Last night was the greatest night of my life. I could still feel his lips pressed against mine, his hands running across my bare skin, the way his silky hair felt between my fingers.
After our kiss, Hardin rolled off me and we simply laid there in silence, our hands clasped together, watching the midnight sky. There were a few stolen kisses but nothing to hot and heavy like our first.
They were sweet and gentle, and I know that even if I leave, I would forever cherish them.
My first kiss. My first kiss and it was with Hardin. I swear, I still feel like I dreamt up last night.
I managed to make it back to my room, before the sun came up, and got a few hours rest until Flo burst in to wake me up. I didn't think I should tell anyone.
If I told Flo, she would have ended up blabbing to Xander and then he would brag to all the other advisors, who in turn would tell the other girls, which was definitely the last thing I wanted.
What happened on the roof was sacred and private, no-one else's business apart from mine and Hardin's.
I absentmindedly flick through the pages of my book, my thoughts still plagued by Hardin, and my fingers found their way to my lips.
I laughed quietly, remembering every single touch, moan and shiver given to me by him last night.
God, my body was craving him so bad.
I wondered if he had done that with any of the other girls before and suddenly this jealous rage consumed my body. I hated the idea of him kissing the others, touching them like he touched me.
That's pathetic, right? I couldn't expect him not to do stuff with the other girls, it was the whole point of this stupid competition.
I set my book down and walked over to the window, showcasing the whole grounds of the Palace. I could spot Astrid and Rory in the gardens like usual, and thankfully Sienna and Ivy are nowhere to be found.
There were a couple of guards walking around the grounds but other than that it looked pretty empty and I could do with some fresh air.
Grabbing a cropped denim jacket, I pulled it over my baby pink dress and slipped on a pair of white sandals. I gave Flo the day off, convincing her that I'm perfectly capable of dressing myself, and can survive a day without her help.
I ate breakfast in the hall today and I would probably just pick up a snack from the kitchen for lunch, although I did have a very filling breakfast so maybe skipping lunch wouldn't be so bad.
I navigated myself through the long winding hallways and successfully managed to get outside without having to stop and ask for directions. I looked down for a spilt second, before suddenly crashing into something rock hard like a wall.
I stumbled back slightly but two strong hands shot out and grabbed ahold of my shoulders to steady me. I looked up and let a small laugh.
"Wow, again huh?" I teased, placing my hands on my hips. He rolled his eyes and gave me a cocky smirk.
"It's like we're two magnets constantly drawn together." He winked and I giggled at his cheesy line.
"I thought you were meant to be gone." I stated, remembering our brief conversation yesterday.
"Turns out my father finished all the battle plans earlier and I only had to check them, so I got back early this morning."
"Why did you have to make battle plans if the kingdom is at peace?" As far as I knew, Dahlia didn't have any existing enemies.
Apparently this new society meant that the whole world is at peace but I called bullshit.
"Well, yes the world is currently at peace but that doesn't mean we always will be and it's my job to make sure we're prepared. There's also the rebels, they're pretty dangerous, like when I was away at battle I was fighting a large group of them, about the size of a small army, on the outskirts of Juniper. Also, not all the other Kingdoms accept the way Dahlia runs itself. There's also those who favour democracy and want it back, so I always have to be ready for anything."
"Woah, sounds like a tough job." I couldn't even think to imagine how I would have coped in his position. The whole Kingdom would probably fall in a day, if I made the battle plans.
"It has its perks." He grinned, sending me another cheeky wink, to which I playfully punched his shoulder.
"Why have you got a dreamy smile on your face? What happened?" Just then I realised that I spaced out thinking of Hardin.
"Nothing, I'm just happy." I surprised myself with those words.
Happy? Did I even know what happiness was?
"You're happy here? I've never seen you truly happy here." He looked confused and a little disheartened, causing me to frown.
What did he mean by that? I've been happy right? I'm happy when I'm with Rory and... well definitely not during the competitions or the dates or when I was drugged by some crazy fruit, okay maybe he does have a point.
"It's a beautiful day. You wanna walk with me?" I hoped he didn't notice the way I tried to swiftly change the topic of conversation. I could only ever see it going down hill from there.
"Sure." We began to walk around the grounds and since I was with the future general of Dahlia, we got to walk further into the woods, where I would usually be restricted from going.
"So wants on the agenda for this week?" He asked causally, grabbing a bottle water out of his pocket and taking a large sip. I racked my brain thinking about what week it is and then groan loudly.
"It's the sexual competition." He spat out the water he was drinking, sending it flying everywhere, a few droplets hitting me in the face.
"What?" He looked at me as though as I was mad.
"Don't you know about the new additions?" He shook his head.
"No, I was away at battle for weeks remember?"
"Oh yeah, sorry. Well, there's three different types of new competitions they've introduced."
