Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
“—that you liked to be spanked. Good thing because I very much like spanking you.”
My vision adjusted, granting me a clearer look at his grin.
“That paper is nothing, Luna. It doesn’t prove a relationship. I didn’t mark or grade it, so there’s no proof I read it either. There’s nothing that mystery blackmailer can do to hurt us.” He cupped my cheek. “And I wouldn’t care if they tried. I thought I lost you. Now that I have you back, I’m not wasting a second worrying about what-ifs. We can tell the world tomorrow that we’re dating. I don’t care what happens as long as I have you.”
Giggling, I laced my fingers through his. “Slow down, baby. I don’t want you losing your job. The whole professor thing is ninety-nine percent of the reason I’m into you. Take that away, and what do we have?”
Adonis nipped my bottom lip, making me squeal.
“Okay, okay. Ninety percent your job, and ten percent your cute ass. I guess we could build a relationship on ten percent.”
“You’re really trying to get another spanking, aren’t you?”
I shivered. “So badly. Gonna make me beg again, or are we going back to your room now?”
“We’re going back to my room.” The shadows whirled as Adonis lifted me up, swinging me bridal-style in his arms. “You’ll do your begging in there.”
Yep, I was very glad I skipped back out the gate and drove here. Adonis was about to turn a terrible night into the best.
“Wait,” I said. “Bring the food. Bet it tastes even better when I’m the plate.”
“Fuck’s sake, I missed you.”
“This”—the lights flicked on, snapping our heads around—“explains so much.” Rafael stood in the entrance, smirk heavy on his lips. “You’re fucking your professor and fiancé’s brother. No wonder you couldn’t tell us.” His smile vanished. “Luna, what the hell? Who did that to you!”
Rafael’s shout and Adonis’s sudden horror shocked reality back into me. I forgot what I looked like.
“No one,” I blurted. “I mean— Not no one, but it wasn’t like that. Alistair invited me over for dinner at the Burkhardt mansion, but he forgot to lock Saylor in her cage. To be blunt, she kicked my ass.”
No point beating around the bush. I had scratches all up and down my arms and face, a sore head, a bald spot, and a limp I almost covered by letting Adonis carry me.
“Good news is I kicked her ass too.” I climbed out of his arms and kissed Rafael. “I didn’t mean to wake you up, then scare you with this face. Get some sleep, baby. We’ll talk about everything in the morning.”
“You didn’t wake me up, although you’re right about the scare.” He was gentle, tracing a particularly vicious scratch from my forehead to my top lip. Saylor took all the skin off on the way down. The bright-red spot on his finger said it was still bleeding. “This woke me up.”
Rafael handed me his phone. Stark at the top of the screen was a number I didn’t recognize.
787-555-4978: If you help your shared slut come after me, I’ll bury you alive in the next hole I put you in. The Rogues are closed for business.
787-555-4978: Permanently.
Rafael and I looked at each other and burst out laughing.
“Good,” I said, deleting Everleigh’s nonsense off the phone. “She’s scared.”
Chapter Four
I thought my first day walking onto this hated campus was uncomfortable. It was nothing compared to the dropped jaws, whispers, and half a dozen actual screams that accosted me as I headed for the dean’s office first thing the next morning.
Someone had to tell him I wasn’t dead.
“—can’t believe it—”
“It’s really her.”
“Told you. Tiffany texted me that she blew into Toussaint’s last night and accused Everleigh of trying to kill her.”
Iris snorted loud. “Everleigh? I would’ve put my money on Saylor after the shit she pulled with the texts. Creepy little stalker.”
Victor squeezed my hand tight, tugging me past the early-morning café crew. He said we should go the long way to avoid the crowd. I wished I listened.
“I swear, Everleigh could shoot me in the face in the middle of the café, and the Royals would say I imagined it and gave myself the hole in the head. It’s terrifying the way you guys band together and defend each other.”
“Not you guys. I’m not with those shits. The only thing terrifying about me is how violently and brutally I’ll defend you.” He tugged me in and kissed my forehead. Victor had been all over me since I walked out of his brother’s room that morning. He didn’t even blink at my messy hair, hickeys, and eau-de-sex parfum. I wondered if loving both brothers could truly work for us.
Victor stopped messing around with my forehead and kissed me hard.
It was working just fine.
“I hate that I gave Everleigh a whole night to calm down, send nasty texts, and plan her next move,” I said. “Tonight, I have to find that cabin.”