Coldhearted Heir (The Heirs Book 1)

by Michelle Heard

  “Give me that ticket,” Jase growls, and he yanks it from her hands. Ripping it to shreds, he tosses the scraps in the first available bin. “Hell will freeze over before you kiss Nate fucking Sparks.”

  “Hey!” Mila shrieks. She darts toward Jase and it has him grinning while he sprints away from her. “Just wait until I get my hands on you! You can’t run forever, Jase.”

  I let out a chuckle as I watch Mila try to catch Jase. He keeps darting away from her.

  “You think they’ll ever get together?” Jade asks. She wraps her arm around my lower back as we walk towards the stretch of lawn marked off for the race.

  “One day,” I sigh. “Hopefully.”

  “Yeah.”

  When we get to the start line, an attendant ties one of my legs to Jade’s with a piece of fabric.

  Mila finally gets to slap Jase upside the head as they come to stand next to us.

  I glance down at Jade, and when she grins up at me, I wink at her. “We’re going to kick ass, right?”

  “You bet.”

  We wait for all the contestants to get ready, and I tighten my grip around Jade’s shoulders as we wait for the whistle to blow.

  The shrill sound creates chaos as some manage to get away from the starting line while others trip and fall.

  Jade and I manage just fine, but when Jase and Mila begin to overtake us, Jase and I try to push each other off balance. Jade’s laughter echoes over the field, and her hand grips hold of my shirt over my chest as she struggles to keep running.

  Fallon and Kao come out of nowhere and race through the finish line. Kao immediately wraps Fallon in a hug. “Yassss, baby! That’s how it’s done.”

  When Jade and I cross the line in second place, I pull her against my chest and press a kiss to the top of her head.

  “That was so much fun,” she chuckles. When she tilts her head back, and I see the laughter shining from her eyes, everything feels perfect.

  Chapter 19

  HUNTER

  This is easily one of the best days of my life.

  When we get to the pool for the volleyball game, I have a permanent grin on my face. But when the girls walk in, only wearing bikini’s, the smile quickly fades, and I ask, “Don’t any of you own one-piece bathing suits?”

  “What’s wrong with these?” Fallon asks.

  “Skin,” I growl, and it draws a chorus of laughter from the girls.

  “Come on, we need to get our heads in the game,” Mila says. “We can’t lose against Nate and Jessica’s team.”

  Grabbing hold of my shirt, I pull it over my head and drop it by our towels. Turning back, I catch Jade staring at me… or rather my chest.

  “Eyes on the ball, Jade,” I tease her before I dive into the water. Coming up for air, I wipe the drops from my face, and it’s in time to watch Jade jump in, sending a spray of water my way.

  When her head pops above the water, I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her to the side. “Climb on my shoulders, monkey.”

  “How?” she asks.

  “Hold on.” Taking a deep breath, I duck under the water and come up between her legs. I almost swallow water as a thought I should not be thinking right now flashes through my mind.

  Dirty and hot.

  When I have Jade on my shoulders, I push her into the air as my head breaks through the water.

  “Holy crap,” Jade shrieks, her arms wide at her sides to keep her balance. “This is so much harder than it looks.”

  “Just find your balance. We have a minute.”

  “Right.” Her hands alternate from almost yanking my hair out to twirling wildly in the air.

  “Hook your feet behind his back,” Fallon calls out.

  Jade listens and finally manages to find her balance, but it causes a problem for me, seeing as the warmth of her pussy is flush with my neck.

  Jade’s pussy. Now there’s a thought.

  “Hunter.”

  “Hunter!”

  “What?” I almost glance up but stop myself in time from throwing Jade off balance.

  “The game’s about to start.”

  “Oh, yeah.” I move us toward our position.

  Jade squirms, shifting closer to me, and it only makes my focus snap from the game to the heat between her legs. I almost go under the water, but catch myself in time.

  Oh God. I’m going to drown today.

  I’m just glad my lower half is under the water because I’m hard as fuck.

  This is going to be one hell of a hard game to play.

  Pun intended.

