Twisted Games (Twisted, #2)

by Ana Huang

but it would’ve been nice to have eye candy without wanting to drop-kick him into the next century. Men. They always ruined it by opening their mouths.

“Mas—” Leather quieted when Rhys leveled it with a glare. The bird ruffled its feathers and hopped around its cage before settling into a nervous silence.

“Don’t think I’ve ever been in as much danger as since you became my client though.” Her brow scrunched in confusion, and I almost smiled. Almost. “My risk of rupturing an artery increased tenfold.” Bridget’s confusion cleared, replaced with an odd combination of delight and exasperation. “Glad to see you found your sense of humor, Mr. Larsen. It’s a Christmas miracle.”

Think with your big head, Larsen. Not your small one.

It didn’t take a lot to get my butterflies going. Hussies.

Forget a skipped beat. My heart skipped a whole song.

If my heart skipped any more songs, it’d have no playlist left.

“He’s wearing shoe lifts. He deserves to be threatened.”

“Keep it up and I’ll end up like one of those spinsters from historical romance novels.

I hadn’t had sex in so long I was surprised my vagina hadn’t sued me for neglect,

We’d had a long day, and while I operated fine on minimal shut-eye, Bridget got…cranky. She insisted she didn’t, but she did. I would know. I was often the one on the receiving end of her crankiness.

“Was that another compliment, Mr. Larsen? Two in two years. Careful, or I’ll think you like me.”

“Once, he rescheduled a meeting with the Japanese prime minister so he could watch me play Sunflower Number Three in my fifth-grade school play. I was a terrible actress, and even my royal status wasn’t enough to land me a speaking role.”

The number of spontaneous boners I’d popped around her was embarrassing considering I was a grown-ass man, not a hormone-riddled schoolboy.

Based on my interactions with him so far, he seemed friendly and genuine. I hated him.

I’d never believed in fate, but I might have to send her a big, fat thank-you card later. I might even toss in some chocolates and flowers.

Most people thought the most important quality in a leader was strength, but it was compassion. Strength meant jack shit when you didn’t use it for the right reasons.

we’re in such denial we might as well apply for Egyptian citizenship.”

“I know seventy-nine ways to kill a man, and I can make seventy of them look like an accident.

I dropped my forehead to hers and closed my eyes, picturing the unsexiest things I could think of—broccoli, dentures—until

It hadn’t been included in Elin’s instructions, but I assumed murdering a high-ranking guest in the middle of a royal wedding was frowned upon.

The man had the social tact of a brick, and that was coming from me, who couldn’t—and wouldn’t—kiss ass if someone glued my lips to one.

Well, half a plan, but if I rounded up, it was a full plan.

“You’re already here, Mr. Larsen, and it’s safe to assume you won’t leave until you see her. I don’t engage in futile exercises, so please.”

“heartbroken zombie”

“And by royal decree, I order you to stop blaming yourself.”

It wasn’t a carrot or a stick. It was the equivalent of a nuclear bomb.

he owed me for kicking his ass into gear before I left for New York. If I hadn’t, he’d still be moping over her and terrorizing everyone around him.

He waved and speed walked down the hall

“It’ll work out, babe.” Jules radiated confidence. “It always does. If it doesn’t, declare martial law and tell them you’re keeping your crown and hot bodyguard. What are they going to do, guillotine you?”

it’s not that I didn’t believe in love before. It’s that I was saving it all for you.”