I brushed my hair back from my face, blowing the strands from my eyes. Using the heel of my hand, I balanced my phone, keeping my dough-covered fingers away from the screen. Dipping my head, I tapped the green button with my nose.

Kicking the oven closed, I slid the tray of tester cookies onto the top of the stove. Our cozy apartment blocks from the bakery might not have been the penthouse, but we’d made it into a home. Framed pictures covered every available surface, and Emmett was quite the DIY junkie now that he had a reason to be.

“Hey, I was wondering if you’d get to call me before you got on the plane.”

“Don’t I always?” Cars rushed by in the background on his end.

“I know, I know, but I didn’t want you to miss your flight.” Even with a jam-packed hockey schedule, Emmett still found time to visit the organizations he helped. The various events, galas, and receptions had him squeezing in travel on top of travel.

“I have a surprise for you.”

We’d been doing this for a long time now. Almost one year into our bi-coastal separation, we’d finally figured out the best way to see each other at least once every few weeks without decimating our savings. All Emmett’s jet-setting and high spending over the years meant he had credit card points he’d never even knew existed, let alone touched.

My dad’s rehab had gone well, and he wasn’t drinking. He’d found a job at a grocery store with great benefits, and we’d sold the house. The surprise check from him after that had brought tears to my eyes, and I’d stretched that money as much as I could.

Alyson was kicking ass at USC just like I knew she would. Straight As in every freaking subject including Japanese. I swear, she’d be ready to take over the world. I’d managed a flight out to see her while Max manned the bakery for a few days.

“A surprise you say? What kind?” Before, those words would have sent me running for cover, but lately Emmett’s gifts leaned much more toward thoughtful and sweet as opposed to the Hope Diamond.

“The kind you’re going to love.”

I took a bite of a new recipe I was trying out and grabbed the edge of the counter to keep my knees from buckling. Damn, it was good!

He chuckled. “It’s that good, huh?”

“How could you tell?”

“You were moaning like you do when I run my tongue along that spot on your neck.”

My skin broke out in goosebumps just thinking about it. It had been nearly four weeks, and I was dying. There weren’t enough batteries in the world to satisfy me like Emmett did.

“So what’s the surprise? I needs it.” I took another bite of the cookie. Dark chocolate, sugar and vanilla all mixed in perfect balance. It didn’t even need milk.

“Hold on one second, I’m getting into an elevator, I might lose you.”

“You’re such a tease.”

“You know you—”

The call cut out. Sliding another tray into the oven, I decided I’d give him another couple minutes to get wherever he was going and call back. The cookies were going straight to my neighbors. There was no freaking way I could be trusted with them in the apartment for more than the time they took to cool, and even that was cutting it close.

I wiped my hands on the kitchen towel at the sharp knock on the door. Putting a bunch of cookies on a plate, I got them ready for Autumn and Ethan. There would be a cage match to the death if they didn’t both have their fill. They’d often drift across the hallway when the smells from my kitchen reached their apartment.

“I knew you two—” The words caught in my throat. “What are you doing here?” I plunked the plate down on the table beside me and launched myself into Emmett’s arms.

Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pressed myself against him. Our kiss was so hot I was surprised it didn’t set off the fire sprinkler system.

His hands came up, cradling and squeezing my ass. One hand slid higher and raced up my back before he pulled back from our kiss. “Did you miss me?” His fingers toyed with the hair at the nape of my neck.

I put on my best look of nonchalance. “Not really.” Shrugging my shoulder, I pressed my lips together to hide my smile.

“I can see you’re busy, so why don’t we just take those off your hands?” A pink-haired head popped into the doorway and reached over to the table beside the door, snatching up the cookie-filled plate.

“Be sure to share with Ethan.” I called after her.

“He’ll have to catch me first.”

“I can hear you, Autumn.” Ethan’s voice rang out in the hallway.

She rolled her eyes and shoved a cookie into her mouth.

“One of these days those two will stop with the snark and just bang already.” Emmett’s gaze filled with a sizzling heat.

“Speaking of banging…” I unwrapped my legs from around his waist and planted them on the floor. “It’s been nearly a month.”

