by Eve, Jaymin
Fine by me, I was all for ignoring the intruder. It’d be all too soon that I’d need to leave Jordan’s room and face reality once more. His plan to deal with Alex—even temporarily—would probably take a while, and in the meantime I’d be back to faking a happy relationship with that asshole in public. Meanwhile, trying to hide my private relationships with Jordan and—
“Jordan!” the person at the door barked, knocking again. I froze, cursing. I knew that voice. “Unlock the damn door; we have a problem.”
The crown prince of New America made a frustrated sound in his throat, but captured my lips in another bruising kiss before responding.
“Go away, Rafe!” he shouted back, not taking his hands from my body for even a second. If anything, he seemed more aroused.
I gave him a suspicious look. “Jordy,” I whispered, teasing, “does it turn you on to have me naked in your bed while Rafe is right there?”
He flashed a naughty grin, using his strong grip on my hips to position me just so. The tip of his cock breached my entrance as he ground against me, and I gasped. “Fuck yes, it does,” he whispered back, kissing me hard. “I love having one up on that bastard.”
That should annoy me. It should make me feel used, like I was nothing more than a pawn on their chessboard… a prize to be won. But it didn’t. I knew Jordan, and I knew he didn’t actually think of me like that. The fact that it’d piss Rafe off? Well, that was just an added bonus on top of the mind-blowing sex.
The banging on the door increased, but it just made me chuckle as I sank down onto Jordan's cock with a groan.
“Jordan, open the fucking door!” Rafe snarled, but his friend wasn’t listening. Instead, he palmed my tits and bit his lip as I ground harder. “Dude, come on. We need to talk.”
Something in Rafe’s tone made me pause, and I gave Jordan a small frown of concern, glancing at the door. He just shook his head, though.
“Ignore him,” he urged, capturing one of my nipples in his mouth and sucking for a moment. “He’ll go away in a second.”
But nope. A moment later, there was a distinctive click of the door unlocking and then bang.
“What the fuck?” Rafe snarled, filling the doorframe like some kind of avenging angel and glaring at us like we were… okay, sure, we actually were fucking. Whatever. Doors get locked for reasons.
“Dude!” Jordan shouted, grabbing his sheet and tossing it over me with lightning speed. “What the hell are you doing? I said I was busy!”
The door slammed shut, but I wasn’t stupid enough to think that was Rafe leaving. As it was, I had to find my way out of the sheet before I could glare my own indignation his way.
“You sure don’t waste any time, do you, Cinderella?” Rafe sneered at me, his eyes narrowing with… I didn’t even know. Anger? Disgust? Why was he so fucking hard to read?
Whatever, I was well overdue another verbal sparring with this prick. “Well, a girl has needs, and I sure as shit wasn’t coming back for seconds with you, Angel.” I curled my lip as I delivered the implied insult to his skills in bed, and his jaw twitched.
“Oh stop it,” Jordan snapped. “Rafe, quit acting so shocked. We discussed this. Besides, you guys were a one time thing, right? Just an adrenaline fuck after Vi’s fight?”
That… was what we’d said. Wasn’t it?
“Wait, you discussed this? As in our sex lives?” I scowled at both of them. “Not cool.”
Easing off Jordan’s cock, I shuffled to the edge of the bed, keeping the sheet tucked firmly around my naked body as I searched for my clothes. Seriously, how had they ended up spread so fucking far around Jordan’s room?
“No need to act modest on my account, Cinderella,” Rafe purred, all snark and malice. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen—or tasted—before.”
Against my better judgment, my cheeks heated and my stupid-ass brain took me on a trip down memory lane.
“Just because my judgment was impaired once doesn’t mean it ever will be again,” I replied with ice and venom, locating my skirt and shimmying it on under the sheet. It sounded hard to do, and it was. Still, I refused to give Rafe the satisfaction of seeing me naked again… despite what he’d walked in on.
Jordan groaned at our bickering, slid out of bed—clearly not giving two shits who saw his naked ass—and tugged some pants on. “You two are as bad as each other. So, what was important enough to pick my lock and bust in here?”
