Page 105 of Brutal Prince

Unnecessary goosebumps break out all over my skin.

“It’s from Addy’s guy,” I say, desperate to do anything but blush.

It doesn’t work — my cheeks heat up anyway.

Why in the fuck did I think for even a moment that I would be in control in this situation? How? You’d swear I’d started smoking before I thought up this cockamamie plan.

Oh, right. I pictured this happening at school, not in Addy’s backyard.

Which, by the way, is fucking gorgeous. The area’s completely enclosed — Briar opens an ornate metal gate to let me in — and the walls seem to consist entirely of trailing ivy.

There’s an intimate swimming pool, a hot tub, and a closed-off porch. It looks like something out of a home design magazine.

Briar heads straight for the glass sliding doors and tries the handle.

He turns to me and shrugs. “Locked.”

“Darn,” I say, snapping my fingers and then instantly wishing I hadn’t. Note to self — don’t ever quit your future day job to take up acting. You suck at it. “Well, best we get back to school. Don’t wanna rack up more detention time, do we?”

“Relax,” Briar says, hitting the joint as he walks back to me.

God, it should be illegal to look as hot as he does. With his swagger, and the way he’s holding that joint, he looks like a young heartthrob actor taking a break between scenes of some gritty romance movie.

Focus, Indi. Or have you forgotten what the whole point of this excursion was?

I straighten, clear my throat, and make grabby hands for the joint. Briar cocks his head, a smirk playing on his mouth as he swaggers closer.

Good God, I think I’m going to combust if he keeps looking at me like that.

I squeeze my thighs together as he walks near and try to snatch the joint as soon as he’s close enough. But he lifts his arm, putting it ridiculously out of reach. And then he just keeps walking until he’s right up against me. Until I’m forced to take a step back.

Then another.

Another.

“Briar…”

He hits the joint, dips his head.

Before I can manage another protest, his mouth is against mine. His tongue teases my lips apart. Hot, dank smoke pours into me.

I inhale greedily, my hands sliding around the back of his head so I can kiss him back and create a seal around our mouths. For the weed smoke, of course. Not because I could devour this man alive right now.

“Mmm,” he murmurs. That vibration flows through my entire fucking body. “Greedy little virgin, aren’t you.”

“So I like getting high,” I say, my lips slipping over his with each word. “Sue me.”

“I’d rather fuck you.”

Air leaves me in a throaty groan at his words. There’s a hand at the small of my back, another on my neck. He’s pressing me tight against him, but still walking me backward.

I try to stiffen my legs, but then he kisses me for real, and my world explodes into pure bliss. I lose all motor function, relying on his strong arms to keep me upright as the pressure of his body against mine moves me like a piece in a chess game.

The back of my legs hit something soft but firm. I go, “uh,” into his mouth in surprise, and for some reason that makes him growl.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” he grumbles, tearing his lips away from mine and instead moving them to my ear. “How the fuck can you make me so horny with one little sound?”

I don’t have time to reply — Briar scoops me up and plops me down.

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