King of Spades by Cheyenne McCray Page B

“In Spades we have need for a new arbitrator…” He broke off and leaned forward, his green eyes focused on her. “What happened, firecat, to make you so distrustful of men?”
    His question caused her strawberry tart to stick in her throat. She grasped her goblet and swallowed a large gulp of the smooth ale. From all the ale she’d had, she felt loose and relaxed enough to talk with him about one of the worst times in her life. When she set the goblet back onto the black tablecloth, her gaze met his.
    “During my last year of law school, I started dating a guy from one of my classes. His name was Larry.” She dabbed her lips with a napkin. “He was intelligent and gorgeous, not to mention the sex was great.” She almost laughed at the scowl that darkened Darronn’s handsome face. But then she frowned, too, as she thought back to those days when she’d been so naïve. “I really thought he was perfect for me. And I thought I’d fallen in love.”
    “What did he do to you?” Darronn asked through clenched teeth. “If the bastard harmed you I will track him down and kill him.”
    Alexi almost smiled again at Darronn’s protectiveness. “Larry didn’t harm me. At least not physically.” She turned her gaze to the goblet and trailed her fingers up and down the slender shaft as she became lost in her thoughts.
    “He used me,” she said. “I was the top student in law school and he was second only to me. I later found out that he had been taking my class work and copying it.” Anger and hurt swelled up within her at the memories. “I was so stupid. It wasn’t until we were close to graduation that I found out. One of my papers had vanished. I discovered that Larry had turned it in as his own.”
    The fury that struck her at the memory was almost surprising in its intensity. “I talked to the professor, but he sided with Larry who claimed that I had stolen it from him. Seems the old boys club didn’t like a woman being valedictorian.”
    She gripped the goblet’s stem so tight it was a wonder it didn’t crumple in her hand. “When I confronted Larry about it, he just laughed and said he’d been using me all along. That I’d better learn quick not to be so damn trusting if I was going to make it in law.”
    The corner of her mouth quirked in a wry smile as her gaze met Darronn’s furious green gaze. “I thanked Larry for the lesson and then taught him to guard his nuts.”
    Darronn winced.
    “Yeah, that bastard was walking and talking funny for about a week.” Alexi picked up her goblet. “You should feel lucky. I blackened both his eyes, broke his nose and rammed his balls up his throat.”
    The king snorted and Alexi could tell he wasn’t sure how to react. Whether to be pissed at the asshole who had hurt her, or to laugh at her revenge on him.
    “Larry taught me a lesson all right, and so did the class professor.” Alexi swirled the ale in her goblet. “I showed both of them, though. I aced absolutely every final exam and wrote an award-winning paper that more than replaced the one Larry stole from me. But I’ve never trusted a man since.”
    Darronn reached out and placed his palm on top of her free hand. “I would never hurt you intentionally, firecat. Know that you can trust in me. I do what I believe is best for you as well as my subjects.”
    Alexi tipped her head back and downed the last of her ale. She thunked it onto the tablecloth and gave him a direct look. “I’ve heard that one before, Darronn. I trust no one but myself, my sister, and my aunt and cousin. I don’t trust my scum of a father who ran off with some bimbo and left me and Alice. And I can’t trust my mom because she’s been gone mentally for a very long time.”
    She tried to pull her hand away from Darronn, but he wouldn’t let go. “Trust me,” he said, his words intense and fierce, like a command.
    Slowly she shook her head. “Trust is earned. Not given.”
     

 
     
     
    Chapter Eight
     
    Three more