Page 15 of Kings & Corruption

I laughed. Rock Baronedefinitelyknew he was super hot.

Cocky bastard.

Over the next twenty minutes, a stream of guys appeared in the kitchen, all of them arriving for the first semester at Aventine, all of them members of the Kings’ house and presumably occupants of the second floor.

There was Luke and Ricky, twins with matching dimples and shaggy dark hair. David’s hair was bleached-blond, and his hazel eyes didn’t hide their appreciation as they took in my body. Enzo had short dark hair shaved close to the head and a viper tattoo that wound the length of his arm around a crown on his bicep.

Someone was proud to be a King.

All of them except Enzo seemed happy I was there, quick to start a conversation and make me feel welcome. Enzo just nodded a greeting, grabbed a beer from the stash stocked in the fridge by Matt, and made a quick exit.

It was whatever. I felt lucky the rest of the guys hadn’t given me an equally cold reception, given the whole traitor thing.

And Rock was right about the grilled cheese. I almost had an orgasm biting into the gooey three-cheese mixture topped with caramelized onions. The buttery grilled bread even had little pieces of fresh rosemary stuck to it. A little moan might have escaped my mouth, which prompted Rock to lift his eyebrows suggestively from across the island.

I was finishing up my second sandwich when Drago entered the room through the garage door. His black jeans accentuated the lean muscle of his thighs, and his vintageFight ClubT-shirt was just loose enough to be sexy rather than sloppy. His forearm was tattooed with the same image inked onto Rock and Neo.

His dark eyes flickered over the room, then lit with interest when they landed on me. His gaze was appreciative, and the stud in his tongue clicked against the ring in his lip. I couldn’t help wondering what they would feel like against my increasingly needy pussy.

“Hey there, tiger. I see you made it,” he said.

There was way too much hot-guy testosterone in the room for my own good, but I nodded anyway. The nickname didn’t sound unfriendly, and his gaze was more curious than critical. Was it possible Neo was the only true asshole of the bunch?

“Yep,” I said, sliding off my chair. “And thanks to Rock’s amazing grilled cheese and the two beers I downed while he cooked, I’m stuffed and tired. I’m going to head up and get settled.”

“Matt,” Rock barked. Matt had just been about to bite into his sandwich but he jumped to his feet like a new recruit in basic training. “Take Willa’s bags to her room.”

I started to protest — I’d traveled alone for a year with nothing but a backpack, which I’d hauled myself — but Matt was already moving toward the front of the house where I’d left my bags.

“Sure, no problem.”

“I could have gotten them,” I said.

“I know,” Rock said. “But why should you?”

“Well… thanks.” I must have been even more tired than I thought. Rock Barone seemedchivalrous.

“I’m heading up too,” Drago said. “I need a shower. I’ll walk with you.”

“Um… yeah. Okay.”

Rock scowled. “Don’t take advantage. She just got here.”

“Sheis right here,” I said dryly. “And the fact that you think anyone can take advantage of me is just proof you don’t know me very well.”

Drago surprised me by laughing and throwing an arm around my shoulders. “Told you,” he said to Rock. “Tiger.”

I caught Rock’s suggestive smile as we turned toward the back staircase. “We’ll see about that.”

Chapter7

Willa

“Did someone show you around?” Drago asked behind me on the way up the stairs.

“No one but Matt was home when I got here,” I said, all too aware that Drago probably had a choice view of my ass in the short-shorts as we climbed the stairs. “He showed me to my room and then…”

I thought of Neo and the disgust that had been on his face when he’d stepped into my room.

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