"Talk to him," Jordan urged when his lips left mine. "I can't speak for him; that needs to be a conversation between the two of you." He flashed a quick, teasing grin. "As hard as that's gonna be for you two, you'll have to use your words and talk about feelings."
I groaned. "Are you sure we can't just beat the shit out of each other instead?"
Jordan smirked. "I mean, you can do that too. I'll totally cheer for you, beautiful."
I beamed, kissing his lips gently. "You'd cheer for me over your best friend? Now that's love, right there."
He laughed, an infectious, intoxicating sound that I wanted to hear for the rest of my life. "I'll let you in on a secret, Vi," he whispered, his face full of mischief. "I love Rafe, but I'm not in love with him. And I definitely don't want to turn him over on this desk and fuck him until he screams."
Amusement and arousal battled within me as I pictured that exact scenario. With me bent over the desk, though, because that's what Jordan was implying.
"We'd get caught for sure," I murmured, even as heat flooded through me and my hands trailed down the front of his shirt. "Someone will need to use this class..." My fingers found his belt, and almost without conscious thought, I started tugging the leather free of the buckle.
Voices from the corridor reached us just moments before the class door started to open, and we scrambled to right our clothing before our compromising position could be spotted.
"Oh thank fuck," Jordan breathed as I scooted off the desk and smoothed my skirt down. "It's just you."
"Who were you expecting?" Rafe replied, his dark gaze taking us both in. Jordan's hair was mussed up, his lips swollen and pink, and his belt undone. Me? I couldn't find my fucking panties.
Jordan gave an easy laugh, doing up his belt once more. Damn. "I dunno, a teacher or something. How'd you find us?"
Rafe gave him a cryptic smile back. "Intuition." He stooped and swiped something off the floor, then held up the scrap of navy blue satin with a smug grin. "Lose something, Cinderella?"
My eyes bugged out. Yeah, this was going to take some getting used to. "Yes, I did."
I reached for my panties, but Jordan got there first and swiped them out of Rafe's fingers with a growled "Mine," before stuffing them into his pocket and leaving the classroom.
Shock held me frozen for a second, trying to understand what the fuck had just happened. Did... did Rafe and Jordan just switch bodies for a second there? Because that was one hell of a possessive-caveman move...
Rafe's dark gaze glittered as he looked me up and down, his lips curving in a sly smile. "And mine," he added, even though Jordan was already out of the room. It didn't matter, though. It was his way of reaffirming for me that he was okay with us. With our dynamic.
My heart raced.
"Rafe..." I needed to have that chat with him. The very same one Jordan and I had just had where we’d laid our hearts bare and affirmed that we were, in fact, on the same page.
He ran a hand through his hair. "We should go," he said when my words trailed off into silence. Damn my baggage. "It's going to be bad enough sitting through international diplomacy with you this afternoon, knowing you're not wearing anything under that skirt."
Reaching out, he grabbed my hand and wove his fingers through mine, tugging me out of the class with him. "But let's be clear about something, Cinderella." His voice was low and quiet, his lips against the side of my head as we walked. "Whatever Jordan said to put that look on your face and in your eyes? I feel it too. All of it."
Ugh, be still my beating heart. Maybe Rafe wasn't as shit with words as I had assumed.
Smiling, and full of love I leaned up to kiss him. Talking could wait for later, when there was less chance of being walked in on. And fewer clothes. Rafe and I always communicated best when we were fighting or fucking, so why should our declarations of love be any different?
Simple. They shouldn't.
But now the afternoon’s classes would be a torture of anticipation.
Chapter 22
Mattie crashed my plans for a naked, emotional evening with my princes, but I couldn't even be mad about it. She came thundering into my bedroom not two minutes after Nolan had escorted me back from Introduction to Human Physiology, and the look on her face told me everything I needed to know.
"Sit," I ordered her, pointing to my bed. "Stay."
Crossing my room, I snatched up a box of tissues and tossed them over to her before dialing up the kitchens on my palm reader. Mattie sobbed into a handful of tissues while I placed an order for six pints of ice cream—one in each of her favorite flavors—then ended the call and crawled onto the bed with her.
