Page 65 of Kings & Carnage

I had to negotiate with two of my teachers to make up finals I’d missed thanks to our hurried escape to the island, but thankfully, they were understanding about myfamily emergency.

I thought everyone would be talking about the cliff jump, then remembered that they’d had another week of school while the Kings and I were on the island.

Everyone had moved on to discussions of their vacations and I eavesdropped on conversations about Italy and Aspen, grateful I'd spent the time alone with the Kings. Our time on the island had ended horrifically, but the two weeks before that had been perfect and I wouldn't trade them for all the luxury vacations in the world.

By the time Oscar picked me up for lunch, I'd settled back into my old routine. Surrounded by homework assignments, dating gossip, and lectures, it was almost like the last month hadn't happened at all.

I emerged from English to find him leaning sexily against the brick wall, his camera raised.

I heard the click of the shutter as he took a picture of me.

"You have to stop doing that," I said. He'd been taking pictures of me constantly since being reunited with his Canon at the house. According to him, it wasn't as good as the Nikon he’d lost during Roberto’s assassination attempt, but that hadn't stopped him from using it 24/7. "I'm starting to feel like I have a paparazzi problem.”

He lowered the camera, and his rogue lock of dark hair fell over his forehead. "I'm making up for lost time. I lost a whole week taking pictures of you while we were at Daisy's house.”

I locked my arm in his and he leaned down to kiss me. It was probably meant to be quick, but then his tongue met mine and the next thing I knew, I was shoved up against the brick wall, breathing heavy with Oscar's hard-on pressing against my stomach through my shirt.

His tongue stud did crazy things to my body and it took all of 3.5 seconds for me to contemplate reaching into his pants for his dick even though we were in public.

Then he pulled away and grinned down at me like he knew exactly what I was thinking. "Ready to eat, tiger?”

It was obvious that he wasn't talking about lunch.

"I said I'd let you walk me to class," I said. "I didn't agree to sexual innuendo.”

He leaned down to murmur in my ear and I got a heady whiff of leather, black coffee, expensive cologne. "Consider it a bonus.”

We made our way out of the building and continued onto one of the paths connecting the lecture halls to the Admin building. It was cold, the sky crystal clear overhead, and I tucked my chin into my jacket as we hurried across campus.

Oscar was watchful, the stiff set of his shoulders giving away his wariness. I still didn't think Roberto would make a move on campus, but I had to admit, I felt better with the Kings on alert.

I sighed with relief as we stepped into the Admin building, the warm air a welcome caress on my freezing skin. The halls were packed with students, most of them walking to and from the cafeteria, heads bent in conversation or laughter.

I relaxed a little, glad all over again that the Kings had agreed to let me go back to school. After weeks of chaos, I was in need of some serious normalcy.

We were approaching the doors to the luxe cafeteria when I saw Interim Dean Garcia standing outside, greeting students as they entered.

I’d only met her once, right after Dean Giordana had died in the fire at the cabin.

But she'd given me a strange feeling then and I had the same feeling now when her gaze met mine, like I was meeting the eyes of a friend through a crowd.

Recognition.

But that didn't make sense. She was just an administrator, someone hired by Aventine’s board of directors to run the school until Dean Giordana could be permanently replaced.

Still, nerves twisted in my stomach as I approached her, her slim figure elegantly draped in a skirt suit that showed off surprisingly nice legs for her age.

"Willa," she said, smiling warmly, "how nice to see you. How was your holiday?”

“Um, it was nice, thanks. How about yours?”

"Restful, thankfully." I still thought it was weird that she knew my first name, but then she turned to Oscar and used his so maybe I was just being paranoid. "And how about you, Oscar? Did you enjoy the break?”

"Definitely," he said, pulling me past her into the cafeteria. "Have a good one.”

"Okay," I said to him when we were out of earshot, “rude."

"She gives me the creeps," he said.

---