Forbidden Honor (Dragon Royals #1)(107)

I turned a corner, and there was Caldren, his dark head bent over a book as he turned the pages. I stopped dead, my heart hammering in my chest.

He glanced up at me, and smiled, his chocolate brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “Oh, good. I don’t have to wait till morning to give you this.”

“What is it?” I asked.

He reached into the leather bag slung over his shoulder and pulled out a bag, which he held toward me. “This one’s too heavy to toss.”

The edges of the leather bag bulged with the edges of coins. It was likely enough to pay the rest of Hanna’s tuition. “How—?”

“Don’t ask how.” A mischievous smile touched his lips. “Plausible deniability.”

“Did you break some laws?” The teasing note in my voice surprised me. The bag was heavy.

“None of the important ones.”

“Really, Cal, you could do something with this…”

“It’s just money. My father tried to use money to control me. I refuse to care too much about it anymore.”

Every mention of his family being awful made my heart lurch a little. But he didn’t seem to notice. He picked the top book off my stack and examined the spine. “Geography of Kingdoms?”

I’d hoped to uncover something, somewhere, about those damned tunnels. “I’m always learning.”

He cocked his head, studying me. “Where have you and the royals been going?”

I hadn’t expected such a bold question. “What?”

He grinned, his smile disarming and boyish. “You’ve been leaving with them on the weekends.”

He was curious where I’d been, but I was curious why Jaik hated him. “Jaik wouldn’t appreciate it if I told you.”

He tossed the book onto the shelf, the movement too casual, then fenced me in with his arms. My breath stuttered in my chest as I felt the heat of his body wash over mine, and something low in my stomach pulsed in response as his lips dipped close to my ear. “And I wouldn’t appreciate it if you didn’t.”

I should be pissed he’d just caged me against the shelves. But my body had suddenly clenched in a way that suggested I liked having him dominate me. His lips were so close to mine, and I wondered what he’d do if I turned my head and kissed him.

Before I could make a conscious decision, my lips brushed his. It was a soft, tentative kiss.

His hand threaded through my hair. He kissed my lower lip, slowly, fondly, then deepened the kiss. My body swayed against his, heat flaring between the two of us.

He pulled away first, his dark eyes smoldering, but the same easy smile came to his lips. “Well. You do know how to change the subject.”

I slid my arms around his neck and towed him down to me, kissing him hard. His breath came out in a surprised puff against my mouth; then he was kissing me back just as wildly. When he picked me up, I wrapped my legs around his waist.

He stumbled with me down the shelves and toward the tables in the front of the library. I was beginning to realize that if the rest of the academy was half as depraved as we were, I should really soap up the tables before I studied.

The doors swung open into the library, and Caldren set me lightly on my feet in one easy movement, his arm around my waist. He managed to look casual, pushing a swoop of dark hair back out of his face. I pressed my lips together, trying not to look bee-stung and half-undone; I wasn’t convinced I managed.

Jaik strode into the library, frowning impatiently. He glanced around as if he was looking for someone, and I knew it was me.

Our gazes met, and his eyes widened, his lips turning up just faintly when he saw me. But that only lasted a split second, because he saw Caldren too, and his gaze instantly narrowed.

“What are you doing?” Jaik demanded coldly.

“I don’t answer to students.” Caldren’s tone was just as icy.

Jaik sauntered toward us, but nothing about the way he walked seemed genuinely relaxed; he reminded me of a prowling predator. Jaik held out an arm toward me. “Come here, Honor.”

His tone seemed protective, and I bristled, glancing between the two of them.

“What the hell is wrong with you both?” I asked. I took a step away from Caldren, but not toward Jaik. “Why do you two hate each other so much?”

“I don’t hate him.” Jaik sounded as if it were ridiculous. “I don’t think of him.”

Caldren laughed, a short, nasty sound. “Honor’s too clever to believe you.”

I propped my hands on my hips. “Which one of you is actually going to talk to me instead of just insulting each other?”

“I will.” Caldren offered me his arm. “Let me see you back to your room.”

“Yes,” Jaik said. “See her back to the servants’ quarters. That’s the best you’ll ever be able to offer her.”

“Jaik!” I chided him. Jaik looked at me as if he were the one wounded, his jaw working impatiently.

“Don’t mind him,” Caldren said lightly. “My brother has always been an arrogant asshole.”

Jaik and Caldren were brothers? I stared between them, horrified.

I’d kissed both Jaik and Caldren. Whatever had gone wrong between them, I was only making it worse.

“Good night,” I said. Both of them tried to stop me, but I dashed for the doors.