Page 20 of King

King stiffened instantly.

“Hey, baby,” a sultry voice purred.

Fuck.

He turned his head slightly, jaw already tightening. “Janelle.”

She stepped around him, pressing herself close. Too close. Her long dark hair was curled to perfection, her lips painted red, and the dress she wore, if it could even be called that, was tight, short, and low-cut.

The kind of thing that had once turned his head.

Not anymore.

“I was hoping I’d find you here,” she said, dragging a single painted nail down his arm. “It’s been too long, Daddy.”

King gritted his teeth, stepping back, putting space between them. That word off her tongue made him want to vomit. “What do you want, Janelle?”

She pouted, ignoring his tone. “You. Obviously.”

King exhaled sharply. “Not happening.”

Janelle smiled like she didn’t believe him. “Come on, baby. Don’t be like that. I miss you.”

King barely heard her.

Becauseeverythingabout this moment was wrong.

His mind wasn’t here. It wasn’t on Janelle or whatever game she thought she was playing. It was still on his damn phone, reading the text Remi had sent him.

It was on Ella.

Ella, who had blushed when he’d brought her food earlier. Ella, who had looked so damn excited when he told her Remi wanted her number. Ella, who had no clue howmuchhe was already thinking about her.

And that was the difference.

With Ella, hewantedtotake careof her.

With Janelle, it had always been about something else. Something superficial. Temporary.

Something that wasn’t at all real.

Janelle stepped closer again, her fingers trailing up his chest. “Come on, Daddy,” she whispered. “We were good together. I miss you.”

“No, we weren’t,” he snapped.

She ignored him, biting her lip in a way that once would’ve worked on him. Now, he recognized it as a fake move to get him to react. “Just one more chance. Let me remind you of how good it was.”

He stared at her blankly, her words not even reaching him. The more she spoke, the more he zoned out, his expression flat as he let her spew more lies and bullshit to him.

Then, when she finally stopped talking, she reached for him, hands sliding toward his neck as she leaned in for a kiss.

King immediately took a step back, his expression hard. “Janelle.” His voice was low and hard.“Leave.”

For a second, her face twisted. Janelle wasn’t used to being rejected. Then, with a sharphuff, she spun on her heel and stormed off, her heels clicking against the concrete.

King didn’t watch her go.

Didn’t care.

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