Rafe frowned at his friend. “I didn’t pick the lock, bro. I have a key.” He held it up to demonstrate. “It just seemed rude to use it without knocking first.”
My jaw dropped, and Jordan scrubbed a hand over his face while clearly fighting a laugh. “So, what is it? Vi and I were right in the middle of something.” Jordan’s eyebrow raise would have said it all… had Rafe not just seen it for himself.
Ugh, fuck. Now I’m blushing.
“Clearly,” Rafe commented, scooping up my bra from the floor near his feet and dangling it from his fingers. Fucking hell. “I came to let you know that the charity case was missing, but I see you found her already.” His dark gaze rested on me for way too long, like he could see through the sheet with X-ray vision or some shit. Or maybe that was just a convenient excuse I was telling myself to justify the way my nipples hardened under his stare.
“Thanks, I was looking for that,” I snapped, stomping across the room to snatch my lace garment from his hand. Unable to stop pushing his buttons, I gave him my back and dropped the sheet—allowing Jordan a full frontal view of me in nothing but a plaid skirt. Bit porno? Yep, totally. His tortured groan and wicked smile backed it up, while I slipped my bra back on and tried, then failed, to fasten the hooks.
“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered under my breath after missing the eyelet for the second time and totally ruining the sexy thing I’d been aiming for.
Warm fingers pried the fabric from my hands, and I froze.
“You look like you need help, Cinderella,” Rafe murmured in my ear, and damn it if my whole body didn’t quiver as his fingertips brushed my spine and his breath feathered my neck.
Yeah, that had backfired.
“Thanks,” I snapped, jumping out of his grip the second I felt my bra hook close.
He huffed a small laugh. “Anytime.”
Wow, like that wasn’t a loaded statement.
“One other thing, Jordy,” Rafe continued, like he hadn’t just chucked a roman candle down my pants and set it on fire. “I just heard who some of the special guests are for the Spring Ball.”
I frowned, trying to follow what he was talking about as I tugged my blouse on and buttoned it up with shaking hands. “The school dance?”
Jordan gave me a nod. “Yeah, it’s tradition to invite important guests—some crap to do with alliances and politics because Arbon tends to secure the majority of royals as students.”
“Most, but not all. So, often invitations to the Spring Ball are extended to other royals or aristocrats,” Rafe continued, giving a small grimace. “I just heard Meghan is going to be attending with her guardians.”
Jordan heaved a sigh, but I had no idea who Meghan was.
A cold chill of dread pooled in my belly. What if Meghan was Jordan’s betrothed?
“It gets worse,” Rafe said, and Jordan pulled a pained face. “I also found out that Zach’s somehow managed to secure an exchange student position here for the rest of the academic year.”
This one I knew. Jordan cursed, running a hand through his hair, then he clenched a fist like he wanted to punch something. Or someone. Probably Zach.
“Has anyone told Mattie?” he asked, showing—once again—that he was constantly thinking of everyone else. So cute. “She needs to know.”
“I’ll go tell her,” I offered, tugging on my socks and locating my left shoe.
Jordan huffed as he finished dressing himself. “We all will. We need to fill the others in on our plan for Alex, too.”
I grinned at his implication that I had any h
and in his plan but agreed anyway.
Round two would have to wait; we had crappy news to deliver to my bestie.
Chapter 17
Mattie had been less than excited when we told her that Zachary Westbridge would be back at Arbon Academy in a matter of days. Still, she handled it well, vowing to pick up some random guy—or girl—in front of her slutty fiancé just to give him a taste of his own medicine.
Jordan’s virus idea cheered her up a whole lot, though, and I all but forgot about the mysterious Meghan until we were leaving Mattie’s room hours later.
“Hey,” I said, pausing Jordan with a hand on his arm as we approached the junction of hallways before the boys’ dorms. “Who’s Meghan? When Rafe said she was coming to the dance, you looked, I don’t know, annoyed? Should I be worried?”
