Coldhearted Heir (The Heirs Book 1)

by Michelle Heard

  She takes a swipe at my feet, but I bounce backward, letting out a chuckle. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”

  Like a lightning bolt, she darts forward, and before I know what hit me, my ass is on the floor, and Jade straddles me. She tries to push my arms down on the mat, and I almost fight back, but then I feel her on top of my cock, and I freeze.

  It feels like someone took a defibrillator to my heart, shocking the damn thing into overdrive.

  Jade wiggles happily on top of me, and yanking my arms from under her hands, I grab hold of her hips to keep her still. “You do not want to wiggle on top of me right now,” I warn her.

  Jade stills, and her eyes widen. When my words register with her, she darts up so fast that my hands are still hanging in the air where her hips were a moment ago.

  “Oh, God,” she gasps. She does a weird little dance, then rips the gloves and headgear off. “Ahh…” She does the same awkward two-step, then grabs her towel and water bottle and makes a run for the exit.

  Finding her reaction hilarious, I laugh as I climb to my feet. I take off the gear and grabbing my towel and water, I set after her.

  I only catch up to Jade when she’s in our building, waiting for the elevator to come down from the top floor.

  Coming up behind her, I tease, “I have never seen someone move that fast before.”

  Her head swings to me, and a red flush begins to spread up her neck. “It was an accident,” she mutters.

  When the doors slide open, she darts into the elevator. I follow behind her and press the button for our floor.

  “I’m pretty sure you deliberately dropped my ass to the floor, Jade,” I continue to tease her.

  “Hunter,” she grumbles, glaring down at her feet. “I mean the part where I sat on you.”

  The doors ping open as I chuckle, “And then wiggled your ass on me.”

  “Oh, my god. Stop already,” she cries as she darts out of the elevator.

  When we walk into the suite, I say, “Nope, I’m going to milk this moment for all it’s worth.”

  Jade scowls at me, but before she can say something back, Jase asks, “Did we celebrate the peace between the two of you too soon?”

  I grin at him, then say, “Not at all. I’m just giving Jade shit for grinding her ass on me.”

  “Holy shit,” Jade breathes, her face lighting up redder than a ripe tomato.

  Jase begins to laugh. “Too much info for me.”

  I chuckle as she makes a run for her room, and I call out, “Only joking with you, Jade.”

  “Joking, my ass,” Jase mutters. He gives me a knowing look then wags his eyebrows. “So, you and Jade? I never would’ve guessed that in a zillion years.”

  “Huh?” I frown at him. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Giving me a satisfied grin, he says, “You’ll realize soon enough. Fuck,” he opens the front door, and as he leaves, he continues, “I’m going to enjoy this show.”

  What show? What the fuck is Jase on about?

  Shrugging, I go to shower so I won’t be late for class.

  JADE

  Falling face down on my bed, I cover my head with a pillow and scream.

  What the hell just happened?

  I toss the pillow to the side and turn onto my back. Staring up at the ceiling, I try to make sense of it all.

  Hunter was just joking with you, Jade.

  Then… why did it feel like he was flirting?

  And I’m pretty sure I felt him turning hard beneath my butt. I grab another pillow and shove it over my face.

  Oh. My. God. I felt Hunter’s cock.

  I let out a burst of embarrassed laughter that sounds more like a shriek. Then I dart upright and tilt my head as a thought forms in my head.

  Does that mean he’s attracted to me?

  Or do guys get hard at the drop of a hat?

  I have zero experience in that department, but knowing there’s one person I can ask, I reach across the bed and grab my phone from where it was charging. I bring up Miss Sebastian’s number and press dial.

  “My god-baby,” she croons over the line. “To what do I owe this early call?”

  “I just wanted to say hello,” I lie.

  “Well… hello,” she says with a playful tone. “How are things at school?”

  “Good.” I scrunch my nose and let out a huff. “Mamma G, can I ask you a private question?”

  “Of course. What can I help with.” I hear something in the background, then Miss Sebastian snaps, “Not now, my chunk of hunk. I’m on the phone.”

