Princess Ballot: Royals of Arbon Academy

by James Tate

  All good, girl. Catch me after; we’ll watch a movie or something.

  Relief hit me hard. Also excitement. A movie? I’d seen only a few in my whole life, so to think I’d get to watch one tonight was enough to send a buzz of energy through my veins.

  Alex gestured for me to go first, and I joined the throng of students leaving.

  “Thanks for agreeing to have dinner with me,” he said, walking so close our bodies kept brushing against each other.

  “This counts as a date,” I blurted. “It’s part of our deal.”

  Alex slapped a hand to his chest. “You wound me, Violet Spencer. Here I thought you were starting to enjoy my attention.”

  A part of me definitely was.

  “Are you feeling better now? You looked a little pale when I caught you beside the nurse’s station,” he segued.

  The painkillers had kicked in and I felt fine, so it was easy to say, “Feeling good as new.”

  Alex nodded, looking pleased by this.

  As we walked toward the dining hall, a silence fell over us, but it wasn’t really awkward. Alex never made me nervous the way that other students did. Like he wasn’t judging me. It was one of the things I liked the most about him.

  “I’m really glad it was your name drawn in the ballot,” he said, sounding almost wistful. “I didn't expect you to be quite so … lovely.”

  Uh, okay. I wasn’t sure how to take that, so I didn’t even bother to analyze it. “I still don’t understand,” I told him, and he tilted his head toward me, waiting for my next words. “Why me? Why are you pursuing someone like me?”

  His brow furrowed, and he slowed. “Do I need a reason to pursue a pretty girl?”

  I shrugged lightly, even though I felt anything but casual. “There are hundreds of stunningly beautiful, rich, and well-connected women in this school. I have none of that, and I know I’m not anything special, so yeah, it feels like you need a reason.”

  I’d been suspicious from the start, and the feeling was only growing because I couldn’t understand it. I hadn’t seen Alex with any other chicks. I hadn’t even seen him show attention to any others. And he’d known me all of a week, most of which I hadn’t even seen him. So what the hell had him acting the way he did?

  His expression softened, and before I could step back, he reached out and cupped my face, leaning in so close that I could practically taste him on my lips. Frozen, I couldn’t pull away, and I wasn’t sure I even wanted to.

  “The first moment I saw you, Violet, you were framed in the doorway of my favorite place in the world. The doorway to the soccer field. The light behind you turned your hair a pure, silvery blond, and your beautiful, heart-shaped face was filled with awe as you took in the stadium.”

  Breathe, Violet. Breathe.

  “Then that ball was flying for your face, and I started running before I could think about it, everything inside of me rebelling against it hitting you. It was pure instinct, and I wouldn’t have been able to fight it, even if I’d wanted to. But you didn’t need me. You caught that ball like you were a highly trained goalie, and it was probably the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. Not one other woman in this school could have done that, and it was in that moment that I realized how much more than just a pretty face you are. I wanted to know everything about you.” His thumb brushed my cheek, and I realized he’d pushed us back into a corner, crowding me into the wall so closely I could feel the long, hard lines of his body pressing into me. “So that’s why I’m pursuing you, my American princess. Because in a world of spoiled, desperate women, you’re the most real thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

  A single tear spilled out of my right eye, tracing down until it hit the hand that was cupping my face.

  Then he kissed me.

  Chapter 12

  Books always describe first kisses as something so intense that the world feels like it stops for that moment. And while this wasn’t my first kiss, before it I’d sometimes wondered if maybe, with the right guy, I’d get that feeling—a punch in the gut that sucked the air from my lungs and had me desperate for more.

  Kissing Alex was damned hot, and I felt all the right things, mostly in my vagina. I was turned on by Alex—dude was sexy as fuck, and I could imagine kissing him a lot more and enjoying every second of it. But there was no fairy tale, world-stops-spinning moment.

  Guess the books were liars.

  Alex opened his mouth further, his tongue stroking mine, his lips pressing harder as if he wanted more, and I stopped over-analyzing everything and enjoyed this unexpected make out session.

