“I’m not flirting,” Zak protests immediately. “I’m testing her loyalty. I promise I know better than to touch someone who belongs to the great King himself.” He tries to give me a reassuring smile, but it seems more like a smirk to me.

“You keep your hands to yourself, Zakhar, or you might not have hands for yourself.” I stand up. “I mean it. I know Penny likes to talk to you, and that is the only reason I’m letting you speak to her. But if you so much as give her one more flirtatious glance, I will end you.” I stare him down, and he bows his head respectfully.

“Of course, cousin. I mean no disrespect, honestly.” He stands slowly. “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.”

I watch him and then turn to go, leaving him in the kitchen by himself.

I can’t get the thought of our little quickie out of my head. It drives the maddening thoughts of Zak out of my head. Her pale skin in the dim light, that dress hiked up around her voluptuous hips, and the way she touched herself.

Just thinking about it frustrates me and makes my dick want to harden again. I want her on top of me, riding my cock as I suckle on her engorged breasts.

I pause and take a deep breath. I can’t be thinking like this when I need to run things, but maybe I can get some alone time with Penny and try to get her to feel at ease with me again.

I glance out a window and see guards patrolling nearby. Maybe it makes her uncomfortable knowing they are so close. I could send them further out to patrol and have a cozy night with her.

I take out my phone and message Luka, who heads security, and then I message the staff to prepare a meal they can leave with us and go home.

I head toward the library. It’s normally where Penny starts her day. I knock on the door softly so as not to startle her.

“Penny?” I call out. “You in here?”

“Here,” she calls softly. She’s curled up on one of the giant armchairs, her legs tucked under her.

“What are you reading?” I ask curiously, a little awkward about asking her to spend the night with me. Which is ridiculous. We’re engaged, and we’re sexually attracted to each other.

“Charles Dickens,” she comments quietly. “The complete works. I’m trying to finish by Christmas.”

I smile. “I love Charles Dickens.”

She looks up at me with quizzical eyes. “But you didn’t come here to speak to me about Charles Dickens, did you?”

“No, actually, I’m here to talk to you about tonight.” I clear my throat, and before she can ask, I continue. “We’re having dinner together, just you and me, and I’m afraid I must insist.”

“Oh…” She looks down at the book, and I see a red blush on her cheeks. “Okay. Of course. That’s the usual, though.”

I smile. “Except the guards won’t be as close, and the staff will leave our meal with us and go home, so we’ll have the house to ourselves.”

“Oh,” her blush deepens. “Well, I mean. I’m sure we need to get used to that happening.”

She won’t meet my eyes, but she’s not declining my offer, so I decide to leave while the going is good. “Excellent. I’ll see you tonight, then.”

I turn and hurry out of the library while trying to look calm. I’m such an idiot. I’m over forty. Why is this so hard?

I won’t lie. She’s beautiful, and those eyes capture me whenever they meet mine. I feel like I’m in my twenties chasing tail again, except the only tail I want is a red-haired beauty curled up in my home.

The day both flies by and drags on at the same time, and soon enough, I’m sitting in the dining hall, having issued strict instructions that if anyone interrupts me for any reason, their heads will roll.

I sit there patiently and feel like a nerd. This is like the first date I ever took a girl out on. I thought I’d been so smooth, but really, I hadn’t been.

I hear footsteps, and I stand up as Penny walks in. She’s taken to wearing these off-the-shoulder flowering dresses, which suit her so much. I smile and go to her chair, helping her sit down before I go to mine. “Thanks for joining me tonight.”

“Well, it is in our contract,” she says pointedly.

I smile and gesture to the finger foods all plated on the table. “Help yourself. It’s tapas style tonight.”

“Thanks,” she says quietly before she starts dishing food onto her plate.

I also dish up, and we eat quietly for a moment.

“You look gorgeous in these dresses,” I comment between bites.

“Thanks,” she says, not quite meeting my eyes.

I try to think of things to say. “Did you enjoy your book?”

“Yes, thank you. It’s quite interesting.”

I try not to sigh and grit my teeth. “What are your plans for tomorrow?”

“Nothing much.”

I can’t stand these short answers. It is frustrating the shit out of me. “Penny, do you just not like talking to me? Because we have spoken before this, and you would actually answer my questions.”

She meets my gaze now. “I am answering your questions, Kervyn.”

“Why have you been avoiding me?” I ask.

“I haven’t been.” She looks away quickly again, staring at her plate. “I think I’m full.” She starts to stand up.

“Wait.” I stand up. “Why don’t you at least let me make you some hot chocolate?”

She looks at me curiously. “Hot chocolate?”

“It’s a cooler night. I’ve arranged that we have the house to ourselves. What would be better than indulging in full cream milk hot chocolate?”

She hesitates, and I can see she’s trying not to smile. “Okay. We can have hot chocolate. If there are marshmallows.”

“I always keep marshmallows. Do you think I’m a heathen?” I chuckle as I lead her to the kitchen. I put some milk on to boil and prepare two cups of hot chocolate.

She picks up the canister of hot chocolate. “Oh, this is that fancy branded hot chocolate. I’ve never had this one.”

“It’s the one they normally serve in the coffee shops,” I comment. “When I first had it at a coffee shop, I bribed the owner into telling me which brand it was.”

She snorts. “Really?”

“Yeah, and the trick is to heat the milk in a pan, not in the microwave. It’s just better. Don’t ask me why.” I grin as I wait for the milk to bubble. “Do you want added sugar in yours?”

“That’s a bit sweet, don’t you think?” she asks.