Page 15 of Kingston
I press my lips together. “Yes. But not nearly as much as I am about rule four.” Not that I plan on bringing anyone to this house anyway. I can only imagine what a pain in the ass these guys would be about it. But still. That’s the entire reason I’m here—or the one I told them I was here for, anyway—equality and fairness. And that freaking rule about who I can and can’t screw around with doesn’t promote either of those values. If they knew I have real hang ups about getting involved with anyone ever again, they’d realize the entire thing is laughable. But here’s the thing, they don’t know me yet either—and they may never know the real me because I have to play a certain role to survive this.
He shrugs, with a wink. “Rules are rules.”
My face heats as he studies me closer. This is so frustrating. There’s something about this guy I find appealing, and I’m definitely more comfortable in his presence than I am with Kingston, Cannon, or any of the other guys in the house so far. But the reality is I’ve known them for a whopping twenty-four hours. There’s so much I need to learn about each of them.
There’s one thing I’m positive about. I feel it in my soul. These men are brothers to the core, to the end. They’re thicker than thieves, the type of family forged in fire.
A pang of jealousy pummels my heart. They’re… lucky. I had that with Will. Blinking to stall the emotion clawing its way to the surface, I sniff delicately, then gesture with one hand to my body. “What’s considered ‘appropriate’?”
Archer’s lips twist, then he nods his head toward my room behind me. “Show me your closet.”
I lift a brow, studying him. “Ooo-kay.” I spin on my heel and walk back into my room, directly to the closet, and flip on the lights as I enter. Once there, I show him my clothing with a flourish. I have plenty of nice things to wear… I simply have no idea what’s appropriate for this party.
Archer strokes his jaw for a few seconds, looking over everything before he pulls a lacy black camisole off a hanger. “You have, like… any jeans that are more lightweight?” His disarming gray eyes flick to mine.
“Yeah. In the dresser.”
“May I?” He wets his lips. If I’m not mistaken, this is actually fun for him—which I guess explains his tailored pants and dress shirt with suspenders.
I tilt my head to the side, suddenly amused. “Yeah. Sure. Have at it.”
He turns and crosses the room with purposeful strides to the mammoth piece of furniture and begins opening drawers willy-nilly. He stops briefly when he finds a pair of black jeans with tons of holes strategically ripped up the front—the perfect ventilation for the South in August—and tosses those over his shoulder before continuing on his mission.
I haven’t a clue what else he’s looking for, but I let him do his thing while I grab my phone from the bed and check the time. Quarter to ten. I keep forgetting I’m in college now and don’t need to drive everywhere. We’re about the farthest residence hall from campus, and Greek Row is probably a half mile from here.
I never would have left for a party at this hour back home because drivers under eighteen couldn’t be out between the hours of twelve and five in the morning.
As I’m pondering, Archer lets out a low whistle. “Hot damn.”
My eyes dart to the hot-pink lace thong he’s holding between two fingers.Oh, shit.“Um.” I hurry to his side, but as I reach for the underwear, he inconveniently holds them out of my reach. “Archer. Give them back.”
He gives me a cheeky grin. “Uh-uh. Not until you agree to wear them tonight.”
“It’s not like you’ll get to see them.” My forehead pinches at his audacity, and I grasp his other arm, trying to jump high enough to reach my unmentionables that he’s so very clearly not going to hold back on mentioning. My face flushes when I consider he’ll probably tell everyone about this.
He chuckles. “No. But I’ll know what you have on under your clothes, and that’s almost as good.”
Thankfully, he hasn’t said I have to put on a fashion show for him. I roll my eyes. “Fine.”
I still have a hold of his forearm, so when he lowers the other hand, clasping my free hand in his, panties caught between them, it puts us into a strange sort of embrace with less than a few inches between us. I suck in a breath as he maneuvers closer to me, his lips at my temple. I feel them, soft on my skin as he whispers, “You didn’t roll your eyes at me just now, did you?” He draws back and cocks his head to the side, giving me an odd look.
I freeze, staring at him. “No. No sir, I didn’t.” I tack on thesir, hoping it helps my case.
“Um.” He huffs a quiet, amused laugh. “Would you be lying about that?”
My lips flap like a fish.Shit.My heart races as my chest heaves between us. “What I mean is, I didn’t intend to roll my eyes at you. And I apologize.”
His lips curve into a slow smile. “Smart girl.” His teeth capture his lower lip, looking me over. “I should have known you were. Chem major, right?”
My eyes flick to his. Right. He probably knows everything about me, right down to my bra size. Where the initiation committee fucked up, I bet Archer has more than made up. I’d best remember that. Cautiously, I murmur, “Yes,” then hesitate before asking, “What am I wearing on my feet?”
“The heels you had on last night would be good.” He sways closer to me, his upper abs brushing my breasts, and I don’t know what to pay attention to because at the same time, his teeth rake over his lip in a way I find really appealing. He murmurs, “You’ve got five minutes, Peaches. Make ’em count,” before letting me go and walking out of my room.
ELEVEN
ELLIOT
I’m filledwith nervous energy and shaking a bit in my heeled sandals as we walk up to a regal-looking building on Greek Row. Sucking up my courage, I allow my eyes to wander from frat house to frat house. Every single one is a historical piece of architecture. It’s a wonder they let students live in them. At a school like Kingston University, everything has the same feel. From the architecture, it’s clear the buildings have been around forever, but they’re well-maintained and renovated when necessary. The original stone used to build them is this reddish-brown color, and it’s so sturdy, these buildings will be around another century, no doubt in my mind.
