Page 39 of Cruel King

Matthias raises his eyebrows in surprise and leans down to kiss me. “No need to thank me. I enjoyed it as much as you did.”

Suddenly feeling shy, I lean down to pull my clothes up. “Well, I’ve never had anyone do that like you did.”

When I finish getting dressed, he cradles my face in his hands and kisses me softly. “Really? No one?”

I shake my head as my inexperience makes me wince. “Nope. No one.”

With a smile, he takes my hand to lead me toward the bed. “Good. I like that I was the first one to make you feel that way.”

I don’t say anything, but that’s not the only time he’s been the first one to make me feel something. This may not be love. In fact, it very well might be merely infatuation, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone before in my life.

And I don’t want it to end once the snow clears and everything returns to normal again.

* * *

Someone knockingon my door wakes me out of a sound sleep, and I sit up to get my head straight before jumping out of bed to answer whoever is there. When I open the door, I see not Matthias but Eleanor.

“What time is it?” I ask, still groggy from sleep.

She smiles and says, “It’s eight o’clock. I know you probably like to sleep later in the morning, but I made breakfast. I hope you don’t mind, but I came up here early this morning and got your clothes. They’re all fresh and cleaned and ready to wear.”

When she hands them to me, I shake my head in disbelief. It can’t be morning already. Why didn’t he come see me again last night?

“It’s eight in the morning? How is that possible? I must have slept through all night.”

With a chuckle, she says, “You must have been tired. Now come down to the kitchen and get some food in you. Jonesy has the entire driveway and road cleared, so when Mr. King and your father get here, they’ll call the repairman so you can go home. Staying somewhere new is nice, but I know I always love to go back to my own cozy bed. Now come on. Get dressed. Breakfast will be cold if you don’t hurry.”

She rushes away toward the stairs as I close the door behind me. Why didn’t he stay all night?

I do as Eleanor said and hurry up to get dressed. I want to go to his room to see if everything’s okay. Halfway down the hallway, though, I hear Mr. King and all of the King boys come into the house, so I turn around and run downstairs before anyone can see where I was.

“Ava! I heard about the heat in your house,” Mr. King says as he hands his coat to Eleanor. “Your father is down there right now, and if he can’t get it fixed, then you’re just going to have to stay here for another night. How does that sound?”

He gives me a big smile and a wink, and for a moment, I can’t help but wonder if he knows what his son and I have been up to. I nod like I know I have to, but then he points at Theo as he walks into the room.

“I’m sure Theo will be the perfect host if you have to stay over again, right Theo?”

My closest friend in the world gives me a big smile. “Of course. Ava, I have to tell you about this guy I met in the city. He’s a racecar driver, and he’s going to get me set up to start racing. Pretty great, right?”

“Yeah, pretty great,” I say as I search around me for any sign of Matthias.

Where is he?

As Theo and Marius begin to tell me about this racecar guy and we make our way to the kitchen for breakfast, my father walks in looking downright unhappy. The electricity must still be off. God, I hope the pipes didn’t freeze.

Mr. King walks into the room and asks him, “Were you able to get the heat back on?”

When my father nods, I’m stunned. Wasn’t it out because of the electricity being off? I want to ask, but he looks so displeased at this moment that I don’t dare and risk him reprimanding me in front of the entire King family.

“Time to go, Ava.”

I get up from the table without saying a word. My father makes some small talk with Mr. King, and then we leave without me being able to see the only person I want to speak to this morning. Where could he be?

Neither of us says a word as he drives back to our little house, but once he closes the front door behind us, he gives me a stern look I don’t understand. “Did you lie about the heat being off so you could go up to the main house and not be alone?”

I’m stunned at his accusation. My father knows I wouldn’t lie to him. Not about that or anything else.

Well, that’s not true. I plan to lie to him about Matthias, but that’s different. That’s my own business. Mine and his.

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