Cruel Prince (Royal Hearts Academy, #1)(65)

“She’s not exactly your biggest fan, but if you’re serious and promise not to hurt her, I can put in a good word for you.”

He gives me a boyish grin. “You’d do that for me?”

Holy shit. Cole already looks like a movie star, but throw in that smile with those wolfish green eyes, and he’s practically a nuclear bomb.

But as beautiful as he is, it hurts like hell to stare for too long. Liam’s looks were toned down by his air of innocence and purity. However, I can’t help but wonder if older Liam would have looked and acted like Cole if he were still alive.

It’s a terrible thought to have, because Cole and Liam were different people, but…

“What else would you be willing to do for me?”

I was so lost in my head, I failed to notice Cole’s moved over several inches, intentionally invading my personal bubble.

“What do you mean?”

He skims a fingertip down my arm. “Come on, gorgeous. Don’t be such a prude.”

“I’m not…what the hell is wrong with you?” I assess the beer in his hand. “How many of those have you had?”

Leaning in, he whispers, “Enough to know I want to drag you upstairs and fuck you ‘til you can’t stand.”

My mouth drops open, but I have to close it because bile surges upwards. “That will never happen.” My hand twitches with the need to slap him, but I move out of his grasp instead. “Stay the hell away from me.”

If he feels rejected by me turning him down, he doesn’t show it. If anything, he looks pleased. “Why?”

“Because I’m not interested.”

He takes a step forward. “Why?”

“What do you mean why? You know why.”

No matter how much Jace pisses me off, I’d never sleep with his brother.

I start to walk away, but his hand wraps around my forearm. “I think you should leave.”

“What?” Disgust ripples through me. “Why? Because I won’t have sex with you?”

“No.” His expression darkens and he tightens his grip. “Because you’ve already hurt Jace enough. And if you came back here to do it again, I swear to God I will fucking kill you.”

The resolve behind his threat tells me it’s not idle, but I’m more disturbed by him believing I would come back to hurt Jace.

“Despite what you think, I would never hurt your brother. Ever.”

“Why?”

I tell him the first bit of truth that comes to my mind. The one I feel all the way down to my marrow. “Because I love him.” I hold his stare. “And I don’t hurt the people I love.”

Not if I can help it.

He searches my face for what feels like an eternity. I don’t know what he finds, but whatever it is has him releasing his hold on me. “You can stay.”

Without another word, he stalks out of the kitchen and I leave to track down my cousin.

I find him sucking Hayley’s face off on the living room couch.

Guess they’re on again.

Shaking my head, I turn around and head for the bathroom. All the water I had is catching up with me.

Evidently, I’m not the only one who has to pee like a racehorse, because the line for the closest bathroom is almost all the way down the hall.

The one on the other side of the house isn’t much better.

“Is there a bathroom upstairs?” I whisper to the guy wearing a beanie in front of me.

His eyes open a little and I realize he’s one of the bong boys from the last party I went to. “Nah, B. Bad idea.”

“Why?”

“My boy, Bugs, heard Christian was getting a rim job from some chick and she blew chunks everywhere but the toilet in that bitch.”

Wow, that was way more information than necessary. Not to mention gross.

“Thanks for the heads up.”

He gives me a curt nod and holds up the bong in his hand. “You wanna hit this while we wait?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I get paranoid behind the wheel when I’m high. My speed drops down to thirty and I think every car I pass is the police.” Since I don’t want to sound like a total loser I add, “But definitely next time.”

“Word.” He brings the lighter to the bowl and inhales. “No worries.”

Squeezing my legs together, I look down the line. Not counting my bong buddy, there are four more people in front of me. “Can you tell whoever’s in there to hurry up?”

Some guy ahead shrugs. “Already did.”

“I’m not gonna make it.”

I’ll take my chances with the puke. If she missed the toilet, at least it will be clean.

“Whatever you do, don’t piss in the hot tub,” my buddy advises. “People get real mad when you do that.” He grins at Cole when he walks by. “Try the punch bowl instead.”

Cole downs his beer and fist bumps the air. “Nectar of the gods.”

Hopefully it won’t come down to that, but it’s nice to know I’ve got options.

I hike a thumb in the direction of the staircase. “I’m gonna go upstairs.”

His expression turns solemn as I exit the line. “Godspeed, my friend.”

Racing up the stairs, I make a mad dash for the first bathroom I see.