Kissing Killian (Face-Off Legacy/Campus Kings 5)

“This time it’s all you,” I admit. “You want to help me out?”

She glances at my jeans and then into my eyes staring as if she’s trying to figure out if I’m fucking with her. “If you win…” she says, her voice soft and sexy, “… you can have me any way you want.”

I smirk at her comment. “I love a challenge.”

“I’m sure you do,” she counters, inching my hand up her inner thigh.

I pull my hand back, and she sighs in frustration. “Nope, not yet. Not until I win.”

“What if you lose?”

I snort at her ridiculous comment. “I never lose.”

“Never?” Her voice has a hint of confusion.

“Nope, never. I’ve been doing this with my friends since I was in high school.”

“How do you keep your lives separate.”

“My lives? I only have one life.”

She rolls her eyes at me. “You know what I mean. The life you live on campus is different than the one you live in the real world. Does anyone know you do this?”

I shake my head. “No, only one person on my team knows.”

“Jamie?”

“Yeah. And don’t say a word to Shannon.”

“I would never,” she hisses, offended. “If I haven’t already run to the cops or my dad to tell on you, don’t you think you can trust me not to say a word to anyone else?”

“I don’t know you to trust you, Jade.” My voice reaches a higher octave than I intended.

She clenches her teeth, turning to me unblinking.

“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that,” I add, attempting to smooth things over. “We don’t really know each other. So far, you’ve given me nothing but a reason to trust you, but I have trouble trusting anyone outside of my family or crew.”

She settles into her seat, her anger slowly dissipating. “I get it. We don’t know each other. But you can trust me, though. I won’t say anything, Killian.”

“I know.” I sigh, taking my hand off the shifter long enough to run it through my hair to push the strands away from my forehead. “It’s just… this shit is complicated.”

“I figured that,” she says under her breath, staring out the window as we fly down the highway. Her hand moves across the center console and onto my right thigh. Jade gives my leg a light squeeze, holding my gaze. “Let me in, Killian.”

I cover her hand with mine, eyes fixed on the road. “I can try.”

“That’s all I want.”

We drive the rest of the way to New York with her hand on my thigh, and a silence between us that is almost calming. I can be myself around Jade. So few people allow me that comfort.

Everyone at school is always watching, judging every move I make. Jade reminds me of Jamie in some ways. Assuming he was a spoiled rich kid, I had him pegged all wrong when we first met. I eventually found out his dad wasn’t like most rich men, and Jamie was nothing like the trust-fund babies at our school.

And now, I’m starting to think that maybe Jade is not the girl I once thought she was. Looks can be deceiving.

She might look like the good girl, acts like one too, but can I trust her with my secrets?

She already knows too much, more than anyone outside of my inner circle.

Once we arrive at the meeting point, I pull up next to Roman’s Mustang and scan the crowd for a few seconds.

“Stay close to me,” I warn Jade. “Don’t talk to anyone.”

She crosses her arms over her chest and scoffs. “Seriously, Killian?”

“It’s for your own good. Trust me. The crew we’re racing is known for playing dirty, and I don’t know everyone who’s here tonight.”

“Fine,” she hisses. “I won’t open my mouth. I’ll be your perfect little brat.” A wicked smile turns up the corners of her mouth that produces the same reaction from me.

I rub my thumb along her bottom lip, and she sticks her tongue out to lick my skin. Tempted to kiss her, I lean in, our mouths inches apart, the heat from her breath warming my lips. She parts her lips, giving me the go-ahead. Threading my fingers through her hair, I bring her mouth to mine, and as I’m about to kiss her, someone knocks on my window snapping me back to reality.

Jade is practically shaking as I sink back and turn to roll down my window for Roman.

“Yo, what are you doing? Come over and chill for a sec. We’re about to start.” Roman removes a pack of cigarettes from his jeans pocket. He bends down as he lights one, blowing a plume of smoke into the car. “Who’s this?” He smirks, staring at Jade who now looks terrified, her back pressed hard against the door.

Jade coughs a few times, and I wave the smoke out of the car. Roman takes a step back, now blowing the smoke over the hood.