Steel Princess (Royal Elite #2) by Rina Kent

Stay away from what? From whom?

He couldn’t have known I noticed the creepy way he hangs around Silver.

The moment ends when he quickly breaks eye contact and strides into class.

“Hmm. Interesting.”

I jolt at Aiden’s contemplative voice. For a second, I forgot he’s there.

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing you need to worry about, sweetheart.” He watches the place where Adam just stood. “It’ll be taken care of.”

I gulp. He couldn’t be meaning what I think he’s meaning, right?

Adam is a fucking bastard, but no one deserves Aiden’s wrath.

But then again, maybe the bastard shouldn’t have glared at me.

Or bullied me and Kim.

Or had creepy vibes around Silver.

He had it coming.

“Ellie!” Kim runs towards me and interlaces my free hand with hers. “Morning, King. Stop taking my best friend away from me.”

“Morning, Reed.” His poker face is on. “And no, I don’t share.”

I suppress a smile as Kim laughs.

It makes me fuzzy inside to see her happy. She deals with lots of demons and even though she doesn’t tell me, it breaks my heart to see her being an adult to her baby brother when she wants the whole teenage life.

In class, Aiden finally lets me go. That’s only because Ronan pulled him to the side to tell him about his last night bang — in all explicit details.

Aiden listens with a poker face.

I wonder if he ever tells his friends about our sex life or the way he fucks me. I mean, he always talks dirty and he’s not the type to be embarrassed.

For some reason, I don’t think he does. Even though he doesn’t seem like it, Aiden is a private person. I never heard him brag about anything — unless he uses it to put someone in their place.

Oh, and he’s possessive to a fault. He definitely would never let others think of me in a sexual way.

I smile at that.

“So?” Kim turns in her seat to face me. Her elbows are on the desk as she cradles her face with both hands. A stupid joyful gleam shines in her green eyes.

“So what?”

“I thought you were going out with Knox.”

“I did.”

“Then you texted me that King is giving you a ride this morning. Did he spend the night?”

I bite my lower lip.

She squeals, but she’s careful enough to keep her voice down. “It was a wild night yesterday. I can tell.”

Wild is the understatement of the century. First Aunt and Uncle and then Aiden.

Now that I think about it, the whole time I’ve been with him, I haven’t thought about the chaos with Aunt and Uncle.

That’s… strange.

“You have a hickey.” She points at my neck.

I slap a hand on the spot. “What? Where?”

He only left hickeys on my breasts, around my scar, and down my stomach. I made sure nothing was visible on my neck.

Kim laughs and lowers my ponytail so it covers the back of my neck. “There. It’s all hidden.”

I glare at Aiden. The arsehole must’ve left it when I was asleep and in a place I can’t see. That must be why he’s been releasing my hair.

He only grins at me before Ronan steals his attention again.

Dickhead.

“I want details.” Kim hisses, still grinning like an idiot.

“It was… well,” I lean in to whisper. “I can’t walk properly.”

Her eyes bulge and she comes even closer. “I knew King was the rough type.”

“You can say that again. Wait.” I narrow my eyes jokingly. “How did you deduce that?”

“He has that vibe.” She steals a glance at Cole and Xander who are tossing a ball at one another. “Cole, too. Those silent types are usually the wildest. I heard he’s into kink.”

She’s talking about Cole, but the only one she has eyes for is the golden boy and his dimples.

“How about Xander?”

She clicks her tongue and faces me again. “That one doesn’t matter.”

“If you say so.”

“I mean so.” She narrows her eyes then clears her throat. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“How do you know if you like it rough?”

“You just do, I guess. It can be overwhelming, but you feel like every part of your body comes alive to the point that even pain is pleasurable.” I pause, realising what I just said. “Please don’t think I’m weird.”

Kim watches me for a few seconds, her lips parting before she grins. “I’ll never judge you, Ellie. Besides, remember what I said about the silent types being the wildest? You’re one of them.”

I swat her hand playfully. “Stop it.”

“How about Knox then?” Her nose scrunches. “King wasn’t mad about that?”

“He’s still mad.”

But I can take care of him.

He needs to learn that he won’t control my life.

It’s curious that he’s only this way about Knox. When his horsemen touch me or talk to me, he becomes a dick, but he doesn’t act as intensely as he does with Knox.

Maybe it’s because he trusts them? The level of trust Aiden could give, anyway.

I fail to think that Aiden would feel threatened by someone as easy going as Knox.