Queen of Hawthorne Prep Read online

  Queen of Hawthorne Prep

  Jennifer

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  Sucevic

  Copyright 2020 by Jennifer Sucevic

  Kobo Edition

  All Rights Reserved. This book is licensed for your enjoyment only. This e-book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

  Cover by Passion Creations

  Also by Jennifer Sucevic

  Claiming What’s Mine

  Confessions of a Heartbreaker

  Don’t Leave

  Friend Zoned

  Hate to Love You

  Heartless

  If You Were Mine

  Just Friends

  King of Campus

  King of Hawthorne Prep

  Love to Hate You

  One Night Stand

  Protecting What’s Mine

  Stay

  The Breakup Plan

  The Girl Next Door

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Epilogue

  King of Hawthorne Prep

  The Girl Next Door

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  “Mmmm.”

  A contented sigh falls from my lips as I stretch against the boy in my bed. His muscular body is in perfect alignment with mine as he feathers seductive little kisses along the curve of my neck. “That feels so good.” When he nips the flesh between his teeth, a punch of arousal hits me straight in the core.

  Let’s just say that if I were wearing panties, they would be drenched.

  Is it any wonder I’m addicted to Kingsley Rothchild?

  He jogged into my life a couple of months ago and I haven’t been able to evict him from my head since. Not that I want to. He’s mine and I’m his. And that’s exactly the way I like it.

  Does that mean I’m ready to get hitched tomorrow?

  Hell, no.

  Thanks to some archaic agreement between our parents to end eighty years of bad blood, my hand has been promised to him. The expectation is that we’ll get married some time during college.

  Have I totally come to terms with the new direction my life has swerved in?

  Not really.

  I’m an eighteen-year-old girl who just started her senior year in high school. I haven’t even been accepted to college yet. I don’t like the idea of being forced into anything, let alone something as permanent as marriage.

  Then I stare at the dark-haired boy with his sexy eyes and a mouth that was meant for all kinds of sin, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that he’s the one for me. It’s only been a month, but I feel it deep in my bones that Kingsley and I should be together. He completes me in ways I never imagined. And I’m a twin, I know exactly what that feels like. To experience the same intimate connection with someone other than my brother is mind blowing.

  That being said, there’s something unsettling about having my entire life mapped out at such a young age. All the major decisions have been wrestled out of my hands. It all seems preordained.

  College.

  Marriage.

  Where I’ll eventually settle down.

  And probably where I end up working.

  I won’t lie, it’s that knowledge that continues to claw at me. It’s an itch beneath my skin that I can’t quite quell. I keep telling myself to let it go and be happy. There are times when Kingsley and I are together, and it sits perched on the tip of my tongue, waiting to explode from my lips. Unsure of his reaction, I haven’t mentioned anything to him. He’s not aware of how much it bothers me. I’ve convinced myself it’s better that way. If I confide in him, it’ll only stir up problems between us. Between our families. It’s just going to take time to wrap my head around the hand fate has dealt me.

  “Know what would feel even better?” he rumbles against my ear, calloused fingers scraping over my ribcage to cup my breast before tweaking the nipple. Shivers dance along my flesh in their wake.

  Actually, I do. Desire thrums through me, pounding a steady beat until everything that crowds my mind falls away. As my whimper of need echoes off the walls, there’s a soft rap of knuckles against the bedroom door. I freeze, a sharp inhalation lodging in my throat as my eyes pop wide.

  “Summer, are you awake?”

  Shit.

  Mom.

  The untimely disruption doesn’t stop Kingsley from nipping at my bare shoulder. He doesn’t give a damn if one of my parents is standing on the other side of a two-inch plank of wood. What I’ve learned about Kingsley is that he does what he pleases, when he pleases, and the consequences can be damned.

  While I find that sexy as hell, it’s not how I live my life.

  My mother doesn’t know that Kingsley has been sneaking into my room every night and sleeping in my bed. Since returning from the beach house a month ago, we haven’t spent one night apart. And I love it. I love being wrapped up in his arms. I love when he’s on top of me, driving into my body, making me fall apart beneath his fingertips.

  There’s no better feeling in the world.

  A heavy wave of anxiety crashes over me as I claw at his arms, fighting my way out of his embrace. The possibility of Mom finding me in bed with a boy is enough to send me into cardiac arrest.

  This is definitely not how I imagined starting my Sunday morning.

  Instead of relinquishing his hold, Kingsley tugs me closer, locking me in place as his teeth sink into the delicate flesh of my neck. His fingers toy with the erect tip of my breast before grazing the contour of my belly and thrusting deep inside my pussy.