  I grin when I hear her husband ask, “Who are you talking to?”

  “Jade. She needs advice. Now skedaddle your bedazzled ass out of the room. Us girls need our privacy.” A couple of seconds later, she says, “Talk to me, my god-baby.”

  “Well… ahh… first promise you won’t tell my dad.” I widen my eyes as I wait for her reply.

  “I promise unless you’re doing drugs, then all bets are off, and even I will tan your bedazzled behind with my diamond-studded belt.”

  “No drugs,” I assure her quickly, then covering my eyes with my free hand, I ask, “Uhm… do guys get hard… ah… down there… for just any reason?” There’s no way I can use the word cock with Miss Sebastian. She’s my godmother for crying out loud.

  “Say what now,” she asks, sounding dumbstruck. “Like a hard-on?”

  “Uh-huh.” I pinch my eyes shut and pull an awkward face. “Sorry for asking you, but I was curious and have no one else to ask.”

  “It’s fine, my god-baby. You can come to me with anything. Okay, time to get serious.” She takes a deep breath, then continues, “A cock only gets hard if it sees something it likes.”

  I burst out laughing because this is getting embarrassing. I never thought I’d have a conversation like this with my godmother. “Oh… my… god.”

  “Why are you laughing?”

  “You said the C-word,” I admit, my voice thick with laughter.

  “Cock?” she asks, chuckling.

  “Yeah, that one.”

  “Come on, you can say it.” She waits, and when I remain silent, she says, “Cock. Cock. Cock. Maybe if I say it enough, you won’t be so uncomfortable with it anymore.”

  “Stop,” I cry with another burst of laughter. “You’re my godmother. I’m not saying it in front of you.”

  “Cock. Cock. Cock.” Suddenly Miss Sebastian screeches in my ear, “Not yours, Ryan! Get out.”

  Tears begin to stream down my face, and I gasp for air.

  When I finally calm down, Miss Sebastian asks, “Did some guy get handsy with you? Do I need to come over there and kick some ass with my bedazzled heels?”

  “No, not at all,” I quickly put her at ease. “I was just wondering how that part of the body worked.”

  “Cock. Say it,” she orders.

  “C-c-ooooh,” I begin to chuckle then spit the word out. “Cock.”

  “Awww… I’m so proud of my god-baby, saying cock for the first time,” Miss Sebastian croons.

  “Uh-huh,” I respond. “I’m sure it’s every godparent’s dream.”

  “Honestly, I’d rather have you talk to me about these things than hide it from me.” Miss Sebastian clears her throat, then she asks, “Are we talking about a boy you like?”

  Her question catches me off guard, and the smile fades from my face. “I don’t know,” I whisper, then I admit. “I care a lot about him, but I’m not sure whether we’re friends or something else.”

  “How do you feel when you’re around him?” she asks another straightforward question.

  I think it over, then answer, “We used to fight a lot, but then things started changing, and after we made peace, everything's been awkward between us.”

  “Oooh… nothing like a good enemies to lovers romance,” she states. “By the way, are we talking about Hunter Chargill?”

  My eyes widen, and I gasp, “How did you know?”

  “Ba
bygirl, everyone knows the two of you have been fighting like cats and dogs,” she admits.

  “Even my parents?” I ask, wondering what gave it away.

  “Yep, your daddy knows. The scathing looks you gave each other were a dead giveaway.”

  “Crap,” I breathe.

  “You didn’t answer my question, though. Are we talking about Hunter?”

  “Yeah.” My shoulders drop because I don’t know what to make of the mess in my heart.

  “Wanna tell me what happened?” Miss Sebastian asks.

  “I found out he wasn’t responsible for Brady committing suicide, and now I feel like dog poop because I fought with him for two years. We talked about it and waved the white flag, but since then, I don’t know what to feel.”

  “It’s only natural, baby girl,” Miss Sebastian tries to offer me some comfort. “I suppose you can’t go back to the way things were before the fighting started?”

  “No, we both changed a lot over the past two years. I think the gap is too big,” I answer, sounding almost pitiful because I’m at such a loss at what to do.

