King of Hawthorne Prep Read online

  He crowds into my personal space. Instead of retreating, I stand my ground. I refuse to let him intimidate me.

  “Babysitter, you say? Hmmm…I could definitely use one of those tonight.” His fingers trace a path down the center of my chest, lingering in the valley between my breasts. “Should we take this elsewhere and you can demonstrate everything your service entails?”

  His nearness does funny things to me and clouds my better judgment. Instead of pushing him away, I’m tempted to pull him closer.

  My body wavers before sanity crashes down on me and I bat his hand away. “Go to hell.”

  “See?” He laughs as if I’ve proven his point for him. “A good girl through and through.”

  “I’m not as good as you think.” The words shoot out of my mouth before I can rein them back in. To be clear, they are a total lie. I am as good as he thinks. Probably better. I have to be.

  “Is that so?” He steps closer until the tips of my breasts brush against his bare chest. “Sweetheart, I’d love nothing better than to test that theory but we both know you’ll always be Mia Stanbury, little miss perfect.”

  And he’ll always be Beckett Hollingsworth. The guy with little-to-no impulse control who can’t walk down the school hallway without finding trouble. The same one who can’t be left alone in his own house for a night without inviting a hundred of his closest friends over for an impromptu party.

  We are opposites in every sense of the word.

  “Shut up, Beck.” I’ve never met anyone who has the power to turn me on and piss me off at the same time. If he ever cranked up the charm, I’d be toast. He’s capable of melting the panties right off a girl with one well-aimed look. I’ve seen it happen with my own eyes. I refuse to be one of those ridiculous females. I won’t be used and tossed aside like dirty Kleenex.

  I don’t realize that I’ve become trapped in my own thoughts until his fingers settle under my chin, lifting it so I’m forced to meet his bright gaze. “What’s the matter? Truth hurt?”

  “There’s nothing you can say that will hurt me.” If only that were true.

  His face looms closer until it fills my vision, blotting out the party. My world shrinks around us until it only encompasses Beck. My breath gets clogged in my lungs and burns like a fire before spreading to the rest of my body. Any moment I’m going to self-combust.

  What am I doing?

  I should pull away, but I’m powerless to do anything other than stare into his eyes and fall under his spell.

  “Beck, baby!” a loud female voice booms over the rowdiness of the party, “over here!”

  Even when she continues to bleat like a sheep, our gazes remain locked for several long heartbeats and I almost wonder if he’ll ignore her. But she’s persistent and continues to repeat his name until he severs the connection between us and swings around.

  As soon as I’m released, the air rushes from my lungs and my body sags with relief. Or maybe it’s disappointment. I tamp down the emotions so I can’t inspect them too closely.

  What would have happened if we hadn’t been interrupted?

  Nothing good.

  This is exactly why I avoid Beck at all costs. Even though we’re constantly sniping at each other, there’s an undercurrent of attraction that hums beneath the surface. No other guy has ever provoked these kinds of emotions in me. I want to slap him almost as much as I want to kiss him.

  Sanity returns with a rush as I focus on the statuesque blond twenty feet away. Ava Simmons is wearing a teeny tiny bikini that leaves very little to the imagination. Once she has Beck’s full attention, she reaches around and unties the strings that hold the tiny triangles in place. The material floats to the cement at her feet. She lets him—and everyone else in the vicinity—ogle her perky breasts before running and jumping into the pool.

  People cheer, and more girls ditch their tops, following Ava into the water.

  A grin slides across Beck’s face as he glances at me. A challenging light enters his eyes as he jerks his dark head toward the pool. Water sloshes over the edge of the azure-colored tile as more bodies dive in.

  Oh, hell no.

  My heart pounds as I throw my hands up in a what can you do gesture. “Sorry, didn’t bring a suit.”

  His grin turns predatory. “Doesn’t look like you need one.”

  Yeah…not going to happen.

