Cruel King (Royal Elite #0) by Rina Kent

Though it would be near impossible to emulate the colour.

Levi grabs me by the arm and this time, a moan escapes my throat as he drags me out of the bathroom and into the vast room I breezed through earlier.

I’m so focused on his hand on my bare skin and how my thighs tighten to notice anything around us.

“Look what I found.” His voice alerts me to the shapes in the dim-lit room.

The low music thumping from the walls has ‘You’ll end up dead’ in the lyrics as soon as I let the outside environment sink in.

Okay, that’s not creepy at all.

Half of the football team are either smoking, drinking or playing cards. They all look up at Levi’s words.

“I thought girls were for later?” One of them asks with amusement. “Not that I mind. You can start with my dick, love.”

Eww.

“Naw, come on!” Another throws a deck of cards. He has curly brown hair and is wearing his jacket backwards. “I’m not taking your sloppy seconds anymore, Chris. C’est pas cool.”

“I’m your senior, Ronan. Shut it.”

“I think she wants me first.” Hot breaths tickle down my ear as warm lips brush the earlobe. “Don’t you, princess?”

Um yeah! Yeah!

Keep doing that, please.

I want to shout that at the top of my lungs, but I can’t find the words. I can only close my eyes and lean into his hard chest. Well, hell. He can probably use this thing as a board.

Something at the back of my mind tells me this is wrong — so wrong, but I don’t particularly care about that something at the moment.

That something can go suck it as long as King keeps touching me and making me feel good. Torturous, but still so fucking good.

“Wait.” A smooth voice calls from my right from where two members of the football team are isolated playing… chess?

He stands up and stalks towards me with infinite ease. His team jacket clings to his broad shoulders. Either he walks too silently or I’m too buzzed to hear his steps.

Because the next thing I notice, he’s in my face, looking down at me with sinister eyes darker eyes than Levi’s. Even his hair is jet black. He shares Levi’s straight nose and the same posture, but he’s nothing like him.

While Levi gives the impression of a badass, Viking King. His cousin has the aura of a silent, serial killer king who might or might not slaughter his people if he feels bored.

The young king, Aiden, watches me for a few, long seconds with his hands nonchalantly tucked in his pockets as if he’s assessing a lamb for slaughter.

Damn these two cousins and how beautiful they are. Even with menace written all over his face, I can’t help noticing the whole deadly charm he has going on.

“You’re Clifford, aren’t you?” Aiden asks.

“Clifford?” The previous playfulness in Levi’s voice vanishes into thin air and his tone hardens.

I hold on to the feel of his hand on my arm as I choke out. “I’m just Astrid. Clifford is Dad’s name.” I giggle and lower my voice. “Oops. Shh. Don’t tell him I called him Dad. He doesn’t like that.”

Aiden raises an eyebrow as if he’s proven a point, but he’s not looking at me. “Hands off, Lev.”

Silence rolls in the room. Even the other guys in the room stop doing whatever is on their hands and focus on me sandwiched between the two cousins.

Or more like, they’re focused on the hostile energy that’s somehow brewing between the two kings.

Me? I rub my back against Levi’s chest, needing to feel the friction and something else — I just don’t know what.

“No.” It’s a single word, but even in my half-dazed, euphoria-seeking state, I can feel the power behind it.

“Father said —”

“I don’t care what he said.” Levi cuts him off in a cool tone. “Uncle doesn’t tell me what to fucking do.”

A few of the guys howl as if he delivered the punchline of the century.

“It’s your own grave.” Aiden lifts a shoulder and stalks back towards the chessboard and another player who’s been waiting for him.

Levi’s arm curls around my shoulder and he pulls me to the hard curve of his side. A shot of electricity runs through me and settles between my thighs as his fingers stroke my bare skin underneath my top.

I suck in a stuttering breath, holding on to the sensation with everything in me.

“Anyone else has any objection to make?” he asks, but he doesn’t seem to be expecting an answer.

Levi King’s word is law.

Anyone who goes against him can only crash and burn.

The football team’s players all come from prestigious, tycoon families, both old and new money, but they’re nothing compared to the King’s power.

The only one who can stand up to him is another King. Which isn’t happening any time soon since Aiden seems to have lost interest in this situation altogether. He sits on his chair, head leaning against his hand as he continues playing chess.

I’m not surprised when not one of the team members says a word.

Levi drags me beside him down the hall. I hold on to every touch like I’ll die if he stops touching me.

“Keep me some, Captain!” One of the guys shouts.

I’m too occupied by his arm around my stomach to register anything else.