  Fallon serves the ball, starting the game. I’m fucking impressed with myself when I manage to focus on the ball. Jade stops a shot and wacks it back toward the other team, sending it sailing over their heads.

  “Nice goal, babe,” I praise her, rubbing my hands over her knees.

  Hana leans over to us to high-five Jade.

  Thank god the game is only twenty minutes long. When we win with one point, I sink under the water and turning toward Jade, I wrap an arm around her waist before I shoot us up into the air.

  Jase and Kao holler in victory while Mila and Fallon do a victory dance in the water.

  My eyes turn to Jade, and without thinking, I press a quick kiss to her smiling lips. Pulling back, I try to save face by saying, “Good game.”

  Lame, Hunter. So fucking lame.

  I let go of Jade and swim toward Jase.

  JADE

  I’ve been in a daze since Hunter plastered a super quick kiss against my lips.

  It doesn’t really count as a kiss, Jade.

  After all the fun on campus, Jase is begging us to go to the club.

  “I’m tired,” Fallon whines.

  “Me too,” Noah adds. “I can fall asleep right where I’m sitting.”

  I’ve just showered and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. I sit down on the arm of the couch closest to me and say. “Let’s just watch a movie.”

  Hunter walks by me and gestures to Fallon. “Make space for me.” When she moves up, he sits down and then grabs hold of my hips, yanking me onto his lap.

  What’s happening?

  With wide eyes, I stare at Mila, who’s across from me. She gives me a reassuring smile and mouths, ‘Just go with it.’

  “We can go tomorrow night,” Hunter says.

  “Fine,” Jase relents. “But then we have to play a game.”

  “What game?” Kao asks. “Your last game sucked. Literally.”

  Kao’s comment makes me remember when Hunter kissed me at the club, and it sends a wave of heat up my neck.

  Hunter gives my hip a squeeze, telling me he knows what I’m thinking.

  Well, this isn’t awkward at all.

  Jase shrugs as he pulls his phone from his pocket. “It’s either the game or Studio 9.”

  “Let’s play the game,” Mila says, drawing a wide grin from Jase. He jogs to the kitchen and grabs a bottle of whiskey and a couple of tumblers.

  Hunter chuckles. “Do we have to start worrying about you drinking too much?”

  “Come on,” Jase says. “It’s me we’re talking about.”

  “My point, exactly,” Hunter comments drily. I begin to get up, but Hunter tightens his grip on my hip. “Stay.”

  Ahhh…. Okay, then.

  I shift my legs over the side of his thighs and squeeze my butt into the corner, resting my back against the armrest, and I lean my head against his shoulder.

  Jase places the phone on the coffee table and pours each of us a shot of whiskey.

  When we all have something to drink, Jase presses spin on the phone. The arrow lands on Hana.

  What’s your darkest secret?

  She chuckles and shrugs. “I once stole fifty dollars from my dad’s wallet to buy candy.”

  “That sounds like something my mother would do,” Hunter comments.

  “That’s a lot of candy,” Mila says.

  “I had to hide it. The stash lasted me two months,” Hana adm
its. She reaches over to the table and presses the button so the arrow will spin.

  It stops on Jase. “Hell yeah, give it to me, baby.”

  Kiss someone.

  He darts up. “I’m all about sharing the love today.” Taking hold of a squirming Mila, he plants a hard kiss to her lips. My eyebrows pop up when his lips tenderly move against hers before he pulls back.

  Mila remains frozen, her eyes slowly blinking while Jase sends the arrow twirling again. It stops on Fallon.

  Punch someone.

  Without even thinking about who to punch, she lands one on Hunter’s shoulder.

  “Oww,” I say on his behalf and reaching over, I rub his shoulder.

  Fallon grins at me and leans over to the phone. The arrow stops on me, and I let out a groan.

  Admit your love to someone.

  My eyes lock on Mila in a split-second. “I love you so so so much.”

  She lets out a burst of laughter as I scramble off Hunter’s lap to press the button again. While it spins, I quickly sink down to the floor and lean back against Hunter’s legs.

  Nice move, Jade.

  The dare goes to Noah.

  Kiss your enemy.

