All Hail - J. Bree Page 0,67

his hair is clean and slicked back away from his face.

I lean forward and kiss his cheek, taking note of the very clean and very male scent of him like he’s put a lot of effort into his presentation for me tonight. I like that, I like it a lot and he’s already made it to the top of my ongoing list of favorite people for today.

He grins at me with that kind of male satisfaction that doesn’t make my teeth clench or my blood boil. No, it gives me flutters in my stomach until I want to climb him and kiss that grin right off of his face. “The Wolf called me today, told me to prepare myself for a Beaumont dinner.”

There go the flutters, my stomach drops to my feet. I’ll kill her. “And you still arrived at my door in jeans and biker boots? Disgraceful.”

He shrugs and steps up to me, crowding me against the door. “They’re my best pair. If you wanted a suit you would’ve called someone else.”

He doesn’t say who but then he doesn’t need to. We’re both very aware of the other man who lingers around me even when he’s snarling about how much he doesn’t want me.

“Stop thinking about him, Queenie, I shouldn’t have brought him up. Dinner smells good, did you go with steaks or are we having lobster? Harley always fucking brags about your stew, if you made that I might move the hell in.”

I roll my eyes at him but he just keeps on grinning, swooping down to kiss me. There’s no mistaking the interest there. No mistaking it so whatever Lips said to him it wasn’t that bad.

I still want to call her and bitch her out.

He takes my hand as we walk into the dining room where I’ve already set out all of the food. His eyes widen a fraction but I squeeze his hand a little. “I like cooking and I’m used to doing it for a crowd so I went a little overboard. You can take some home to Jack and the rest of your family.”

He nods and helps me into my chair like a gentleman. Even more points to him, I try to contain myself a little because we still have to get through the conversation.

I avoid having it while we eat but I can’t hold it off forever.

Aodhan notices me fussing about with my plate and cutlery and raises an eyebrow as he uses his freshly baked sourdough bread to mop up the gravy on his plate. His enthusiasm at my cooking is also a point in his favor.

I take a deep breath and then stumble over my words anyway, “I— Christ, okay, I need to talk to you about that night. I need to talk to you about what happened and what… exactly we’re doing here.”

Aodhan takes another swig of his beer and shrugs. “Sure. Whatever you need, Queenie.”

Fuck.

Some part of me was hoping he’d say ‘no thanks’ and I’d get out of this which is so unbelievably unlike me. I’m not a girl who sweeps difficult things under the rug. I’m the girl who ruins lives and arranges to bleed men out for daring to breathe in my direction. I don’t run or hide so why am I so desperate to do that now?

I take a long sip from my glass of wine and muster up the courage. I’m Avery Beaumont, for God’s sake.

“I need to know what exactly you think of me after what happened when the Jackal… forced us. I need to know that this isn’t happening out of some kind of… some sort of obligation.”

He stares at me like I’m dense. I know the look well, I’ve had to use it against Lips a lot in the past while she sorted out the mess of her love life. She was being incredibly naive though, and self-deprecating, so I’m sure I’m not doing the same here.

“What I think… about you? Queenie, I’m not sure where I’ve been vague about what I think of you.”

I try not to scowl and snap at him but I’m pissed he’s making me spell it out. “Aodhan, I stabbed you to get the Jackal to stop hurting me and then I forced myself on you at his request. I didn’t listen to you when you said no, that makes me a fucking—”

“If the word ‘rapist’ comes outta your mouth right now I’m going to break the pretty plate you just threatened me about against