Page 70 of His Kingdom

Me:

Make sure every shop on the strip knows not to touch her.

Paulie:

On it.

“Sure, you do that. You ready to go?” I turn to Charlotte. “You look absolutely stunning by the way. I should have already said that.”

“Thank you. Where are we going?” she asks.

“I have reservations for dinner, and then whatever else you want to do.”

“Can we gamble? After dinner? I just realized I haven’t so much as put a dollar into a slot machine since I got here. Seems like a crime.”

“That’s not a crime. That’s just smart. The house always wins,” I tell her. “But since it’s our house, we can gamble as much as you want.”

* * *

I watch Charlotte from across the table. She’s fidgeting. “What’s wrong?” I ask her.

“People are staring,” she whispers.

“That’s because you’re beautiful and they’re wondering how I managed to score you.”

“No, they’re not.” She laughs.

“How do you know?” I lift a challenging brow and then look around the restaurant. Watching how everyone quickly averts their eyes.

“They’re looking at you,” Charlotte says.

“Do you want to leave?” I should have known I couldn’t just come out for a meal like a normal fucking person.

“No, I want to eat. I just need to get used to ignoring people,” she tells me. “It’s hard, because I’ve spent my whole life having to care what people think, and I’m scared of making a bad impression. I don’t want to embarrass you.”

“Charlotte, you could never embarrass me.” I stand, pick up my glass of champagne, and tap a fork against the side.

“What are you doing?” Charlotte gasps.

“Ladies and gentleman, I want you all to be the first to know I was lucky enough to have this woman right here marry me last night. I’m officially off the market, and so is she,” I announce to the crowd of onlookers. Claps and cheers erupt around us as I lean forward and press a kiss to Charlotte’s lips. “I really am the luckiest motherfucker alive,” I tell her before sitting back down. “Now they’ll have something to really talk about.”

“Thank you.” Charlotte smiles at me. “I don’t know how, but you always know the right thing to say.”

“You should hear my inside thoughts, then.” I quirk a brow with a different kind of challenge this time.

“What are your inside thoughts right now?” she asks me.

“How I want to swipe everything off this table and replace it with your body. How I want to spread your legs wide open and feast on nothing but you all night long.” I keep my voice low.

Charlotte’s face reddens. “Yeah, ah… let’s not say that out loud.” She smirks before adding, “Well, at least not in public.”

ChapterThirty-Two

Louie hands me a stack of chips. Chips that say one thousand on them. “This is too much. I thought we were just going to drop a dollar or two into a slot machine,” I tell him.

“If we’re going to gamble, Charlotte, we’re doing it properly,” he says, holding a case full of chips in one hand. His other hand lands on my lower back. “Besides, you’re my good luck charm. I have a feeling I’m going to win tonight.”

“Ah, Louie, you’re the house, remember? You win every night,” I whisper.

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