Playboy Princes (Royals of Arbon Academy, #2)(75)

“How is it that Rafe is such a prickly bastard,” I wondered aloud after thinking about it constantly over the last few days, “and yet he has such a wonderful family? I honestly expected them to be monsters, creating that little ball of delight that is their son.”

Not that Rafe had been anything less than amazing during our time here, going all out to make sure we were having a great vacation. But who could forget those first few months of asshole attitude? There had to be a reason someone was like that.

Mattie’s lips twitched, and she took a moment to look around to make sure we were alone. “His parents are wonderful,” she said softly, “but his grandfather was not. When he was the king, this land was vastly different, and… Well, it’s not my story to tell, so I won’t say much more. But just know that this family has been forged in fire, and that’s why they carry their strength so elegantly.”

I swallowed hard, all of a sudden feeling sick that I’d judged Rafe so harshly for his actions and attitude. Mattie didn’t exaggerate things like this. She also wasn’t overly dramatic. And that meant…

Fuck.

“The twins?”

They were incredibly cute and funny, and I adored hanging out with them. Lucy-Liun was legitimately a mini, female version of Rafe, and she obsessively loved her big brother, hanging off him all the time.

Jean-Luc was like Rafe too, especially in personality. He was reserved and protective, keeping an eye on his sister, even when no threats were around. They were very grown up for only being eight years old. And that added more dread to what was already accumulating in my stomach.

“They were too young,” she said simply. “Rafe and his father copped the worst of it. The crown heirs.”

I tried to remember when the grandfather had died, passing the throne on to his son, but it wasn’t immediately coming to me. Clearly within the last twenty-one years since Rafe was that old.

“Should I ask him about it?”

Mattie looked torn, and we both fell silent as we reached a set of doors that were opened for us by two uniformed guards. The chill of the outside air hit us, and since the sun had almost completely set, it was only getting colder by the minute.

“Quick, we need to get our asses in the water before we freeze,” she gasped.

Our pace picked up, flipflops slapping against the gorgeous travertine floors that lined the outside of this area. I heard the catcalls of the guys before we reached them, and it was with no surprise I found Nolan cannonballing off one of the large, rocky overhanging’s.

These natural springs had not been altered from what had been built into the land by nature itself. The castle had been molded to fit around them, and they were beyond spectacular. The sight took my breath away, forcing me to stand there in awe until I got too cold and had to move forward.

“Just be careful,” Mattie whispered, and it took me a second to realize she was answering my question from before. “Rafe… Don’t push him too far. He has a line.”

I nodded, understanding exactly what she was saying. I could ask about his past, but if he refused to answer, it was safest not to push him. Didn’t mean I’d follow that, but I definitely understood.

Rafe’s reticence was mostly the reason why I considered us nothing more than fuck buddies. If you didn’t let someone go deeper beneath your skin than a little P in V, then there was nothing more there. Jordan pushed me for more. For deeper.

Rafe did not.

Why this was bothering me so much, I was so not ready to examine.

“Get yo’ asses in the water,” Nolan called before he catapulted himself off the ledge again, disturbing the peaceful calm of the eerily blue waters.

Mattie and I hurried to the small hut that had places to hang our robes and stash our flipflops. There were tons of towels and other items there for our use as well, including snacks and a sound system.

Right now it wasn’t on; all of us had grown accustomed to the stunning silence of this area. Silence and Nolan’s obnoxious catcalling.

I stood there a second, shivering my ass off in nothing more than a two-piece swimsuit, then hurried into the water. I sighed in relief as the warmth wrapped around my legs and then my thighs, like a bath. It was almost too hot at first, but as my chilled skin adjusted, everything inside of me relaxed.

“These waters are rumored to have healing properties,” Rafe said, swimming like a fucking fish and popping up behind me.

Shark might be more accurate, silent and deadly, the apex predator.

“Is that why your family built your home here?” I asked, keeping an eye on him as he circled around me. The springs weren’t that deep here, but I did have to bob up and down to keep my mouth out of the water. It tasted sort of salty, but not in a bad way. And my skin had felt amazing after each time I’d swum here.

“My great-grandfather was the one who owned this land originally,” he said, gaze on me, the fading light highlighted behind him. “We lived here with Grandfather, but this wasn’t how the house looked. It was ugly, all stone and harsh lines. Big and imposing, it blocked out the natural landscape, rather than working with it. Dad had that shithole knocked down the second his father died. We’ve never looked back since.”

Fuck. Perfect timing to ask some of my questions.

We were alone—Mattie, Nolan, and Jordan were all rock jumping—and he’d brought it up first.