Page 68 of Ruthless Legacy

“I had you pinned to the mat for a ten count. I win.”

“Your desperate ass kissed me. I was too stunned to respond.”

She climbs to her feet and grabs her bag. As she reaches the door, she flips me off, and says, “Oh, there was a response alright. Somewhere south of your guard. Mark the score, two to one. I’m back in the game, asshole.”

I’m in a foul mood by the time I’m settled in the lobby for the lingerie show. It’s Holden that asks what’s wrong. “Thea. But what else is new?”

“What crime against you has she committed now?”

Finn takes his seat beside me just as I say, “She kissed me.”

“Who kissed you?”

“Thea.”

“Thea, who? My Thea?”

It’s concerning that he calls her his. But this isn’t the place to dig into that. “Is there any other Thea on campus that would be stupid enough to kiss me without permission?”

“No, but I also can’t think of any reason Thea would kiss you. Where was this? When was this? Someone must’ve been hitting on her. She used you to get them to back off.”

“We were in the gym, sparring, and we were the only two people there. And before you ask which gym, it was the one here in the dorm.”

He and Holden are both studying me. Holden asks, “So what made you decide to kiss her?”

“Nothing. She kissed me. Basically threw herself at me, then tried to play it off as a defensive move when I called her out on it.”

Finn gives me an incredulous look. “She kissed you, and you didn’t kiss her back? You just stood there?” He snorts. “You almost had me fooled. There’s no way Thea kissed you, and you didn’t respond.”

“I responded, for maybe half a second. I was stunned and reacted, but as soon as I realized what was going on, I pushed her away. The point is, she kissed me and I wanted you to hear about it from me, before she tries to put some kind of spin on it.”

“Saving your ass?” Finn chuckles, as the next wave of girls walks by.

“Making sure there are no more secrets out there between us.”

He pats my shoulder. “Thanks for coming clean, man.”

When I look over at Holden, he nods once, then buries his head back in his book. I realize I was worried about their reactions. The kiss was not my fault. I know they like Thea, and I don’t want them to think I’m trying to start shit between them.

Chapter30

Thea

Ican feel their eyes on me when I enter the dining hall. My gaze swings to the top legacy table. From the way Holden and Finn are staring at me, I know Paxton Cox has been running his mouth. I continue to the order line, stiffening when Finn steps up behind me. “Morning, Pet.”

I brace myself for the backlash. I don’t owe Finn anything, but I know how guys get. Their egos can’t handle women who won’t be pigeonholed into behavioral norms.

It was one kiss. Onestupidkiss, and it meant nothing, but I wait for Finn to berate me for it, ready to eviscerate his soul with my words.

Finn’s lips brush my ear. “Relax, Pet. I don’t care.”

My retort dies on my lips. “What?” I ask, not sure I’ve heard him right.

“You and Pax. I don’t care.”

“There is no me and Pax, but thanks for confirming he’s been gossiping to everyone like a scorned little bitch.”

He chuckles. “He’s not gossiping. He was telling his brothers, me and Holden, what happened, because we have no secrets from each other.”

---