Page 108 of Merciless Heir

“I’m going to—”

“Stay here. For a bit. Please?”

And, so I do.

We laugh and joke and I let myself take this sliver of happiness. Because that’s what it is.

I stretch. “This is nice,” I say quietly, much later.

“Yeah, it is.” He slides his fingers through my hair. “Sadie, I—”

Kingston’s phone rings.

“Hold that thought.”

“It’s your thought, Mr. Billionaire. I’m not paid to hold your anything.”

He just gives me a look that makes me laugh. I don’t know why I feel light inside. But then he glances at his phone.

“Shit, I need to deal with this.” With a groan, he answers. “Yeah? Okay, okay, give me five.”

Kingston gets up and pulls on jeans, puts the call on mute, and comes back and kisses me.

“The fairy tale is ending?” I ask.

He sighs. “For now. I really have to take this or else I’d tell them where to go. We’re not finished. Stay here. Please?”

I don’t answer, and he leaves, pulling on a sweater as he does so.

When a door closes, one I’m sure is his office, I get out of bed and into my clothes so fast I could win a medal. I race out of the bedroom and down the hall and open his door. I cross the landing to the elevator and keep pressing the call button until it arrives.

Like a small, scared child, I’m running away. It’s what I do with him.

The doors close and I let the air out from my lungs. I’m not staying to hear him tell me this is just sex. I have things to do.

And I didn’t tell him I have the tiara. My father turned up, and I got scared. I mean, I—

I stop.

I have the tiara and it wasn’t my father’s unexpected visit stopping me from telling Kingston.

Suddenly my legs give out, and I slide down the wall of his private lift and hit the bottom.

It’s not my father. Not at all.

Sure, I went in there, upset about Dad, but…that isn’t why. I’m planning on giving it to Kingston. My promise to the low life isn’t needed now, and I only wanted to see what information I could get from him.

No.

When it came down to it, I didn’t tell Kingston because I don’t want this to end. And it’s coming to an end. His birthday is coming fast. I could get Athena to make another fake. We could continue the chase for it. Or I could try and drag out the sale.

I don’t want this to end because I like him.

Oh. Fuck. I have feelings for him.

I probe them. Carefully, like with a bad tooth. But like a bad tooth, they hurt and feel too big, too there. And I don’t know what to do.

For the first time, I don’t know what to do.