He closed the door behind him and loosened his tie. “We can’t have you going through that kind of deprivation, now can we?” Lifting the strap of his bag over his shoulder, he dropped it on the floor and kicked off his shoes, stalking me like a predator on the Serengeti.

I rushed into the kitchen and turned off the oven. One scrapped batch was totally worth it.

Emmett gave chase, his steps a split second behind mine.

I raced down the hall, laugher bubbling up as I slipped into the bedroom. Everything turned sideways as his arms wrapped around me and cushioned my fall onto the bed.

His body settled between my open thighs, his weight pinning me in place as he stared down at me. My smile widened at the hard nudge against my thigh.

“Is that a phone in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”

His gaze sobered and he pushed up off me, the air in the room shifting from carefree electricity to something more as he slid off the edge of the bed onto the floor.

I sat up. “What’s wrong?”

Anything else I wanted to say caught in my throat as he got down on one knee with the velvet box in his hand.

“Avery Elizabeth Davis, since the moment I met you, I knew you were it for me. I’ve never met someone more beautiful, loving, and kind. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?” He opened the ring box, but I had no idea what it looked like because tears filled my eyes as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

This time, there wasn’t a single doubt in my mind, not a moment of hesitation.

“Yes!” My watery laugh joined with his. I let him go and he slid the ring onto my finger. My breath stalled in my throat. I’d never seen a more perfect ring.

“I didn’t think you could look any fucking better, but with my ring on your finger, I’m not letting you out of this apartment until I’ve had my fill.” He unbuttoned his shirt, my stomach flipping with each button pop.

“How long’s that going to be?” I shoved my sweats down and threw my t-shirt up and over my head.

“We’re going to need to order takeout…for the next week. I’ll never get tired of looking at you.” He shoved his jeans and boxers down. His cock sprung up to attention, the thick crown leaking pre-cum from the tip.

“You’d better not—you’re stuck with me now.” I curled my finger, beckoning him forward.

He climbed into the bed, bracketing me beneath him. Lining up his cock with my aching pussy, he slid into me in a smooth, steady thrust.

“Fuck, Ave. You feel too good, too damn sweet. It’s been too long.”

If I could have formed words, I’d have attempted a witty comeback. As it was, I just clawed at the blankets beneath me as he stretched and filled me in all the best ways. Hooking my legs around his waist, I bucked my hips, urging him to move.

He rewarded my wantonness by rolling and grinding his body against mine. His hands roamed, teasing those points he’d long since discovered and used to wring out every ounce of pleasure. Canting his hips, my clit received the perfect amount of pressure to set me off.

My back arched off the bed. I screamed his name—at least I thought it was his name, though it might have been a garbled mess of gibberish. Every move he made sent another spark pulsing through my body. I held on, afraid I might rocket into space if I didn’t have him to anchor me.

He thickened inside me, stretching me the slightest bit more. I let out a groan. He filled me, his hips jerking erratically, milking the last bits of ecstasy from our connection. My thighs were coated in the evidence of how much we both needed it.

Rolling onto his side, he stroked his hand along my back, our hearts thudding together.

I peered up at him. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too, and I have another surprise for you.”

Propping my head up on my hand, my heart pounded. What the hell could top his proposal? Shoving my hands against his chest, I demanded an answer. “Tell me!”

“I got traded.”

“What?” Is that a good thing? It was hard to get any farther away than LA.

“Where?”

She looked stunning as usual, even more so with my ring on her finger. Finally! It had nearly killed me to not put that ring on her finger, but waiting another year of being unable to spoil her like I’d always wanted was even worse. Maybe that was part of the reason she was so open to me doing things for her, buying things for her. Our year living apart had ended with my trade to Philly. But the whole budget thing had still been a necessity. There was no option to go overboard. That sure as hell wasn’t the case anymore.

After my dad’s satisfyingly humiliating defeat in the governor’s race, he and my mom had slunk back under the rocks from which I hoped they never emerged. The YouTube video of his reaction to hearing he’d lost after the insane amounts of money they’d spent on the campaign still popped up every so often.

Without my dad’s presumed power in the mix, Randolph and Franklin had been able to get me access to my trust a full six months ago.