  When he finally pulled away, both of our chests heaved a little as we sucked in air, and I licked my hot, swollen lips. I’d just kissed a damn prince. A crown prince. A crown prince who’d demonstrated with both words and actions that I was more than just some random chick he was pursuing. That there was real emotion behind everything he’d said and done. Might be time to stop avoiding the situation, and start looking at the guy standing right in front of me. God knows, spending the week avoiding him hadn’t shut my emotions down at all. Alex had played a starring role in plenty of my dreams.

  “Ready for dinner?” he said, voice low and husky, our bodies still pressed together.

  I nodded. “Yeah, I could eat.”

  My body was craving a lot of things right now, and maybe if I filled one of its desires, it would shut up about the others. I’d had a bit of spotty blood from the IUD insertion, so I probably shouldn’t be thinking about sex for a while anyway.

  But Alex made it hard. My gaze drifted down of its own accord … Yeah, very hard to turn all of that down.

  When we entered the dining hall, eyes locked on us, and an awkward silence filled the immediate vicinity. I’d been pretty sure that no one had seen our kiss—Alex blocked me pretty effectively—but then again, I’d been kind of distracted and wouldn’t have noticed.

  Alex led me to his table, seeming unconcerned by the attention. I heard more than one whisper about “charity case” and “whore,” and I did my best to ignore it. I wasn’t surprised by the whispers and rumors—I’d been seen with multiple princes in the last couple of days. Probably looked like I was doing the rounds, but it still pissed me off because dudes never got this treatment. I’d read many books about the world before the Monarch War, and even back then, women’d had to deal with all of this bullshit.

  Alex’s table was full, except for two seats, and something told me he’d been explicit in making sure that there was a seat for me so he didn’t have to send anyone packing.

  Lots of curious eyes were on me as I sat, awkwardly, but no one said anything. Within a few seconds they lost interest and went back to their chatting. The only one that didn’t was the tall, somewhat familiar, dark-skinned guy on the other side of Alex.

  “Hi,” he said, leaning over, “I’m Drake.”

  I quickly shook his hand, remembering him now from the party. His party. “Violet. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Alex nudged his friend back, and Drake shot him a broad smile, white teeth flashing. “Come on, Alex. You don’t have to piss on her. I’m just being friendly.”

  A rumble rocked Alex’s chest, but he didn’t seem too upset. “Friendly warning is all,” he told Drake, and then the pair of them fist-bumped. Again I was at a loss about what the fuck men even were. Their shit didn’t make any sense to me.

  “Want me to order for you?” Alex asked.

  I tilted my head in his direction, letting my feelings about that show clearly on my face. “I think I can manage,” I said softly. “I’m pretty used to being independent.” He had no idea how used to it I was.

  A hint of pink tinted his cheeks, and he dipped his head. “Of course you are. Sorry, I didn’t mean to…” He cleared his throat, his gaze darting quickly around the table as if he’d just noticed the less-than-subtle attention of his friends. “I just meant the duck is really good. If you’re into duck. Do you like duck?” He was rambling, and based on the panicked way h
is eyes widened, I didn’t think that was a carefully planned move—like so many of his actions were.

  Taking pity on him, I gave a small smile. “I’ve never had it, but that sounds like a good choice.”

  Alex nodded with visible relief and placed our orders with the waiter, who’d materialized out of nowhere. I figured duck was just another bird, so it should taste like chicken. Right?

  Wrong.

  Duck was gross as fuck.

  The other two students at the table who’d ordered it seemed to be enjoying it immensely, though, so I choked down a few bites and pasted on a false smile when asked what I thought of it.

  Part of me wondered if this was a hazing ritual for the new kid, but it was on the menu for everyone to order… Must be an acquired taste.

  Somewhere between main and dessert, Alex’s hand found mine under the table. While he continued an animated conversation with Drake about the upcoming match against Oxford, his fingers intertwined with mine, and little fizzy bubbles of excitement tickled my belly.

  “So, Violet, right?” the girl opposite me asked, tilting her head to the side.

  “Yeah, that’s right,” I replied with a nod. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name?” Because no one had actually bothered introducing themselves, aside from Drake.