  “Fuck, I love you all,” he chuckles but then leans over to Kao and plants a kiss on his cheek.

  “Dude, come on,” Kao struggles, which only makes Noah kiss him again.

  We all laugh at their antics while I remember how it felt when Hunter got that dare. Tingles rush over my skin, and absentmindedly I rub my hands over my arms.

  “Are you cold?” Hunter suddenly asks, leaning down to me.

  “Uh… no. I’m good.”

  Noah presses the phone, and when the arrow starts slowing, I duck down and almost become one with the floor. Everyone begins to laugh, and then Hunter reads out, “Give someone a lap dance.”

  I pop back up and see the dare written on the screen. “Oh, thank god I ducked.”

  Hunter grabs hold of my arms and lifts me to my feet. At first, I think it’s so he can get past me, but then he steers me to the kitchen.

  “What are you doing? It’s your dare,” I protest.

  “Yeah, but I have to give someone a lap dance.” He pulls one of the kitchen chairs into the open space between the two rooms and pushes me down in it.

  “Noooo,” I gasp, my eyes wide on him.

  “I need music,” he says, ignoring my protest.

  Jase is up in a flash. “Give me a sec.” He fiddles with the sound system, and then Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift begins to play.

  I let out a groan and wildly shake my head.

  Hunter begins moving, dancing backward as he nods his head to the beat. I let out a bark of laughter. But then he gets a freaking intense seductive look on his face, and when he bites his bottom lip, my laughter dries up like a puddle of water on a hot as hell day.

  Hunter moves his hips in a way that has my mouth dropping open. He dances toward me and straddling my legs, he grabs hold of the chair behind my back and begins thrusting his pelvis at me.

  My eyes shut so damn fast, and I struggle to keep from laughing again until I feel his breath against my cheek. My eyes snap back open, and the moment they connect with his blues, I’m a goner.

  A sexy grin tugs at his lips as he pulls a little back, and then he yanks his shirt off in one swift move, leaving him only in his sweatpants.

  Everyone begins to holler and clap hands while I stare at his chest. My eyes drop lower to where his abs flow into a scorchingly hot V.

  Fuck-me-muscles galore.

  You better move back if you don’t want me drooling on you.

  Of course, Hunter can’t read my thoughts, and he continues to rub his chest up my body. I turn my face just in time to feel every perfect muscle glide over my cheek.

  HOLY FUCKING HOTNESS.

  When I turn my head back, I come face to face with his happy trail to the holy grail of … what the hell am I thinking.

  Don’t look at his cock, Jade. Don’t. Eyes up.

  My eyes have a mind of their own, and they zero in on the bulge at the front of the loose hanging sweatpants.

  It feels like I’m going to short-circuit, and I begin to blink faster.

  Hot. Damn.

  The song ends way too quickly, and climbing off me, Hunter pulls me up. I face plant against all his glorious muscles and happily wrap my arms around his waist.

  Sigh… my new happy place.

  “Don’t you dare!” Mila suddenly shouts, popping my happy bubble. Pulling back, I crack up when I see Jase doing a pelvis thrust in her direction. It’s nothing near as sexy as Hunter’s was.

  Hunter picks up his shirt, and I drink in the sight of his chest before the fabric falls over it.

  “You have nothing on the show Jade just got,” Mila taunts Jase.

  “Oh yeah?” Jase leans into Mila and whispers something in her ear. When he pulls back, her eyes are wide, and her mouth is shut.

  Hunter takes hold of my hand and pulls me back to the couch. He pushes me down in his seat, and then he sinks down at my feet, and I have to open my legs so he can sit between them.

  God, this can’t be my imagination. Does Hunter feel the same way about me?

  Chapter 20

  JADE

  “Hell no,” I say as Fallon throws a dress on my bed. “I’m never wearing anything like that again.”

  She wags her eyebrows at me. “It will get a certain someone’s attention.”

  “Nope, I’m good, thanks.” I wipe on some lipgloss and run my fingers through my hair. “Tonight, I’m sticking with my usual jeans.”

  Hana’s eyes glide over me. “At least it’s the tight ones.”

