Page 68 of Cruel Prep (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 1)

“I don’t even care if you were,” I snarl. “If you and Cora are so tight, why don’t you have her come pick you up?”

I point to the passenger side door and Viktor’s shoulders sag. “Come on, dude. It’s late and dark and—”

“Walk, bitch.” I lean across him and open the door.

Knowing better than to test me when I’m annoyed, Viktor gets out and stands on the curb, looking every bit like the abandoned puppy he is.

As I drive away, he lifts two middle fingers in a farewell, and I give him two quick “fuck you” honks.

He’s mad now, but Viktor has done much worse to me in pursuit of pussy. Once I remind him of that, he’ll let it go.

Lily is out of my eyeline when I pull away from the curb, but I catch up to her in a couple blocks. She is still on Main Street, probably sticking to the well-lit areas of town for her evening run to avoid any trouble.

When I pull up alongside her and roll down the passenger side window, she snaps her head in my direction, losing an earbud in the process.

I can see the disappointment on her face. Trouble found her anyway.

“Get in.”

She shakes her head and gestures to her body, as though I’m not already keenly focused on it. “I’m running.”

I pull forward slowly, keeping pace with her. “Then stop.”

“I don’t want to.”

Her heart-shaped face is flushed with exercise, and I’ve seen that same warmth in her cheeks before. In fact, I’ve put it there.

The memory of it makes me shift in my seat, uncomfortable and eager.

The collar I put around her neck is still there, the lock bouncing just above her breasts as she runs. Her chest is shiny with perspiration.

Holy fuck, I want to lick her clean.

“Don’t make me stop the car,” I say as evenly as I can with such a perfect view of her ass moving beneath her shorts.

She snorts. “You sound like a dad. Will you pull over and spank me?”

She meant it as a joke, but I watch as her eyes widen and her face gets noticeably more red when she realizes what she’s said.

“Ask and you shall receive.”

I hit the brakes, and reach across the car to open the door for her.

Lily takes a few more steps before she turns to face me, hands on her hips.

I will get out and drag her into the car if I have to. Even if there were witnesses, they wouldn’t do shit when they realized who I am. Who my father is. Even if Lily was shoved into my car kicking and screaming, I’d get away with her.

Which is exactly why I want her to get in the car.

What if someone worse than me comes along?

She pulls her lower lip between her teeth, thinking it over for a second. Then, finally, she drops her gaze to the sidewalk, shakes her head, and climbs into the passenger seat.

I pull away from the curb before her door is even closed, the acceleration pressing her body back into the seat, and she yelps in surprise and scrambles for her seat belt.

“You’re in a hurry.”

I nod. “I just robbed a bank, so …”

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