Steel Princess (Royal Elite 2)

“Don’t let them get between us. Forget about them.”

“Forget about them?” I shriek, angry tears rimming my eyes. “I already forgot many things, Aiden. I forgot about my parents and my brother. I forgot who I am for ten fucking years, so don’t you go telling me to forget about anything! Actually, no. There’s an exception. I’ll forget everything about you.”

“You’ll forget everything about me, huh?” His tone is calm but chilling.

“I will.” My heartbeat throbs with every word I say. “You used me and ridiculed me. I’m already a wreck. Are you happy now?”

His lips crush to mine. He kisses me with tenderness and passion that leaves me breathless.

A sob catches at the back of my throat. The tears I held onto for the whole day spill free.

He licks my bottom lip, coaxing me to open up.

Open up and do what? Be the same fool that I’ve been since the beginning of the year?

Fall for him all over again just to be hurt?

I bite his lower lip, but that only turns his kiss more savage.

He pulls on my band, releasing my hair and fists it in his hand. His tongue thrusts inside and claims mine. He kisses me until there’s no breath left in my lungs.

He finally pulls back and growls against my mouth, “There’s no forgetting about me, sweetheart. Is that fucking clear?”

“Then tell me the truth, Aiden! If you don’t, I swear to God, I’ll hate you.”

“You’ll hate me,” he repeats the words with menace, gripping my hair tighter.

Aiden doesn’t like to be threatened but screw him. He’s threatened me enough. It’s time he takes a taste of his own medicine.

“I’ll hate you,” I repeat with conviction. “I don’t care if it takes me a month, a year, or a decade, but I will forget about you.”

His left eye twitches and he glares at me as if he’s challenging me to do just that.

To test him and bear the consequences.

I glare back at him, not cowering away.

The air ripples with tension as neither of us break eye contact.

After what seems like forever of staring at each other, he releases me.

My hands fall on either side of me, but he doesn’t get off me. It’s as if he needs the closeness.

And maybe. Just maybe, I need it, too.

I don’t know when Aiden became the only person I always need close.

He just is.

Since he remains silent, I decide to take it into my hands. “The friends you told me about are Jonathan and my father, right?”

It makes sense with all the tycoon part and how they both married mentally ill women. Alicia and my mum were just a part of the King and Steel bet.

He nods.

“You said there was a bet that ruined everything?”

“A business deal,” he says and for the first time, Aiden doesn’t meet my eyes.