Page 46 of Royally Drawn

“Take care of yourself, darling,” Astrid said affectionately. “Such a big day.”

I couldn’t fault her. If I had the pressure on my shoulders she did, I’d do the same. I was competitive and proud. I wouldn’t risk it, either. I only hoped there would be other opportunities.

I remained at the table, listening to Duncan go on about a Spanish princess annoying him, when my phone buzzed in my pocket.

INGRID

I know we haven’t had time to talk but do you want to?

Talk, I mean.

ME

Just talk? I thought you were reading.

INGRID

I could be. Or I could do something more fun

I tried not to chuckle at her emoji. This was more than talking.

ME

I could say I needed some rest and slip away.

INGRID

Come to my room then. We’ll talk.

She was cheeky, if nothing else. I waited another few minutes and decided to turn in. Everyone looked at me like I was a disappointment, but I was walking on cloud nine. I changed into my typical old T-shirt and shorts. I wouldn’t be found in the hallway by anyone in jeans andmy shirt from the day before. I remembered to bring two condoms, hopeful I might get to use at least one of them. I’d not be darting back into the hall.

Ingrid was in bed—naked. Talking wasn’t what she wanted.

“I don’t want to talk, and I can’t stay up all night,” she said. “But I feel like I’ve had no time with you. And if I don’t get you, I might expire.”

“Oh, really, baby?” I asked, pretending to be inconvenienced. “You said you needed to talk. We might discuss your big day.”

She rolled her eyes. “Every time you get an opportunity to grab my ass, you do, Keir. You want me. Here I am. I need to blow off steam—sore legs and arms be damned.”

“Well, it’d be rude if I wasn’t at your service, right? To the victor go all the spoils.”

She smiled. “Is that what we’re calling it?”

“I’d call it whatever you want to if I could be balls-deep inside you right about now.”

“Fuck me, then,” Ingrid said.

I disrobed in record time, wasting not a second. I climbed into bed and kissed her. Ingrid’s soft, sweet curves felt like perfection beneath me. I’d been waiting a week for this, and there was no telling when I’d get her back again.

“Condom?” Ingrid asked.

“One sec,” I said, hopping back out of bed to chase one down.

“You have such a nice ass,” Ingrid said. “Not that all of you isn’t nice. But it’s not flat. I rather prefer it that way.”

“You’d objectify me, princess?” I smirked. “What now?”

“You love to be loved, I suspect. You live to be adored.”

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