Page 27 of Kinks of a Billionaire
With the last satin button in place, he took a step back and leaned against the wall. Every ounce of his attention was on me, setting a full-blown inferno inside me. When he looked at me like that, I could almost feel his caress on my sensitive skin.
He still wore his leather jacket, the contrast between us so evident. Yet somehow, we fit.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything else in my life,” was his answer, and a sigh of relief left me. Looked like I was getting married today after all.
I stood up slowly and made my way to the mirror, sucking in a sharp breath. The white silk hugged my curves, draping tothe floor in graceful lines, and a tasteful V-neck gave room to the imagination. I turned and twisted my head around, giving my back—the only altered piece—a glance. The open back draped down almost to my tailbone, and the exposure gave the dress a sexy appeal.
“I…” Clearing my throat, I tried again. “It's my first time trying it on.” What I didn’t say was that every time I’d gone to try it on in the last two weeks, my chest and throat would break out into hives. Yet another sign I ignored. Royce straightened, and when our eyes connected, I saw so much affection in his eyes that I felt my breath catch. “I should put some makeup on.”
“If you want,” he said. “Although you’re perfect just the way you are.” Gosh, how was a woman supposed to resist a man like that? Before I could come up with something to say in response, Royce’s gaze flicked to the adjoining door. “Is his room through there?”
I nodded hesitantly, and before I could even blink, he was stalking across the suite. “This won’t take long.”
Then he kicked the door so hard it flew off the hinges—which was saying a lot because I knew for a fact the doors in this hotel were ironclad and basically bulletproof. A high-pitched scream came from the room, and against my better judgment, my feet carried me to the door. I supposed I shouldn’t have been surprised to find Stuart being ridden like a fucking camel.
A woman wearing nothing but a white apron sat on top of a spread-eagle Stuart, bucking wildly and making exaggerated moaning sounds.
“Get lost,” Royce barked at the maid, not even sparing her a glance. His dark and furious gaze was narrowed on Stuart as he closed the distance to the bed and backhanded him so hard his head flew sideways. “Say a word to anyone and I’ll find you.”
The sheer terror on her face vouched that she wouldn’t, and I almost felt sorry for her. Royce could be scary when he wanted to be.
“What the fuck, Royce?”
“What did I tell you when you first started dating her?” he bellowed, this time punching directly in the nose. Stuart whimpered, blood dripping down his face. “What did I fucking say, Stuart?”
I stood frozen, noting in the corner of my mind that the maid had bolted out of the room.
“She’s not yours,” Stuart spat, finding his courage and clearly having a death wish. Royce pulled out a gun and pistol-whipped him before pushing it against his temple. Unfortunately, it didn’t knock Stuart out, and he continued blabbing. “You’re just pissed off because I knocked her up before you could stick your dick inside her.”
The barrel of Royce’s gun pressed deeper into the side of his head, his finger braced on the trigger. My blood drummed so loud in my ears that I couldn’t hear my own thoughts.
“Royce—” I finally found my voice. His gaze coasted to me while nausea churned in my stomach. “R-rememb—remember what you said.”
“Wait for me in your room.” His calm, cool voice pierced my heart and fear rolled down my spine.
“Please don’t kill him.” His jaw clenched. I couldn’t let Royce pay for my foolish choices. If he pulled that trigger, he’d end up in prison. The cameras would have picked us up in the elevator, and that was before we ran into the concierge or the maid who just ran for her life. I was surprised the police hadn’t been sent up yet. So, no. Not even Royce’s last name could save him. “He’s not worth it,” I said, urging him to remember our earlier conversation.
He nodded and put the gun away, and I sighed, nearly sick with relief.
“Willow, you don’t need to see this,” Royce said, keeping his gaze on Stuart and shaking his head. Stuart followed our exchange, his erection still sticking straight up to the ceiling. The sight would be comical under any other circumstance. “For the love of God, woman, wait for me in the other room.”
A shiver ran down my spine, but I resisted the urge to hide in the room and let Royce handle it all. If he killed Stuart, I’d be an accomplice, for better or for worse.
“I’m staying,” I breathed, my heart trying to flee from my chest. In all the years that I’d known Royce, I’d never seen him angry like this. “I can’t let you kill him.”
Royce’s muscled forearm flexed as he reined in his temper, but I knew better than to take it as a good sign. The sight of Stuart in this bed made him blind with fury.
“I’m not going to kill him, but I did warn him what would happen if he hurt you.” The playfulness I was used to seeing from him disappeared, leaving him shrouded in darkness. “Didn’t I, Stuart?”
I blinked. Royce had threatened him before?
Chapter 12
Royce
Stuart’s courage slowly deflated under the weight of my stare.
My expression didn’t match the savagery rising within me. How fucking dare he hurt her? My best friend. My woman. Frustration flared, twisting and heating in my gut, burning with the need to keep her safe.
