Reign A Romance Anthology - Nina Levine Page 0,133

in this day and age is more farfetched… don’t you think?”

Fuck.

“Touché. Needless to say, I need to talk to you for a moment. Can we?” I gesture toward the rear door of the house.

Savanah groans in a huff. “Fine!” She stands, storms past me, her sassy attitude making my cock jerk a little in my pants.

She’s fire.

Hellfire.

And damn if she isn’t going to burn me alive.

We walk outside. Savanah moves to a porch swing, sitting down, marveling out over the vast backyard. The pristine grass and gorgeous trees make this an area where the Del Reys have hosted many parties. I move in, sitting beside her, my leg brushing hers. Heat rushes up the side of my leg as I sit back, trying to remain stoic. Any other time, any other way of meeting, this setting might be romantic. The sun sets in the distance over the blossoming peach trees, their pink flowers glowing in the radiance of the turquoise and orange descent of the day’s rays.

I’m not overly prepared for this, so I figure I’ll start with what I know. “I understand this marriage isn’t what you want—”

“You’re damn right! I don’t know you, Hunter,” she blasts me, her bright incandescent eyes meet mine.

“I want to change that. Can we get to know each other? Spend time before anyone makes any rash decisions?”

“Rash decisions? You and my father already made one by planning my wedding without my knowledge.”

“Sav, this wasn’t me. I was blindsided, too. It was our parents.” She widens her eyes. “Just come to terms with the fact there’s more at play here than business.”

“Like what?”

“It’s not my place to say. But, Sav, I do want to learn more about you. The real you. If you’ll give me a chance?”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then, I know where I stand.”

She turns away from me, staring out at the sunset. A peaceful quiet falls over us, she sighs, then turns back to me. “You were an asshole to me the other day.”

I grimace, dropping my chin to my chest. “And for that I apologize. I have this… image to uphold—”

“So, you’re not this macho-alpha-dick?”

I smirk. “I can be, when needed, but I’ll try to rein in my macho-alpha-dickness around you.”

Sav tries to hide her smile, but she fails. “Did you just say dickness?”

I sit back, relaxing my shoulders seeing her do the same. She’s finally opening up a little to this conversation. “I think I did.”

She turns to face me a little, seeming more engaged now. “Favorite sitcom?”

Okay, she is willing to try.

“The Sopranos.”

She bursts out laughing. The sound is music to my ears. “That’s not a sitcom. It’s a crime drama. No, something funny!”

“Right… okay, Dexter then.”

She widens her eyes. “Dexter as in the serial killer series? You find that funny?”

“It has some humor.”

She laughs again, seeming to relax a little now. “You have a real underworld crime vibe going on there, Hunter. You’re secretly not a psychopathic murderer, are you?”

I shrug. “Not secretly. I’m quite open about it, just your father wanted me to hide it from you.” She giggles, thinking I’m joking, which obviously I’m not.

“You’re funny. I wouldn’t have picked you to have a humorous side. You look serious… from what I’ve seen.”

“The job I’m in, you have to be serious most of the time.”

She turns back to the almost fading sunset. “Okay… favorite food?”

“Easy, cheese.”

She turns to face me, shock all over her face. “No, shit? I love cheese. The French have the best Brie.”

“No, you can’t go past Irish Cashel Blue—”

“Blue? You like blue cheese? I figured that would be far too mature for a man like you?”

“Oh, Savanah, you don’t know me at all.”

“All right, Mr. Blue, let’s take this up a notch. Quickfire round. Twenty questions, I’ll ask one, then you ask one.”

Maybe she’s warming up to me.

All I know is the fire she ignited in me earlier is smoldering damn hot right now.

I never expected to be attracted to her.

This was a merger—plain and simple.

But what if it could be more?

What if I can rule the underworld with a willing queen by my side?

Savanah

Hunter and I have been outside on the porch swing for what seems like hours. The thing is, I try like hell to be annoyed at him, but the more we talk, the easier our conversation flows. He is making it damn hard for me to hate him.

He glances down at his watch, letting out a groan. “It’s late. I should let you get to bed.”

Regret swarms through