"I knew they had some sort of competitions, but sexual is one of them. That's crazy..wait this is the second month, what did you have to do last time?" My cheeks flamed up at the memory of what happened last time and I looked down in shame.
"Give him a blowjob." I mumbled quietly, desperately hoping he would hear.
"And did you?" He asked tensely, his voice laced with disgust, making me feel ten times worse about myself.
"Did I have a choice?" I retorted, angry at the way he was speaking to me.
"Of course I'm sorry." I nodded and we drifted into an awkward silence.
"Can I ask you something?" I looked back up at him and muttered sure.
"Do you want to be Hardin's wife?" My eyes went wide and my brain was blank. What was he trying to say?
"Isn't that the point of the competition?" He sighed and ran a hand through his soft hair.
"Yeah, but I mean are you here for the crown or Hardin?" What kind of question was that?
"Aren't they the same thing?" I asked in confusion.
"No, they're very different."
"Well I..."
"Arabella!" The sound of my name being shouted, cut me off and I spun around to see Hardin making his way over to us.
He was dressed in a smart white shirt, that had the sleeve rolled up to his elbows and the top three buttons undone, with a pair of sleek dress pants and then surprisingly black trainers. His hair looked slightly damp, suggesting he just out of the shower, so overall he looked incredibly sexy.
"I've been looking for you everywhere. Why are you this far out and why are you with Wyatt?" His voice was tense and the way he wrapped an arm around my waist, almost felt territorial.
He wasn't jealous, was he?
Holy shit, he was. The Prince of Dahlia was jealous of me and Wyatt!
"I'm one of the top guards Hardin and future general. You don't trust me to to protect Arabella?" Wyatt stared at Hardin with a fierce glare and Hardin grip on me tightened.
"Oh I do trust you to protect her." The emphasis on the word protect was very clear. I squirmed around nervously, trying to ignore the staring match they were having.
"So, why were you looking for me?" I blurted out, attempting to diffuse the tension.
"Flicker wanted you for a few photos. I offered to come find you. Come on, we better go and find her quickly. You know what she's like when people are late." He smiled and suddenly Wyatt wasn't here anymore. It was just me and him.
With one look, he could cause me forget everything else in the world and I hated but also loved the effect he had on me.
"You better go take those pictures. I have to go get ready for training." I looked back at Wyatt and immediately felt guilty. I gave him a smile and my body acted on it's own as I hugged him.
I think it was safe to say that my action shocked everyone, definitely Wyatt, who was extremely tense but then slowly relaxed and wrapped his muscular arms around my petite frame.
"Have fun." I said with a smile and waved as I walked off, grabbing Hardin's arm on the way, who was unusually quiet. Guards bowed their heads as we walk past, causing a weird feeling to rock through my body.
In a few months, if I was chosen, this would be my life.
Walking around the palace, having people serving me and bowing wherever I go. It was going to be a strange life, maybe even one I didn't want, but then one glance at Hardin and I remembered why I wanted to win.
I didn't want the crown or money or the jewels, I just wanted him.
We were walking towards the ballroom, when Hardin suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me into a closet . He smashed his soft lips against mine and pressed me up against the wall.
A few objects fell to the ground, causing a huge bang to resonate throughout the room, but neither of us cared as we just laughed between our kisses.
"I'm guessing there's no photo shoot," I mumbled against his lips, as my hands found their way into his silky hair.
"No, I just wanted to steal you away." My heart fluttered at the statement.
"Why were you with him?" Jealously seeped through his tone as his kisses started to get more aggressive. I moaned quietly as he moved his kisses onto my neck and I tugged lightly on his hair.
"He's my friend. I can have friends, right?" He pulled away and gave me a panty dropping smile.
"Of course, but Wyatt never wants to be just friends with a girl. Especially not a girl like you." What?
"A girl like me?" I questioned, pulling away. He sighed and placed his head on my shoulder.
"Yes, someone beautiful and smart and funny and kind. Someone perfect." My breath hitched in the back of my throat and I leant forward, placing a small gentle kiss onto his swollen lips.
"Do you know what's going to happen in the competition this week?" I couldn't even begin to fathom how jealous I was going to be when another girl got to touch him privately. Got to kiss him, or run her hands all over his naked body.
"I don't and even if I did, I couldn't tell you."
"I know, I just hate those kind of competitions."
"I know me too. They're so awkward and the whole thing feels so forced." I kissed his neck gently, slightly happier that we're both on the same wavelength. He lifted his head up and kissed me softly, his lips barely grazing against mine.
"Just so you know, you're the only one I actually get hard for." My mouth dropped open and he winked, before dashing out of the cupboard.
Suddenly I found myself in the same position I was in about a month ago. Alone, breathless and completely smitten by a Prince.
________________________________
A/N: How do you guys feel about possessive Hardin?
Bring a smile to my face and please press that vote button. Also feel free to write a comment, I love hearing from you guys! ❤️