  “As fun as that seems, I’ll pass,” I wave an arm toward the pool, “but don’t let that stop you from mingling with your guests. Ava’s waiting.” Topless. From the corner of my eye, I see her breasts bobbing like inflatable safety devices.

  When his focus is drawn to the people splashing around, I follow suit. It’s so much easier to stare elsewhere than hold the intensity of his gaze. Even when that option includes watching a bunch of topless girls I’ve known since elementary school. I don’t check out the guys loitering in the area, but I’m sure most are sporting wood. Honestly, if it weren’t for Alyssa, I would get the hell out of here before it turns into a raging orgy.

  Beck steps closer and my gaze snaps to his. “Sure I can’t persuade you to go for a swim?”

  “Nope.” I shake my head.

  “That’s too bad. This would have gone a long way to prove you’re not the good girl I always pegged you to be.”

  Before I can summon up a pithy retort, he runs and dives headfirst into the water. I catch a glimpse of plaid as he disappears beneath the surface.

  A mixture of relief and disappointment bubble up inside me until I’m nearly choking on them. It’s the latter emotion I’m having a hard time accepting.

  With a huffed-out breath, I stalk to one of the many loungers that surround the pool and settle on top of a plush cushion. I glance around for Alyssa, hoping she’s given up on Colton so we can head home. It’s not too late for the evening to be salvaged with pizza and a movie. Instead, I find her in the pool.

  Topless.

  Sucking face with Colton.

  Great.

  As much as I want to take off, I can’t leave her here alone. God only knows what will happen if I do.

  With a groan, I squeeze my eyes tight and prepare myself for a long night.

  Have you read?

  Heartless

  Chapter One

  Skye

  “Yay! The bitches are back together again and tonight we ride!” Lanie wraps her arms around me and squeezes tight. “It’s been too long, girl! Way too long!”

  A reluctant smile curves my lips. “I know. It’s good to be back.” The circumstances surrounding my return are less than ideal, but I’m happy to see Lanie again. She’s been my best friend since middle school, and I’ve missed her. Facetime and texting are nice but it’s not the same as talking in person. She links her arm through mine as we walk across the open field.

  I glance at the cute cowboy boots that adorn her feet. When she told me that we were going to a field in the middle of nowhere, I didn’t believe her.

  That was my first mistake.

  Second mistake?

  Not going with sturdier footwear.

  Instead, I’m wearing a pair of flimsy sandals. They’re cute as hell but that’s not going to do me a whole lot of good across this terrain.

  Lanie insisted we celebrate my return by dragging me to a bonfire in a farmer’s field. Already the place is crawling with drunk-off-their-asses, barely legal adults. Shouting and raucous laughter fills the balmy night air.

  Even though I know it won’t do me any good, my gaze coasts anxiously over the ever-swelling crowd. Nerves dance across my spine as I silently pray Hunter will be absent from the revelry. Or, if he is here, we’ll somehow be able to avoid one another.

  If I know Lanie—and I do—she’ll be up my ass to cut loose and have fun. How can I do that when Hunter and I now attend the same college? At any given moment I could turn a corner and smack right into him.

  The thought of that happening makes me nauseous.

  As much as I want to play it cool and act like
my ex-boyfriend doesn’t matter, the words slip from my mouth before I can stop them. “You don’t think he’ll be here, do you?” I shoot her a look that’s rife with concern.

  Lanie doesn’t bother to ask who I’m referring to. She doesn’t have to. She’s all too aware of my past. She had a front-row seat to our relationship. And its demise.

  “I don’t know,” she pauses and pops her shoulders into a careless shrug, “maybe.”

  “What?” My feet grind to a halt as my mouth dries, turning cottony. I’m barely aware of the blades of straw poking my feet through the leather sandals. “But you said—”

  Her expression hardens, transforming into one of impatience. “Even if he is here, the chances of you running into him are slim.” She waves an arm toward the massive group of students who have gathered to mourn the end of summer by drinking themselves into a stupor. “Look around. Half the university is here. There’s no way you’re going to see him, Skye, so stop worrying about it and live a little.”

