Claimed: The Complete Short Romance Series

by Nichole Rose

  Why do I feel so horribly guilty about that?

  "I'm fine," I say, trying hard not to cave like a paper house. I want to cave though. "I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about my sister. What are you doing with her?"

  "I've never touched your sister," he growls, narrowing his eyes. He steps around the desk toward me, but I back up a step, bumping into the open door. " Is that what you think of me? I may be an asshole, but I don't lie. I told you the other night, I don't date. I'm not with anyone, certainly not one of my students."

  "That's not what I meant," I say, not doubting him. For some reason, I know he's telling me the truth. "You've made her miserable since she started school."

  A flicker of guilt crosses his face.

  "She's an incredible writer and an even more amazing person, but all you do is criticize her. There's a point when criticism stops being constructive, Jared. She hates college because of you."

  "I know."

  The fact that he doesn't argue with me snatches the wind right out of my sails. So does the regret in his voice. It reflects in his eyes and in the way he dips his head as if he's ashamed to meet my gaze. I expected Professor King, the asshole, not Jared Kingston, the charming, poetic prince.

  "And now you're offering to write her a recommendation? If this is some game, I'm calling my brothers to help me kick your ass," I tell him, still a little mad. It would break my heart if they actually kicked his ass, but since I probably can't do it by myself, they're just going to have to help me. I can regret it in silence.

  "It's not a game, princess," he swears, holding up his hands in silent entreaty. He expels a sharp breath, his expression grim. "I'm an asshole, but I'm not intentionally cruel. Your sister is one of the most gifted young writers to ever walk through the doors of one of my lectures. She has a real shot of winning the Braxton Prize. I just want to help her."

  "Why?"

  He grimaces at the suspicion in my voice and leans a hip against the side of his desk. "Because there's a point where criticism stops being constructive, and she hates college because of me. I swear to you, that was never my intention."

  "Oh." I narrow my eyes on him, suddenly even more suspicious. "You figured out we were sisters and are doing this for me, aren't you?"

  "What?" His brows furrow. His expression goes hard, his eyes narrowing on me. "Is that really what you think?"

  "I don't know what I think!" I throw my hands up, frustrated because now I feel guilty again and I didn't even do anything wrong. "That's what I came here to find out."

  "I didn't know she was your sister," he says, speaking quietly. "But I won't lie and say you didn't factor into my decision when I brought it up to her yesterday."

  "What does that mean?"

  "It means I spent a night in heaven with a princess and realized that I'm not worthy of being her daddy," he mutters, holding my gaze. The honesty in his eyes feels like little shards of glass in my heart. He really thinks he's not worthy of me. "I told you men would wage war against the devil to hold you in their arms. In this war, I'm the devil, sweet baby."

  "You aren't the devil."

  He snorts.

  "Maybe Beelzebub."

  His expression never changes, but I thought it was funny.

  I take a step toward him, my anger dissipating. "You aren't the devil, Jared. You may be a dictator sometimes, but I also know you can be the sweetest man I've ever met. No one has ever made me feel like you do…did. Don't tell me that's not part of who you are too."

  I cross to him, not stopping until I'm standing right in front of him, breathing in that scent that's haunted my dreams for the last two nights. I reach out and touch the spot in his cheek I memorized.

  He groans and pulls me into his arms. They lock tight around me, sheltering me in the same sense of rightness I felt the other night, the same sense of belonging. With him, I don't feel restless and antsy. I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. I feel safe, adored…loved.

  Even though I shouldn't, I eagerly tip my head back to meet his advance. Our lips touch. The heat between us blazes to life in an instant, scorching me from head to toe. How is it possible for one little kiss to make me so crazy? I don't know. I also don't know how I end up pressed against the wall by the door with my legs wrapped around his waist and my hands in his hair. But I do.

  There's a frantic edge to our hungry kisses, an unspoken desperation, as if we both know this is wrong but can't stop ourselves. He rocks his hips into mine, growling against my lips. His hands travel down my back, over my ass. They grip me hard, bouncing me up and down on him.