"Zach?" I asked softly when her crying eased off, and she gave a jerking nod. Anger and violence burned through me, and I vividly pictured sliding my wakizashi blade through his chest. "Talk to me, girl. What am I murdering that fucker for? Because I will happily deliver you his balls in a designer purse for making you cry."
Mattie mopped at her face and gave me a mournful look. "He... ugh. He kissed me."
Truth be told, those were not the words I’d expected to come out of her mouth, and for a second I was shocked into silence. "And it was bad?"
Mattie started to wail, and my concern grew further. "Noooo..." she sobbed. "I liked it. A lot. I've spent so many years hating that bastard, and then he goes and rescues me, keeps a protective eye on me, buys me expensive gifts, and then"—she sucked in air, an affronted look on her face—"the fucking asshole kisses like a fucking sex god. It's too much for a princess to handle."
My adrenaline started to cool at that point, and I shook my head at her. "Girl, I was legitimately about to bring out all my moves and destroy him."
Mattie tilted her head to the side like she was considering this. "I mean, that would solve a lot of problems for me."
Sitting beside her on the bed, I took her hand in mine. "You know that this vote includes provisions to abolish arranged marriages and the “perfect breeding” program, right? If it passes, you will finally have a choice in who you marry."
Mattie's lip trembled. "What if I have a choice and still choose Zach?"
That set her off into more sobs, and I couldn't help but laugh at the pure dramatics of her. "He might just be your match," I choked out through my laughter.
Mattie glared at me, wiping away her tears. She calmed after that, having got out the bulk of her upset. "I mean, he's an asshole," she said sniffling, "but so am I. We kind of do work together."
"Like me and Rafe," I said, reminding her that she wasn't the only fucked up one in the room.
Mattie's watery smile grew wider. "Yeah, a bit like that."
She worried at her lips, and I knew there had to be something more to what had happened with Zach. "Mattie," I started, and she crumbled immediately.
"Hetoldmehelovesme."
The words were a tangled rush, and I blinked as my brain tried to catch up with her frantic speed. "Loves you?"
She nodded. "Yeah. And then he kissed me."
"Did you kiss him back?"
"I did." And she was wailing again.
My amusement over her misery continued to grow because she reminded me so much of myself. I always set out to sabotage my own happiness; it had been a personality trait of mine since long ago. But I'd made a conscious decision recently to stop anticipating the bad and start enjoying the good.
"Life is short, babe," I said, drawing the full attention of those huge, shiny green eyes of hers. "Don't shy away from possible happiness because you're scared. Zach might have been 'forced' on you in the beginning, but I saw the way you watched him on the soccer field. There was no hate in that gaze... It was want and need."
I hugged her suddenly, taking her completely by surprise, judging by the low gasp. "You deserve to be fucking worshiped. If Zach thinks he's the person for the job and you want that asshole's tongue between your legs, I say give it a chance."
Mattie's cheeks were pink. "I want that and so much more. Sex is easy though, you know? It's the heart stuff that's scary."
Oh yeah. I fucking knew that better than anyone.
We stayed together for the next few hours, the guys checking on us as we ate our way through pizza and ice cream like both were the last food in the monarchy. Eventually Mattie left and went back to her room, and I found myself standing at my door, hand pressed against it.
I was exhausted, and I still had a ton of coursework to get through tonight. The library was where I should be heading, but I was just too tired to make myself walk out the door.
My palm reader buzzed, and I glanced down.
Angel: Are you finally alone, baby?
Baby? Fuck, he was going to be the death of my heart. All of these loving moments between us had me confused and happy as hell.
Gotta head to the library and try to get some of this work done.
His reply was immediate.
Angel: Do not go anywhere without one of us. Don't make me say it again.
I snorted out my laughter, a little energy returning to me.
Or what?
A second of little dots across my screen meant he was replying.
Angel: My hand misses your ass, Cinderella. Red is your fucking color, and I enjoy punishing you.
Jesus. Fuck. Fucking fuck.