King of Hawthorne Prep

by Jennifer Sucevic

  The first time I pinned her against the wall, I watched both the confusion and lust swirl through her dark depths. It’s nothing short of thrilling to stoke that kind of arousal to life in someone. Her desire has been a pleasant surprise. One I can’t get enough of.

  Luckily, I won’t have to.

  When my father proposed the idea of marrying Summer, I thought he was out of his mind. You better believe I told him to take that idea and shove it up his ass. All the money in the world isn’t worth tying myself to a girl I have zero interest in. I don’t give a shit about Hawthorne Industries. Driving her away had been the only thought in my head, but that backfired. The more time I spent with Summer, the more obsessed I became. And now that I’ve had a real taste of her, I can’t imagine not having her. And I sure as shit can’t imagine another guy laying his hands on her. I made her mine last night and there’s not a damn thing anyone can do to change that.

  Not even Summer.

  She had a choice in the matter. Perhaps I should have laid it all out so she would understand exactly what she was agreeing to, but by then it didn’t matter. That girl was always going to be mine. When it comes down to it, Summer chose me of her own free will. Maybe the situation will end up being more than she bargained for, but that no longer matters.

  I hope she can reconcile herself to that. Or maybe I’ll have to remind her of it. Over and over again. My lips quirk at the idea of fucking her into submission.

  The room is swathed in blackness as I creep toward the bed.

  Know what the first thing we’re going to do will be?

  Get her on the pill so I don’t have to wear a condom. I don’t want anything coming between us. Not even a thin layer of latex. I want to feel her heat against my bare cock.

  I’m halfway to her bed, thinking about how amazing it will feel to sink inside her warmth when the overhead light flicks on, illuminating the room. Blinded, I blink as my eyes adjust to the unexpected brightness. My gaze falls to the queen-sized bed only to find it empty.

  The bed is neatly made as if—

  “She’s gone.”

  I swing toward the deep voice only to find Austin lounging against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. Green sparks of anger fly from his eyes. I brace myself for an attack. That motherfucker has a lot of rage brewing inside him. It’s easy to recognize a kindred spirit.

  “Where is she?”

  His lips curve into a smirk. “Nowhere you’ll find.”

  My hands tighten into fists as I take a menacing step toward Austin, ready to beat the piss out of the guy if I have to. No one is going to keep me away from Summer.

  Including her own flesh and blood.

  “Don’t fucking play games with me,” I growl, advancing toward him.

  “Maybe you should talk to your pops. I’m sure he would be more than happy to fill—”

  Before Austin finishes the sentence, I’m on him. My fingers close around the collar of his T-shirt as I slam him against the doorframe. “Where the fuck is she?”

  A ghost of a smile slithers across his lips. I never realized it before, but Austin and I are roughly the same height and build. Unlike most people at Hawthorne Prep, he’s not intimidated by me. In that moment, I sense the same kind of deep-seeded anger I’ve always felt swirling around inside me.

  “You might be surprised by this, but my sister wasn’t nearly as delighted about the prospect of marrying you as everyone thought she would be.” He laughs as I press my hands against his throat, slowly cutting off his air supply. “It was the opposite, actually. Summer has plans for the future and guess what, asshole? They don’t include you.”

  “It no longer matters what she wants,” I bite out as hot licks of rage wash over me. “She’s mine and I want her back.” I press my weight against him. “Now!”

  Unfazed by my fury, Austin continues to grin. “Good luck with that, man.”

  I press my fingers into his windpipe before releasing him with a frustrated growl. As much as I’d like to beat the shit out of Summer’s twin, it won’t endear me to her. More like the opposite and I can’t afford to piss her off anymore than she already is.

  “This isn’t over.” Dismissing him, I swing around and stalk toward the screen door.

  “True that. I have the feeling it’s only beginning,” he chuckles darkly.

  He couldn’t be more fucking right.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  A heavy weight descends, and I wake with a start. Before I’m able to get my bearings and figure out what’s happening, my arms are dragged above my head and pinned against the plush ivory fabric covering the headboard.

  “Did you really think you could run from me?” a familiar voice growls against my ear, sending a cascade of shivers down my spine.

  Actually, I did. Not forever, but at least for a few days.

  What I didn’t expect was for him to find me hiding out at his house on Lake Michigan. After my parents sprung the news on me, I needed time to think. At first, I had shuttered myself away in my room, refusing to speak with anyone. Dad finally knocked on the door and said that Keaton had offered their vacation home if I wanted to escape for a while. Even though I had been reluctant to accept the offer, the need to be alone outweighed any of my protests.

  So I packed a bag, threw it in the trunk of the G-wagon, and took off mid-afternoon.

  Since there isn’t school on Monday or Tuesday because of the holiday weekend, my parents were quick to suggest I extend my stay for the entire week. This is the first time they’ve ever encouraged me to miss my classes. Both believe strongly in the power of education being the springboard to my future. Guess that tells you what they think my future now holds.

  I blink the sleep out of my eyes and stare up at a pissed off Kingsley.

  Well, guess what?

  I’m as angry as he is. Maybe more so. He can take a flying leap for all I care.

