Ruthless King

“That isn’t dinner. That’s a snack.”

She felt her lower lip drop out. “I have that all the time for dinner.”

He sighed, putting his hands on his hips. “Jilly.”

“Regent.” She gave him the same look back.

She braced herself for a scolding, but all he did was shake his head. Then he grabbed those things from the fridge.

“Where are the crackers?” he asked.

“Oh, they’re in the cupboard. But I can get them.” She stood, freezing as he shot her a look.

“Stay right where you are. You weren’t given permission to move.”

Oh heck.

Why did that make her insides quiver? And her clit throb?

“I have to be given permission to move?”

He pointed a finger at her. “Yes, you do when you’re so tired I can see dark shadows under your eyes. When your boss is bullying you, and you walk home carrying groceries late at night, then drop a can of rice pudding on your foot because you don’t notice a man standing in front of your house, then, yes, you absolutely need to have permission to move.”

“You were hiding! And you gave me a fright. Besides, none of my other friends are this bossy.” She sat, crossing her arms over her chest. “And they’d let me eat pudding for dinner.”

“Well, then, it’s just as well you have someone like me. Because it sounds like they let you do whatever you like, even if it’s bad for you.”

“Isn’t that what a friend is for? You can call them up and say you have a dead body in your bedroom, and they say they’ll be there in five minutes with a shovel.”

“First of all,” he said as he placed a plate full of crackers on the table, “you better not be talking from experience.”

Huh. She hadn’t even seen him get the crackers.

She reached for one, but he lightly slapped her hand. “Wait for the toppings.”

Yikes.

“No, I wasn’t talking from experience.”

“Good. Because if you ever come across a dead body, then the first and only person you call is me.”

“Is that because you know how to take care of dead bodies?”

His gaze grew cold and she swallowed heavily.

For fuck’s sake.

When are you going to think about what you say?

Dead. She was so dead.

“It is. I want your word on this, Jillian.”

Great. Back to Jillian again.

“I very much doubt that I’ll ever have to take care of a dead body.”

His gaze narrowed.