No matter how well he kissed.
But he would want something. I needed to make sure that I was ready for whatever he asked for in the future. Everyone wanted something and the kings were no exception. In fact, their requests were over the top and I wasn’t sure I was ready for it.
“Come on, Anna,” Royce said softly, holding out his hand. “I’m not—hell, I just want to help you find your future, all right? Don’t look at me like I am going to ask for your firstborn.” A hint of a grin crossed his face. “Unless you are willing to marry me, and then I can give you that firstborn.”
Rolling my eyes, I reached for his hand, feeling the warmth of his skin against mine. “As long as you can promise that you won’t hide anything from me, then I will let you help.”
He squeezed my hand. “I will, I swear it.”
I released his hand, not liking the fiery spread that was climbing through my body. “I, um, I should go.”
I was almost at the door before Royce cleared his throat. “Don’t forget that I’m not the only one with ambitions when it comes to you, pauper.”
I knew he was talking about Arthur, but I could almost put both him and Max in the same bucket.
They all had their own ambitions for me. I just wasn’t sure what they were.
**
I watched her walk out before swearing to myself. I could still feel her lips pressed against mine, the way her body fit every hard crevice. She had surprised me with the way she had been able to pick up the skills quickly and I had enjoyed sparring with my pauper far too much.
The kiss had been just an added bonus and for a moment, I had thought about taking her right on the mat.
“Shit,” I muttered, picking up the discarded swords and replacing them in their racks on the wall. I really hadn’t meant to kiss her, but the opportunity had presented itself and I couldn’t pass it up.
Of course, it had scared the shit out of her and now I was pretty much at square one with Anna again.
Throwing out Arthur’s ambitions probably didn’t help me much either. She wanted to know what I wanted from her. Hell, I had already told her what I wanted, even if it was more than she had bargained for.
Rolling my shoulders, I swiped my things from the bench and walked out of the training room, flipping off the light as I did so. Anna needed me to trust her and I needed her to trust me if we were going to get through this. I wasn’t lying to her, either. I wanted to help her, to put her in the position of power she had been born into but never rightfully received.
Part of that was getting the needed information about her mother. She knew who her father was, but her mother? That was still a mystery.
Well, I was going to make sure I was the one to find the information. I had all sorts of favors called in right now, costing me more booze and money than I cared to admit.
But if this worked out for me, then it would all pay off. Anna was going to be mine. I had already told her that. I was the only one that could get her the money her father had left her.
Now I had to see if I could get her to believe that it was true.
Chapter 10
Anna
I wrapped my arms around my waist as I hurried back to my dorm, the events playing over in my mind.
I had kissed Royce.
And I had liked it.
My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I turned down the familiar hall. I couldn’t even start to think about how we had gotten started, but suddenly there I was, moaning into his mouth and thrusting my fingers into his soft hair.
It was absolutely crazy.
I really should be kicking myself about kissing another king. I couldn’t get involved with Royce or Arthur or Max. They were all out to be the one that positioned themselves next to me, which meant none of them had real feelings for me.
If I was a smarter person, I would leave this academy right now before things got worse.
But the funny thing was, I couldn’t. My father had put me here for a reason. He could have easily washed his hands of me and forgotten I ever existed, and I would have been none the wiser.
He hadn’t though. He had put it in his will for me to attend Weissmore, just like he had.
He had left me a lot of money, with only a minor stipulation that a normal person would be seeking out a royal sovereign to marry so that the money would be hers.
And not thinking about the searing kiss that someone who had once been my enemy had planted on me.
Johanna was going to freak when I told her about this!
The moment the thought crossed my mind, I pulled it back. Did I want to tell Johanna? Yes, we were friends, but I was starting to wonder if she was out for something more as well. It was a hard pill to swallow to think the only friend I had at this academy had her own agenda, but if I had not learned anything else about Weissmore, it was not to trust anyone that I came in contact with.
Including Johanna.
No, I wouldn’t tell her about Royce. She would likely give me the same spiel that Arthur had given me about not being able to trust anyone but them.
I didn’t want any more lectures from anyone. I wanted answers.
“Where have you been?”
I drew up