  With a burst of strength, I struggle against the punishing hold he has on my wrists. Even though it’s futile, I attempt to buck him off my chest where he sits, pinning me to the mattress with his heavy weight. He doesn’t budge an inch. The guy outweighs me by a solid hundred pounds. There’s no way I’m going anywhere until he’s ready to release me.

  “How did you find me?” I growl.

  “I tracked your phone,” he admits casually as if that kind of stalker behavior is no big deal.

  “What?” My movements still as I process his words. “How the hell did you do that?”

  Silvery moonlight filters in through the window, illuminating the smirk as it settles across his handsome face. “That’s for me to know and you never to find out.”

  Damn him!

  Frustration floods through me, and it renews my energies to dislodge him. “I hate you,” I bite out. But the sad truth is that I don’t hate Kingsley. Maybe I want to, but I don’t. Not yet, at least.

  His face dips to mine before he bites my lower lip, sucking the fullness into his mouth before releasing it with a soft pop. “You don’t hate me, Summer.”

  “I do,” I gulp in a breath. “You lied to me!” It was all a game.

  “Maybe it started out as a lie, but that’s not how it ended.”

  “More lies,” I whisper brokenly, twisting my head away from him. “After this, there’s no way I’ll ever be able to trust you.”

  Instead of answering, his teeth scrape against the curve of my jaw before he peppers soft kisses along the delicate column of my throat. An unwanted tremor slides through me.

  “Stop.” How can I be so furious with him and yet crave his touch like it’s the very breath needed for survival? It’s so fucked up.

  “Give me one good reason why I should stop.” Even though his hands continue to shackle my wrists, he moves further down my body.

  “Because,” my voice trails off on a whimper as his lips slide over my bare chest.

  When I had arrived earlier, the beach house had been closed up and stuffy, so I’d opened the windows, wan
ting to feel the fresh breeze, and enjoy the sound of the lake crashing against the shoreline. Since the evening had stayed warm and I was alone in the house, I’d decided to forego pajamas. There’s something delicious about the feel of silky sheets against your naked body.

  That choice has now come back to haunt me.

  A groan leaves his lips as his mouth closes around my nipple before sucking it deep into the warmth of his mouth.

  Gahhhhh!

  A war erupts inside me. While my brain cries out that this is wrong, my body vehemently disagrees. And it’s my body that is winning out as a hot flood of arousal settles in my core. Within a handful of minutes, I’m arching beneath him, restless for more contact.

  When he lifts his mouth from me, a reluctant whimper of protest leaves my lips. God, but I hate myself for it. More than that, I hate him for breaking through my defenses so easily. I should be stronger than this. I should be able to resist him.

  “How much could you hate me if you ended up in my bed?”

  It takes a moment for the sexual haze to clear and his words to sink fully into my brain. Heat stings my cheeks because he’s right. I am in his bed. And I can’t say that it was an accident or coincidence either. Maybe when I walked into the house and looked for a room to stay in, I didn’t immediately realize where I’d ended up. But the moment I looked around, I knew it was Kingsley’s space. His stamp had been all over the decor.

  It wasn’t a conscious decision on my part, but being close to him settled something deep inside me. I’d wanted to sleep in the place he had laid his head. And part of me wanted to strip down and enjoy the feel of his sheets sliding across my body.

  I never expected him to find out. It was going to be my little secret.

  When I remain silent, he nips at my other breast. As soon as I yelp, he laves the flat of his tongue over the throbbing peak, soothing the ache he created.

  “Answer the question.”

  When I press my lips together and try to raise my knee to his groin, he bites me again. Harder this time before drawing the bud so far into his mouth that it feels as if he will never release me. I cry out as the powerful tug of his lips slices straight to my center before bursting into flame.

  Damn him!

  Damn him!

  Damn him!

  When he finally lifts his head and releases me, I’m nothing more than a panting, writhing mess beneath him. Worse than that, my pussy is soaked with the need he has all too easily stirred to life.

  “You’re mine now and nothing will change that,” he growls.

  I inhale a shuddering breath and try to settle everything racing madly around inside. I’ve never felt so conflicted in my life. Part of me desires his possession. That needs it. But there’s another piece that wants him to let me go and live my life. I have no idea if there’s a way to reconcile these opposing views.

  Kingsley slides up my body until his lips can hover over mine without ever touching them. All I’d have to do is lift my head a fraction off the pillow and I could feel the suppleness of them stroking over me. It would be all too easy to give in to the hot licks of arousal that scorch me from the inside out.

  Instead, I force myself to say, “I need time.”

  His mouth continues to ghost over mine until the arousal is so painful that it feels like something is trying to claw its way out of me.

  How can I crave him so much?

  “Please,” I whimper, knowing that it’s only a matter of time before I cave and spread my legs wide for him.

  “All right.”

  With that, he releases me, his weight lifting as he rolls off the side of the bed. The breath rushes from my lungs as a strange mixture of regret and relief swirl through me.

  Wait, is he leaving?

  It takes everything I have inside to keep my lips pressed together so the question stays buried where it belongs. Instead of walking out of the bedroom, he strips off his T-shirt and athletic shorts until he’s standing before me in nothing more than black boxer briefs. The light that filters in from the windows provides enough illumination for my hungry gaze to lick over him. A shiver slides through me when I realize that he’s purposefully standing still, allowing me to eat him up with my eyes.