  A strangled groan breaks free. “Stop.”

  He teases my heat with sharp, forceful strokes that leave me panting.

  “Is that what you really want,” he growls.

  Yes.<
br />
  No.

  With the next knock comes another punch of concern.

  “Summer?” Mom says, louder this time.

  “Please,” I whimper, squirming against him. I have no idea if I’m trying to escape or burrow closer. This is exactly what he does to me. Scrambles my brain until coherent thought becomes impossible.

  “What are you begging for, baby girl?” He tweaks my tightened bud, a little harder this time. It’s enough to send a flash of pain streaking through me before dissolving into pleasure.

  Baby girl.

  Another shiver of need dances down my spine. I could almost get off on the deep scrape of his voice when he calls me that.

  “Hmmm?” He continues to toy with me, purposely fanning the flames of my desire.

  I’m not sure. And that’s part of the problem. He’s the only boy I’ve ever known capable of making me lose my ever-loving mind. How else do you explain my current predicament?

  “Should I keep going or,” his fingers drift over my clit before homing in on it like a heat-seeking missile, “stop?”

  In a matter of weeks, he’s learned how to touch me to elicit the most amount of pleasure. It’s almost as if he takes pride in it. And what he’s doing right now is my kryptonite.

  My mind spins as my core throbs to life.

  When I fail to respond, his hand splays wide over my pussy before giving it a possessive squeeze. “Guess I’ll stop. Your loss.”

  It takes a moment for the sexual haze clouding my brain to clear as air leaks from my lungs.

  Mom is waiting.

  On the other side of the door.

  That’s all it takes for my brain to click back on, and then I’m elbowing him in the ribs.

  He grunts as a chuckle slips free. “What was that for?”

  “You know what!” I hiss before flipping over to face him and shoving my palms against his chest. I’m not sure if I’m angry at him for leaving me hanging or working me up in the first place. Although I won’t be admitting that to him. It would only stoke his over-inflated ego. “Now go!”

  “Why?” He smirks, falling onto his back and lounging on my bed as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.

  I bite back the sigh that wants to fall from my lips. His dark hair is in a sexy disarray. I’m tempted to sift my fingers through the thick silky strands. It takes effort to shake the impulse loose and focus on the moment at hand.

  “What do you mean why?” I jerk my hand toward the bedroom door as if the answer isn’t obvious. “Um, hello? My mother is standing outside the door! She’ll flip out if she finds you here.” When he doesn’t blink, I tack on, “With me!” Another beat passes by. “Naked!”

  My mini tirade only makes the grin on his face stretch wider.

  Ugh. So annoying!

  I love the guy—wait a minute. No, I don’t. Not yet. But my feelings are definitely migrating in that direction. Our relationship has been rocky from the onset. We met at the beach in June and spent one magical day together on his boat before I disappeared, only to resurface a few months later at Hawthorne Prep, where he made my life miserable in an attempt to push me away.

  “What the hell does it matter?” Instead of rolling out of bed, he hauls me closer. “We’re practically engaged. Who cares if she finds me here?”

  Ummmm, I care. The convo I’d be forced to endure would be seriously horrific. I don’t even want to contemplate it.

  “Summer?” The knock becomes more insistent. “Hon?”

  That’s it! This boy needs to exit stage left!

  “Get!” I grunt, using my hands and feet to eject him from the bed. Kingsley is six foot three and a solid two hundred pounds. He’s all steely strength and conditioned muscle. Normally, I love that about him. Not so much at the moment. It takes every ounce of my power to shove him to the edge of the mattress. A moment later, he hits the floor with a loud thump. “Out!”

  He laughs, staggering a step or two before regaining his balance. “You need to calm down, woman.” Kingsley straightens to his full height and scratches his head. “Your reaction is a little overkill, don’t you think?”

  His sheer masculine beauty is enough to have me losing focus. Even with my mother hovering in the hallway, I can’t help but eat him up with hungry eyes. Hands down, he’s the most gorgeous guy I’ve ever seen.

  Tall.

  Muscular.

  Mahogany-colored eyes that match his hair.

  And a thick...

  Let’s just say he makes quite the striking picture in all his erect glory.

  I give my head a quick shake to loosen those dangerous thoughts.

  “Nope, not one bit.” I point to the closet at the far end of the room. “Hurry and hide in there!”

  I’m almost afraid he’ll brush my concerns aside and jump back into bed. Instead, Kingsley gives me an exaggerated eye roll before taking a step toward the small room when the door handle turns.

