Page 45 of Court of Rivals
His jaw ticks, and he looks away from me. “That wasn’t smart of him. He wanted to punish you, but didn’t think it through. I won’t let something like that happen again.”
His dark blue eyes find mine again. “For fucks sake, Harper, you realize that we’re all ramped up because of our dragons, right? You realize how bad it’s gotten since you and your dragon came here, don’t you? The men are losing control, and having someone who looks like you around isn’t helping!”
I lick my lips, feeling strange. “You act like any of what you said is my fault. I mean, fuck, yourdadis the one who had that outfit made for me.”
“I don’t care who did what.” Clenching the leather straps of my shirt tighter, he pulls me closer. “Let’s just put it this way. If I see any part of you exposed again, I’m going to do something about it. Do you understand me?”
I swallow, hard, not sure exactly what he’s implying. And maybe curious about what he means. “I understand.”
He reaches over me, so his entire body brushes against mine, including his bare chest, and opens my door. His scent washes over me, something clean and crisp that I like more than I should. And it’s strange feeling his bare skin against mine. Strange, and good.
Pulling back, he looks down at me again with heated eyes. “Now go put on something we can’t take off quite as easily. We might be royals, but fucking temptation like that could make any man do something dangerous.”
He releases my top, and I manage to catch it and hold it in place just in time. He adjusts himself, looking absolutely thunderous, then turns and stomps away.
I stand and watch him go for a long minute before slipping back into my room and closing the door. Legs shaking, I go to my bed and collapse back onto it, still holding my top against my chest. The way I’m feeling makes absolutely no sense. What just happened to me was humiliating. Easily the most humiliating thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m not exactly an inexperienced woman, but I’d never want to be topless in front of a group of men.
And yet… it’s like my body doesn’t know what to do with every part of this experience. I remember Prince Lucien behind me, touching me, being rough with me, and I’m not mad. I’m not embarrassed. I’m turned on. And then Prince Gareth? I’ve never had a man act so possessive of me. Everything about him just radiatedmanin a way I’ve never experienced before.
I think… I think I’m turned on.
It’s probably my connection to Ebron. That’s what the men had said, right? That we get turned on because of our dragons? Still, knowing that, and feeling this way, doesn’t help one bit.
This connection is scary. All logic says I should be curled up in a ball crying. I should be angry, embarrassed, and struggling with a deep sense of shame. Or, maybe, I should be plotting my revenge. I don’t know. But I sure as hell shouldn’t be turned on.
Maybe when things are calmer, I can ask Ebron.But for now, I have other things on my mind.
Unable to help myself, I undo my pants and reach down. I hesitate for only a second before slipping my hand into my underwear. I find myself completely wet.
Shaking, I start to stroke myself. Slow at first. Then, harder and harder. Before too long, I’m panting, my back arched, tension screaming through every muscle in my body. And then,I come, and come hard. It’s like lightning crashing inside of me, and all I can do is hold on until the tremors pass.
But then, they do pass. I’m left thinking about the three princes, my hand down my pants, trembling and wet, but wishing that instead of my hand, I would’ve had one of them inside of me. Which makes no sense. I don’t want the princes. I don’t even like them.
Do I?
18
Gareth
I’m storming down the hall, angry and aroused all at the same time, when I hear Lucien shouting my name.Fuck, just what I need. That asshole. That asshole whoexposedHarper to everyone. I’m going to slit his damn throat.
I ignore him, afraid if I see him right now that I just might kill him, but he lacks all self-preservation. Instead of picking up on my very clear non-verbal cues, he grabs my shoulder and spins me around to face him, so that I can see that there’s already a nice black eye forming on his face.
It should match the one fading on Harper’s beautiful face.
“What the fuck?” he shouts.
I grab him and shove himhard, until I’m pressing his back against the wall. Rage burning through me. Begging me to do something I’ll regret. At least something I’ll regret when my father hears about it.
“Walk away,” I say through gritted teeth.
The arrogant bastard shakes his head, anger in his eyes. “You punched me.”
“You deserved it.”
“I was teaching her a lesson.”
I pound my fist into the stone behind him. “Whatlesson?”