  Damn, but he’s gorgeous.

  And mine.

  No!

  Dislodging the possessive thought isn’t as easy as it should be. With one fluid motion, he shoves the boxers down his hips and thighs until the material puddles around his feet. My gaze drops to his thick erection and my breath stalls as another wave of need crashes over me, threatening to suck me under.

  Kingsley saunters to the bed before sliding beneath the sheets. His hands wrap around my body, dragging me into his arms until my naked flesh is pressed against his. It occurs to me that this is the first time I’ve seen him naked. Another sharp punch of arousal hits me, making my center throb.

  He feathers a kiss against my forehead as his arms band around me. We’re so close that the tips of my breasts are pressed against the steely strength of his chest. I’m so tempted to slide my body against him until his hard muscles align with my softer curves. Being naked in bed with Kingsley should feel foreign and strange. I can’t explain why it doesn’t.

  “Stop squirming,” his voice rumbles against my ear. “You’re making it difficult not to give us what we both want.”

  As much as I would love to deny his words, I can’t. Even though I know it’s wrong, I want him buried deep inside me. I want that same feeling of completion I experienced in his arms last night. It was like two parts of the same whole finally coming together. As a twin, I understand that need better than most. What I didn’t expect was to feel it with Kingsley.

  The warning in his voice should be enough to stop me from moving against the erection wedged between our bellies. All I’d have to do is arch and he would slip inside my heat.

  With a growl of frustration, Kingsley’s fingers bite into my flesh as he flips me around until I’m no longer facing him. He settles against my back, spooning me from behind. His arm snakes around me, cupping my breast. With his thick cock pressed insistently against my backside, a groan slips free as I stretch against him. The tip of his dick paints moisture across my skin as his fingers drift from my breast, over my belly, before sinking between my legs.

  As soon as the blunt tips separate my already drenched lips, I moan and spread them wide in silent invitation.

  “Is this what you want?” He pumps his fingers deep inside me before dragging them out and rimming the entrance. “Answer me.”

  “Yes.”

  That one word is all it takes to have him thrusting back inside before circling my clit, which is already pulsing with need. The orgasm streaks through my body before I realize it’s happening. I cry out, tightening in his arms. His teeth sink into the back of my neck the entire time and somehow, that only makes the storm raging inside me more powerful.

  A contented sigh is expelled as my body relaxes into the soft mattress. I wait for him to gloat over how weak I am, but all he says is, “Go to bed. We’ll talk in the morning.”

  His hand drifts back to cup my breast as he drops a kiss on my shoulder, pulling me so tightly against him that I have no idea where he begins, and I end.

  Even with the confusion spinning inside me, my eyelids droop and before I know it, I’m floating off to sleep.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  I wake the next morning to a steady stream of sunlight pouring over me, illuminating the back of my eyelids. Unable to stay submerged any longer, my lashes flutter and I blink, attempting to find my bearings. For a sliver of time, I don’t remember where I am. I’m surrounded by dark blue walls and heavy white furniture. There’s nothing familiar about this space. Panic sweeps over me as the memories from yesterday come rushing back. I remember throwing a bag in the SUV and taking off for the Rothchild family beach house in Door County.

  This is Kingsley’s room and I’m in his bed. I glance at the other side of the mattress as the
sound of crashing waves fills my ears.

  Empty.

  It couldn’t have been a dream, right?

  My fingers brush across my nipples, and a dull ache flares to life before settling between my thighs.

  Definitely not a dream.

  Is he still here? Or did he take off?

  I roll from the bed and pause as my gaze lands on the black suitcase parked next to mine. Relief settles in my chest at the knowledge that he didn’t leave. Still naked, I walk to my bag and rummage through the contents before grabbing my robe. With the silky material belted securely around my body, I go in search of him, moving steadily through the house, peeking in all the rooms. Even though there’s an air of stillness to the place, I sense his presence and know he’s near.

  It's a peculiar sensation to be so connected to another human being other than Austin. It should disturb me.

  On bare feet, I pad through the first-floor hallway. I don’t stop to study the pictures that line the walls before arriving in the spacious kitchen. Splashes of gray and blue are everywhere. There is an ocean of white granite counters, dark hardwoods, and stainless-steel appliances. My gaze settles on a red mug sitting next to a fancy machine that looks like something you would find in a high-end coffee shop. I gravitate to the mug before picking it up and staring at the dark brew inside. Steam rises as I lift it to my lips and take a tentative sip. A sigh of pleasure escapes as the first jolt of much-needed caffeine hits my system. As I take another drink, my gaze travels around the adjoining family room, absorbing all the little details I was too upset to notice yesterday. The white shiplap walls, cozy white couches with fluffy indigo pillows that are the identical shade as the curtains.

  The sliding glass door that leads outside has been left open, allowing the breeze to waft through the kitchen. With my mug in hand, I gravitate toward the sprawling deck that stretches across the width of the house and faces the water. It’s a million-dollar view that’s worth every penny.