Steel Princess: A Dark New Adult Romance (Royal Elite Book 2)
Steel Princess: Chapter 24

Aiden wanted me to stay the night, but I already promised Aunt and Uncle that I’d be home.

We’re having a rare family dinner, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Besides, I need distance from Aiden tonight. He got too close and touched me so deep, I’m scared there will be no coming out from under his clutches.

We watched the second half of the game with the guys — or more like with Xander and Ronan. Cole wasn’t there when Aiden and I joined them.

After the game ended, I asked Aiden to drop me off at home.

Which brings us to the now.

I slide in the passenger seat of the Ferrari as Aiden snaps his seatbelt in place.

Someone is pissed off.

“You know how rare it is to get dinner with Aunt and Uncle.”

He revs the engine to life. “Did I say anything?”

He doesn’t have to. I recognise the displeased energy surrounding him.

For some reason, I don’t want him to be angry after he offered me one of the most unforgettable nights of my life.

The car launches in the streets. It’s dark, but it’s stopped raining.

I turn to place my backpack in the backseat. Something makes a noise underneath it.

Frowning, I pull the object and replace… a pack of condoms?

What in the actual…?

I thrust the pack in front of Aiden’s face. “What is this?”

He barely glances at it. “Condoms.”

“I know what they are, Mr Obvious. I’m asking what the hell are they doing here.” My breathing hitches. “Are they for Silver when you —”

“Stop.” He fixates me with a glare before focusing back on the road. “I told you that I didn’t fuck Queens, and I don’t lie to you. Is that clear?”

“Then what are they for? It sure as shit isn’t for me.”

“Astor leaves them around me all the time, usually in my bag.” He rolls his eyes. “Flip it and you’ll replace some cheesy note.”

I do as he said and replace a scribble in Ronan’s signature messy handwriting.

Wrap it before you tap it, mate. I don’t want kids running around at my parties. Mmmkay?

A smile breaks on my lips. That’s so Ronan.

“Happy now?” Aiden asks.

I bite my inner cheek. “Sorry.”

“You need to learn how to trust me.” He glances at me. “It won’t work if I’m the only one who trusts you.”

I suck more on my inner cheek.

He trusts me.

But then again, I never gave him a reason not to trust me.

Unlike him.

I opt to change the subject instead of going on a fruitless argument.

I shake the pack. “Why do you never use condoms with me?”

He narrows his eyes — probably because of the change of subject — and I expect him to refuse, but he focuses back on the road and says, “They’re a barrier. I hate having barriers between us.”

I don’t know if he says these types of things on purpose or if he really means them. Either way, it’s working.

My face heats and my toes curl.

“You should be thankful I’m on the shot. You didn’t even ask if I were on birth control the first time…” I trail off, my eyes widening. “How did you know I was on birth control?”

“I didn’t.”

“You… didn’t? What if I wasn’t on anything?”

“So what?”

Oh, God. I want to bash his poker face against the window.

“So what? So freaking what? I could’ve gotten pregnant!”

He tilts his head to the side. “You’re not.”

“What if I were, huh?”

“I don’t consider hypothetical situations.”

“Well, consider them now. You want me to trust you, right? Then be honest with me. What would you have done if I were on nothing and fell pregnant?”

He sighs, keeping his attention on the road. “I would’ve taken care of it and you. I’m not irresponsible.”

“Have you ever thought about my opinion? What if I don’t want kids this young?”

“I didn’t plan on impregnating you, but if it happens, it happens, Elsa.”

“Yeah, right. You totally didn’t plan on it and the proof is not using a condom. Did you do that with all your previous sexual partners?”

We stop at a red light and Aiden’s icy stare bores into me. “You’re the only one I haven’t used a condom with. Do you think I was in my right mind the first time I fucked you? Or every time after for that matter? The moment I knew you were a virgin and that you were offering your virginity to me, I lost it. Do you think I had the time to think about a fucking condom when your tight pussy was clenching my dick that hard?”

“No?”

“Fuck no.” He takes my hand in his and places it on the swell of his jeans. “I’m hard just thinking about that night, sweetheart.”

“Perv.” I yank my hand, but my cheeks flame. “Do you have some virgin blood kink?”