  “Okay, first things first. You do still care for Hunter, right?”

  “Yeah, I never stopped.” I lie back on my bed and stare up at the ceiling.

  “And judging by the reason for this call, there might be more than just friendly feelings involved?” she asks.

  I’m quiet for a moment, thinking over her question, then I whisper, “Honestly… yeah, I think I’m attracted to Hunter.” Reaching off the bed, I grab the pillow I tossed on the floor earlier. Laying back down, I shove it over my face and mumble, “He’s an amazing person, and I think I’m falling for him.”

  “What’s that? I can’t hear shit if you mumble,” she complains.

  Lifting the pillow, I say louder, “I think I’m falling for him.”

  My door swings open, and Kao’s head pops in. “Who are you falling for?”

  “God! Get out!” I throw the pillow at Kao just as Hunter comes out of his own room, asking, “Who’s falling for who?”

  Scrambling over the side of my bed, I drop to the floor so I can hide behind it while my face practically goes up in flames. “Crap, he heard,” I whisper to Miss Sebastian.

  “Kao won’t snitch on you,” she says. “Tell my god-baby I say hi.”

  I peek over the bed as Kao tosses the pillow back at me. “You’re going to be late for class.”

  “Mamma G says hi. Close the door.” I duck back down, wishing the ground will open beneath me. “I think Hunter heard the part about me falling for him,” I continue to whisper.

  “It’s not like you said his name,” Miss Sebastian states.

  “Oh, right,” I breathe a sigh of relief.

  “Okay, so just to make sure I’m on the right page of this story, are you in love with Hunter?”

  I let out a winning sound. “I don’t know. It might be that I’m just feeling regret for my actions.”

  “Honey, there’s a huge difference between being in love and feeling regret. Do you get butterflies around him?”

  I think over the question. “It sometimes feels like my insides are doing cartwheels,” I admit.

  “Same thing,” Miss Sebastian says. “Do you know how he feels about you?”

  Frowning, I pull a face at the phone, then bring it back to my ear. “Mamma G, he probably still hates me.”

  “Yeah, with a hard dick,” she says drily.

  Widening my eyes, I cry, “Noooooooo.”

  “Oh, yes,” she chuckles. “Listen, baby girl, your vajayjay gets tingles, and his ding-dong gets hard. That’s how it all starts.”

  I cover my mouth, then my eyes, then drop my hand back to my mouth as I make a choking sound.

  “And it’s all okay,” Miss Sebastian continues as if she didn’t just embarrass the hell out of me. “You should be enjoying it. Oh, to be young and in love.”

  In love? Is this really what I’m feeling?

  “I guess,” I reply.

  “Don’t worry about it, baby girl. But before you enjoy the ride, make sure you’re on the pill,” she warns.

  “I’m just going to disappear into the ground now,” I complain, but then assure her anyway, “I’m on the pill.”

  “Oh good,” she sighs relieved, then adds, “Make sure Hunter’s wrapped in a raincoat before he brings his cock anywhere near you.”

  I let out another choking sound that morphs into a whine. “Stop already. I’m dying here.”

  There’s a moment's silence, then Miss Sebastian says, “All laughs aside. Just go with your heart, Jade, and I’m here if you’re ever in doubt.”

  “I love you, Mamma G.”

  “Love you more than anything in the world,” she says. “I have to run. My chunk of hunk hasn’t had breakfast yet, and he’s probably prowling a ditch in the floor outside the bedroom door.”

  “Yeah, go… uhm… feed him,” I say awkwardly.

  “Get your mind out of the gutter,” she snaps, then with a chuckle, she explains, “I’m talking about actual food.”

  I begin to laugh. “My bad. Thanks for listening to me.”

  “Always.”

  I drop the phone and lie down on the floor, closing my eyes.

  Well, that conversation just happened.

  Chapter 17

  HUNTER

  Since I overhead Kao and Jade, the words have been playing on a non-stop loop in my mind.

  Who are you falling for?

  Is she in love with someone?

  There’s a sinking feeling in my gut that has me coming to a sudden halt on the pavement.

