Reign of a Billionaire : A Dark Mafia Enemies-to-Lovers Romance

Chapter 49Liana

Istared at Kingston on his knees, and before I could question him, he jumped to his feet and bolted out of the room.

My throat tightened as I stared at the empty space, immediately followed by an anger so deep I saw red. I gritted my teeth, my brain reasoning with me to let it go, but the vendetta brewed in my chest.

Pulling on a pair of shorts and a tank top, I stomped out of my bedroom and made my way toward his. I hammered on the door, then decided fuck this, and gave him the same courtesy he’d given me by barging in.

He was sitting on the side of the bed when I marched in, wearing nothing but pajama pants, his head in his hands and his gaze on the floor. A dangerous haze permeated the air, but I was too angry to heed its warning.

“What is your deal?” I snapped. “Every time you touch me, you leave me staring at your back—usually after you’ve dumped me onto the ground. I’m sick and tired of it.”

He didn’t look up.

My gaze roamed his bedroom, a bracelet of teeth dipped in silver and gold catching my eye. I narrowed my eyes as the whispers in my mind grew louder, but I quickly shut them down.

We’d settle this once and for all.

“Go back to your room,” he croaked, shadows moving in his eyes.

Silver rays from the moon filtered through the open windows, illuminating his half-naked body.

“Is it me?” I asked, my voice cracking. No answer, only heavy silence. “When are you finally going to tell me what I did? I’m sick of you speaking in riddles, I want real answers.”

Suddenly, I knew, this moment was it. This would determine the rest of our lives.

“It’s not⁠—”

I cut him off. “If you give me one of those It’s not you, it’s me lines, I swear to God, Kingston, I’m going to murder you.”

He looked up at me then, and what I saw on his face was a brand-new emotion. The turmoil and warmth in it made my breath catch.

“Come here.”

My body didn’t even hesitate to obey the command.

I felt vulnerable as I padded toward him, every inch of me trembling with anger and anticipation. He parted his legs, and I stepped between them.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his hands skimming up the backs of my thighs with a featherlight touch. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” Who knew such simple words could hold such weight. “Will you forgive me?”

“You…” I inhaled a deep breath. “You confuse me.” He looked at me like he was waiting for me to catch up. “Don’t make me… sad.”

His fingers tightened on my thighs, digging into my flesh. “Do you regret it?”

I inhaled sharply. “I thought it was”—Incredible. My fingers laced through his dark hair—“intense.”

His jaw clenched. “But do you regret it?”

“No.” Maybe it made me the bad, selfish sister, but I didn’t. “Not even for a second.”

He let out a tense breath and pulled me closer, pressing his face into my stomach. A shudder erupted beneath my skin, warm from his soft touch.

“You’re mine. Fucking mine.” He bit the outline of my nipple through my shirt. “I’ll slaughter anyone who ever puts a finger on you again.”

“You’re not a good man.”

“I’m not.”

“Good. I don’t need a good man.” My heart pounded at an awkward rhythm, wisps of a memory creeping into the corners of my mind. “I don’t want to sleep alone,” I croaked, my voice too raw, too desperate, as his face blurred through the mist in my eyes. I straddled him and his fingers grew firmer on my thighs, the fiery heat of his palms burning through my skin.

“I have to remove the weapons from under the mattress,” he rasped, bringing his lips to mine. Our lips touched, but this kiss was… It was tender and lingering, blindingly passionate. A shiver skated down my spine like a lit match as he traced his lips along mine, his hot breath fanning my mouth.

This kiss was the kind you felt down to your toes. The kind that romance authors wrote about and schoolgirls dreamt about.

“I sleep with weapons too,” I breathed against his lips. “Back home, anyway,” I added, hoping my reminder that he was keeping me here as a pseudo-prisoner didn’t kill the mood.

He smiled against my lips, and I slid off his lap.

It took a minute to clear out the weapons, and another minute for us to settle on the bed. Then I slid under the covers next to him and pressed my head against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. I listened to him breathe and found comfort in it.

“I like how you smell,” I murmured against his chest, his constant petting soothing everything inside me. “My favorite flavor.”

He stilled for a moment, then let out a soft breath. “You, sunshine, are my favorite flavor.” My brows furrowed at the change of the nickname.

“No more ice princess?” I asked, tremor lacing my voice.

Tension radiated from him, every muscle in his body pulled taut. His fingers trembled as they brushed over my hair. “No more.”

I felt his lips against my forehead, the gesture so simple after the earlier encounter, but it had every fiber of me trembling with so many feelings. My fingers traced over his ink, his muscles flexing under them.

I loved how big and strong he was. I even loved that he was a morally gray man. It was exactly what I needed. His gaze touched me everywhere, like he was seeing me for the first time. I couldn’t wrap my head around it, but I loved his attention.

His hands brushed over every inch of my skin, then he shifted and I let out a soft protest. “Don’t go anywhere.”

He let out a sardonic breath. “Nobody, not even God himself, will tear me away from you,” he rasped as he reached for my left wrist and hooked the bracelet around it. “This is yours.”

My brows knitted, studying the delicate jewelry made of teeth dipped in real gold. It didn’t bother me though. In fact, it felt as if it belonged there all along.

“It’s a weird gift, Kingston,” I murmured softly. I brought my wrist close to my chest and cradled it, that familiar throbbing there. “But I like it. A lot.”

I nuzzled into him, my eyes locked on the shining metal. Why did it feel right to have it on?

“I still can’t believe it,” he whispered so low that I barely heard the words.

I lifted my head. “Believe what?”

He shifted us over, his body covering mine. I slid my arms around him, those scars that his ink hid rough under my fingertips. The truth was, I loved them, because they screamed he was a survivor. It made me feel safe with him.

“That you’re here with me.”

Bliss hummed beneath my skin as his weight covered mine. “So you won’t be leaving me anymore after we… kiss?”

There was vulnerability in my voice, and I was sure he was able to see it in my eyes.

He ran a rough palm across my cheek and his lips brushed mine. “I’ll never leave you again.”

The promise seared through me like a romantic song and my heartbeats slowed to nothing.

“Ditto,” I vowed, realizing I fully meant those words.

It might have been wrong, but my possessiveness over this man roared to the surface, and I’d hold on to him until my last breath.

His mouth trailed over my neck before he buried his head in my nape.

That night, we held each other all night.