Page 61 of The King's Maiden

I threw my hands up. “Of course, you haven’t.”

He glanced down at my very unshielded chest, the smirk on his face fading. And it disappeared entirely when I propped my hands on my hips.

“Can’t really blame me when you keep bouncing after it like a sexy bunny,” he muttered, scrubbing a hand over his jaw.

My annoyance morphed instantly to amusement—very smug, totally at his expense amusement—and the wide grin that appeared on my face alerted him to what he’d said out loud.

He groaned.

“You think I’m a sexy bunny,” I teased.

His spine straightened, as if my joy had shoved a rod up his ass. “I said you bouncelikea bunny.”

“Yes, but asexyone.”

Nearly bouncing with glee right then, I walked over to him with a little extra pep in my step and patted him on the chest.

His muscles tightened, bulging under my palm and almost stealing the humor from the moment. But the tightly-wound grimace on Landon’s face kept it alive—for me, at least.

“I’m here because I have a job to do, Maiden.”

I mocked him in my best robot voice, “I’m here because I have a job to do.” Looping my arm through his, I tugged himbackwards toward the door. “So you’ve said. Now, come on, Honey Bunny. You owe me a tour.”

“I have things to do.”

“Sure you do,” I said with all the sympathy in the world. “But the sooner you do this, the sooner I stop bouncing.”

He grumbled under his breath before grabbing his keys. “Fine. Let’s go.”

I’d already seen the lake from Landon’s window, but it dazzled in comparison as we walked down to the water’s edge.

Behind the main house, the lawn led to a large dock with two small sailing boats tied onto it. A rack of paddle boards, kayaks, and all their associated oars and life jackets waited in the sun for summer activities to kick off.

“It won’t be long before everyone spends most days out on the water. The first day or two, it’s a lot quieter out here. Most of the Knights and Maidens won’t come up for air until tomorrow morning.”

“It takes that long for the other Maidens to get their Knights undressed? Man, I’m going to win The Quest, no problem.”

Landon tried not to smile at my impish grin. He really did. But he couldn’t resist.

And I couldn’t blame him, since I made sure to walk backwards in front of him, bouncing when I said it.

“When I start taking orders, of course.”

He shook his head, averting his eyes from my chest. “You’re ridiculous.”

“You love it.”

I tossed my hair and turned back around as we headed to the dock, smiling when he bit back a groan. He could say whathe wanted about my looser-fitting boyfriend jeans, but they still made my ass look great. Especially if I put my hands in the pockets and pulled them tight.

Which I did. Obviously.

“I’m never going to live that comment down. Am I?”

“Probably not.” I laughed and walked up to the edge of the dock, staring out at the expanse of sparkling blue and tempted to jump right into it.

I was feeling more open to this whole thing, honestly. Now that I had unlocked Landon’s code and figured out how to override hisultra-serious-must-be-a-broody-assprogramming.

He stepped up to the edge of the dock beside me, and we stared out over the water.

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