  The nightmare unfolds in slow motion and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it. Before I can screech at the top of my lungs for her to stop, the door is flung open, and in walks Mom with a pink and brown floral basket full of folded laundry. For one sliver of a moment, she’s blissfully unaware of the naked boy standing in the middle of the room.

  “So, I was thinking—” her voice abruptly falls off as her gaze crashes with Kingsley who, instead of making a mad dash to the closet, doesn’t move a damn muscle.

  Shock washes over her features as her feet grind to a halt. Her impression of a deer frozen in headlights is spot-on.

  Mortification sears my insides, making it impossible to breathe.

  I’m not sure who I feel most sorry for.

  Her.

  Or me.

  Want to guess who doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by the circumstances?

  Kingsley.

  He stands buck naked, his erection out there for everyone to see. And trust me when I say that my mother definitely sees it. It would be impossible not to. It’s long, thick, and...

  Yeah.

  Twin flags of color stain her cheeks as she hastily averts her eyes. Even so, I’m pretty sure she got an eyeful of what our next-door neighbor is packing. My guess is that if it ever became necessary, she could give an accurate description to a sketch artist.

  I’m tempted to throw the comforter over my head and pretend this isn’t happening.

  “Umm...” Her gaze skitters around the room to avoid settling on Kingsley as she presses her lips together until they turn bloodless. With halting steps, she moves toward the antique armchair in the corner before gingerly setting down the pile of clean laundry. Everything about her movement looks awkward and rusty. Like she’s the Tinman and her joints are in desperate need of lubrication.

  How will I ever look my mother in the eye again?

  And you know damn well she’ll blab this to my dad. A tortured groan escapes from my lips. And then Austin will find out and I’ll never hear the end of it.

  Ugh.

  With a great deal of deliberateness, she straightens and turns, her attention fastening on to mine like I’m a life preserver in a turbulent ocean. Only then do I remember that I’m naked. Thankfully, the sheet is still crumpled around the lower half of my body. With shaking fingers, I grab the cotton material and yank it over my breasts, shielding them from view. Although, we can all agree it’s a little late for modesty at this point.

  I wince at the shock and disappointment that echoes throughout her expression. Heat singes my face as my teeth sink into my lower lip. Kingsley has yet to budge from the center of the room.

  Oh my God, why is he still standing there, naked as the day he was born?

  The least he could do is grab his boxers and cover up! His hard-on is only making the situation worse. I’m embarrassed to note that his erection has not deflated in the slightest.

  “So,” Mom clears her throat before stabbing a finger toward the hallway, “I’m g
oing to, umm, go.”

  “Yeah.” What else am I supposed to say? I want to scrub this moment from our collective memories.

  Her feet pad softly across the floor. Hours tick by tortuously before she reaches the threshold. Instead of crossing into the hall, she hovers awkwardly in the doorway. “Summer?”

  Even though her voice barely rises above a strangled whisper, it breaks the silence of the room like a gunshot and I cringe. Any hope of coming to an unspoken agreement that the last five minutes never occurred is about to be shattered.

  My fingers bite into the sheet as I clutch it to my chest. “Yeah?”

  “After you’re dressed, I’d like to speak with you downstairs.”

  “All right,” I mumble. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

  “Thank you.”

  As she closes the door behind her, I collapse against the mattress before dragging a pillow over my face and pressing down on it. If only it were possible to smother myself. This episode ranks as a top contender for title of most mortifying moments ever. And just to be clear, the last month has been filled with a shit ton of humiliation.

  Light filters through my eyelids when the pillow is removed and chucked to the side of the bed as Kingsley slides beneath the sheets.

  “Problem solved.” His body shakes with silent laughter. “Now we don’t have to hide.”

  My mouth tumbles open. I’m on the verge of blasting him into next week when he lifts a finger and rims the edges of my lips. “Open your mouth that wide and it’s going to get stuffed full.”

  Oh!

  My teeth snap together. “How can you joke around at a time like this?”

  “Who says I’m teasing?” he smirks, heat filling his eyes. When he shrugs his broad shoulders, it’s almost enough to distract me.

  Almost.

  A growl rumbles up from deep in my chest.

  “Oh, come on, it’s not that bad,” he laughs. “So your Mom got an eyeful of cock. Big deal.”

  Hearing him say mom and cock in the same sentence has me on the cusp of hyperventilating. “Are you kidding? It’s a huge deal!”

  He peels back the covers and points to his hard dick. “No, this is a huge deal.”