Twisted Kingdom: Royal Elite Book Three Read online

  “Hey, Knight?”

  “What?” He grumbles from his seat next to me. He’s been sitting there like a zombie for the past hour.

  “Do you know what Reed said about you the other day?”

  His eyes spark for the first time tonight. Sorry fuck.

  He masks his reaction all too soon, though. “I don’t care.”

  “Are you sure? It was kind of taboo.”

  His Adam’s apple bobs with a swallow. When he speaks, his voice is quiet. “What did she say?”

  “Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you. How about that, Knight?”

  I grin, walking away. I can feel him flipping me off even without having to turn around.

  Taking the steps two at a time, I find myself on the second floor. The music from downstairs eventually fades.

  My muscles tighten at the promise of finding Elsa. I haven’t touched her since yesterday and something feels off.

  I take back my thoughts about the possibility of getting enough of Elsa. It won’t happen. Not in this lifetime.

  My fucker friends tell me I’m too possessive. I ignore their comments in front of Elsa, but I mess with their lives any chance I get behind her back.

  Since Elsa’s discharge from the hospital, she’s become a new person.

  For one, she’s more open about her affection for me. She’s more demanding when it comes to what she thinks is her right, but most of all, she’s all in as much as I am.

  I can now feel it when she opens her eyes and smiles instead of frowning. When she hugs me instead of pulling away.

  We still live separately, but I plan to change that once we’re at the university.

  The fright she gave me at the hospital will never happen again. Dr Albert, her heart physician, has been watching her condition intently. The meds are enough to regulate her palpitations for now. She’s stable and healthy, but he told us to keep a close watch on her in case she hides the worsening of her condition again.

  Forget about her aunt, uncle, and father. I’ve become much worse than them when it comes to monitoring her. I can tell Elsa doesn’t like it sometimes, but I made it clear that there will be no more fucking around with her health.

  There’s no way in fuck I’ll let her be in danger like that time in the basement.

  As soon as I arrive at the door, I push it open. The bedside lamp is the only light that’s on.

  This is where I first had Elsa all for myself and the first time she wrapped those lips around my cock.

  My back leans against the door as I lock it. “Sweetheart?”

  “In here,” she calls from the bathroom. “One second.”

  “Take all the seconds,” I call back as I remove my jacket, my shirt and then my trousers and boxer briefs.

  If she thinks we’re here to party, she has another thing coming.

  I’m facing away from the bathroom, placing my clothes on the chair when tiny arms surround me from behind. Now I know why she can be so quiet when she moves. She gained that habit ten years ago when she snuck around to come meet me.

  “Wow,” she breathes against my back. “You’re ready.”

  “I’m always ready, sweetheart.”

  Her lips find my back in a chaste kiss as she murmurs, “I’m also ready.”

  Her torso that’s glued to my back is fully clothed so she can’t be naked.

  We can fix that.

  I turn around and freeze.

  Elsa stands in front of me with her hair falling on either side of her breasts. She’s wearing my Elites’ shirt with number eleven and my last name on it.

  She’s obviously not wearing anything underneath judging by the visible peaks of her nipples. The thing barely covers her pussy. Her long, athletic legs are completely bare as she fidgets.

  “What do you think?” she asks carefully. “Do you like it?”

  “Like it?” I growl, lunging at her like a fucking caveman.

  She squeals as I pick her up and throw her on the bed. Her arms loop around my neck and her legs wrap around my waist.

  My lips find hers in a savage kiss, long and desperate. I’ve been starving all day for her taste. “You know how much you made me wait, sweetheart?”

  “Was it worth it?” she pants against my mouth, her chest rising and falling in a quick rhythm.

  “Fuck right, it was, but you’re going to make it up to me.” I run my tongue over the shell of her ear. “I was promised to be able to fuck you all the way to Sunday.”

  She laughs, lust shining bright in her eyes. “And if I say no?”

  “I’ll fuck you all the way to Monday.”

  Challenge rises in her blue gaze. It’s a game of ours, something we do when Elsa wants me to go rough and merciless on her.

  “And if I say no again?” Her voice is barely a murmur.

  “We can go on until Tuesday.”

  She reaches between us and runs her finger over my cock. It was semi-hard since she hugged me. At her touch, my dick snaps to life in an instant.

  The fucking traitor is on an Elsa-Viagra pill. She’s the only one who’s able to revive him to life.

  “Fuck, sweetheart. If you don’t move your hand…”

  “What?” she challenges.

  “I’ll tie you up,” I whisper darkly into her ears and feel her sharp intake of air.

  We don’t do this often, but whenever we do, Elsa lets go completely. My little Frozen gets off on having her will taken away by me during sex. She’s slowly admitting that fact to herself.

  Baby steps.

  She releases my cock and reaches to take off the T-shirt.

  I clutch her hand, stopping her in her tracks. “I’m going to fuck you with my name branded on you, then you’ll ride me wearing it. Then I’ll take it off, tie your hands with it and fuck your little arse.”

  A red hue covers her cheeks. I revel in her reaction to my words as she nibbles on her bottom lip. “All the way to Sunday?”

  “All the way to fucking Sunday, sweetheart.”

