And leave her shit hanging on Caroline to carry around like always, and Caroline was so done with that.

“Anything to keep from admitting you might be wrong. Oh my God. For so many years I did all I could to make you love me. To make you see that I was still the same Caroline who used to make brownies in your kitchen. But you won’t. I can see that now. You will rip me apart to keep me from showing you you might have been wrong all these years. That man is out there right now, and that you would rather be here making me feel bad instead of working with me to catch him says so much about you. You need to be careful too.”

“Is that some sort of threat?”

“For heaven’s sake! No. It’s a warning that a crazy person is out there.”

“You’re just like his people.” Her grandmother put her handbag strap firmly up on her shoulder once more. Arming herself. “Shep and Mindy were spared the contamination of his genes, but you got more of him than they did.”

“Mrs. Lassiter, enough!” Royal interrupted. “Stop this. You’re saying a lot right now that you can’t take back. You need to think about the way you say before you say it. Furthermore I can’t allow you to stand in my kitchen and hurt Caroline.”

“Get her out of your life before she wrecks it like she did ours.”

Caroline ruthlessly shoved every last emotion down as far as she could.

Royal stalked to the door and yanked it open. “You told me you wanted to make things up with her, and then you used that lie to come into my house and attack your granddaughter. I do think Bianca would be ashamed. But not of Caroline. Now get out of my house and off my land.”

Abigail stalked out, and he watched until she got into her car before slamming the door, locking everything and turning to face her.

Caroline was frozen. She felt like if she gave in to any one feeling that it might all go terribly bad. Royal approached her slowly, taking her upper arms. “Oh my God, sweetheart, I am so sorry. She told me she wanted to make up. I never would have let her in if I’d known.”

“Of course you wouldn’t.” Her tone was faint, but firm.

“Caro? Talk to me. Tell me you hate me or that you want to punch me but don’t go all silent.”

She shook it off with a deep exhale. “I don’t hate you. I love you. I’m just so horrified and embarrassed and angry and hurt and a whole lot of other things, but none of them are pleasant. I don’t know how to put it into words.”

He pulled her into a hug, rubbing his hands up and down her back, slowly, soothing them both.

Royal didn’t know how to make it better. How to fix it or make it right. He swayed with her there, her nose nuzzled in his shirt, head over his heart.

“Just because someone shares your DNA doesn’t make them family, Caroline.”

“I know.” She turned when the kitchen timer went off. “I need to flip the chicken. It feels like a gravy kind of night, what say you?”

“Every night is a gravy kind of night.”

He prowled around while she made dinner. Spike trotted along after Royal, making her laugh.

They ate dinner and played Mario Kart and she totally lost. Again.

Back in the bedroom after they’d closed everything down for the night, he’d come in and waggled his brows. “Well, Ms. Mendoza. I see you’ve lost in my gaming hall tonight. And yet you say you’re lacking funds. However will you pay your bill?”

He hopped up onto the bed, and she followed, straddling his body. “I’ve been told I dust topless really well.”

“Ms. Mendoza, everything you do topless you do well.”

She started laughing, and he went in for the kill, raining kisses all over her neck and jaw all the while unbuttoning her pajama top.

“I’m so glad you kept the beard.” She petted it, loving the way it felt. “It’s so sexy.”

“Then I’m glad too. I like it when you pet me.”

She kissed the top of his head as he continued to kiss her skin. He pushed the sleeves of her shirt down, letting the fabric pool at her wrists.

He slid his palms all over her upper body. From her throat down her chest, circling her ni**les and then down to her belly and hips. “Course I like to pet you just as much.”

She arched into his touch.

He backed up enough to get his shirt off and returned, pulling her close, all that skin against all that skin. She sighed happily, snuggling into him.

Somehow amidst arms and legs, they managed to get naked and back snuggling. It had started to rain, and the sound of it on the window made her feel better.

He flipped them both onto their sides and kissed her slow. Heat began to tingle in her toes, seeping upward. Caroline gave back as much as he gave her, their tongues sliding against each other.

His taste brought her home. Gave her a stillness inside that allowed her muscles to relax.

“Let me love you, Caro,” he spoke, lips against hers.

She relaxed utterly as he kissed her eyelids and her cheeks, her ears and her jaw. Down her neck as he breathed her skin in. Warm and sensual, like a perfume made just for him.

He tasted her, loving her the way he knew she liked best. After he’d made her come, he made his way to the chair across the room and sat. He crooked his finger, and she moved to him, climbing into his lap and sliding her body down his cock.

It was quiet but for the pounding of his pulse in his ears and the sound of ragged breath. Just Royal and Caroline in the dark. He’d know the weight of her, the feel of her mouth on his in the darkest of rooms.