Before I can climb in, Mason grasps my hip, tugging me close, and tucks his head close to mine. His warm breath tickles the skin under my ear. “It’s okay to want me after what you saw… but you should probably wipe up the drool from your chin before we get to the party.”
I glare up at him, not willing to give him an inch. “You mean I’m supposed to want the guy who practically choked me to death this morning? Mm. Lemme guess, is choking your kink?”
The only hint I have that I’ve gotten to him is the twitch of his jaw. His eyes bore into mine, and not bothering to respond, he forges on. “One more question. If you answer, I promise I’ll stop fucking with you.”
I suck in a breath, and inadvertently take a hit of the mint on his breath again, along with whatever woodsy-scented cologne he must have put on. The twist of his lips tells me this is a bad idea, but he’s like the flame I can’t resist. I put my hand in it and revel in the burn. “Fine.”
He murmurs low, “Were you so worked up that you had to play with your pretty pussy after I went back to my room?”
Oh my god, this guy. I try valiantly to steady my breathing, to calm the frantic beating of my heart, but it’s no good. I feel the heat hit my cheeks. It’s no good to lie because the truth is all over my quickly reddening face. “Yeah. I had an image of Duke in my head, so I flicked my bean to thoughts of him going down on me. You know. It’s a little taboo, the whole stepsibling thing. It made me come really hard.” I shrug, pulling the SUV door open on my own, then toss over my shoulder, “He really knows how to use that wicked tongue of his.” Shooting Mason a smug look, I climb into my seat. “You can shut the door now. Or is there a reason you’re still standing there?”
Music already blares from the speakers, and maybe that’s why neither Duke, nor Bear seems to have caught our exchange. Duke bellows from the front seat, “What the fuck is the hold up, you two?” He pulls down the visor and flips open the mirror to look at me, his blue eyes searching mine.
“Nothing. Not a single thing. Let’s party.”
* * *
Wow.This place is something. I scan the impressive old buildings where all the on-campus fraternities are housed.Okay. I can do this.It’s just a party. People. Drinks. Dancing. “So, this is Greek Row?”
Bear bobs his head as he deftly pulls the large SUV into a parking space. “Yep. Most frats are located here, all the ones…” He pauses to think.
“The ones with less financial backing,” Mason huffs from the seat across the aisle from me, where he’s been eyeing me the entire drive. “KU is full of money, old and new, but you’ll discover there are many degrees of wealth. The guys who rush these fraternities don’t have to pay anything to get in like at Bainbridge Hall or have family connections like those fuckers all do at Hawthorne Hall.”
“We aren’t even part of the”—Duke throws up air quotes—“Greek system. To the school, we’re simply the brotherhood residing at Bainbridge Hall.”
“The bastards you mean.” Mason shoots me a wink, and I barely resist agreeing with him out loud.
“But you three actually do have connections, right?” I’ve been trying to catch on, tidbits of conversation here and there, piecing everything together.
“Yeah. It’s been a long time coming, but the sons of the founders are finally the ones in charge of things.” Bear draws in a deep breath, then exhales in a steady stream. It almost seems as if he’s not as excited as he should be about it.
I’m interested in learning more because I’m generally clueless about what goes on here at this university, not to mention each individual fraternity. Shit, or even about classes and professors and majors. I don’t know where to eat lunch on Monday. Or what my schedule is.Shit.That’s a panic attack for another day. I drum my fingertips on my thighs and make a stab at keeping the conversation going. “Well, however old Kingston University is, it seems like they have plenty of money to deal with the upkeep. The buildings are striking, and the landscaping is just beautiful. It’s a pretty place to be. I like it.” I catch Bear’s eye in the rearview. “Are the educational buildings on campus similar?”
Duke interrupts, laughing. “Oh, god, you haven’t seen the campus yet?”
I’m not amused. I squint my eyes at him as he turns around in his seat. “When would I have been on campus? Your father gave me an hour to pack a bag, didn’t provide the slightest idea where I was going, then he pulls up to Bainbridge Hall and announces I’m now living with people I’ve never met and attending KU. Whenexactlywas I supposed to have seen the campus?”
Duke heaves out a breath and throws his door open. “Touché, Stella. Point taken. Come on. Time for a lesson in what a frat party is like.”
As I get out, he comes in close, studying my face in a way that makes me wholly uncomfortable. He growls, the rumble coming from deep in his chest. “Fuck,” he bites out, “You’re too fuckin’ pretty.” He presses his lips together, looking behind me toward our intended destination before returning his gaze to me, his irritation showing. “Stella, don’t do anything stupid.” He walks off, hands in his pockets, shaking his head.
Bear and Mason join me, and we follow Duke up to the house, where there’s a long-ass line of people waiting to get in. Just when I think we’re going to get into said line, Duke pivots and beckons me forward to walk in with him, his jaw tight. Who the hell knows what he’s thinking. He puts his hand on my lower back—surprising the hell out of me—and guides me up a short flight of stone stairs to the porch with Mason and Bear following. I don’t even have time to look backward at the people watching us skip the line. He lifts his hand in greeting to the guy at the door, who immediately ushers us inside.
Huh. Well, as much as it makes me feel bad for cutting ahead of all those people, I’m glad to be inside the air-conditioned building instead of standing in the line outside for an undetermined length of time. Though I’ll likely be thrust among a sauna of sweaty, drunk bodies in no time flat.
My gaze moves swiftly around the house, trying to take in as many details as possible. This is no Bainbridge Hall, but it is a pretty nice setup. And it certainly looks nothing like the frat houses I’ve seen in movies. It’s beautifully decorated. I cringe, thinking about how likely it is that it’ll be trashed by morning.Oh, who am I kidding?The university probably sends cleaning and repair crews in to make sure these buildings are kept in tip-top condition even after the debauchery of a party.
Forgetting for a moment that Duke and I don’t particularly like each other, I glance up at him before my eyes wander the expansive first floor for a second look. “How many brothers live here?”
He shrugs, distracted by something—someone?—across the room, but Mason appears on my other side. “Probably twenty or so?”
My brows dart up. “And you have about half that… and a house four times as big.”
Bear leans in from behind me with a deep, dark chuckle. “Something like that.”
A guy approaches us with a few shots in his hands. “How about a drink?” He holds the small shot glass in front of my nose, and the smell of the tequila hits me hard. I jerk back.
Before I can say a word, though, Mason swiftly removes the shot from the guy’s hand and downs it himself before handing the glass back with a tight smile and walking away.
