Queen of Hawthorne Prep

As tempting as it is to argue, what would be the point? It’s never gotten me anywhere in the past. No matter what, Kingsley always gets his way. The guy could move mountains if he put his mind to it.

I huff out an exasperated breath, knowing it’s better to get this over with. The sooner we get out of here, the faster I can flee to the safety of my house.

In silence, we head for the exit before pushing out into the bright sunshine. There’s a crispness to the air that feels invigorating. Red and golden colored leaves carpet the ground and crunch beneath the soles of our shoes as we walk toward the parking lot.

Students have gathered in small clusters and are talking and laughing. Blazers have been shed and collars loosened. A handful of people call out greetings to Kingsley as we pass by. When we’re about a hundred feet from the Mustang, he clicks the key fob and opens the passenger side door. I slide onto the black leather as he dumps both bags into the backseat before walking around to the other side.

When he nears the hood, Sloane materializes out of nowhere. I watch from inside the vehicle as she reaches for his arm. Hot licks of jealousy bubble up before I can stop it. My eyes widen when he jerks his arm from her hold. The top of the convertible along with the windows are rolled up, encapsulating me in the confined space. I watch their lips move and hear the light buzz of conversation, but I’m unable to make out what’s being said. Hurt and confusion flash across her face, and I realize that she’s pleading with him. I scrutinize Kingsley’s expression only to find it closed off.

The possessiveness that had flared to life moments ago dissolves into something that feels suspiciously like pity. Kingsley pushes past the blond girl before jerking open the door and sliding onto the seat beside me. Sloane blinks away a sheen of wetness before turning glaring eyes toward me. There is so much hatred swirling through her blue depths that it sends a chill of unease slithering down my spine. If she could knife me in the back and get away with it, she would do it in a heartbeat.

When Kingsley turns the key, the engine purrs to life. Instead of disclosing any details from their private conversation, he remains aggravatingly silent. I clamp my mouth shut, refusing to pry.

One second.

I won’t ask.

Two seconds.

I don’t even want to know.

Three—

“What was that about?”

Damn it.

“Nothing.” Irritation wafts from him in heavy waves as he stares straight ahead. “I’ve told her a dozen times that I’m not interested, but she doesn’t get it.”

Reluctantly, my gaze fastens on to Sloane as she returns to her friends a few rows over. She tosses another look full of longing at Kingsley as he backs out of the parking spot in front of the gray stone building. She’s the last person I should feel sorry for. The girl has been a huge raving bitch to me every chance she gets. But for some reason, pity fills me.

It must be the hormones.

“She likes you,” I murmur, almost to myself.

He flicks a surprised glance at me before his expression turns to ice. “That’s not my problem, now is it?”

That is such a guy response, it almost sets off my temper. “I don’t know, it kind of seems like your problem.” I watch him from the corner of my eye. Again, I shouldn’t ask…

It’s certainly none of my business.

But that doesn’t stop the question from popping free. “Did you have sex with her?”

A muscle ticks in his jaw as he stares stoically out the windshield.

When he fails to respond, I snap, “I’ll take that as a yes.” Deep down I knew he’d slept with her. Sloane’s unrelenting possessiveness was the first tip off.

His lips tighten into a thin line. Just when I wonder if he’ll ignore me, the words spray from his mouth like bullets. “Yeah, we did. But it was a year ago. I was clear from the beginning that it was nothing more than sex and she was fully on board with it.”

Seriously?

Are guys really that stupid?

Or do they only hear what they want to?

Unable to help myself, I snort and roll my eyes. “You don’t know anything about the female sex, do you?”

Heat leaps to life in his dark depths as he pins me in place with the force of them. “I sure as hell know how to bring one to her knees and make her beg for more.”

And just like that, the tables have been turned.

Since that’s not a statement I’m going to touch with a ten-foot pole, I brush it aside. “Here’s a little FYI for future reference, when a girl says she’s cool with just sex, she’s not. Most of the time, she wants more.”