  My teeth sink into my lower lip before I suck the fullness into my mouth. No matter what Lanie says, I’m going to worry.

  When I remain silent, my best friend plants her hands on her hips and glares. Here comes Lanie’s version of tough love.

  “Would you rather sit home by yourself on a Saturday night because you’re too chickenshit to show your face? Afraid that you might run into Hunter Price?”

  I’m sorry, is that really a question?

  From the annoyed expression that flickers across Lanie’s face, I decide to keep those thoughts to myself.

  “Skye Elizabeth Sinclair!”

  I wince as my full name cracks through the air. It brings an unpleasant image of my mother to mind. This is what I get for living with someone who isn’t afraid to call me out on my bullshit. Maybe I should have taken Dad up on the offer to live with him.

  I decide to go with something close to the truth. “I was hoping to avoid him for a while,” I mutter. “That’s all.”

  And when I say awhile, what I really mean is forever.

  Is that really too much to ask?

  Lanie sighs as her expression softens. Marginally. “I know, but you’re going to run into him on campus or at a party eventually. It’s inevitable. Accept it and move on.”

  I snort.

  Easy for her to say. Lanie doesn’t have any ghosts from her past that are ready to jump out and scare her.

  I have a carefully constructed plan in place for the year. It involves laying low and flying under the radar, so Hunter doesn’t even know I’m here. “Yeah, I guess…”

  Unwilling to let me backslide, Lanie loops her arm through mine and pulls me toward the growing group of partiers. “It’ll be fine. I promise.”

  Unfortunately, my bestie isn’t in a position to guarantee me anything and we both know it.

  The closer we get to the party, the more my anxiety ratchets up. At least night has fallen. The only light that emanates is from the bonfire that flickers in the distance and the stars that twinkle across the dark velvety sky.

  For the time being, I’ll remain vigilant. There’s really nothing more I can do.

  I inhale a deep breath before carefully blowing it out.

  Maybe Lanie’s right and I’m making a big deal out of nothing. It’s been three years since we’ve seen each other, and a lot has happened since then. We’ve both moved on with our lives. I’m sure he’s forgotten all about me. As those thoughts circle through my head, my shoulders loosen from around my ears and my heart stops thumping a painful beat.

  The moment we reach the outer ring of people, Lanie is swept off her booted feet and spun around in a tight circle like a rag doll. Her short floral dress flies around her thighs. Laughter rings throughout the air as her arms slip around her boyfriend’s neck.

  Jaxon Conway has a typical football player’s physique. He’s a mountain of a man. Tall, broad in the shoulders, and muscular. He looks like he could easily bench press Lanie’s VW Bug. I would be intimidated by him but he’s quick to laughter and has warm brown eyes. He’s like a teddy bear. Big and gruff on the outside but tender and mushy on the inside.

  “Missed you, babe,” he growls.

  “It’s only been a couple of hours since we saw each other!”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Jax complains. “I still missed the hell out of you.”

  “Aww.” Lanie’s voice softens, becoming dreamy. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you more,” he responds with enough heat to melt the panties off Lanie’s body.

  Ugh.

  Make it stop.

  These two are so sickeningly sweet that I get a toothache every time I’m around them. Although, if anyone deserves a good guy, it’s Lanie. Like most girls in their early twenties, she’s dated her fair share of assholes. Jaxon is almost too good to be true. Kind of like a mythical unicorn sprung to life. He’s an athlete who isn’t interested in screwing as many girls as he can get his hands on.

  Ever since I rolled into town a few days ago, Jaxon and Lanie have been glued together at the hip. I get the feeling he’ll be our unofficial third roommate for the year.

  Know what’s been getting a lot of use?

  My noise-cancelling headphones.

  Most nights, those two sound like they’re auditioning for a porno. Let’s hope it calms down soon.