  Her eyes widened slightly, then she covered her surprise with a smile. “Oh, sorry. Gosh, we’re so not used to new students we forget not everyone knows who we are. I’m Princess Victoria-Anne. My older sister is going to be the next queen of the Switzerlands.”

  Against my better judgement, my gaze shot across the room to where my new friends sat. Sure enough, there was Claudette, basically sitting in Rafe’s lap with her sharply pointed fingernails stroking his chest. Fucking hell, what did she think he was? A cat?

  I tried to wrench my eyes away, but I wasn’t quick enough. Rafe’s stormy gaze snapped onto me like a homing missile, and I shivered at the cold hatred there.

  Dude had fucking issues.

  “Cool,” I murmured in response to Victoria-Anne. I fixed my gaze firmly on the tablecloth in front of me, but I could still feel Rafe’s glare. Talk about putting a damper on my mood. But then Alex’s fingers tightened on mine, and a wash of warmth flooded back through me.

  Why did I keep wasting my time thinking about Rafe when Alex was so clearly into me? He was nice. So much nicer than… ugh. He was nice. Full stop. And yeah, he was a bit of an arrogant, entitled brat. But we were all the products of our upbringings, weren’t we? Maybe I’d be the same if I’d been raised with a silver spoon in my mouth.

  “You okay?” Alex murmured in my ear, even as Victoria-Anne chatted away about something. She clearly didn’t care if I was paying attention; she must just like to hear herself speak.

  Touched that he’d noticed my deteriorated mood, I gave Alex a small smile and wrinkled my nose. “Actually, I was thinking I might skip dessert. All that schoolwork is kind of catching up to me.”

  A concerned frown touched his brow, and he stroked some hair away from my face with his free hand. “Yeah, okay. No worries.” He didn’t let go of my hand, but pushed back from the table and stood up, taking me with him. “We’re done. See you.” He didn’t wait to hear his friends replies, just started out of the dining room. Seeing as how he still had my hand in his, I followed quickly, then tugged my fingers free once we were outside the room.

  “Uh, Alex?” I frowned, glancing back to the dining room behind us. “You didn’t have to leave too. I’m just going back to my room.”

  He tilted his head to the side, confused. “Violet, if this counts as a date, then you’d better believe I’ll escort you home. I was raised with manners.” His cocked brow implied a silent “unlike the boys you’re used to dating,” which kind of stung.

  I shook my head. “You don’t need to. Seriously, go back and enjoy the rest of the meal with your friends. I’ll be just fine.”

  Alex stepped closer to me, crowding me against the wall where a large poster advertised some school dance coming up. “Violet,” he said, his voice gentle but firm, “the only place I want to be right now is with you. Even if it's only for a few more moments while we walk to your room, I just want to be around you. Is that okay?” He reached up with one hand and placed his palm against my cheek. My breath was coming in quick gasps, and my whole body thrummed with the anticipation of another kiss. But… right here? What if a teacher saw us?

  My mind recalled Nurse Reller’s casual attitude toward fraternization between students, and I immediately dismissed that concern. Teachers clearly didn’t care.

  “Um, yep. Yeah. That’s okay.” My reply was breathy, and I couldn’t seem to catch hold of my galloping heart to save myself. I was so fucked.

  A smile curled Alex’s lips as he stepped closer, leaving barely an inch of space between our bodies. “You’re so beautiful, Violet.”

  Words escaped me as I lost myself in the crystal blue of his eyes. Holy shit, Alex was laying it on thick, and I was pretty sure I’d totally lost track of my plan to refuse him. My crush on the Australasian prince had grown into something way bigger and impossible to run from. How had this happened in a week?

  This time it was me who initiated the kiss. I couldn’t help it. He was right there, his lush lips so close, and the way he looked at me… it was like I really was a princess. Deep down, every girl wanted to be looked at like that. No matter how staunchly feminist.

  A small groan slipped from Alex’s throat as my lips pressed to his, and a surge of satisfaction rushed through me. I fucking loved how I was affecting him.

  Our lips parted seemingly at the same time, our tongues meeting in an unhurried exploration that warmed me all the way to my toes. Actually… warmed somewhere a bit higher than my toes too.

