Ruthless Noble by Alley Ciz
CHAPTER 27
“Savvy?!”Multiple male voices call out her name.
There’s a faint pleased curl to her once again black-painted lips as she rounds the open door and hip-checks it closed.
I couldn’t tell you what has me more gobsmacked, her being here in the first place, her having driven herself here, or the way she looks—though it’s definitely the latter that has my dick straining to wave hello.
Her long hair is tied back in an artfully messy high ponytail, her makeup simple outside of that need-to-smear-it-now black lipstick. She has one of those black chokers around her neck, drawing my attention to the long line of her throat and making my fingers itch to wrap around it.
She has on that familiar leather jacket, her top loose and cropped beneath it, a sliver of pale toned stomach visible between it and the band of her light blue practically-painted-on jeans. More of her creamy skin peeks through the variously sized rips running from the tops of her thighs and down over her knees before disappearing under those boots I’m well acquainted with.
The amount of swagger in the way one foot crosses in front of the other and the sway of her hips have my balls tightening until the moment she moves to stand in front of the OG douchebag. Thankfully for the sake of his life expectancy, the d-bag keeps his hands to himself this time as she gives him a nod and a short “Thanks.”
Savvy only gives the others a cursory glance as she moves around them, pausing to share a You good? eyebrow raise with Duke then continuing to me like I was her mission all along.
Fire burns in her eyes as they bounce over the features of my face, the heat in them practically singeing my skin when they lock onto the cut in my puffy lip.
Her toes bump mine as she reaches an arm up to cup my cheek, her thumb stretching to ghost over the abused flesh with a gentleness that has my knees close to buckling.
What the fuck?
This is the first time she’s initiated physical contact with me in weeks, and I can’t resist the compulsion to reciprocate.
I slide a hand over the curve of her hip, two of my fingers threading into an empty belt loop, the others slipping into her back pocket while I trace the jut of her hip bone with my thumb. Her skin is silky smooth, if not mildly chilly to the touch.
Straight white teeth flash as she hisses through them, though I’m not sure if it’s from the sight of my blood or the feel of my hands finally back on her.
Her eyes never leave mine, the purple hue dark and turbulent as she speaks. “Who hit you?”
I cast my gaze over her head, watching with satisfied amusement as most of the BP pricks shuffle uneasily on their feet. My mouth starts to curve upward, and the skin pulls with a sting as my split lip starts to bleed again. The pain is so insignificant it barely registers.
“You worried about me, Princess?” I can’t help the tease, but even I can hear the softness in my voice.
The muscles in my back bunch as I brace myself for one of her cutting retorts, except it never comes. Instead, her teeth bite into the plump flesh of her lower lip, my dick jumping at the sight. It’s such a simple move, but it’s sexy as all hell.
“Did you drive?” Distracted by thoughts of all the things I would like to do to her mouth, it takes a second for her question and the concern in it to register. When it does, I shake my head. “Duke and Midas did.”
“Okay.” Savvy skims a hand down the back of my arm, and I’ve never wished I wasn’t wearing a hoodie more than I do at this moment when it prevents me from feeling her touch on my bare skin. “We’re leaving.” She threads her fingers with mine and gives a gentle tug.
“He can’t leave.” The jock jerk who hit me steps forward, beefy arms folded across his chest.
“Yeah…oh-kay, Brian…whatever you say.”
Brian, the moron, sidesteps into Savvy’s path. I give her hand a squeeze and bury my face against my shoulder to smother a laugh.
Savvy dips her chin, mouth pressed into a flat line as she shoots me a Like you were any better? lip purse.
“That one can go.” Brian jerks a chin at Duke. “The others stay.”
“No.” Savvy’s tone leaves zero room for argument.
Again she starts forward only to stop because of Brian—again. “This isn’t a Royal issue, Savvy.”
The end of her ponytail falls over her shoulder as she tilts her head at him. I wish I could see her face because I would bet good money she’s got one of her Are you really trying to tell me what to do? brow crinkles. I shift on my feet at how just the memory of her defiance gets to me.
“You’re making it one by continuing to get in my way.” She steps to the right. “Now move. We’re leaving.”
“No, you’re not.” The inflection in the way Brian speaks has me closing the small gap between Savvy and me until I’m standing behind her, having her back quite literally.
There’s no missing the assessing confusion in how Brian narrows his eyes at me. He’s trying to figure me, figure us out. Good luck.
“We already agreed governor boy can go—”
Duke mutters a few creative curses at Brian’s choice of words.
“—why are you making a big deal about the others?”
Savvy doesn’t dignify his question with a response. Instead, she spins, ponytail hitting my chest when she does, and searches the area behind us for Midas and the others. When she finds him, she tells them to go. The way Midas hesitates has me wondering if he drank the same idiot juice as Brian here, but eventually, he gestures for the others to follow.
Banks joins Duke, and together they move until they’re standing beside us.
A vein of steel enters Savvy’s eyes as she takes us all in at her side. She straightens her shoulders with a subtle nod, shifting marginally until her back is touching my front.
Her back expands with a measured breath. This is the feisty badass I’ve come to know and love.
Wait…
Love?
Whatever, you know what I mean. This is the side of Savvy that caught my attention and the reason I can’t quit her.
It’s fierce as fuck and hot as hell.
More than once, these fools made the mistake of thinking Savvy needed one of the other Royals with her. They failed to recognize the queen in their midst.