  “Why are you stopping?” Jase asks, glancing around us to see what got my attention.

  Turning my head to Kao, I ask, “Is Jade in love with someone?”

  “Fuck if I know,” he shrugs. “I just overheard her yelling I’m falling for him as I was passing by her room.”

  “For real?” Noah asks.

  Jase lets out a chuckle. “Well, I’m not surprised.”

  All three of our heads snap toward Jase. “What do you know that we don’t?” Kao asks the question I’m thinking.

  Jase just shrugs.

  Noah pats him on the shoulder then gestures toward the lecture halls. “See you later. Kao and I have to get to class.”

  Jase and I watch them walk away, then he turns a grin to me and wags his eyebrows.

  “Is that code for something?” I ask as I begin to walk again. Our lecture is at nine, so we’re on our way to grab some breakfast.

  We begin to walk again, and Jase just keeps grinning like an idiot.

  “Seriously, what do you know?” I ask, frustration sharpening my words.

  He shrugs again. “I’m just glad I won’t be the only one walking around with blue balls.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  We enter the restaurant and go to our usual table. Sitting down, I stare at Jase until he says, “You and Jade.”

  “What about us?” Letting out a sigh, I ask, “Are we even having the same conversation?”

  We give our orders to the waiter before Jase answers, “Now that you’re done fighting, y’all are hot for each other.”

  “Huh?” I blink at him like an idiot.

  Jase rests his elbows on the table, leaning closer to me. “You were teasing her this morning about sitting on your lap.”

  “So?” Fuck, I’m lost.

  He sucks in a deep breath and glances up as if he’s running out of patience. “Dude, you were flirting with Jade.”

  The expression on my face goes blank, and all I can do is stare at Jase.

  I was?

  Fuck, I was.

  “I think Jade was talking about you,” Jase continues with his sudden burst of wisdom. “Think about it. You flirted with her, and she made a run for her room. She probably called someone to talk to, seeing as you confused the fuck out of her.”

  Christ. I so did not see this coming.

  I rub a hand over my face
and let out a sigh. “You really think she was talking about me?”

  “Yep, after that hot kiss at the club, there’s no doubt in my mind,” he states.

  A waiter brings our coffee, and I watch as Jase drinks his. He doesn’t know about the second kiss.

  “I kissed her again,” I admit.

  Jase chokes and spews coffee over the whole damn table. I dart back, almost falling over in my hurry to get away from the flying liquid.

  A server rushes to our table and begins to wipe up the mess.

  “What happened here?” Fallon asks, having just entered the restaurant.

  My head snaps up. “Jase spat his coffee everywhere.”

  “His fault,” Jase croaks before he coughs.

  Fallon and Hana sit down, and Hana asks, “What did you do?”

  “Me?” I give them an innocent look. “Nothing.”

  “Bullshit,” Jase coughs. Pointing his finger at me, he says, “Hunter was just about to tell me about his second kiss with Jade.”

  “What?” both the girls gasp. Fallon scoots closer to me, “When did this happen? Tell us everything!”

  I let out a chuckle, but it quickly fades when I think of the disastrous kiss. “It… I… I fucked up.”

  All three of their faces instantly sober up, and they all stare at me until I admit, “It was the night I got a little drunk at Studio 9.” I drop my eyes to the table. “We got into another fight, and then I lost my shit and kissed Jade.” When I only get silence, I glance up. They’re just staring at me, waiting for more. “I forced the kiss on Jade.”

  Fallon’s the first to react. She darts in my direction and slaps me upside the head, and then Jase follows up with punching the shit out of my shoulder.

  But my eyes go to Hana, and when she drops her eyes from mine, and a sad look settles on her face, I feel like dog shit all over again.

  “I didn’t mean for it to happen,” I try to explain.

  Hana just nods, not looking at me. She begins to get up, which has me darting out of my chair. I grab hold of her arm before she can walk away.

  It’s grown quiet in the restaurant, and I know everyone can hear our conversation when I say, “Don’t walk away. Please. Let me explain.”