"I have every right," I grind out the words and her eyes widen. Shit. I didn't mean for that to come out. The girl gets in my head. Under my skin. She is so goddamn infuriating.
"What is it exactly that gives you the—"
No answer is a good answer, so instead, I close the distance between us and capture her lips with my own to shut her up. At least that's what I tell myself. She jumps, but I don't let that deter me. I step forward into her space, pressing my mouth more firmly against her own and deepening the kiss while grabbing her beneath her thighs and lifting her into my arms. Her legs wrap around my waist instinctively and I press her back against the house. A small moan passes across her lips and I want to hear it again, so I press my hardening cock against her jean-clad center and grind my hips against hers.
She gasps, tearing her mouth away and sucking in a lungful of air. I nip at her full lips and trail kisses down her jawline. Her neck. All while thrusting my hips against her, letting her feel how badly I want her right now.
"What are you doing?" she asks with jagged breath.
I don't answer. Instead, I capture her lips again and drink down her soft sighs and sweet moans. If I were being honest with her, I'd say I had no fucking clue what I was doing, but as soon as I open my mouth to speak, all of this stops and I'm not ready for that to happen just yet.
I shake out the memories from that day and focus back on the here and now.
“We’re not friends,” Kasey retorts, arms folded across her chest and mouth pressed into a tight line.
I shrug like her words don’t affect me.
“We’re not even friendly,” she adds.
She’s not wrong. Since that kiss, shit between us has gone from bad to worse. Kasey and I are like cats and dogs, or oil and water. We don’t mix. When we do, things get heated and not in a good way. It’s my fault for the way things are between us, and I’m man enough to own that, but when I pressed my mouth against hers and swallowed her soft cries of pleasure I knew right away it was a mistake.
“I’m friends with him.” I nod in Aaron’s direction. “And I’d be a shit friend if I didn’t at least offer to help the guy out. We both know he’ll do most of the heavy lifting while you and your mom talk with whoever it is running this show.”
Her jaw works and I can tell she’s barely keeping herself in check. I love it when she gets like this. All fire and brimstone, ready to raise hell to get what she wants. But before she can say anything else, her mom tugs on her arm. “Kasey, leave the poor boy alone. He’s only trying to help. Besides, there are so many things I want to show you before I have to leave.” She tugs on her daughter’s arm, who reluctantly follows, throwing one last look my way before admitting defeat.
I give her a small wave and her eyes narrow even further. She’ll come up with a way to get me back.
I’m looking forward to it.
Chapter Three
Ihate him. I hate him. I hate him. I repeat the mantra a dozen times in my head until I convince myself it’s the truth. Why does he have to be so infuriating all of the time?
Mom doesn’t give me long to dwell on it before she marches me right through the front doors and to the left down a long hallway. We pass a living room, dining room, and kitchen before coming to the open door of an office with a small gold placard that reads, “House Mother.”
“Knock, knock,” my mother calls before stepping inside, pulling me right along with her.
An attractive brunette looks up and greets us, a wide smile on her face. “You must be Mrs. Henderson?” she says, coming around her desk and shaking mom’s hand.
“Ms. Douglas, actually. Kasey’s father and I divorced years ago.” She throws this out with a laugh like it’s no big deal, but I know mom hates it. Dad forced her to change her name after the divorce. Said she didn't deserve it and the perks that came with being a Henderson. He’s an asshole and whatever perks come with my name I’m still waiting on to be delivered, but he’s also my dad, so I’m duty bound to love him. Even when he’s absent and downright cruel where mom is concerned. “But please, call me Helen.”
“Nice to meet you, Helen. I’m Hilary, the Kappa Mu president,” she says this with a sugary sweet smile so wide her cheeks are bound to crack. She’s not much older than I am. Twenty-one or twenty-two if I had to guess. “And you must be Kasey, our newest legacy. We are so excited to have you.”
I’ll bet she is. She might be fooling Mom but the fake smile and high-pitched laugh is not fooling me.
“Thanks,” I tell her, accepting her offered hand with a fake smile of my own.
“Hills, we’re out of—” a girl says behind us but cuts herself off when she sees Hilary isn’t alone. “Oh. My bad. I didn’t realize you were meeting with parents today,” the girl adds almost sheepishly.
I spot the empty liquor bottles in both her hands and know right away what they’ve recently run out of. I chance a look at my mom and wonder if she’ll call the whole thing off with the obvious drinking and partying going on right now despite it only being a little after 10am on a Sunday. But instead of worry or apprehension on her face, her smile is wide, her eyes glazed over, as though she's reliving fond memories before she lets out a little laugh.
“Please, don’t worry about me. You girls do what you need to. Are you over twenty-one?” Mom asks her.
“Oh, umm, I …” She turns to Hilary with wide eyes and ahelp meexpression.
Mom laughs again. “Why don’t I do you girls a favor and make a quick trip to the store while you guys show my baby girl around. That looks like,” she tilts her head for a better look at the bottles the newcomer is clearly trying and failing to hide, “Malibu rum, Sky Vodka, and … is that Blue Curacao?”
The girl nods but keeps her lips sealed.