“Only yours, sweetheart.” His left eye twitches. “I was pissed off at the thought that someone else touched you and has been inside you, so imagine my surprise when you gave it to me.”

My knee-jerk reaction is to tell him that it isn’t a big deal.

But that would be a lie, wouldn’t it?

I gave him that part of me, and I don’t regret that he’s the first one who knows me intimately.

“How was it like when you lost your virginity?” I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me.

The green light goes on and he kicks the car into gear. “Boring.”

“Can you give more details?” I ask.

“I was fifteen and I was sick of Knight and Astor urging me to shag and sending me gay porn sites in case I was interested in the other sex. In comes my father’s secretary. She was the only female he allowed close after Alicia’s death and I didn’t like it. One night, said secretary was flirting with me in the kitchen. I pushed her against the counter and fucked her from behind. Unlike what the guys warned, I didn’t come pre-maturely. I had to ram inside her for fifteen minutes before I found release. Now that I think about it, the second-rate porn noises she made must’ve been the turn-off.”

“Wow.” My mouth hangs open. “I… have no words for that.”

He lifts a shoulder. “You asked for the details.”

Yeah, but I didn’t mean so many details.

“So you fucked the woman your father was fucking?”

“Nah. Turns out Jonathan never fucked her. He doesn’t screw around with work.”

“What happened to her?” Please tell me she doesn’t work for Jonathan anymore. I don’t like that he’s still in contact with the woman he lost his virginity to.

“Jonathan walked in on us while she was sucking my dick and fired her. That’s when I knew he never fucked her.”

“Did you keep in touch with her?”

“Why would I?”

“You know, for sex.”

“She wasn’t a good fuck.”

“Hey! That’s rude. Do you even remember her name?”

“I don’t remember names of people who aren’t a part of my life. Ms Secretary gave good head, but she wasn’t a good fuck.”

“Does that mean you had good fucks after her?” I try not to sound jealous, but I’m not sure if I succeeded.

“Sure did.”

We approach my house, and I’m so ready to leave him and his ‘good fucks’.

The thought of him driving another woman as crazy as he does me makes me sick to my stomach.

“Good for you,” I huff throwing the pack of condoms where I found it. “Maybe I should’ve had some experience of my own, too.”

He slams on the breaks, I nearly topple over from my seat.

“Don’t you ever fucking repeat that.” He releases his seatbelt and faces me. “I’m the only experience you’ll ever have. Is that clear?”

“Why can’t I have memorable fucks like you did?”

“None of them were memorable. I quickly lost interest.” He reaches a finger and traces it along my lower lip. “Until you.”

I swear my heart jumped out of its cavities at Aiden’s husky, low words.

“What if you lose interest in me, too?”

“Never.” He flattens his thumb on my lower lip. “I’ve been addicted to you since I touched you. I can’t stay away from you even if I wanted to, sweetheart. So don’t ask me to. Don’t even suggest it.”

My breathing deepens as I stare at him with parted lips.

Because I don’t think I can stay away from him either.

Not anymore.

He leans over and presses his lips to mine. I open up with a moan. With every stroke of his tongue against mine, my walls crumble all around me and I have no way to stop them.

All I can do is watch as he invades my life and flips it upside down.

And the problem is? I want him to.

No. I need him to.

I wrap my arms around his neck and run my fingers in the small hairs at the back of his head.

He pulls back way too soon, his eyes shining bright. “Go.”

I frown. What?

Why is he stopping?

“If you don’t leave now, I’m fucking you right here where your guardians will see us.”

Oh.

I forgot that we’re in front of my house.

“I’ll count to three.” He tilts his head. “One… three.”

I snatch my backpack and open the door with flustered fingers.

A heartfelt chuckle follows me as I jump to the pavement in front of my house.

Aiden rolls down the window of his car.

I freeze.

He’s smiling.

Aiden has a wide, heart-stopping smile on his lips. It takes everything in me not to go back in there and watch it up close.

Kiss it.

Memorise it.

“Night, sweetheart. I miss you already.”

And then his car disappears down the road.

I stand rooted there, gaping after him like an idiot.

I’m so fucking screwed over Aiden King.