Kings of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #1) - Caroline Peckham ,Susanne Valenti Page 0,32

on everything good inside me until all that was left was the bad.

The wildest, hidden part of me was having a damn field day, soaking wet and panting for him while I battled to stop her from peeking out through my expression.

“I didn’t realise you were a prostitute, Saint,” I said. “Sounds like you’re out of my price range. But don’t worry, I don’t need to pay for a good lay, I can get that on my own merit.”

He chuckled darkly, closing the distance between us even more until he seemed to suck away every ounce of oxygen in the vicinity. “Wit will get you one place with me, Barbie. Crushed beneath my heel. And you might be able to get a good lay by licking your adequate lips and pushing up your mediocre cleavage, but you don’t get a mind-blowing fuck with a god unless you’re something special.”

His words sliced at my chest, intended to cut their way to my heart, but I got my defences up before he could touch that. I released a derisive breath and ducked under his arm. He went to grab me and I danced away from him with a laugh.

“I imagine the only one you deem special enough to fuck you is yourself. So give your right hand my regards. She’s a very lucky girl.” I winked and ran away, hearing him coming after me as more laughter bubbled from my chest. Holy hell, why does taunting the devil feel so good?

I made it out of the church doors and into the woods before I glanced back. Saint stood in the open doorway, his shadow stretching out into the night and consuming mine.

“You come here again and you’ll regret ever enrolling at Everlake,” he said just loud enough for me to hear and I swallowed hard before heading off down the path.

If darkness was thrilling, Saint Memphis was an ocean of it. My heart pounded harder than it had in years. There was so much about him I found repugnant. The power trip he was riding, the holier-than-thou bullshit he spewed, the goddamn church he’d claimed for himself like he really was a saint. It was disgusting. And yet a primal part of me was falling for it hook, line and sinker. She would have worshipped his body like the god he thought he was. But better than that, she would have had him worshipping at her altar too.

I finally reached a sign for the Oak Common House and turned down another track which led me to a wooden pier stretching out into the perfectly still lake. My lips parted at the sight of the huge cabin suspended above the water. A balcony ringing it was thronging with people and fairy lights strung around the railing reflected in the lake below, making it look like some kind of ethereal set plucked right out of a fantasy movie.

I headed down the pier and students eyed me curiously as I approached. My gaze hooked on Blake Bowman who was leaning back against the railing on the left, a beer held loosely between his fingers as a pick ‘n mix of girls laughed at whatever he was saying. He could have had whoever he wanted, but it was me his eyes found and they illuminated like he’d just struck gold. He was wearing a pale grey shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms and his dark hair was swept back stylishly in a purposefully messy way.

My lips tilted up at the blazing intensity of his stare. If Saint was ice, Blake was fire. And I didn’t know which one I preferred to die by.

I stepped forward but a large guy in a football jersey moved into my path, holding out his hand. “Hey fledgling, where’s your invite?”

I fought an eyeroll as I reached into my purse and produced the chicken bone Blake had given me and the boy crowed loudly to the sky as he took it.

“Tatum Rivers is gonna initiate tonight!” he hollered and more crowing sounded out from the party as he welcomed me into the fold.

Blake carved a path through the girls surrounding him as I moved onto the balcony ringing the cabin. The students around him backed up to give him room until we were contained within a ring of space, like an invisible forcefield lived around him. Untouchable. And yet…

His hand curled around mine before he tugged me a step closer, inspecting me from head to toe.