  Jaxon and Lanie coo at each other before their mouths fuse together and they start going at it like a pair of cats in heat. I clear my throat and glance everywhere but at them. If we were hanging out at the townhouse, this would be my cue to exit stage left. But we’re not at home, we’re in the middle of a field a few miles from town. There’s nowhere for me to go. No one for me to talk to.

  Awkwardness descends as I flick a piece of straw from my shirt.

  Maybe I should take this opportunity to grab a beer. There must be a keg around here somewhere. You can’t have this many college kids congregating in one spot and not have alcohol. That would be considered sacrilegious, right?

  With any luck, by the time I return, Jaxon and Lanie will have stopped mauling each other long enough for us to move on with our evening. It’s not like he’s being shipped off to war tomorrow and they’ll never see each other again.

  Sheesh.

  My gaze meanders to them in hopes that they’ve gotten their fill of each other.

  Nope. The face sucking has become even more intense. Any moment, clothing is going to spontaneously combust from their bodies.

  I don’t really want to be around when that happens.

  So…a beer it is.

  Not that either of them are paying me the least bit of attention, but I point toward the mass of bodies that have multiplied in the fifteen minutes since we’ve arrived. “I’m going to grab a drink.” When my words are met with kissy noises, I say, “Try not to miss me too much while I’m gone.”

  Lanie waves a hand absently in my direction as they continue to get it on.

  “Okay then,” I mumble before reluctantly taking off on my own.

  The amount of people gathered here is a little overwhelming. Lanie’s right, half the university must have shown up. Everyone is talking, laughing, and drinking. In other words, they’re having a great time.

  Me, not so much.

  It takes a good ten minutes to find the keg. Or maybe I should say kegs, since there are six of them next to the backend of a midnight black pickup truck that is blasting music from massive speakers. I can barely hear myself think over the thumping beat. Then again, maybe that’s for the best. It’s a relief to get out of my head, even for a few minutes.

  I locate the line for the beer and take my place at the end of it. I’m not much of a drinker, but I need something to smooth out all of the rough edges so I can relax and enjoy myself.

  My flesh prickles with awareness and I run my hands over my arms trying to banish the disconcerting sensation. I glance around, scouring the crowd for one face in particular but don’t see him anywhere. That alone should allevia
te my anxiety, but it doesn’t.

  My parting with Hunter wasn’t what one would call amicable. I don’t blame him for being hurt and angry. Whether Hunter understands it or not, I did what needed to be done. As painful as it was, I’d do it all over again. I loved Hunter more than life itself.

  Part of me still does.

  Probably always will.

  If everything I’ve read online is true, then my sacrifices have been well worth it. Hunter will get snapped up in the NFL draft before graduating this spring. Ever since I can remember, that’s been his goal. If there’s one person who deserves for all his dreams to come true, it’s Hunter Price. Unwilling to dwell on my ex, I shove him from my mind and take in the scene before me.

  People are gathered together in groups, greeting one another as if they’re long lost friends who haven’t seen each other in decades. It’s a little surreal to be surrounded by so many people and yet feel so removed from it all. As if I’m more of an observer than a participant. Other than Lanie and Jaxon, I don’t know anyone else. I’m sure there are people from high school who attend CU, but after I moved away, I lost touch with most of them.

  By the time I make it to the front of the line, I’m antsy and ready to head back to my friends. Even if they’re still going at it. Which is really saying something. I’d much rather stand around as a third wheel than be an island onto myself. I dig through my front pocket and hand over a couple of bucks in exchange for a blue plastic cup before it’s filled to the rim with golden liquid.

  The cute guy manning the keg flashes me an easy grin as his eyes drift over my body. When he’s finished with his perusal, his gaze once again settles on my face. Kudos to this guy for not gawking at my boobs like he’s never seen a pair of D cups before.

  “Here you go, beautiful,” he says, handing over the cup with a gallant flourish.

  This little bit of silliness lightens my mood. “Thanks.”

  Our fingers brush as I take the Solo cup from him.