Page 63 of Shameless Royalty

“Could’ve fooled me,” I say, pushing off the desk and taking a step toward him.

He tenses but doesn’t back down. “Don’t get cocky.”

“Too late for that,” I murmur, my eyes flicking to the mark again. “You wore it well last night.”

“Fuck off,” he snaps, his face flushing deeper.

I chuckle, closing the distance between us until I’m standing right in front of him. “You can play tough all you want, Babyface,” I say, my voice low. “But we both know the truth.”

He glares up at me, his jaw tight, but he doesn’t say anything. His defiance is clear, but so is the way his breath catches when I lean closer, brushing my thumb lightly over the mark on his neck.

“You’re mine,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. “You’re my good boy.”

Malachi’s eyes widen slightly, his face flushing a deep red that creeps all the way to the tips of his ears. He jerks his head away from my touch, glaring at me like he wants to set me on fire.

“Don’t fuckin’ call me that,” he snaps, but his voice cracks just enough to ruin the effect.

“Oh, but you are,” I say, grinning as I lean back, arms crossed over my chest. “Look at you, blushin’ like that. You’re adorable.”

“I’m not blushin’,” he lies, his cheeks growing even redder as he looks everywhere but at me.

“Sure you’re not,” I tease, leaning in just slightly. “You’re my good boy, and you know it.”

His fists clench at his sides, his entire body bristling with indignation, but I catch the way his throat bobs as he swallows hard. He’s fighting it, fighting me, and losing spectacularly.

“You’re insufferable,” he mutters, his tone sharp but lacking bite.

“And you’re mine,” I shoot back, my smirk widening. “So you’d better get used to it.”

The glare he gives me is lethal, but the blush on his face softens the blow. It’s impossible to take him seriously when he’s looking like that, all flustered and trying desperately to pretend he isn’t.

“Go to hell, Connor,” he mutters, but it’s weaker this time, like he knows he’s already lost.

“Already there, Babyface,” I say with a grin. “And it’s much more entertainin’ with you around.”

He huffs, turning away from me and muttering something under his breath, but I don’t miss the way his shoulders are still tense or the way his ears are still red.

Victory, as usual, is mine.

Chapter 31

Malachi

Isitontheedge of my bed, elbows on my knees, staring at the floor like it’s got all the answers to the mess in my head. The room is quiet, too quiet, except for the faint hum of the heating kicking in. It does nothing to distract me from the one thing I can’t stop thinking about.

Connor.

The way he looked at me earlier, like he could fucking devour me and wouldn’t even bother to wipe his mouth after. The way his voice dipped when he called me his good boy like he knew exactly what kind of chaos he was throwing me into.

I want him.

There’s no denying it anymore. I want him to push me, to claim me, to wreck me until I can’t think about anything but him. But I also want to fight him. I want to push back because the way he challenges me, the way he refuses to let me hide, is both intoxicating and dangerous.

I drag a hand through my hair, letting out a sharp breath. “Christ,” I mutter to myself. “This is a fuckin’ disaster.”

Because it is. I’ve spent years locking down every part of me that even hinted at this. I’ve told myself over and over that I’m not like that, not like this. And then Connor storms into my life, grinning like a damn maniac, and blows everything to hell.

I don’t even hate him for it.

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