  My lips find hers as I ram inside her in one brutal go. My abs tighten with the ruthless force of my thrust. She arches off the bed. Her arms and legs grip around me like a vice.

  In moments like these, when Elsa and I are one, the entire world vanishes.

  The need to possess her beats under my skin and claws in my bones. It’s more than an obsession or even an addiction. It’s light in the darkness burning me from the inside out.

  The more she holds on to me like I’m her anchor, the harder I fall into her warmth.

  Being with Elsa is exactly like it was ten years ago. She always brought peace to my chaotic head.

  The only difference is that I became more perverse about her company.

  Kissing and hugging aren’t enough anymore. Now, she’s mine, body, heart and soul.

  First, she engraved herself under my skin, then in my brain and then into my heart. She made a cosy place for herself in there. Now, that damn thing only beats for her.

  After I come deep inside her walls and bring her to orgasm two times in a row, Elsa lies limp, appearing all spent.

  I’ll probably need to draw her a bath.

  “Did I tell you how crazy your stamina is?” She rolls onto her side and props her elbow, facing me.

  I tug on the T-shirt that’s still covering her tits. “We still didn’t do the round with this off.”

  “I give up.” She laughs. “I completely give up.”

  “Good. Because I wasn’t kidding. I keep my promises, sweetheart.”

  A twinkle shines in her bright eyes as she nibbles on her bottom lip. She then releases it fast, thinking I won’t be able to read that gesture.

  It’s useless. I already know she has something in that busy head of hers.

  “What is it?”

  She says nothing.

  My lips tug in a smirk. “Tell me or I’ll add another round of thorough fucking.”

  “You said you keep all your promises,” she starts.

  “I do.�
��

  “How about promises from ten years ago?”

  So it’s about that. I smile on the inside, but I show her nothing. “I don’t know. You still didn’t decide on your university.”

  We’ve been talking about this for the past few months. I was more than willing to ditch Oxford and go to Cambridge — even if it’s not the best for business management and it’d piss Jonathan off.

  None of that mattered. I already decided Elsa and I will live together at university. I won’t do the whole long-distance bullshit.

  “I’m ditching Oxford,” I tell her matter of factly. I don’t care what anyone has to say about it.

  “Bummer.” She pouts. “I was thinking of applying there.”

  “You were?”

  “Yes. Dad and I talked and I decided to go back to my initial dream.”

  “Your initial dream?”

  “Yeah. I showed you the drawings when I was young.”

  “Building houses.”

  She nods frantically. “I’ll go to the School of Architecture at Oxford.”

  “And we’ll live together.” I know I’m burning steps, but I have to hit the iron while it’s hot.

  Truth is, I can never get enough of Elsa. It kills me to send her back home every other night.

  I want her with me all the fucking time. I want to sleep surrounded by her warmth every night and wake up to her face every morning.

  I expect her to fight and tell me she needs to think about it.

  My mind is already filled with a thousand ways to convince her. I can sabotage her dorm application. I can trick her into thinking she’s rented a house with a roommate and then surprise her by showing up. I can —

  Elsa reaches under the bed and brings out a bucket of chocolates. She kneels by my side, cradling the thing as her face turns bright red.

  A bucket of chocolate? What the fuck?

  Wait.

  The name of the brand stares back at me.

  Maltesers.

  * * *

  “When I grow up, I’m gonna buy you a bucket of Maltesers.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Dad says you have to buy gifts for the one you marry.”

  “Marry?” I whisper.

  “Yup!” She grins. “When I grow up, I’m going to marry you.”

  * * *

  “I’m keeping my promise, too,” she murmurs.

  “You’re not the one proposing, I am.” I groan, pulling her and the stupid bucket into me. “I’m going to fucking marry you, Elsa. You’ll be my wife. My family. My fucking home.”

  She nods several times, tears shining in her eyes. “You’ll be my home, too, Aiden. Always.”

  Always.

  I crash my mouth to hers.

  Elsa is mine.

  Fucking mine.

  Just like I’m hers.

  Always.

  Next up, I’m going to put a fucking baby in her.

  Epilogue - Elsa

  Three years later

  * * *

  “As I was saying, you can’t argue with me using some theory. Be an actual nerd and prove it in real time.”

  Aiden stares at our classmates with his signature poker face. I swear he’s become even more tenacious about hiding his emotions.

  I’m lucky I met him at eighteen because twenty-one-year-old Aiden would’ve driven me bonkers.

  Scratch that. He does, but I know him well enough to counter him at every turn now. I don’t always win, but the challenge is worth it.

  Our colleagues stare at him with questions and no answers.

  Only Aiden would call university students nerds to their faces. When I told him not to do that, he said he’s a firm believer in calling things by their names.

  “Anyone?” he challenges. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.”

  He’s lucky Cole isn’t here. It would’ve morphed into a full-blown war if he was, and we’d be all sitting here watching them argue all night.

  No one ever wins, but Aiden keeps insisting he takes it easy on him.

  “Actually, there’s one.” A sinister voice comes from my right. His American accent differentiates him immediately.

  I groan even before the twat joins the circle. I thought we were lucky tonight since Cole had things to take care of.

