Chapter 77

Chapter 77

I left immediately for the Alpha King’s mansion after hanging up my call with Andrew. Anxiety ate at my stomach the closer that I got to the mansion, but there was no turning back now. I had to speak my mind, and if Andrew did not agree with me, then I had to accept the situation for what it was.

I was greeted at the door by Parker and immediately escorted to the sitting room of Andrew’s personal quarters. There, Andrew sat at a small table with a plate of scones, two mugs, and a piping hot pot of coffee sat between them.

“Your Highness, Crystal Blanchard is here to see you,” Parker announced me from the door.

Andrew beamed at me momentarily, then his face returned to its signature neutral expression.

“Thank you, Parker, that will be all.”

With a nod and a bow, Parker exited the room, leaving us to ourselves.

“Come, Crystal, sit down,” Andrew said, motioning to the chair directly across the table from his.

I took my seat and sipped the coffee. Nice and hot with milk and French Vanilla creamer mixed in, just the way I liked it. The blueberry scones, sticky and sugary; they reminded me of the ones that my mother used to get me when I was a little girl.

“How did you know that these were my favorites?” I asked Andrew with a sly grin.

“I called Bob. He was very specific.”

I cringed.

“Does it make you at all uncomfortable that he and I…”

Andrew shook his head.

“I used to wonder about the situation, but it’s become clear to me that you have both moved on.” He eyed me over his coffee. “You have moved on, right?”

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Smiling, I replied, “I certainly have.”

I looked around at the sitting room. It struck me as very masculine, decorated in mostly dull reds and browns. Aside from the table and chairs that Andrew and I sat at, there were a pair of loveseats and a coffee table sitting in front of a roaring fireplace, as well as a grand brown bear fur rug stretching across the center of the floor.

It reminded me a bit of the presidential suite in which I once met Andrew, particularly in its enormous size. The thought caused me to blush. Though I tried to hide my sudden coloration, Andrew saw the heat rushing to my face and chuckled.

‘Something the matter?” he asked.

“No, not really,” I replied. “I was just remembering the last time that we met in a room like this…”

Andrew seemed lost in thought for a moment, then his eyes widened as he, too, remembered.

“Ah, yes, the presidential suite.” This caused him to laugh again. “You did look quite lovely that night.”

“Yes, well…” I leaned forward conspiratorially. “Can I tell you a secret?”

He nodded and leaned forward as well.

“You can tell me anything.”

“I didn’t actually have a date before I came to meet you that night. That dress. was all for you.” I winked.

Andrew grinned and took a drink of his coffee.

“I suspected as much. Of course, you were done up so well that it would have been a believable excuse, for most.”

I tilted my head, my hair falling into my face.

“For most?”

Andrew reached across the table and tucked my hair behind my ear.

“Yes, well, I am the Alpha King. I do have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

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My spine tingled as Andrew’s fingers brushed against the skin of my cheek.

“Like what?”

“Now, now, we need to keep some mysteries between us, don’t we?”

Andrew had piqued my interest, but I needed to stay focused on my purpose for coming there. If I didn’t, I might lose my nerve altogether.

“Yes, I suppose we do,” I replied, “if we want to have a relationship together.”

Andrew’s b*dy stiffened, and his expression went blank.

“Crystal, we talked about this-”

“We did, but I also talked to Dr. Sherman-”

“About us?”

“More or less, yes. She told me that if I’m lucky enough to find someone who makes me happy like you do and who brightens my dark places like you do, then I should tell you…or something.”

Andrew smirked.

“Or something“? Well, I think you did ‘something‘ when we snuck away from the wedding.”

“That’s not what I mean. I want something more with you.”

He

гап his hand over his face and took on a serious demeanor.

“I know. You don’t know how much it means to me that you want a relationship with me, but I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you because we were in one.”

“I’m going to be at risk whether we’re together or not. Goddess knows that the world has made that clear.”

Andrew pursed his l*ps.

“Perhaps…”

I held his hand.

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“At least if we’re together, I’ll have you to protect me.

He lifted my hand to his l*ps and k*ssed the back gently.

“I would be there to protect you anyway.”

“We wouldn’t have stupid fights like we did the other night. We would have no questions as to whose we were.”

Andrew seemed to give that idea some consideration.

“Maybe…if we don’t go public with the relationship…”

I could tell that he was only pretending to put up a fight at this point. He wanted this as badly as I did.

“Whatever you want, my Alpha King.”

He gave me a crooked grin and k*ssed my knuckles.

“I always get what I want.”

Lisa crouched outside the door to Andrew’s sitting room, just out of sight. She could hear everything that Crystal and Andrew said. It made her want to barf and punch a wall at the same time.

Bob had told Lisa not to bother herself with Crystal anymore, that he would take care of her, but Lisa couldn’t let it go when she saw Crystal pulling up to the mansion. Now, hearing Crystal and Andrew–talking about entering an official relationship, Lisa knew that she had made the right choice.

She couldn’t believe that her father would choose to date this lying enchantress….a murderer, at that! Did he not understand that she had gone to jail? That Crystal’s failing company had almost sent Bob over the edge?

Did he not care what Lisa thought about her?

No, Lísa could not think that way. Crystal had Andrew under some sort of sensual spell, that was all. Lisa only had to find a way to break it, find a way to get him to see her for what she really was.

She couldn’t wait for Bob’s plans to play out anymore. Seeing how close his plans had come to landing them in jail, she wasn’t sure that she wanted them

Chapter 77

to work now. No, Lisa needed to follow her instincts and take action herself, no matter who it got her into trouble with.

She took one last look inside her father’s sitting room. She caught a glimpse of Andrew and Crystal k*ssing over their mugs of coffee.

“Don’t worry, Father,” Lisa whispered under her breath. “I’ll save you from this

vixen.”

Then she slinked away.