The boyish smile she knew well made an appearance, but it didn’t last long. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. “I didn’t sleep last night, and I took it out on you.” She waited expectantly, and he cleared his throat. “Apparently, I can feel when Vivian has an, uh, orgasm.”
Roman’s face turned beet red, and Violet wished she’d never asked. As a matter of fact, she wished the tigon had eaten her when he’d had the chance. “I didn’t know you two were having sex yet. Not that I need to know,” she added.
Fifteen seemed a bit young, in her opinion, but plenty of her classmates were already doing it. If it was what they wanted and they were safe about it, that was their business.
Roman stiffened. “Gods, Vi, we’re not having sex with each other. I can feel her with someone else.” He paused and added, “Unless she’s doing it herself, but there are other emotions when it happens that I don’t think she’d feel on her own.”
She remembered months ago when she’d overheard Viv and another boy. What did you say to someone who found out their mate cheated on them? “I’m sorry, Rome.”
He scratched the back of his head. “I don’t care if she does.”
Well, I guess they aren’t together after all.
Dropping his hand, Roman shrugged. “It feels great, actually.” He chuckled when Violet’s jaw fell open, “but I don’t want to feelher.” His emphasis on the last word struck Violet as a bit odd, but she brushed it aside.
“Are you two friends?” she asked. The prince and her sister got along well enough at their weekly dinners, but Violet rarely saw them speak otherwise.
A guilty look passed over his face. “Kind of.”
“Kind of?”she parroted, planting her hands on her hips. “That means no. No wonder you two don’t want to be together.” She should have kept the last bit to herself, but it didn’t take a genius to see they didn’t like each other inthatway. They couldn’t act on it in public if they did, but even at their weekly dinners they were cordial. Nothing more.
“That’s your problem,” she continued. “How do you expect to love each other if you’re not friends first? Mom says the best friendships turn into the greatest loves.”
His gaze bored into hers. “Meri is a smart woman.”
“You both like doing sword stuff,” Violet pointed out. “Maybe you could practice sword stuff together or punch each other.”
Playful mischief laced his expression. “Sword stuff?”
“You know what I mean,” she muttered.
Roman tilted his head with feigned interest. “I don’t think I do.” He leaned casually against the wide, blue, iridescent trunk of the tree. “Explain it to me.”
Matching his stance, she smiled sweetly. “If you’ll let me borrow your sword, I’ll run it through your middle as a demonstration.” She glanced at the short sword strapped to his hip.
His mouth curled with amusement. “The princess has claws.”
If she had claws, she’d scratch his eyes out just to wipe that smug look off his face.No, you wouldn’t.You like it too much,a small voice whispered in the back of her mind.
Violet bent down to gather her satchel and studiously ignored his teasing. She tried to straighten and nearly head-butted the giant tigon who’d moved closer. The big cat licked her cheek, and she swiped at it with a mock glare in its direction. “You need to name him so I can scold him properly for sneaking up on me.”
Roman rolled his lips together and looked away. He hid his smiles a lot, but she didn’t know why. Some were annoying, but most made him even more handsome. “He’s been sitting there the entire time,” Roman said, his amusement clear. “I wouldn’t call thatsneaking up on you.”
Violet looked the tigon over. “He looks ferocious enough to win a battle on his own, and clearly he has the stealth.” She turned back to Roman. “You should name him War.”
The cat purred. Roman stared at hisfamiliarand his shoulders loosened. “Thank the gods. He likes it.”
Violet clapped excitedly and leaned over to kiss the top of War’s head, whispering, “Don’t let him get too big of a head when he’s king.” The beast tried to lick her again, but she jumped back. War’s tongue caught Violet’s necklace instead, and she yelped, snatching the string to keep it from breaking.
Roman glanced at the jewelry clutched in her hand. “Did you make that?”
“Yes.” She fiddled with the shells. “I think I look quite pretty with it on.” Flipping her hair dramatically, she popped a hip and struck a pose.
An unreadable emotion shone in Roman’s eyes, and his voice softened. “You’re pretty without it. You don’t need that stuff.”
Violet did everything in her power to ignore the fact that he’d called her pretty and adjusted her satchel. “I never said I was ugly without it.”
Roman stiffened, and she turned to War. “Remember what I told you.” The beast nodded his head, and Violet turned back to Roman. Hopefully putting space between them would squash the furious fluttering in her stomach. “Be friends with my sister or you’ll be miserable for the rest of your life.”
