The Envy of Idols (Rich Boys of Burberry Prep #3)(83)

“I just like spending time with you,” he tells me, and my heart thumps so violently it feels like I might have hiccups. “And I like your dad. Mine’s dead. I miss him sometimes.” Wind pauses and then sits up, pulling me into the circle of his arms until we’re cuddled together in a way that Charlie might not appreciate if he were to show.

Still … it feels so good, I tell myself just another minute or two can’t hurt. When Dad gets on the phone with Mack, they can talk for hours sometimes.

“You brought your suitcase with you,” I say, and feel Windsor smiling against my neck.

“I’m going to stay at that awful B&B again, the haunted one with the bad customer service.”

“They don’t have bad customer service, they just don’t kiss,” I say, feeling an irritational need to defend the Bayside Bed and Breakfast against this spoiled little rich kid. “But the ghost thing, that’s true. In 1902, a woman—” Windsor turns my head just enough that he can lean forward and kiss me over my shoulder, dropping both of his hands to my breasts and squeezing them just hard enough to make me moan.

He moves back suddenly, releasing me and exhaling sharply, like even he wasn’t quite aware of what he was doing.

“Bloody fucking hell, Zack’s right. You start talking historical facts, and it’s just … it must be the passion in your voice.” For once in his life, Windsor sounds a bit startled.

“Wind,” I start, because my heart is aching. I turn around to look at him, and I see it. It’s been there this whole time, from moment one. He’s been my friend since he set foot on the academy campus, but he’s also had a crush on me. A real one. “Are you even allowed to date to peasant girls?”

He raises a red brow and then reaches out to stroke some of my hair back.

“I told you: I’m probably the least obligated boy you’re dating right now. Milady, consider it: marry me.”

“Stop joking around,” I say, slapping him in the chest and sighing. “Even if I were interested in marrying someone, someday, I’m going to college first. Bornstead, if I can.”

“I’ll have my mother write you a recommendation letter,” Windsor says absently, but even though I get really excited at the prospect, I’m not sure I can accept that. No, I want to accomplish this on my own merit. Wind pauses and seems to notice the expression on my face. “Or at the very least, let me help pay for your schooling. Your mind is beyond brilliant, love.” He reaches out and touches a finger to the center of my forehead. “You’ll do great things one day.”

I smile, and then hear the sound of the glass lid on the pot clinking, pushing up from the bed to go and check on it.

After the stew’s done, Windsor and I sit outside with Charlie, and I very casually suggest that the prince stay the rest of the week with us, so we can all go fishing together, and maybe try another round of bowling. Wind says he likes a challenge, right? My dad is boss when it comes to bowling.

Oddly enough, Charlie agrees (although the open door rule still applies), and Wind blends so seamlessly into our little family, that I almost forget I have four other boyfriends waiting for me back at Burberry Prep.

Almost.





Creed and I are sitting in the gazebo in the rear courtyard. He’s studying like crazy, and I’m looking at my revenge list and crossing names off. I’m here in case he needs me, but he’s been trying so much harder lately that I don’t think he’s going to have a problem pulling all As and Bs in his classes.

I am going to whoop your ass, Tristan Vanderbilt, I think as I stare at the names on the notebook paper I stole back from him.





Revenge On The Bluebloods of Burberry Prep

A list by Marnye Reed





The Harpies The Girls: Harper du Pont, Becky Platter, and Ileana Taittinger



The Company Their Cronies: Anna Kirkpatrick, Ebony Peterson, Gregory Van Horn, Abigail Fanning, John Hannibal, Valentina Pitt, Sai Patel, Mayleen Zhang, Jalen Donner, Kiara Xiao, and Ben Thresher



The Plebs





After a moment of careful consideration, I decide to finally cross Plebs off my list. First off, we’ve completely taken over the school and I’m now being worshipped as an Idol. If that doesn’t count as revenge, I don’t know what does. Second, forgiveness is the focus of my journey right now, and I can’t possibly locate all the idiots who dumped condoms on my doorstep or spray-painted insults on my door.

So, I cross that off, and it feels freeing as hell.

I’m also glad to see Greg and John bite the dust. They are gone from Burberry Prep—permanently. And the nude photos that got circulated included both girls and boys from their own group. Talk about a double whammy.

Still, there are a lot of names on that list, and even though they’ve gotten their fair share of just desserts, I’m not crossing them off until they’re either gone, or I no longer perceive them to be a threat.

Harper and Co. is most definitely still a threat.

“Done,” Creed says, pushing his tablet toward me, so I can check his answers.

Every single one is right, and I look up with a grin. He gives me a lazy housecat smile in response, and before I even know what’s-what, I’m in his lap and kissing him like my life depends on it. I’d like to do this every day, please and thank you.