Risking the Crown (The Crown 2)

“What?” Her eyes darted back and forth.

“Airplane sized vodka bottles in the back of the cufflink drawer,” I reported.

“Oh.” She threaded one leg through the pajama pants and then the other. “I’ll get those.” She spun around, sliding the drawer open. I watched as she collected three bottles from the back of the drawer. I wished I had another view of her heart-shaped ass. I frowned.

“My sword case. Gin.”

Her eyes widened. But she stepped toward the cabinet that held my Royal Navy weapons and cracked the lid. She retrieved the scattered bottles at the back.

“Anywhere else?” she asked.

I rubbed my jaw. “I think that’s all that’s in here.”

The bottles were wedged in her arms and pressed tightly against her chest. “There are more somewhere else?”

“I’m sure your blood hounds didn’t find them all if they didn’t find these.” I paused. “Oh wait. The tequila.”

“There’s tequila in here? But I thought I searched…”

My arm grazed hers as I stretched behind the rows of leather belts. Her breath seized and I could feel the warmth of her skin against my cheek. The bottle was tucked underneath a shelf. No one would have discovered it.

“Last one.” I held it up.

I looked at Kenley and then the honey-colored liquor. How many nights had I given in to tequila? To gin? To vodka? How many times had she rolled my drunk ass in bed and turned off the light?

“Is it hard?” she asked.

“Not to drink?”

She nodded slowly.

“This is day fifty-one. I’m ok. You can ask me again when I get through day fifty-two. One day at a time is my new motto.”

I didn’t move. I blocked Kenley’s exit from the closet. The bottles clanked as she shuffled them in her arms. I didn’t know why I hadn’t seen her this way before. I wanted her to stay so I could study her.

She looked completely different with her hair down. Without the stuffy manager suit. There was a softness emanating from her.

I never knew behind her silk suits she had a killer body. Sure she was thin, but her tits were gorgeous and those hips had curves that lasted for miles. Something primal inside me was awake.

“Kenley.”

“Sir?” Her eyes followed me.

I grumbled. “Never mind. You can throw those out.” I walked away from the closet.

I didn’t know why I was suddenly frustrated. Or why I thought about doing something with Kenley I never thought about before. Everything inside me told me to smash the bottles on the floor and rip my clothes from her body. Spend the night buried inside her. Fucking her until we were both without breath.

I closed my eyes and walked to the table where she had stacked the games.

She appeared a few minutes later. “All gone,” she announced.

I pressed my palms into the surface. “Trivia first?”

8

Kenley

My pulse had returned to normal. I think it was watching the last drops from the bottles wash down the drain that steadied me. I had a chance to catch my breath and focus on something other than the nearness of Dominic.