Page 119 of Merciless Heir
“You told me to leave.”
“Your fucking father was in the other room. And you—you tromped all over me.”
“I was trying to protect you from him.”
Kingston shakes his head. “No, I was trying to protect you.”
“This is not what happened,” I snap.
“Yeah?” He comes up close. “That’s what happened. You showed me I have a heart, and then you destroyed it. I’d say you’re the worst.”
I put my hand on his chest to shove him again, but somehow my fingers tangle in his sweater. “No, you destroyed mine.”
“You know what, Sadie?” He slides a hand through my hair, his fingers against my scalp. “I love that you’re ruthless and you did all this for the money, but it really pisses me off.”
“You’re one to talk. You’re ruthless and cynical and love money more than anything.” I give him a contemptuous look even if my blood is singing. “So, what? I like money, too. I wanted the money and it seemed a good idea to make double the amount.”
“I call that shady ethics.”
“Says the fucking billionaire.”
“To the thief.”
I rise on my toes and brush against him, pulling him to me and our mouths almost touch. “I gave the money back to your mother. I didn’t even have to because she wasn’t out to get you. And you hired me yourself.”
“You admit it.”
“I can’t admit something you know.”
“You can, Sadie,” he says, mouth a whisper from mine, his breath warm and I sway into him.
“But I gave that money back, Kingston. Mr. Billionaire. And you know what really gets my goat, what pisses me the fuck off?”
“I’m sure,” he says like silk, “you’ll tell me.”
“I gave that money back for you. I didn’t like you, and I didn’t plan on liking you, on wanting you. I didn’t plan on you being you. And I hate the fact I fell in love with you!”
“Yeah? Well, how do you think I feel? I didn’t plan on liking you, on you being you. I don’t want or believe in love. So how do you think I fucking feel? I’m in love with you, too!”
Silence slams down and we stare at each other and I want to cry all over again. But not like before. Inside something big and sweet and wild builds. The savageness is love, and I…I could close this gap. I could kiss him and fuck him and we’d what?
“So where does this leave us?” I ask quietly. “You said…the tiara…you’ll never know what it’s worth if you choose me.”
He half smiles. “I could lie and do it and my mother would never know.”
“We won’t ever work, Kingston. You’ll know if you do that, and so will I. And you’ll resent me if you don’t and…” I breathe in and watch him. “And we’re too the same. If we love each other, this will get to us and—”
“I cancelled the evaluation on the way. And the buyer,” he says. “And we are too the same.”
“What are you saying, Kingston?”
He kisses me, then. And it’s the sweetest thing ever. Full of love and lust and latent passion, like we have all the time in the world. “You, I choose you.”
“But the tiara—”
“I don’t care. One of us needs to be pragmatic. Otherwise we’ll fight ourselves into misery again and you’ll come to me and we’ll fight, we’ll have sex and then we’ll fight and you’ll run and I’ll come after you.”
“You’ll come after me?”