I still hadn’t told Avery.

She would put those old shields back up if she knew, but I finally needed to tell her.

I’d been playing with Heath, Declan, and Ford for almost a year now. It was like old times, and things had never been better. Colm had been traded to Philly, but banged up his knee during his first game. After his rehab stint in LA, the Kings would be reunited.

“Coming up on your one year anniversary soon.” I smacked Declan’s shoulder.

“Crazy, huh?” Declan ran his thumb over the shiny, platinum band on his finger.

Their wedding last summer had me chomping at the bit to finally slip that second ring onto Avery’s finger. Soon. Very soon.

“Is Olivia coming or what?” Heath’s eyes scanned the crowd.

“She said she was going out with friends and meeting us here.” I gulped down some of my drink, my eyes riveted to Avery on the dance floor with Kara and Mak. The attention they were getting meant we all kept a close eye on them.

“Colm’s already texted me twenty times asking me to look out for her tonight.” Heath laughed.

“I know, I think we all got them.” Colm had been texting non-stop while he was doing rehab in LA after a small injury.

“Holy shit! It’s Ford!” Declan held out his phone, thrusting it into my face. He had a social media app up, and someone had recorded Ford out at a bar. He’d told us he couldn’t make it out and was staying in for the night.

“He ditched us. Not cool!” The video loop started again on Declan’s phone.

“What the hell is he doing?” Heath looked over Declan’s shoulder, trying get a better view.

In the video, Ford stood beside a bar with his hand on the back of a woman’s neck and the other disappeared between them. It looked like his hold might be the only thing keeping her body up from the way she gripped his arm. His face was pressed against the side of hers.

“Holy hell, are his fingers where I think they are?” We all tilted our heads to get a figure out what we were seeing. A telltale tug on her skirt and way her body sank against him told us everything we needed to know. “Out in public? We knew he was a beast, but damn, that’s next level, the way her knees are buckling.” Heath grinned from ear to ear.

“What the hell are you three doing?”

Mak pushed her way through the semicircle wall we’d built and looked at the screen. “What’s Ford doing with Olivia?” She tilted her head and sipped on her drink.

“What?” we all shouted at once.

“That’s not Olivia.” Declan shook his head like he’d walked in on a murder scene in a horror movie.

“Sure it is. Look at her streak.” She tapped the screen and there it was—faint to most people, but definitely there.

My stomach sank. “Oh shit.”

“Wait, what’s Ford doing?” The blood drained out of her face and her mouth hung open before closing and opening like a fish now that she’d seen more of the video.

“What’s going on?” Avery’s arms draped around my neck and her chest pressed against my back as she peeked over my shoulder. Her eyes widened when she looked at the screen. Dropping her arms, she stepped beside me. “Tell me that’s not what I think it was.” The grim look on all our faces told her everything she needed to know.

“Let me see.” Kara grabbed the phone out of Declan’s hand, covering her mouth as the looping clip began again. “Does Colm know?” Kara’s eyes were glued to the video.

Judging by the fact that the Earth was still rotating on its axis, I was going to go with no.

“Damn, this is EPIC!”

Thank you so so much for reading RUTHLESS KING! I’ve been dying to tell Emmett and Avery’s story when the Kings first popped into my head, but I knew I needed to wait until the time was right.

I hope you enjoyed reading their story as much as I loved writing it. These two are one of my favorites and will always have a special place in my heart!

And don’t miss their extended epilogue! Are those wedding bells I hear?

If you’d love to know more about Declan and Mak’s history it all starts in SHAMELESS KING!

Enemies to lovers has never felt so good!

Declan McAvoy. Voted Biggest Flirt. Highest goal scorer in Kings of Rittenhouse Prep history. 

Everyone’s impressed, well except one person…

I can’t deny it. I want her. More than I ever thought I could want a woman. I’ve got one semester–only four months–to convince her everything she thought about me was wrong. 

Will my queen let me prove to her I’m the King she can’t live without? 

Only one way to find out... 

One-click now!

If you loved Ruthless King, you’ll love my steamy, second chance romance, Blinded. It’s a second chance, movie star romance and it’s available !

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