Page 26 of Brutal King

“A tissue isn’t enough. Don’t you have any of those make-up removers?”

“You sound like you know something about make up,” I said. “I didn’t know you were an expert.”

“I picked up a few things here and there from the girls I know,” he said.

Really? Kobe apparently had gotten over his shyness with girls since camp.

“Oh,” I said, hoping not to sound interested. “And what does your girlfriends think about you having to spend so much time with me on this school project?”

He smiled. A beautiful wide smile that showed his white teeth and his sparkly blue eyes. They were like diamonds that brightened up his entire face. “Oh, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “I’m not dating anyone seriously or that I know of.”

I was surprised. Yes, since every girl on campus were obsessed with the Kings boys. Axel and Kobe. Just from the first couple of days I’ve been at school, I couldn’t help how the girls gush over them.

He found my wipes and came back to me. “Let’s get you really cleaned up.” He grabbed my face in a rough grip and scoured my face.

“Hey, what are you doing?” I backed up.

“I told you to tone down the make-up.”

“Fine. Then let me do it.”

But he continued to rub my face with the wipe.

I pulled back and slapped him. “Snap out of it, damn it! What the hell are you doing?”

He took a startled step back, raked his fingers through his hair then quickly stepped forward again, leaning in until his lips were on mine. My lips parted to receive him, ready to give into the mad heat between us.

If we didn’t do something, we’d end up in bed.

He thought the same thing as he suddenly pulled away and straightened his suit.

“Come on. We’d better get going.”

Breathless, I stared at him a moment.

Composure, girl. Find your composure and hang onto it for dear life.

Chapter 9

Kobe

THREE TIMES DURING the night, I woke up and immediately saw her. Her face, her body, her attitude, her smell. I was flooded with memories of her. I’d liked her. I’d always liked her. We always got along so well. We thought alike. We had the same visions of the world... of life. Well, at least we did when we were kids.

But now... how the hell was I going to hide the affect she had on me if we had to work so closely together. Just being physically in the same room with her sends me into heat.

And that innocent look when she seemed so hurt, so disappointed in me, it just drive me to want to kiss her, to touch her, to hold her close to me.

You’re a King. You’ll manage just fine. In fact, you’ll triumph. You’ll show your father what you’re capable of. And you’ll show your overachieving twin brother that you can work hard, too.

Unable to sleep, I got up and got ready. May as well get this thing over with.

Dressed like a true businessman, I headed to her dorm determined to show her that I was in control and that this project needed to be nothing short of perfection.

I knocked on her door, not sure what to expect. Would she be there? Would she be up?

Would she be alone?

I heard her call from inside... a sleepy voice telling me she was coming.