“I’m more Martha Stewart than you. I mean, you didn’t even know how to season chicken wings until I told you—”
“That’s because I never had to make them myself. Why the fuck would I know how to cook something when I’m used to hitting a button on my phone and getting that shit delivered?” The muscles under his t-shirt strained the fabric, and even though he looked slightly ridiculous in the apron, he also looked sexy as hell.
Declan, too.
And Travis? I turned my gaze to the tattooed one sitting beside me, meeting his blue eyes with a sly smile. Travis was always sexy as hell, especially when he wasn’t wearing anything to cover those tattoos.
All the death and murder aside, I was lucky to have these three. They made me feel wanted, complete. And, together, we were like a whole unit. Sure, they bickered every now and then, but didn’t every family? Didn’t every close group of friends get on each other’s nerves sometimes? I loved them. I loved them so freaking much it was unbelievable.
“What are you thinking?” Travis asked, cocking a single dark eyebrow.
“I’m thinking I don’t want to do this anymore,” I said, closing my textbook and pushing it aside. I reached for his face, running a hand along his cheek. My fingertips caught stubble, and I couldn’t help but grin. “Why don’t you and I go upstairs for a bit?”
Sawyer must’ve heard my suggestion, for he scoffed, “Oh, sure. Go upstairs and fuck while Declan and I slave over this meal—”
Declan slapped his back as he untied his apron, setting it on the counter. “I’m going upstairs, too.”
“What?” Sawyer’s green stare hardened as he watched both Travis and Declan walk with me towards the stairs. “What the fuck? How is that fair?”
I only shot him a smile before disappearing upstairs.
We ended up in Sawyer’s room. Neither of them decided to close the door, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t like we hid anything from each other in this house.
Greedy hands grabbed me, pulling me close as rough lips crashed down on mine. Travis kissed me with the force of a thousand suns, heated and hungry, the kind of passion most girls could only dream of. He would devour me whole if I let him…and sometimes I wanted to.
Another set of hands found my hips, and suddenly I was tugged away from Travis’s ravenous mouth, turning and colliding with Declan’s.
Declan didn’t kiss like Travis. Most of the time his kisses were slow and sweet, achingly tender in the way that caused my heart to skip a beat. Or two. When he kissed me, it was like night and day, the moon to Travis’s sun. Both of them I needed desperately; I couldn’t imagine my life without either of them.
“Okay, can I just say, what the actual fuck?” Sawyer’s voice broke Declan’s and mine’s kiss, causing all three of us to turn to look at the guy standing in the hallway, still wearing his apron. “This is not fair. I do not approve.” His fingers worked at his apron, tearing it off and throwing it to the floor. “It’s a good fucking thing the chicken needs to cook for a while, because I’m not going to stand by the stove while you three are up here getting nasty without me.”
Sawyer said nothing else as he strode into the room, grabbed me by the face and pulled me off Declan, his mouth colliding with mine fervently. A passion so strong no one in the room could deny. If Travis was my sun, Declan was my balancing moon, Sawyer was my earth. He drove me wild, kept me grounded. If I teased him, he teased me right back. Tit for tat, much like how our relationship was before we were actually together.
These three…I honestly needed them. They completed me, and I, in turn, did the same for them. Declan, Travis, and Sawyer wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for me. I was the spark that brought them together again. Friends before Sabrina’s death, and now they were friends again.
This was my wild, crazy life at Hillcrest. I might be too poor to belong on campus, but around these guys, I could forget where I came from. What I did. What I didn’t do. I could forget my past and my regrets. My life at Hillcrest might’ve been full of mystery, blood, and mistakes, but each and every misstep had brought me here.
To us.
This was only the beginning of our journey through life together. We’d run into more problems, because that’s what life entailed, but we would learn to handle everything life threw at us together. Because together, we were stronger. To the future, I only had one thing to say.
Bring it on. My guys and I could handle it. Nothing was going to tear us down or apart, that I promised myself.
And so, with another noose, the saga of Hillcrest came to a close.
Or did it?
So, that’s it. The end of the Hillcrest Saga. After six books, Ash and her guys’ story comes to a close. I hope you all enjoyed the wild ride—don’t forget to review and share the series with your friends! Books are only as good as their word of mouth is.
I love these characters, which is why I’m debating whether I should write more about them. Their future, what Ash’s second year at Hillcrest is like. Oh, and summer vacation! If that’s something you guys would like to see, tell me! Half the time, I feel as if I’m writing these stories for myself. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you guys can give me motivation like no other! Seriously.
My mailing list: http://eepurl.com/dppf_v
Also, I love talking about books (not just mine. Any book. I LOVE books!) in general on my Twitter: www.twitter.com/CandaceWondrak and on Instagram: www.instagram.com/CandaceWondrak
My Facebook Group: Candace’s Cult of Captivation where you can get all the updates on new releases! https://www.facebook.com/groups/234452154135994/
Liar: A Dark College Romance (Hillcrest University Book 6) Page 25
