Vicious Prince (Royal Elite 5)

He waggles his brows. “I’ll never be done parading you around, belle.”

“I promised Charlotte I’d spend time with her.”

“I come first. Besides, Lars is there until we get back.”

For some reason, it feels as if Ronan doesn’t want to stay in his house for very long. I know it’s not because of Charlotte, or even Edric. He might act aloof around his father, but I’ve seen the way he looks at him — like a son looking up to his dad. It’s the same expression Knox has when Dad is around.

The invisible connection between Ronan and Edric always made me uncomfortable in my own skin.

I hate it.

I loathe it.

I wish I could destroy it.

“Lars isn’t my biggest fan,” I say instead.

“He’s no one’s biggest fan.” He points at his chest. “Except for moi.”

“Arrogant much?”

“One of us has to be. Imagine we’re at one of the adult parties and you’re silent or thinking about escaping. I have to be the one who

keeps the atmosphere up.”

“Wouldn’t people think you were with a boring fiancée?”

“Fuck people. They’re not the ones who sleep with you every night.”

My cheeks turn hot, but I manage to say, “You don’t sleep with me every night.”

“I can change that.”

“Ronan.” I eye our surroundings in case anyone heard.

“What? We’re engaged. That means I’ll end up marrying you and you’ll sleep with me every night, no exceptions.”

Something in my chest falls. The reality of the situation I’ve been ignoring crashes down on me in one go.

There’ll be no marriage.

That’s not the reason for this engagement.

Someone slams into my arm, and I startle. An electric current shoots through my limbs. My breaths shorten and my legs become unable to carry me.

The attack comes on so fast, without any warning. It could be because I was lost in my head or because I was too at peace with my surroundings.

I shouldn’t have been.

My environment has always been the enemy.

I was trapped in that unknown and I couldn’t do anything about it and —

Warm hands wrap around my cheeks, wrenching me back from those memories.

“Hey…” Ronan’s voice softens as he makes me face him.

My gaze slowly slides up his chest and to his deep brown eyes. There’s something calming about them, like the lullaby I never had.