King of Anything

19

We ride home in a sort of silence. I glance at his profile once or twice, but I don't speak.

He clears his throat. "Do you remember what you asked of me all those years ago? What you begged of me?"

I swallow. There was only one thing I begged him for.

"Marry me," I begged. "I want to be your wife!"

"No," he refused sternly, immediately softening. "Maureen Dear. No piece of paper will change what we have. Let this go, please?"

And at the purred please, I deferred. I never asked again.

I swallow roughly. "No. I don't remember."

He smirks. I look away from his lips.

"Well, I'll refresh your memory. Two years ago, you asked to be my wife. Today, I tell you, you are."

I grit my teeth. "Why are you insistent upon—"

"Trapping you?" He finishes with a small simper. "Because, Dear, like a little mouse you keep trying to scurry away. So I will use any underhanded trick."

He looks at me. "I'll get you pregnant. I'll marry you. I'll kill everyone you know, whatever will keep with me," he rubs his knuckles against my jaw tenderly. "So you better decide how you want this to play out."

I sneer. "If you think, trapping me will gain my affection, you've lost it."

He huffs. "Then what will?"

I smirk. "Scar you really don't know how to treat a woman."

He growls. I cross my arms, looking ahead. "If you want to treat this as a war, you have to be smarter. Be tactical. My advice? Treat me like a queen. You've always known manipulating me with soft words works better than hard threats."

He looks down. "True. But you've become immune to that."

"Have I now? And what have you accomplished?" I look at him. "What you really need to do, is look at yourself."

He stares into my eyes, and I know he's listening to me, really listening to me.

"And ask why you're doing this. Is it for my heart? Are you lonely? Do you miss me? Or do you just miss having someone around? When you find that answer, go about it accordingly."

He sighs, resting his head on my shoulder. I stiffen.

"You were always my most trusted advisor. You're so wise. And caring. You cared about me. I just want you to care about me again."

I sigh, letting out a breath. "Yes, Well. Some bridges are burned. This is one of them."

With a heavy sigh, he pulls back. Thank god. His scent, his touch is intoxicating.

"Then...how do I...treat you like a Queen?"

I smile. "Well, begging for forgiveness would be a nice start."

He scowls. "I have begged your forgiveness—"

"No, you threatened. You stalked. You coerced, you trapped, you demanded, you asked once or twice. But that's not begging for forgiveness."

He looks puzzled. God, he's so hot. I hate it. I swallow looking away.

"How do I beg?"

On your hands and knees. I shut those words up.

"If I told you, that's be too easy. Remember, you kinda ripped my heart out of my chest; stomped on it, kicked it around about a bit, played catch with it—"

He winces. "Yes. I have ascertained the picture."

I chuckle unknowingly. "You sound more like your awkward outdated self."

He smiles. "You bring out the grammar in me. Which, now that I hear it aloud, may not be grammatically correct."

I bite back a small smile. "So What will you do?"

He looks at the side of my face, his eyes soft. I love his eyes. Always have.

"I will succeed if you know by actions, right?"

I nod. "Yes."

He takes my hand, looking out his window. "Then I guess you will see."