The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0618

Nicholas's lips were soft. His touch light, a barely there caress, as he held my face so near to his own.

I didn't register the sound of a door opening at first, so fully engrossed as I was with the man in front of me. It wasn't until I fluttered my eyes open and saw a figure walking past, that I startled into wakefulness.

It was a girl I didn't recognize, wearing an oversized hoodie and shorts. She had wireless headphones over her ears with the music blasting. She must have been the new roommate because my old bedroom door was opened.

Theld my breath, expecting some kind of reaction to seeing a prince and a woman she probably didn't know kissing in her living room, but the girl seemned totally unfazed.

She walked into the kitchen, retrieved a drink from the fridge, and then walked straight back into the bedroom without looking at us sideways.

Nicholas and I were in a frozen state of surprise, only broken once the girl closed her door. Then we looked at each other.

We were both confused and surprised. The romantic mood, however, was broken. Nicholas lowered his arms to my waist and kept them there, keeping me closer than too far apart.

"We should get Elva and Anna out here," Nicholas said. "I would like to spend more time with them."

I lifted a suspicious brow. "Why?"

Nicholas smiled. "I want to hear all the details of your life."

"They aren't all pretty..." I reminded him.

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I want to know everything about you, the good and the bad."

He was so sweet, I couldn't resist pressing myself up onto my tiptoes and kissing him one more time. Briefly, this time, so that we would not be interrupted. Then, I lowered myself back down.

"Elva will be happy to see you," I said. "Elva! Anna!"

They stumbled out of the other room so fast, it was as if they had been listening at the keyhole. Anna, I imagined, had been doing just that. Elva probably mimicked her without realizing what exactly they had been doing.

My cheeks burned red. "Anna..."

amount of shame. "I'm not the one kissing a prince in the living

gasped. "They

a hard look. This time she

I sighed.

presence was enough to distract Elva from any further thoughts about why Nicholas and

to Nicholas for a hug. "Why are you here?" she asked, looking up

wanted to make sure you and your mom were

reasonable to

apartment, ready to throw out orders about lighting and placement and what Anna and I should talk about, only

Nicholas said. "If you didn't

had been around. But something about Prince Nicholas's presence this

was a sad fact of life that people in power would want to treat those of us without this way. We shouldn't have needed Nicholas around to have some agency. Still, I was grateful for his presence. Now I wouldn't have to be so on-guard that the camera crew might try to

Elva playing with her toys, and Anna and I

find him. He was leaning against the counter, a

careful to keep my voice low. "Why in

teased. I sneaked closer then, and he smiled as, after checking no one was locking, leaned

it was here in the kitchen. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I'd have Nicholas here in my modern life. When I had left him at the Academy, I had thought I'd never seen

secret kisses to me behind

dangers lurking so near. We couldn't risk the cameras catching

his way

can't wait until I get you back to the palace," I lightly

at him. "You came

he said. "I couldn't stay away. I had to

dare hope, but... the inability to stay away from

a feature of the mating

couldn't dare wish that Nicholas, a prince, would actually be

mating bond with me.