Alpha King's Mate

14. Daddy Issues

"I'm gonna kill you!"

"It's not that bad!"

"Not that bad?" I scream, completely outraged. "I am never going to get this stain out!"

He chuckles, flipping the lid back on the container of strawberry syrup, as I mourn over my favorite white shirt. "I think it is an improvement. Anyway, who puts strawberry syrup on their waffles?"

"Me," I huff and put on an apron to save my pants which haven't been ruined yet. "Who puts chocolate chips in their waffles?"

"Me, along with everyone else in the world," he insists. "It's very common."

I narrow my eyes at him, taking the bowl of unmixed batter into my arms, preparing to whisk it. "So are you going to just sit there, in addition to ruining my shirt and insulting my tastebuds?"

He smirks. "Yup."

"You're lucky you're hot," I groan as I mix the batter, turning away from him.

"You think I'm hot?" He asks and I scoff.

Suddenly the bowl is stolen from me, slammed onto the marble countertop, and I am spun around. I gasp, Zac's face is only centimeters from mine, his hot breath trailing softly on my forehead. Once again, my heart pounds in my chest as I stare at his pink lips. He grins in a cocky, dignified way, completely amused by my reaction to his ambush. He stares into my eyes with a funny expression, but the amusement turns to awe once his gaze travels to my lips. He sighs and appears to debate his next move. I want to kiss him, but I refuse to allow him the satisfaction and turn my face the second he leans in. His lips come into contact with my cheek instead and I laugh.

"You are so sure of yourself aren't you?" I ask with a smile, acting playful to hide my internal conflicts, escaping his advances by moving to my right and picking my bowl back up.

"How's that?" He asks, disappointed that I didn't let him kiss me properly, as he turns to me.

"You haven't kissed me yet." I remind him as I mix.

"And?"

"And if you've waited this long, I don't want you to suddenly decide to kiss me while we're making waffles." I sigh. "I want it to be... I don't know."

"You want it to take your breath away." He nods in understanding and leans against the marble countertop of the island. "I get that."

     "I don't know, sometimes I feel like I don't know enough about you to kiss you yet." I admit.

     "Ask me anything."

     "Who are the members of your family?"

     "Mom, Dad, and my sister, Lou."

     "Where are they?"

     "They retired to a summer palace in the countryside, I had to get dad as far away from me as possible."

     "Why?"

     "New question."

     "No, tell me."

     "It's really dark, you wouldn't want to know." He shakes his head.

     "I have dealt with a lot darker, trust me." I provoke.

     He stares at the ground. "My dad wasn't the glorious king people say he was. To my family, he was just the opposite. He abused my mother constantly, mostly verbally. But the day I was crowned he needed to feel powerful again, so he hit her."