  Turns out, no.

  “What are you even doing here?” I ask. “You don’t belong to this club.”

  “I do now.” Deep green eyes fill with mischief as he waves his access card. “I had to be where all the cool kids go. Isn’t that right, Pres?”

  Our debate club president, Oliver, nods at the American’s charming grin.

  I roll my eyes. The only reason he joined is to challenge Aiden and Cole. I swear they attract lunatics like this American as if they were magnets.

  Even Aiden didn’t join the club out of goodwill. I joined first and he just slid in because ‘he was interested’.

  Interested, my arse. More like he wants to be here to shoo the flies away as he calls them.

  Aiden’s possessiveness knows no limits. He doesn’t like how close I am to the other club members, so he barged in to make their lives hell. He can be so frustratingly argumentative when he chooses to.

  “Good of you to join us, Ash.” Aiden grins as sadism sparks in his eyes. “Now look away from my wife before I create a diplomatic problem between England and the US.”

  The all-American golden boy bursts into laughter, raising his hands. “All right, all right. You have it bad, dude.”

  Aiden wraps his hand around mine, interlacing our fingers as if to prove a point.

  Our rings are above each other. Something Aiden likes to do a lot.

  We’ve been married for two years, and he’s been publicising it everywhere. Whenever someone stares in my direction, he nearly blinds them with the huge diamond ring he got for me.

  It’s not something I would wear, but I accepted it nonetheless. This ring was Alicia’s, and I understand its emotional value for Aiden.

  I soon found out he’s also using it to mark his territory at every opportunity.

  The press is the only medium he didn’t use for publicity, but he didn’t need to.

  Our wedding, although exclusive to family and friends, made the headlines.

  The King and Steel marriage was written about over and over in business columns and newspapers.

  It’s the start of a new era for both companies. While Dad and Jonathan aren’t the best of friends, they learned to work together.

  I still can’t trust Agnus completely. He really is a psychopath and I’m always wary of him. However, Dad trusts him even though he might know exactly his nature.

  Agnus plays a huge part in Dad and Jonathan’s partnership. He’s become a pillar of strength for our families and I can’t hate him for that.

  Even Aunt and Uncle’s company, Quinn Engineering has been thriving since the partnership between King Enterprises and Steel Corporation.

  Aunt was a little sad when I chose Oxford over Cambridge, but she quickly got over it.

  “Do you have anything to add to the discussion, Ash?” Aiden asks his American friend.

  All the team members focus on the latter.

  Some girls blush. Others stare up at him with dreamy eyes.

  If only they knew what lurks under the beautiful façade.

  He’s just like Aiden. If not a little more unhinged. I still have no idea why he left his prestigious college back in the States to join us here.

  “Yes, actually.” He flops into a chair, his arms hanging off the edge. “See, Aiden. I don’t have to prove it to you because we’re not under legal obligation. I can choose to prove it, but it’s only voluntary.”

  “When does voluntary end and the obligation start?” Aiden shoots back.

  They go on and on. The audience are watching the two titans clash with gaped mouths. Even the president doesn’t dare to say anything.

  Me on the other hand? I’m done watching two sociopaths trying to outsmart one ano
ther.

  As Asher goes on and on about legal texts and whatnot, I squeeze Aiden’s hand and whisper, “I’m tired. Let’s go home.”

  He doesn’t even stop to consider it.

  Still clutching my hand, he stands, taking me up with him and cuts off Asher. “My wife needs to rest.”

  “Loser,” Asher mutters.

  Aiden smirks. “I’m taking a rain check.”

  “I’ll be here,” Asher calls to our backs as we head to the door. “Now, where was I?”

  He launches into a long, one-sided argument.

  “Why are you even friends with him?” I ask as soon as we’re alone.

  “Because he’s fun, sweetheart. We need fun people who aren’t politically correct.”

  “You mean sociopaths.”

  “Every society needs old-fashioned villains.” He grins down at me, then his brows crease. “Why are you tired?”

  “I’m—”

  Before I can say anything, he slams his palm on the middle of my chest.

  “Aiden!” I watch our surroundings. I know he’s just checking my heartbeat — like he does every day. Actually, he sometimes sleeps with his head on my heart to make sure it’s working properly.

  “I told you to check my wrist pulse when we’re in public,” I whisper. “People are watching.”

  “Fuck people. I’ll check my wife’s pulse any way I like.” He removes his hand and places two fingers on my neck. “Hmm. Your pulse is fine.”

  “It is,” I say as we step into the cold air.

  “Then what is it? Do you feel chest tightness?”

  “No.”

  “Palpitations?”

  I shake my head.

  Aiden is strict as fuck when it comes to my health. He’s more religious about my appointments than I am. He’s continuously studying about heart conditions like doctors with degrees.

  He’s even considering taking a second course in medicine.

  No kidding, he really is.

  He steps in front of me, buttons my coat to my chin, removes his scarf and ties it close around my neck.

  It smells of him, clean and masculine. I take a deep inhale, breathing him into my lungs.

  Aiden takes my cold hand in his and blows warm air into them before he places them in my pockets.