Jordan wrinkled his nose, but shook his head. “Not at all, gorgeous. She’s… uh wow. I mean, this shouldn’t really come as any shock given what we know, but she’s my betrothed.”
My brows shot up, and my lips parted. Of course, the logical part of my brain knew he had a fiancée. All the royals did. And if they didn’t… well, apparently that was what the princess ballot was for.
Still, no one had mentioned Jordan’s intended—outside of Mattie’s cryptic words. But she was right, no girls pawed at him every meal break like Claudette did to Rafe. Part of me had hoped maybe she didn’t exist.
“Oh,” I said. Yeah, that was the best I could manage. My heart was at my feet, and my stomach was rolling with reality. Jordan was engaged… which meant I’d just had sex with an attached man. Oh fucking hell, I was the other woman in this scenario. Rafe’s engagement to Claudette didn’t count. She was a raging cunt who’d tried to have me killed.
Jordan shook his head, though, and laughed. “It’s not like that. I promise. Meggy is like… She’s like my sister. I legitimately can’t picture ever marrying her. Ever. Ever, ever, ever.” He shuddered dramatically to drive the point home, and I allowed it to lift my spirits a tiny bit. “I can see you’re still doubting me, but please, Violet, trust me. Meghan is not someone you need to worry about. I’ll introduce you at the dance, and you’ll understand.”
“Okay,” I replied, cautious and skeptical. It wouldn’t exactly be the first time a crown prince at Arbon Academy had played me for a fool, would it? “If you’re fucking with me, you know I’ll kill you, right?”
Jordan smiled this gorgeous, blinding smile that I badly wanted to kiss. Or would if I wasn’t suddenly second guessing everything between us..
“I’ll buy you new blades myself,” he promised, snaking his arms around my waist and leaning down to kiss my lips ever so softly. “Want to come back to my room? I think we left something unfinished earlier.” He raised a brow, and my pussy fluttered with excitement. Greedy bitch.
“I wish,” I groaned, “but despite the way Alex is fucking with my course schedule, I do still want to graduate with a degree from Arbon Academy. Which means I need to study. Raincheck?” I was lying—my grades were basically guaranteed now—but I was feeling really overwhelmed and needed a minute to get my head straight.
Jordan kissed me again, deeper this time and almost changing my mind. But then he released me with a sigh and nodded. “I’ll take that raincheck, gorgeous. See you at breakfast.”
I stood there for way longer than I needed to, watching him walk down the hallway towards the guys’ dorms. My stomach was a mess of butterflies and knots, and I had no idea which was more prevalent. I’d just been burned by Alex. It was way too soon to go sticking the crumpled remains of my heart back out there.
Maybe we could just keep it casual, though. Maybe with that looming question of my attraction to Rafe, I could guard my emotions with Jordan.
Yeah, right.
On my way back to my room, I was lost in many thoughts. Sex, espionage, viruses, international lists to purchase the perfect reproductive match. I mean, was this some sort of fucking movie or real life? Royals did not live like normal people, that much was no secret, but at the same time, I had not expected this level of insanity. Not in, like, five months of being part of this world.
Turning the final corner into my hall, there was no one in front of me, and I appreciated that I was in one of the farthest wings. Out of sight. Private.
A hand wrapped around my forearm, yanking me to the side, and while I was prepared to fight, they were as skilled as me, wrapping two arms around me and effectively trapping both of my hands.
I still had my feet though.
Throwing myself back, I cracked my assailant under the chin, hard enough that I saw stars and he swore.
The moment I heard that familiar voice, I stopped my assault. It took my heart a bit longer to calm, though.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Rafe?” I whisper-yelled, wrenching myself out of his grip.
He’d pulled me into one of the secret tunnels through an entrance I hadn’t known was there. It was close to my room, and I made note of the exact panel for future reference.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing with Jordan?” he snarled back.
I blinked, trying to figure out his tone. The shadowy alcove hid his expression for the most part, and I only caught a sliver of annoyance and frustration in his voice.
“Are—” I cleared my throat. “Are you jealous?”