  "Goddamn, princess," he growls before biting my lip. "I've made a mess of your little panties thinking about how good you taste."

  "You did?" My head thumps against the wall, a whimper leaving my lips at the thought of him really using them to get himself off. Why is that so sexy to me?

  "Yes," he growls, bouncing me hard as if to punish me. It feels more like a reward to me. "So often my dick is raw. It hasn't made me want you even an ounce less. I'm in hell, Caroline. Without you, I'm in hell."

  His confession makes me sob his name. My stomach twists, sending both misery and joy soaring through me. I pull him back in for another searing kiss, holding him to me as tightly as I can as I writhe and wiggle, mindlessly chasing the pleasure I know waits for me. I'm right on the edge, seconds from tumbling over.

  "I'm so tired of studying," a girl complains.

  Her voice hits me like a bucket of ice water poured over me. My impending orgasm disappears, and I freeze. So does Jared. Neither of us breathes as she and her friend walk by, complaining about an upcoming exam. They're so close, all they would have to do is peek around the corner to see me pressed up against the wall, my legs around Jared's waist and his hands on my ass.

  Thankfully, their voices fade as quickly as they sounded.

  Jared exhales a breath against my lips, slowly loosening his grip on me. His eyes meet mine, but I'm not ready to look at him yet. Even though I know I should tell him to put me down so I can flee, I don't. I bury my face in his throat and cling to him.

  "Sweet baby," he breathes, pressing kisses into my hair.

  I tell myself I'll let go in a moment, but I don't want to do it. I want to stay right here, even though there are a million reasons we can't do this. My god. We were almost caught dry humping in his office! He doesn't just work at the school. He's a professor here. My baby sister's overly cranky professor. He could be fired. I could be expelled. Not to mention that me being with him would break Kennedy's heart.

  Funny how none of that seems to matter as much as it should when his lips ghost across my crown and he whispers my name like a prayer.

  "I missed holding you so much," he murmurs.

  "Jared."

  "I wrote your sister's recommendation three weeks ago," he says, the words spilling from his lips as if he's afraid I won't let him say them if he doesn't do it quickly. "I never intended to be so hard on any of my students, Kennedy included. I just wanted to give them a fair shot in a world that chews up and spits out talented writers every day, but I fucked up. Meeting you made me realize that I have to fix it."

  "You really mean that."

  "I do."

  He says it so simply, so matter-of-factly, that I can't doubt him.

  "I know I need to change my methods, learn to be a little less overbearing." He pauses for a moment when I wriggle for him to put me down. He reluctantly sets me on my feet. "I don't want to be the reason talented people like your sister give up. I can't undo the last few years, but I can do better. I'm trying."

  "Why start with her?" I try to hide the hint of jealousy in my voice, but I think it bleeds through anyway because he pulls me back into his arms.

  "She deserves to win the Braxton Prize," he says. Maybe it's my imagination, but I think he holds me a little tighter. "That's my only motive, I swear. I want only you, Caroline."

  My heart flutters.

  "She's afraid you'll ch
ange your mind. You've been incredibly hard on her."

  He sighs quietly, ruffling strands of my hair. "I told you that you might not feel the same way about me once you knew my reputation. Was I right, sweet baby?"

  "It's not your reputation that worries me, Jared." I pull back to look at his handsome face. Regret burns in his eyes, searing me. "It's Kennedy. She's my sister, my best friend. It'll break her heart to find out that I'm with you."

  His gaze dances across my face, hope rising like the sun in his eyes. "You want to be with me?"

  "We can't," I whisper, full of regret because I do want that. More than anything. "You're a professor here. Even if I'm not your student, I'm a student. And then Kennedy…I don't want her to feel like I picked you over her." She isn't the kind of person to hold grudges or get angry, but I know her better than anyone. This would hurt her, even if she never admitted it to me.

  "Shh," he croons, his expression softening. He touches his lips to my forehead. "Don't think about anything but what you want. If it were possible, what would you choose, princess?"

