Bared: A King's Hart Novel Book 3 (BWWM)

II. The Threat and the Dark Place

II.

Nuri.

It was morning and bright sunlight poured into my studio apartment through the floor to ceiling window. Remembering last night and the safe arms that engulfed me I reached across my sheets for Nathaniel Kings hard body.

My hand went clear across my bed meeting nothingness and panicked I sitting up and seeking him out. I was put to ease when I found him in my kitchen nursing a mug of something hot, his eyes watching me intently.

"Don't worry I'm still here," he said his tone clipped.

Smiling, I settled with my back to my headboard and watched him."May I have a cup too?"

Wordlessly he turned to make me a cup and I reveled in his half-naked glory. Nathaniel King is a beautiful man six foot three. . . or was it six foot four inches tall with a body he took exceptional care if. I'll admit that I sometimes haven't a clue what he's doing with me. The fact that he's white and I'm black aside, we have absolutely nothing in common.

He's the president and CEO of his own conglomerate business with a staggering presence in Savoie, meanwhile, I'm just some small time editor and designer living in her house afraid of her own shadow most of the time. Yet he wanted me.

He sought me out and has given me the world. He's got secrets of his own, but for the most part he's been nothing but good to me.

He strolled over to me with the cup and handed it off to me.

"Thank you," I said grabbing hold of the cup with both hands and blowing at the steam. The smell of hot chocolate ignited my senses.

"Be careful not to bun yourself," he said flat and turned away from me. Watching his retreating form I blew at the steam again.

He was upset.

We've only known each other for a while, but it was plain as day that he was in a foul mood. My carefree King was literally scowling and I couldn't tell if it was his usual morning mood or something else entirely.

"King," I called to him watching above the brim of my mug.

"Yeah." He answered not looking at me.

"The grumpiness is on another level right now." His green eyes met mine steadily. "This is a happy place with happy vibes." I jerked my neck towards his apartment across the street. "Not sure how you do things over on that side but you're making me nervous."

He cuts his eyes at me and gripped my kitchen counter. What the hell? This man was seriously upset.

Setting my drink down, I was on my feet in an instant wrapping the blanket around myself as I padded my way over to him. Wearly I set my hand on his shoulder. "King?" He glared down at me causing me to recoil in on myself. "Is everything okay?"

"No. Everything is not okay Nuri," he blurted moving away from me.

"What's wrong?" For some reason I felt like a child being scolded for something I wasn't too sure of yet.

"Cassius Thompson is my fucking problem," he spat with narrowed eyes on me.

I still at the mention of my ex. We spoke about him last night and I didn't share his name, not his full name anyway. This sneaky infuriating man did a search on him. I turned away from him. ''Nathaniel, you cannot be serious?"

''You bet your sweet ass I'm serious Nuri, especially when he's calling your parents."

"How did you know that?"

"Does it fucking matter?" He retorted his voice louder now. "He's calling them. . . frequently. That is an issue with me."

''We're here again" I protested and pulled the covers over my bed in an attempt to straighten it wishing that we were all laid up in it at the moment. The last thing I wanted to do now was fight with Nathaniel King. "My parents told me about those calls -- I didn't see a need to worry. So you shouldn't."

He gripped my wrist and I flinched away from him. His hand releaseed me just as quickly and he stepped back. Tears welled in my eyes and Nathaniel visibly shrank. "Look, I wouldn't give a rats ass if he was living a peaceful life away from you and yours. The past is the past and I can accept it. But he's reaching out and I won't stand for it."

The tears spilled over and I was only interested in hurting him like I hurt. It was childish, but I couldn't help it. "From the moment you came into my life, you strategically placed me in yours -- and now I'm being monitored at every turn. It's no life Nathaniel."

"In what world would it be normal for me to sit back and do nothing while the man who beat you is making moves to get in contact with you. Don't be naive Nuri. You better come to your senses quick."

If I weren't so terrified and in love with this man I would fall his feet and tell him that I was sorry and ask for his forgiveness because on some level he was right. But when he took a step towards me I couldn't help but step back and away from him.

Nathaniel was livid and cursed under his breath. "Look at you," he said harshly. "At every turn this idiot still has a presence in your life- -,"

"That's not true," I interjected.

"Did do you or did you not just pull away from me? If that's not a blow to my gut with you lumping me in with this guy then I don't know what it is. You expect me to sit back and let him make moves in on you. That won't happen. That will never happen and you just need to suck it up because you are mine you belong to me - - he's the reason you've gone into hiding, afraid to leave your own goddamned house and it's unacceptable Nuri."

When did we get here, with me reverting to that scared little girl and him furious with me for doing so?

He was right.

Everything he said has been spot on, but I can't help it that I'm afraid. I can't help it that at this very moment his anger, in combination with his over protection, is sending me spiraling back to a time when I felt helpless. I've hurt him, this much is clear. His pain and grief are very real and I can't mistake it or ignore it for what it is - - love.

Then, he turned his back to me and my eyes fell to those three initials blatantly staring back at me, taunting me. My fists balled is at my sides and I saw red. He had no right.

"And there it is," I sighed. "Nathaniel King you are a hypocrite. You stand there and micro manage my every move and I have done nothing but come clean and bare my soul to you. Do you think that was easy for me to do? It wasn't easy telling you that I was beaten and abused by someone I loved. Meanwhile, you sit there with the ghost of your dead wife will literally hanging over your shoulder."

He turned and went for me. I held my hand up haulting him.

"Don't!" I managed to say through my closing throat. "Whatever your reason for not sharing it's fine. It's your business and I accept that you aren't ready, but don't back me into a corner and force me to live under your thumb while you cry out your wife's name at night and I have to sit there and listen."

The look on his face shredded me. I didn't want to say these things to him, but I'm only human and he needed to hear it.

"Nuri. I -- I. . .," his anquished voice trailed into nothingness.

I wanted to run.

"You are the best thing in my life King and I will stay by your side, adore you, support you and even love you. I'm not perfect, but until you realize that you have faults too... get off my back."

Without another word I moved to the bathroom closing the door behind me and locking it, the closest thing I could get to running away.

*

I wasn't surprised that I cried like a wounded child in the shower, and expected as much when I found that all remenants of Nathaniel were gone from my apartment when I finished.

I missed him already.

I took my phone off the nightstand with every intention to fix things. Nathaniel was hurt and I needed to make things right and soften the blow as much as possible.