door, too angry to ring the bell.

Calm down.

This isn’t you. You’re always in control.

He heard someone running down the stairs. He waited for her to ask who was at the door.

Instead, the door swung open without fanfare.

What. The. Hell.

“Hello? Oh. Regent?” Her polite smile grew into a wide grin that dazzled him for a moment.

God. She was stunning.

It took him a moment to catch his breath. Then suddenly, his arms were filled with a five-foot-three brunette.

“I can’t believe you’re here! It’s so good to see you.”

It . . . he . . . she . . . this was not the greeting he was expecting. But he pulled himself together quickly and remembered why he was there.

“What are you doing answering the door without asking who it is?” he barked.

She stepped back, staring up at him in shock. Her mouth opened and closed.

That wasn’t exactly what he’d meant to lead with.

“And you shouldn’t turn the light on in your bedroom without pulling the curtains first,” he added. “Anyone could see what you were doing.”

She stepped back farther.

He didn’t like that. Or the worry he saw on her face.

“You could see me?”

“Yes.”

Jilly chewed her lip, and he resisted the urge to reach out and free it.

To order her not to hurt herself.

“I, um, sorry?”

Part of him realized he was being a bit of an asshole. But he was angry at her. Didn’t she have any sense of self-preservation? He could’ve been a pervert. He could’ve been watching her. He might have realized that she lived alone in this big house . . .

Fuck.

Did she even use the alarm system?