  "You," I admit, not even hesitating to give him the truth. Maybe falling for someone so fast is completely crazy, but it doesn't feel crazy or wrong. It feels like breathing.

  He sighs and his entire being seems to sigh with him. Tension rushes from him, loosening knots all over his big body. He pulls me even closer and presses a lingering kiss to my forehead. "Then give me a chance, Caroline. Let me prove to you that I can make things right with Kennedy."

  "Why?"

  "Because I'm going mad without you."

  "You don't believe in love."

  "I was wrong. God, I've been so wrong about so much in my life. But I'm not wrong about you. Nothing has ever felt as right as you. I know you feel it too. That's why you called me your daddy. You know I'm the man who was born to worship and spoil you."

  "Jared…"

  "Don't make me beg here, sweet baby," he murmurs, tipping my face back so I'm looking at him again. "I've been a miserable bastard without you and it's only been a day. I shudder to think what level of hell I'll descend to next."

  "I've been miserable too."

  He smiles, that divot in his cheek appearing again. "You missed me?"

  "So much," I whisper.

  He brushes strands of hair away from my face, tucking them behind my ears. The glide of his rough fingertips over my cheekbones sends goosebumps rising all up and down my arms. My womb clenches, desire unfurling inside me all over again.

  "Give me a chance," he pleads quietly. "Let me prove to you that I can redeem myself with your sister. Let me show you that whatever this is between us is worth a little risk. Let me be the daddy you deserve, princess."

  "What if you get fired? Or I get expelled?"

  "I would never let them expel you."

  I should tell him no. I know I should…but we only just found one another. I don't want to walk away now. As selfish at it makes me, I want to keep him for a little bit longer.

  "Okay," I whisper, putting my trust in this man for the second time.

  Chapter Six

  King

  I think I've worn a hole in the rug stretched across the foyer floor with my incessant pacing. Damned if that's stopped me from making endless circuits through the airy space. Caroline agreed to have dinner with me tonight, but I'm worried as hell she'll change her mind. I wouldn't blame her. God knows, I don't deserve a chance with her. Not after making her sister miserable for the last two months.

  It's abundantly clear how close Caroline is with Kennedy. She was a mama bear today, ready to fight for her baby sister, even if it meant fighting me. She could not have been more beautiful had she tried. Her loyalty to her sister is sexy as hell. There's an honesty about her that I find irresistible. She stands up for what she thinks is right, even when it means losing something she wants.

  I can't remember the last time I met someone like her, who throws their whole heart into love like she does. She was so worried about her sister today…and about me losing my job. But she agreed to give me a shot anyway.

  I don't know if she realizes it yet, but she's in love with me. It's the only reason I stand a chance in hell of proving to her that I can be a man worthy of her. And make no mistakes, I will prove it. Thirty-six hours without her sweetness in my life was long enough.

  She lights up my entire fucking world with just a smile. I tremble to think what damage her tears would do. I've never been easily led, but I would follow her anywhere without question or hesitation. She makes me want to do better, be better.

  Caroline Thorne is everything that's been missing from my life—passion, purpose, and fierce devotion. I've become jaded, hardened by life and the bitter aftertaste of betrayal. I let it blind me, drain me of passion and hope, and leave me adrift in a world I forgot how to love. In my world, liars always win and the cheaters prosper.

  She gives me hope that it doesn't have to be that way.

  If Kennedy has the talent to change the world, Caroline has the heart to do it. She's so fierce when she believes in something. It's impossible not to believe right alongside her. The mere thought of being the man who gets to stand at her side while she makes the world a better, brighter place is all too appealing.

  I don't want to be the man who fights her battles for her—she's more than capable of fighting them herself. I want to be the man who gets to worship her while she does it. The one she trusts with her heart and soul. The one who gets to wake up beside her every morning and make love to her every night. The one who gets to love her.

  She needs a daddy to help settle her and teach her how to fly. One who knows just how precious she is and adores every facet of her personality like she deserves. I'm that man. Loving her will be my motherfucking purpose in life now and my greatest joy.

