Playboy Princes (Royals of Arbon Academy, #2)(70)

The way he was looking at me, he didn’t seem to see our differences. Not in this moment. But maybe a few days back with his family with me not having a clue how to fit it would bring it home to him. The very thought had me sick with nerves, but I did my best not to think about it.

Our friends buckled in around us, and I wasn’t surprised that Rafe and Jordan took the chairs closest to me. Rafe sat across the aisle, where I could have leaned over and taken his hand if I’d wanted, and Jordan sat right in front of me, even though he basically shifted all the way around to chat with me over the back of the headrest.

“You okay with flying?” he asked, eyes somewhat serious.

I nodded. “Yeah, I mean I have one experience to base that on, but I never freaked during that first flight. I was probably in a little shock, though, thinking I’d just scored the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“Nightmare more like,” Mattie called from the chair behind me. “But I can’t be upset you arrived. I’ve waited a long time for a friend like you, Violet Spencer.”

I cleared my throat to hide my emotions. Mattie was getting really good at mushing my heart up and leaving it all battered in my chest. In a good way. I hadn’t even realized there was a good way to feel like this, but here we were.

Rafe studied me as I struggled to compose myself. I could feel that biting gaze burning into my face. I had grown to both love and hate the way he made me feel, but in this second, I couldn’t imagine living without the buzz he created across my skin.

Jordan too. The caress of his stare was different, but no less welcome.

“Welcome aboard, Your Highnesses. Please fasten your seatbelts; we are due to leave in two minutes.”

I straightened at the announcement, noticing that there was one male steward securing things in the cabin, and obviously pilots in the front of the plane, but for the most part it was just the five of us, setting out on an adventure.

“I could get used to this,” Mattie said. I turned my head to find her leaned back, arms above her head, blanket—where the fuck had that come from?—draped over her. “Might take a short nap before waking up in paradise.”

I laughed. She was a princess, but clearly Rafe lived in a step above her normal luxury. If only she had any clue how many steps it was above my normal.

Like she’d called the steward, he silently appeared, fancy face mask and some sort of spritzing spray in his hands. Mattie took them with a smile before squirting that shit all over herself and settling the mask on her eyes.

“It’s a moisture mist,” Rafe said, lips twitching. I must have looked like a stunned fish with my mouth opening and closing. “Flying is quite dehydrating.”

He lifted his head and made a hand signal to the steward, and in seconds I had my own little spray bottle, plus some cream, a face mask that was lined with the softest material I’d ever felt, and a few other things probably not necessary for a short flight.

“Whatever you need,” Rafe said. “Just ask.”

Jordan snorted from his seat. “You’re playing unfair now, bro. Wait until we’re on my home court.”

Rafe just shot him a smug smile. “Even there, I’ll win.”

I eyed Rafe with suspicion. “This new nice version of you is creeping me out. What are you up to?”

He laughed. The fucker actually laughed, and I didn’t like what it was doing to my insides—twisting and pulling at them, rearranging the place I’d kept Rafe since almost the first moment he’d insulted me.

“I’ve never been accused of being nice before,” he said as his laughter faded. Those blue eyes, though, were lighter than I’d seen for a long time.

“You’re happy to be going home, aren’t you?” I murmured, putting the pieces together.

I expected a brush-off; Rafe wasn’t one for a touchy, “share your feelings” moment. But he surprised me.

“Yeah, I am. I haven’t seen my brother and sister for many months, and my parents are getting on in years. I like to see them as much as I can.” He was staring at his hands, a contemplative look on his face. “Once upon a time, my home was a prison. When that changed, all of us embraced a different view of everything. Now we hold on to what’s important with a ferocity that scares most people.”

He lifted his gaze, and I barely managed not to gasp at the intensity there. “Does it scare you?” he asked softly.

Jordan was silent in front of me, but he was watching this closely, without interrupting his best friend.

“You piss me off, Prince Rafe,” I said without hesitation, “but for the most part, I’m not scared of you. Not in the way you might expect, anyway.”

He was about to reply when the plane started to move, the pilot announcing some more shit about winds and distance and turbulence. I missed most of it over the pounding of my heart, so loud it was drowning out all other sound.

What was fucking happening here?

Was Rafe playing some sort of game? Was it just a competition with Jordan that had his attitude changing?

Did I even care what it was? Or should I just ride out this time in my life, enjoying the moments I had?

“Stop thinking so hard,” Jordan said with a laugh. “I promise, whatever is running through that beautiful head of yours, you definitely have it wrong.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What makes you say that?”