Loving the Crown (The Crown 3)

“It’s in the script,” she explained.

I shook my head. “No.”

“No?” She placed her hands on her hips. “You can’t be serious.” She moved us even farther from the set.

“I’m dead serious.” I stared at her. She was mine. Only mine.

“I’m an actress. We were acting. What is wrong with you?”

I’d dated women. Too many to count. I’d dated a fucking princess. I’d dated a head of state. I liked strong smart women. But I’d never dated my mate. I didn’t know the draw to her would be powerful enough for me to want to commit murder. But that was the kind of rage blurring my senses. It was red and glaring. The need to rip Tom to pieces was real. I’d never felt anything like it. I’d never felt jealousy with anyone before Gillian. I never cared enough, or I fucked them too quickly and got out before feelings were involved. This was a different matter. This was my bear staking a claim on his mate. Watching another man kiss her wasn’t part of the equation. It never would be.

I shoved my hands in my pockets. I knew the crew was whispering. I could hear them with my long-rang senses. They thought I was an unhinged asshole.

“I looked up and he was all over you.” My explanation didn’t make any sense to her. No human would understand the overwhelming need to protect at all costs.

“It was in the script.” Her eyes bore into mine. “You don’t think Tom and I have something, do you? He has a boyfriend, Liam. We are co-stars in this show. This is the storyline. We’re in love. We hate each other. I try to kill him. We fall back in love. It’s a vicious cycle that fans love. Maybe you should watch an episode.”

I didn’t give a shit if Tom slept with a hundred men. He touched my mate.

“I can explain better if we’re alone.” I tried to keep the frustration from my voice.

“I think you should leave.”

“No. We made an agreement this morning. I’m not leaving.”

“Then you have to shut up.” She poked a finger into my chest. “No more outbursts and you can’t move from that chair. Not even if you have to pee.”

“Gillian, you have no idea what’s going on here.”

“No, I don’t. But I can’t get sucked into it right now. So you either stay in the corner and run the country with that fancy gadget you brought with you, or you leave. I have to finish filming.”

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

“I want to do this.”

“Then, I’ll wait until you’re done. We’re going to talk tonight.”

She nodded. “Yes. We are. For now, I have to get back to work. I’m going to say you thought the kiss wasn’t convincing enough, ok? Otherwise, they are going to think you’re a complete dick.”

“They already do.” I nodded at the crowd that had gathered around Tom.

Her shoulders slumped. “I can’t believe this.”

I wanted to pick her up and throw her over my shoulder. I wanted to take her back to the palace and finally claim her fully. I wanted to kiss her and love her. I wanted to drink for her tits. God, I wanted all of her while I was inside her. Fuck. I couldn’t explain any of it.

Not until she knew the truth.

“Fine. I’ll run Galona. You slay vampires.”

I saw a smile creep across her lips. “Fine.”

I watched her cute ass, hugged in tight leather walk out of view.

Chapter Sixteen

Gillian

It was twelve hours before we finished for the day. It was as if Mother Nature knew we needed help. She gave us another spectacular sunset, and Tom and I got the sunset scene exactly the way Lance wanted it.