Page 28 of The Devil's Playground

Once we’re inside, I put the frying pan away in the kitchen, then lead Royce to the living room. A quick tap on my laptop’s lid to close it, then I gesture at his arm.

“Okay. Let me see how much damage I did to you.”

He shakes it his arm. “It’s fine.”

Somehow, I knew he would say that. “Shirt off, please.”

A crooked grin that erases some of his annoyance from before. “Well, when you put it that way… how can I resist?

He takes off his hooded sweatshirt. As soon as he does, he looks like the Royce I know: black trousers, white button-down, expensive shoes.

The white-button down covers his upper arm. I expect he’s going to unbutton the sleeve and roll it up. He doesn’t. Instead, reminding me I told him to take off his shirt, he makes quick work of the buttons.

He doesn’t have an undershirt on. I get my first glimpse of his muscular chest before I give my head a clearing shake, then shove the right side of his shirt down enough to see.

It’s red. Duh. Not broken, I don’t think, but it’s definitely a big red mark.

I lay my fingers lightly along his skin. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. Like you said, you were scared and I was acting shady. You seem to be expecting someone. From the way you reacted, though, I’m not so sure it’s a friend.” He pauses, eyeing me closely. “You are single, aren’t you?”

I nod. “And you’re not.”

That catches his attention. “What? Of course I am.”

“What about Ava?”

“Ava?” His nose scrunches, and he laughs. A full-throated laugh that has his shirt falling back, revealing his entire chest. “Do me a favor, Nic? Don’t ever say that in front of Devil. If he thinks I’m gunning for his wife, I’m a dead man.”

Wait—

“Devil’s wife?”

He nods. “He had syndicate biz and she needed help at the penthouse. She has my number and knows that I can be there in no time if I’m at the Playground.”

“Oh.”

His blue eyes seem to twinkle. “Were you jealous of Ava?”

I open my mouth, think about how I want to answer that, then totally change the subject when I notice the design etched into the left side of his chest. It’s about twelve inches long, an elaborate design of… is that a devil?

“You have ink?” I murmur.

“Just the one. You?”

I don’t answer him. Instead, I push off the side of his shirt so that I can get a good look at it.

It is a devil.

“Wow. That’s really nice.”

He starts to shrug off his shirt. “You want to get a better look? I can show you.”

“Later,” I tell him, my voice a breathless whisper as my hand lands on his hard chest.

Later, I won’t really understand why I made the move I did. Whether it’s because that camera Royce found pissed me off, or I really did want to send a massive fuck you to Kieran if he was out there somewhere, or even if the sudden relief I felt to hear that Ava is Devil’s wife makes me wish we were back in the supply closed at the club… it doesn’t matter.

Earlier tonight, Royce kissed me.

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