  This kiss. This was the butterfly-inducing, pussy-clenching, heart-racing kiss I’d been imagining. Alex was seriously wearing down my defenses in record time.

  “Violet,” he groaned, pulling back from me just a couple of inches. His hands cupped my face, and his hips crushed into mine, not hiding a thing about how turned on he was. “Can I—”

  Whatever he was about to ask got cut off.

  “Guess the rumors are true after all,” Rafe’s dark, nasty voice snapped, and I sucked in a sharp gasp. Alex made no move to step away from me, but his face turned cold and hard. Over his shoulder I could see Rafe and Jordan had just come through the dining room doors and were staring at us—at me—with open hostility.

  “What rumors?” I demanded, unable to bite my tongue. Alex must have already known what they were going to say because he let out a small sigh and shook his head.

  A cruel smirk touched Rafe’s lips. “That Cinderella really will suck Prince Charming’s dick to get a crown. Pathetic.”

  My jaw dropped. “Fuck you, Rafe!”

  It wasn’t my snappiest comeback, but seeing as he was already passing us, I needed to say something.

  He just smirked over his shoulder, his storm cloud blue eyes meeting mine with contempt. “Sorry, I’m not interested. Keep begging, though. It’s a good look on you.”

  Ugh. I’d walked right into that trap.

  Outraged, I had nothing to say that wouldn’t make the situation worse, so I just settled for flipping him off.

  Jordan just shook his head, the picture of disappointment as he followed his friend. But who was he disappointed with? Me? Or Rafe?

  “Ignore them,” Alex murmured, trying to rekindle the moment with small kisses along my jaw and down my neck. “They have history with me and are taking it out on you.”

  I snorted, then pushed him back a bit. “Clearly. Do you plan on filling me in?”

  Alex’s mouth tightened, and his gaze ducked away from mine. I’d take that as a no.

  “Okay, I think that’s my cue to leave.” I slipped out from where he’d backed me into the wall and took two steps down the hall before he grabbed my hand.

  “Violet, don’t do that,” he pleaded. “Rafe’s just a dick. D
on’t let him ruin tonight for us.”

  I arched a brow at Alex. “Tonight really wasn’t going any further than it already has, Alex. I’ve barely known you a week; sex wasn’t even remotely on the cards.”

  My vag called me a liar, but I shushed the bitch.

  “What? I wasn’t—” Alex shook his head, a small frown creasing his forehead. “Violet… can we just rewind five minutes? Please?” Rewind to the part where we were making out against the wall, huh? Yeah, no. Even if I badly wanted to continue that activity with him, I was too annoyed. What the fuck was the history he had with Rafe, and why was I being punished for it?

  “Look, I just need to know what I’m getting into here,” I told him, folding my arms over my chest in a classically defensive move.

  Alex’s jaw clenched, and I could tell he wasn’t going to go spilling all his secrets right here and now. Fair enough, too. Like I’d just pointed out, we barely knew each other.

  “I’ll tell you,” he started, his voice quiet and his gaze on the floor. “But not yet. Can’t we just… take things slow?”

  I snorted a laugh, thinking about how not slow we’d just been going. “Yeah, okay.” I reached out, taking his hand to show I wasn’t actually pissed off. “Sorry to push. Let’s just get to know each other, and then, maybe when you trust me more, you can tell me what Rafe’s damage is. I hate feeling like the only one out of the loop.”

  Alex gave a small nod, tugging me closer to him again with our joined hands. “So, can I walk you to your room?” His face was full of innocent hope, and I couldn’t help myself. I reached up on my toes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

  “Sure. But so we’re clear, you’re not coming in.” I meant it as a joke, seeing as he’d just asked to take things slow, but his eyes flared with the challenge.

  Chapter 13

  Alex’s plans to seduce his way into my room were thwarted when we arrived and voices came from behind my closed door.

  Alarmed, I froze with my hand on the doorknob. Alex must have heard them at the same time because he gently moved me aside and opened the door himself. It was such a protective gesture it did all kinds of things to my heart. Not that I needed a big strong man looking out for me—I was more than equipped to face any intruder—but it certainly helped me keep my secret a bit longer.