Page 12 of Cruel Prep (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 1)

Because we are drawing a lot of it.

People aren’t used to seeing me with a girl. Everyone knows I fuck who I want, but I don’t date. I’m heartless, but I don’t lead people on. I don’t want anything serious, and I make sure they know that.

Except Lily.

“Take this.” Cora holds up her hand, and I can see a tiny tablet between her fingers. Ecstasy, by the looks of it. Cora’s party drug of choice.

I roll my eyes and hold out my hand, but rather than drop it in my palm, Cora leans forward and slips the pill inside of her dress, between her breasts.

Her red lips spread into a smile as she curls her finger, beckoning me closer, and shakes her chest back and forth.

Lily tenses next to me, but I ignore her, pull away, and lean across the table. Everyone around us is giddy, chuckling. Viktor is glaring daggers at me, even though he knows I hate Cora. I suppose a good rack is a good rack, regardless of who it is attached to. If the roles were reversed, and Viktor was about to touch Lily, though, I’d rip his hand off first.

I roll my eyes and do what I must. Cora’s breath smells like beer and there is a thin layer of sweat coating her entire body. Her chest is hot and sticky, and even though she is leaning forward far enough that I can see the points of her nipples, I just want to get the pill and get out.

I find the tiny green tablet and try to jerk my hand away, but Cora grabs my wrist and leans forward, red lips puckered.

I twist my face away and press my other palm to her mouth, shoving her away. “Not going to happen.”

There is a red lip print on my skin, and I wipe it off on my jeans as I turn around and reclaim my seat. Cora snorts, crosses her arms, and falls back into the cushions, but her face flames with embarrassment.

I don’t give a shit about her, though. I’ll make her pay for whatever the fuck that was later. Right now, I’m only concerned about one person at this party.

Lily won’t look at me when I turn to her. She is smiling with everyone else, but it’s a thin veneer covering embarrassment and confusion. It makes sense. Cora is supposed to be her friend, after all.

Whatever she is thinking, I want to wipe it away. She needs to be focused on me.

Justme.

I kneel down in front of Lily and grab her pointed chin, lifting her face to mine. Before she can say anything, I lean forward and press my lips to hers.

She lets out a startled yelp, her throat bobbing under my touch as I wrap my hand around her neck and slip my fingers into her hair. Then, she softens.

Her body sags forward, pressing into mine, and I catch her sigh. Our lips are soft for a few seconds, but I can feel myself growing more frantic. I fist her hair and crush her mouth against mine, squeezing my eyes shut as I inhale the fruit and vanilla scent of her skin and taste the sweet wine on her tongue.

What the fuck is happening?

I don’t want her like this. She is a poor, fucked-up girl in a glittery dress. That doesn’t make her my equal. It doesn’t make her an option.

I need to remember why I’m doing all of this in the first place.

But then Lily’s lips part, letting me in, and I slide my tongue into her mouth, twirling it with hers while trying to ignore the shock of desire that moves through me now that I can finally taste her.

I want to know what she tastes like everywhere.

When the pill lands on her tongue, she stiffens. She tries to pull away, but I hold her more firmly against me and seal her mouth with mine. I kiss her until she relaxes, until her hands slide from my shoulders to my chest, and her legs widen, letting me in closer.

“Take it,” I whisper against her mouth. When I open my eyes, there is a worried line between her brows, and she lifts a hand to pull the pill from her mouth. I grab her fingers and press them to my lips. “Relax. I’ll take care of you.”

Lily’s chest is heaving, and I barely resist looking down. Soon enough, I’ll know what she looks like without the dress on. I’ll see her and taste her and satisfy whatever fucked-up desire is growing and multiplying inside of me.

Then, I’ll be able to focus on what’s really important.

“What is it?” she whispers.

“That ecstasy was your dare!” Cora shouts from across the table.

I grind my teeth together and look over my shoulder at her. “You told me to take it, so I did. From that point on, it was mine to do with what I wanted. I wanted to give it to Lily, with my tongue.”

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