  I'm not afraid I'll mess it up or fail. I refuse to let that happen. I'm claiming Caroline Thorne, and god save anyone who tries to stand in my way. The university can have my job if they want it. The vultures can have every word I've written until now.

  It's a small price to pay for a future with my princess.

  A car pulls up out front, stalling me in mid-step. I spin toward the door, more nervous than I think I've ever been before. This matters more than anything ever has before. I've never brought a woman here. I've never wanted one here. But my heart pounds with the anticipation of having my sweet baby in my personal space.

  I pull the door open before she ever makes it up the sidewalk to me. My lungs stop functioning when I catch sight of her. Her long hair is unbound, waving freely about her round face. The dying rays of the autumn sun catch in the long strands, turning the reddish gold to fiery copper. She's changed from her jeans and t-shirt into a jacket and simple black dress with ballet flats.

  How does she get more beautiful every time I see her?

  "Hi," she whispers once she's standing in front of me. She ducks her head as if she's feeling shy. Her hands go into the pockets of her coat, but she doesn't fidget as if seeking approval or reassurance. This princess knows her worth and doesn't need anyone to tell her how exquisite she is.

  I tell her anyway.

  "You look ravishing, Caroline," I murmur, holding out a hand to her. I always forget how truly tiny she is until she's standing in front of me. She barely reaches my chest but there is no mistaking her and her lush curves for anything less than a woman.

  She slips her smaller hand into mine, giving me that million-dollar smile that tightens my balls and my throat. There's always a touch of mischief lurking in her gaze and a curious, innocent excitement. I see both there now. I also see happiness, as if she's as thrilled to be back at my side as I am to have her there.

  "I was worried you wouldn't come," I confess, pulling her inside with me.

  Her face falls. "I'm sorry I stood you up yesterday, Jared."

  "Shh," I soothe, kicking the door closed to pull her into my arms. "You don't owe me any apologies, sweet baby. I'm not angry with you. I'm grateful as hell
you agreed to give me another shot. I know I don't deserve it."

  "You do." She tips her head back, reaching up to cup my jaw. "I know what kind of man you can be. I have faith in you."

  "You didn't have any problems with Kennedy?"

  "No, she's at her friend's rehearsal dinner tonight," she says, her voice soft. "And I'm exactly where I want to be."

  I kiss her, unable to stop myself when she's as sweet as she is fierce. She's an addicting combination of angelic innocence, devilish mischief, and spirited intelligence. Her sweet little mouth is equally as addicting. I kiss her again and again, helpless to do anything else when she whines my name and clings to me like she never wants to let me go.

  A throat clearing behind us sends her reeling from my arms.

  "Shit." I pull her back into me and glance over her head at Mary.

  "Dinner is ready," Mary says, glancing at Caroline and then back at me. A delighted smile spreads across her wizened face, etching laugh lines around her mouth and eyes.

  "Thank you."

  She beams at me, but she doesn't say anything. Instead, she keeps her opinion to herself and disappears back the way she came. She'll go out the back door to her house, which is a block over.

  "You didn't tell me anyone was here!" Caroline whisper-hisses at me, her eyes wide.

  "That's because I took one look at you and forgot anything else existed." I step back and start sliding her coat buttons free of their loops. "Mary is…Mary," I say when a suitable explanation doesn't appear. "I inherited her when I bought the house."

  "You inherited her?" Caroline's nose wrinkles with confusion.

  I chuckle at her. "Professor Eddings lived here before he took a teaching position in London. Mary and her husband took care of the place for him. Her husband died not long before I bought the property. She kept showing up to work, and I wasn't about to tell her no." I shrug, stripping Caroline's coat from her. "She cooks and cleans when she wants to. Mostly, I think I pay her to tell me what to do and give me shit when I don't listen."

  Caroline's expression goes soft, her lips curving into another million-dollar smile that makes my stomach twist and my cock throb. "That's really sweet, Jared."