“Worse?” I bark, stopping in my tracks and turning an icy glare on him. “What’s worse than being branded for life as someone else’sproperty?”
He cringes as he swivels to face me, shrugging a shoulder.
“Nevermind, don’t answer that,” I mutter, shouldering past him to start down the path again.
Again, he catches up quickly to retake his place beside me, but at least he has the good sense not to continue trying to make small talk. We walk together in blissful silence all the way to the quad, which is already packed with students milling about before their morning classes. Pausing at the fork in the path, Wes turns to me as I adjust the straps of my backpack on my shoulders.
“I need to caffeinate,” he grumbles, eyeing the coffee cart across the quad, then cocking a brow at me. “What about you, you want one?”
While I’m suspicious of accepting anything from this man, I’ve never been one to turn down coffee. Especially after such a restless night of sleep. I nod begrudgingly, hoping I’m not about to fall prey to another one of his tricks.
The corner of Wes’ mouth lifts in a stupidly gorgeous half-smile. “Medium latte with vanilla syrup, right?” he asks.
I just stare at him for a beat with my mouth hanging open, shocked that he’s memorized my coffee order. Then I quickly snap it shut, nodding again. It’s ironic how one day, he’s holding me down while his friend forcibly brands me with a tattoo, and the next, he’s thoughtfully remembering how I take my coffee. Leave it to Wes to be a complete contradiction, and leave it to me to fall for it.
“Be right back,” he says with a wink, butterflies erupting in my belly as he turns on a heel and strides across the lawn toward the coffee cart. My gaze lingers a bit too long on the way his jeans hug his ass as he leaves, and I mentally bitch slap myself for even noticing.
This man is the enemy, damnit.
I should be happy for the momentary reprieve from his attention, but as soon as Wes walks away, I feel incredibly exposed. Being accompanied by a King is like wearing armor against the rest of the student body, but when I’m left alone, there’s nothing to deter their nasty looks. The girls on campus all seem to hate me, not even realizing that their jealousy is completely misplaced. I’d gladly trade spots with any of them in a heartbeat. The guys mostly leer at me like I’m a piece of meat, ogling me with their bestfuck meeyes and making lewd gestures when they catch me looking back.Does shit like that actually work on other girls? Gross.
“Good morning, beautiful,” a deep voice croons, and I cringe inwardly as I glance over my shoulder, bracing myself for an unwanted come-on from a random stranger. Instead, I’m pleasantly surprised to see Travis approaching me, his backpack slung over his shoulder and a roguish grin on his lips.
“Hey,” I greet cheerfully, tucking my hair behind my ears as I pivot to face him. “How’s it going?”
“Eh, I’ve never been a morning person,” he admits, chuckling to himself. “But seeing you has already turned it around.”
I roll my eyes, unable to hide the blush that rises to my cheeks. “Do those lines actually work on girls?”
“You tell me,” he fires back, smirking.
I’m not sure whether Travis is ridiculously charming or if it’s just been too long since I’ve had a positive interaction with someone other than Bryce, but I find myself fighting another blush, grinning like a fool.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he quips, grinning right back. “Hey, I’m glad I ran into you, actually. I’ve been meaning to–”
“The fuck do you think you’re doing, Trav?” Wes cuts in, suddenly reappearing with paper coffee cups in each hand and a deep scowl on his face.
How the heck did he get those coffees so fast? Do the Kings just get to jump lines wherever they go?
Travis shrugs, tossing a thumb in my direction. “I saw Ava here all by herself and couldn’t pass up the chance to talk to a beautiful girl,” he remarks, slipping me a wink. “Now, do you mind? I was trying to ask her out when you so rudely interrupted us.”
My eyes widen– not because I’m shocked that he was about to ask me out, it was pretty clear that was where this casual flirtation was heading– but because the Kings have already made it abundantly clear that they won’t tolerate me having friends, let alone actuallydatingsomeone. And judging by the furious set to Wes’ jaw right now, Travis is about to have his ass handed to him.
“Yeah, Idomind,” he snaps, glaring daggers at my admirer. “As you already know, she’s Kings property.”
“Funny, I don’t see a collar around her neck,” Travis scoffs.
My brows furrow in confusion as I glance between the two of them. If they’re actually referring to some type of dog collarsituation, then I give up now. They can release the damn video and ruin my life.
“I’ll do you one better,” Wes replies smugly, nudging me with an elbow. “Show him, Ava.”
I turn my questioning gaze on him. As soon as our eyes lock, I realize what he means by that, my breath catching in my throat.
As if he can sense I’m about to protest, Wes leans in a little closer, staring into my eyes intently. “You show him, or I will,” he murmurs in command.
My cheeks burn as I slowly turn around, lifting the back hem of my skirt to show Travis the new tattoo peeking out from the seam of my black bikini briefs.
Property of the Kings. That’s what Ford tattooed on my left butt cheek last night in a gothic font, embellished with a little skull wearing a jeweled crown. I have to admit, the artwork itself is impeccable. The message, however, leaves a lot to be desired.
