Page 10 of Royally Drawn

Was he saying what I thought he was? If so, he wasvastlyoverstepping. Either way, I had no words. It made me feel all sorts of things. I got wetter justthinkingabout him.

“Did you make that for someone?” I gestured to the second drink on the bar, which was now unclaimed.

“Oh, um, yes. Nate,” Keir answered.

“We should get back.”

Keir nodded, nodding that I should lead the way out. I gathered it was so he could look at my ass. And yet, I didn’t much mind. Whether it was the drink or my lack of sexual fulfilment, I gave over to this unavoidable desire to have him lust after me. He could chase me if he wanted. It would only please me more. Whether I gave in was my decision alone.

Playing Games

KEIR

I’d riled Ingrid up by talking about a good kiss making her wet. It was low-hanging fruit. She’d changed the subject, but I’d watched her bite her lip and contemplate it. She had the most beautiful little mouth. I’d loved to have taken the time to kiss her properly. I wondered what she could do with those full lips beyond kissing. I watched in agony as her hips swayed with each step on our return trip to the rest of the party.

Things devolved there. Leah was sprawled out, her head in Cici’s lap for some reason. I didn’t ask. She was too much like her father, my Uncle George, in that she always needed to be the centre of attention. As she was the life of the party, we obliged her.

“Get up, you’re taking up too much space,” Cici laughed, smacking Leah’s arse.

“I’m a bad girl,” Leah joked, getting up and flopping down next to Duncan.

“You need to be cut off,” I said.

“She called her boyfriend and had phone sex in the car on the way back to the harbour,” Betty groaned.

“Betty,” Lars sighed, “you know nothing about phone sex, or sex, for that matter.”

“Bull-fucking-shit,” Leah giggled. “Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.”

Betty giggled.

“But yes, I did get… mildly inappropriate on the phone. I didn’t know anyone could hear me.”

“The beauty of being American is you think no one can hear you, but we all can,” Duncan said.

“I am only half! Same as most of you, I’ll add! People find my accent adorable.”

I snickered. “Leah, when you get bored of being on your PR campaign, let me know.”

“Oh, my publicist has an easy job unless I’m fucking the wrong person at the wrong time.”

“Does anyone mind? Betty is precious,” I said, running around to cover her ears.

“Agreed,” Lars added.

She smacked my hand away. “Stop!”

“And yet you are both thirsting over Princess Ingrid as if she is the second coming. No offence to you, Ingy. You’re downright fuckable, but neither of them can hold back. You realise she’s only two years older than Betty, right?”

Lars and I looked at one another, then Leah. Yes, it was true. That everyoneelsesaw it and Leah called it out was the painful bit. I wanted to riot.

“Oh, stop. She’s right,” Cici said. Isak nodded along. He almost always let her do all the talking.

“I am not a baby! I refuse to accept anyone’s opinions on this matter. They are wrong!” Betty declared.

I sat near Ingrid—the only seat left—as the rest of the party weighed in, arguing in a short moment of distraction. I finally dared to look over at her. Arms crossed, she sat, bothered by the frank, sarcastic talk of our company of unruly and undisciplined soldiers. If these were my men, I’d never have tolerated this.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered as chatter continued. “I don’t think of you like that.”

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