  “Everyone ready?” Mila asks from the door.

  When I see the short dress on her, I let out a bark of laughter. “I see Fallon got her way with you.”

  She shrugs. “If you have the body, flaunt it, right?”

  “Hell, yeah,” Fallon yells.

  “Let’s go,” Jase shouts from the front of the suite.

  We all file out of my room and head out. When we spill out of the elevator on the ground floor of the dorm, I hang back with Kao, Mila, and Noah, waiting for Fallon to lead the way. Hana hooks her arm through Fallon’s, and Jase falls in behind them.

  Then Hunter grabs hold of my hand, yanking me to his side before he walks after them.

  This is new.

  He links his fingers with mine, and I quickly glance behind me, only to see three sets of toothy grins glaring back at me.

  We split into two groups when we reach the cars, and I have no choice but to slip into the passenger seat when Hunter holds the door open for me. Jase and Mila climb into the back, and when Hunter slides behind the steering wheel, I quickly reach for my seat belt.

  Pulling out of the parking, Hunter says, “We’re not staying out late.”

  “Three am,” Jase begins to negotiate.

  By the time we reach Studio 9, Hunter and Jase agree on one am. I’m not sure I’m going to make it up that late. I’m already tired from all the fun we had this weekend, but not wanting to spoil my friends’ night, I suck it up and pray for a second breath of energy.

  I should’ve napped this afternoon instead of working on an assignment.

  Climbing out of the car, I wait for Mila and walk with her into the club.

  Human by Rag’n’Bone Man is thumping through the space as we walk to the VIP section. I sit down by the railing, so I have a view of the lower floor, and in need of a lot of sugar, I signal a waiter over and order a coke.

  Hunter takes the chair next to me, and leaning closer, he asks, “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, just a little tired. I ordered a coke for sugar,” I answer, giving him a wide smile.

  “Let me know if I need to take you home,” he offers.

  Unable to resist, I lean into him and wrapping my arms around his neck, I press a kiss to his cheek and hug him. Pulling back, I grin, “I need to hug you more, or I’ll never pay off my debt.”<
br />
  “In that case,” Hunter chuckles as he pulls me back against his chest for another hug.

  I close my eyes and breathe in his scent.

  Damn, you smell sooooo good.

  When he doesn’t pull back, but instead, tightens his arms around me, I take full advantage of the moment and press as close to him as I can.

  I feel the warmth from his body seep into mine, and it’s only then I realize it’s actually cold, and I should’ve brought a jacket. “You’re so nice and warm,” I mumble.

  Pulling back, he asks, “You want my jacket?”

  I shake my head and shift back into a comfortable position on my chair. “I’ll go dance myself warm in a minute.”

  My coke comes, and I take a sip from the sugary goodness.

  Hunter laughs at something Jase says, and I stare at his features.

  When the hell did he get so handsome?

  My eyes caress every line on his face, and I’m filled with an overwhelming feeling of awe for him.

  I’m in love with you, Hunter.

  Jase downs his tumbler of whiskey in one go and jumps up. “Let’s go dance.”

  Hunter, Kao, and Fallon join Jase, and I watch them walk down to the dance floor.

  “Why don’t you go dance?” Hana asks me.

  “I first need to finish my coke, or I’ll fall asleep on the dance floor,” I admit.

  “You and me both,” she replies, taking a huge sip of her own drink.

  “Jase is such a player,” Mila mumbles, her eyes focused on the lower floor.

  I follow her line of sight and watch as Jase dances with a random girl. I glance over the immediate people around him, seeing Fallon and Kao. Frowning, I keep searching until I see Hunter sitting at a table with Nate and Jessica’s group.

  Hunter leans closer to Jessica and then laughs at something she says.

  Damn, they look cozy.

  I only manage the sight of them smiling into each other’s eyes for another five minutes, then I get up. “I’m tired.” I walk to the stairs and take them down as fast as I can. Glancing at Hunter one last time, I see Jessica lean into him, and he begins to lower his head. An intense wave of jealousy rocks me to my core. I’ve never felt anything like it before, and honestly, it’s disturbing.