He laughed, an immediate reaction, the sound low and husky as it traced chills down my spine. “Ah, my lovely little Cinderella.” He was so close now, his finger stroking down my cheek. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” he breathed.
My heart started hammering in my chest again, and I had to clench my thighs at this assault on my senses. His smell, that feel of contained rage, the tingles on my skin from where he’d touched me.
It was too much.
“I don’t want to cause trouble between you two,” I said, sounding stupidly breathless. “That’s not my intention at all. I just… Jordan is really grea—”
My words caught again as his knuckles grazed across my nipple, one and then the other until they were stiff peaks straining against the thin material of my shirt.
“Jordan is great,” Rafe drawled. “He’s my best friend for a reason. I don’t trust many people in this world, but Jordan… he’s family.”
I was so fucking confused and so fucking turned on that it took every ounce of my control not to moan as his hand dragged even lower.
“You’re going to break his heart,” he whispered, lips against my ear. “And then I’m going to break you.”
That hand, which had been tracing my body, lifted and stroked my throat. It was partly threatening and a lot arousing.
“I care about Jordan,” I managed to choke out.
Rafe’s laugh was dark. Dangerous.
In a move faster than my sluggish brain could track, his hand was under my skirt, fingers stroking the dripping moisture between my legs. There was no stopping the moan this time as I rocked forward into that touch.
“You care about Jordan,” he mocked, “but you’re soaked for me.”
Jesus. Fuck.
I couldn’t think, I couldn’t breathe, but there was a part of me that was sure Rafe was just using me to prove a point.
Well, two could play that fucking game.
My right hand shot out, cupping his long hard length. He could spout all he wanted that I was soaked for him, but he was like a fucking baseball bat in my hands, so hard that it had to be painful.
“I think you might care more than you’re letting on,” I said, tilting my chin back, gaze clashing with his.
I licked my lips, trying not to moan again as his fingers slid inside, finding my G-spot instantly. His lips were on mine then, cruel and biting, but I didn’t care. I needed this orgasm more than I needed air.
Then, fuck Rafe, because I was leaving his dumb ass here.
Our kiss deepened, and I widened my stance, giving him more access. It took me almost no time to come, the swirling sensations low in my
stomach exploding as Rafe and I kissed like we’d die if we didn’t. It was a little desperate and a lot fucking hot.
As I cried out against his lips, he stiffened in surprise, like he hadn’t expected me to come so quickly.
Before he could respond, I wrenched my mouth back and stepped away so his hand fell from my skirt, then I took off down the hall.
“What the fuck, Cinderella,” he growled, his voice fading as I exited the secret tunnel and sprinted to my door, sliding inside in the next few seconds.
Take that, you fucking asshole.
Violet: One
Rafe: Zero
It was fun to count orgasms, especially when I was in front.
Chapter 18
“This is wrong,” I groaned into my pillow, mind full of angsty shit.
Mattie laughed so hard I had to lift my head and glare at her. “Girl, I think you mean it’s so right. There’s literally no other way to describe it. You’re fucking with two of the most powerful, hottest princes in the world. I mean, you should be patting yourself on the back.”
I glared at her, hugging that same pillow to me. “But I don’t want to be stuck between them like this. I mean, how do I know what to do? What am I doing? I’m still messed up from Alex, and the last thing I need is more complicated dudes in my life.” I shook my head. “No, not dudes. Princes. Two fucking princes and all their baggage in my life.”
Rafe and Jordan were the perfect distraction, but a few things about this situation didn’t sit right with me. Firstly, both of them were “engaged,” yeah, sure, it was in name only and no one seemed to care, but it was a thing for me. Secondly, there was no way a commoner like me would end up as one of their princesses, so was this all pointless? A waste of time?
Was I going to get my heart really broken this time? I mean, Alex had bruised it, for sure, but I was starting to see that our relationship had been superficial.
Rafe and Jordan, though, there was something deeper there.
“Just have some fun,” Mattie said to me. “None of us know what tomorrow brings, so why don’t you just enjoy the sex and attention and worry about the rest later?”