Page 35 of Royally Bad

“I can do it,” I said firmly.

Ignoring me, he knelt down and grabbed my ankle. With a tenderness not meant for men like him, Kain dabbed at the glass, working it out with hardly any pain. “Relax,” he said quietly. “I’ll be gentle.”

Gentle is exactly what I’m afraid of.The nicer he was, the more I couldn’t hold on to that slippery monster called resentment. Kain washed my cut, placing a bandage over it when he was finished. “There,” he said, looking up at me. “All set.”

I’d never looked down on him before. Somehow, it made me feel smaller. It was like being a flimsy piece of ribbon caught on a tree branch before it vanished into the world, never to be seen again.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

Gripping the edge of the counter, I locked up so hard that my joints popped. “Nothing.”

The cockiness that fit him best rolled through his almond-shaped eyes. “Must be about me, then.”

“I—what? No!”

“You’re not the best liar.”

Flushing, I stepped gingerly to the floor. Testing my heel, I said with some surprise, “It doesn’t even hurt.”

“I’ll take that as a thank you.” His smirk split his hard jaw. “Or a kiss will do.”

“Like hell.” But my lips buzzed at the very mention of kissing him. Rolling my ankle experimentally, I said, “Your dad said if I needed anything, to make sure I got it.”

“Of course. Just ask.”

“I need to make a phone call.”

He arched an eyebrow. “You know you can’t call the cops.”

“I’m not. It’s someone else.”

“And you won’t tell me who?”

Chewing my bottom lip, I thought it over.If I tell him about my mother, can it be used against me?I didn’t know if I could trust this family. I’d been told they were dangerous, but Kain had also rescued me from harm.

But Iwastrapped, so ...

Who was really a threat to me?

“No,” I finally sighed. “I can’t.”

Shaking his head, he ruffled his thick hair. “In that case ...” One step and he was looming over me, the sink at my back. “It’lldefinitelycost more than a thank you.”

The thumping of my heart vibrated into my teeth. “You think you can blackmail me into kissing you?”

“I don’t think I need to blackmail you at all.” Chuckling warmly, he showed me the edge of his teeth. That grin shredded my defenses, and the thickness in his voice did the rest. Kain had me pinned, his hips pushing into mine. “I think you’ve been wanting to kiss me all day, Sammy.”

Swallowing, I whispered, “You’re wrong.”

“Am I?”

Darting my eyes to the side, I breathed faster. His scent was in my brain. “For most of the day ... I wanted to punch you.”

He started to laugh. His body rippled, muscles rubbing over my chest. His joy was contagious. Everything hedidwas contagious.

The last of his laughter went down my throat, tickling into my heart. He kissed without limits. His strength pressed me into the porcelain, but it was his lust that held me still. Kain Badd was a man who consumed whatever he desired.

I was ready to let him eat me whole.

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