Elyograg (Briarcliff Series, Book 1)

  Now that would be epic…a normal guy could hope.

  DETCEPXENU

  Briarcliff Academy was once a finishing school for young ladies that had later been turned into an elite college. Now, it was like an Ivy League school with an artsy edge. Tall, white, fluted columns flanked either side. It was a pretty, dark-red brick building with great architectural design, built back in the late eighteen-hundreds. Big towering oak trees shaded most of the front lawn. A few students tossed a football back and forth on a grassy slope near the walkway while others loitered under trees in groups, sitting on blankets. Some students were dotted across the hillside, typing on laptops, or reading books.

  The air smelled fresh and crisp, on the precipice of turning from one season to the next. I actually adored this time of year, the way the air smelled, and the coloring the trees took on. A faint waft of a fire burning floated in the air. Reaching out, I grabbed the handle of the double glass-paned door that led inside to the co-ed dorm.

  “Shoot!” I stopped and turned back toward the parking lot. I forgot my bag in the car. Indecisive, I debated whether I should run back to my car and get it but I was already late. I was supposed to meet Moriah at two o’clock. Granted, there wasn’t anything that great in my bag, but it was my stuff and I didn’t want some loser taking it.

  A group of girls pushed out from the double doors. They were all wearing gym shorts and “Briarcliff Academy Elite” t-shirts with fancy-scrollwork and vines. Stepping quickly to my left, I got out of their way. They acted like I wasn’t even standing here. “Hey,” I said as they filed out.

  A few glares and a general unenthusiastic “hey” was tossed back in my direction as they passed. I shrank back behind the door.

  The last girl walked out. “Move,” she snapped and shoved the door hard. I had to jump back or the door would have smacked me right in the face. I gaped at the girl but she didn’t seem to notice or care. I was sure it was the latter. “Bitches,” I muttered, and stepped inside before the door slammed shut.

  The smell of funky gym socks greeted me when I walked inside. I wrinkled my nose. The skylights in the atrium let in a lot of natural light. Too bad they weren’t open so the stink could escape. A few students lounged across two couches and an overstuffed armchair, watching a big flat-screen television. Some books were open on tables and the floor. Various cups sat beside them, filled with either coffee or alcohol. It was still pretty early, but the weekend was nearing and there were some heavy-hitters on campus.

  When the door clicked shut, a few of the students glanced over in my direction and gave me the staple: Briarcliff Academy, “you don’t belong here” look.

  Feeling stupid, I shifted closer to a big potted tree and pulled out my phone. Moriah was nowhere in sight. Typical.

  Glancing down one of the long halls, over to my right, I saw Heather Bishop. She was talking animatedly with a group of her friends. I inched closer to the tree, trying to hide. A few seconds passed and Heather still hadn’t come out into the atrium. Peeking through the limbs, I tried to see where she went. She was looking right at me with a shit-eating grin on her face, which meant she was poised to pounce on me. I shrank back even more. Did the bitch have x-ray vision or something? Of course, I wouldn’t be surprised if she did. It was always like this. No matter where I went, Heather always spotted me. Even if Heather had her back turned when I entered a room, she would inevitably zero-in on me. It was like Heather had some kind of internal antenna set on my frequency. I quickly texted Moriah.

  Me: BITCH ALERT!

  It was our code for “Cujo” a.k.a. Heather.

  Heather hated me, plain and simple. Probably cuz Moriah, managed to snag Heather’s main squeeze right from under her perfectly patrician nose. Now, I was the lucky recipient of all Heather’s bitchiness and frustration from getting dumped—I just wished she would get herself a damn vibrator instead and leave me alone. Besides, it wasn’t my fault per se, that Kingston dumped Heather.

  I texted Moriah again…

  Me: I M HERE WHERE ARE YOU?

  Willing my phone to do something, I stared at it.

  Nothing.

  I checked the time again. Did she already leave? No. Moriah wouldn’t have done that. But where was she? Maybe I should just wait out in my car…

  About to make a mad-dash for the door, I spotted Chance’s sneakers. He was lying on the floor and had a book covering his face. Chance was a combination student—half-brilliant-scholar—half-party-animal-wastoid. Judging the distance between Heather and his feet…I made a break for it and quickly crossed the room.

  “Watch it,” someone yelled.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled as I ducked down and raced out from in front of the television.

  Stopping on the other side of one of couches, I kicked his shoe. Chance was wearing a pair of high-top graffiti Converse, which he created himself. They were pretty-sweet. I wished I had the money to make my own, but slinging coffee in town to the upper crust was surprisingly not as lucrative as one would think. They were a tightfisted bunch of pretentious morons. I was sure that is why they stayed so rich. They didn’t tip for shit. Once in a while, I would snag a good tip, but it was usually cuz Moriah was in the café’. The guys were probably trying to impress her with their wads of cash. Too bad, they were just that—WADS. They probably blew them in their over-priced jeans.

  “What’s up, Chance,” I said, hoping I sounded half as cool as I was trying to sound.

  Chance pulled the book off his face, his expression dazed and confused.

  “Evie…” He sat up. “Wow.” He shook his head. “I was just thinking about you.”

  That was new. “Why’s that?” I asked, suddenly interested.

  Chance paused and his eyes glazed over for a second.

  I smiled down at him…feeling a rush of excitement that he thinking about me.

  Chance scratched his belly. “So what’s the plan for the weekend?”

  “Got me,” I sighed. “Moriah keeps telling me it will be epic, but as for the details, you got me.”

  Chance stroked his chin. “Huh?” he said. “Wonder why that is?”

  “Don’t know.”

  “So….” He reached up and ran his hand through his sun-streaked hair; it puffed out from his head. When he looked toward me once more, my pulse started to beat a little faster. He ranked pretty high on my hottie list. “Is Moriah like with Kingston now?”

  My pulse skidded to an abrupt halt. Not him too. Well, wasn’t that just wonderful. Another one bites the dust. “Yeah, they’re pretty exclusive for the moment, but you never know…” I said, not really knowing why I even added the last part. Now I was giving out false hope.

  “Yeah, I guess.” Chance looked over his shoulder. “People break up around this place as easily as the winds change.” His baby blues cut to Heather.

  “I guess,” I said, catching his meaning.

  “Funny, I always thought those two would get married.”

  “Yeah. I did too,” I admitted. Kingston and Heather had been together forever. You couldn’t pry them away from each other with a crowbar. Everyone thought they would get married right out of college. They were the quintessential “perfect couple,” at least they were before Moriah came to town. “I guess people change.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Chance stood up and brushed his backside off. His shirt slid up and gave me an eyeful of his flat, muscular stomach. I inflated my cheeks and let out a breathy sigh. He was like the second hottest guy around this place and apparently he had a thing for Moriah too—it kind of sucked. Chance wasn’t stuck-up either, which was pretty rare around here. He was working his way through school. He rented boats and gave tours on the lake. Everyone wanted to see the Million-Dollar-View and even I had to admit, it was pretty spectacular.

  “Hey,” he said, pulling me from my thoughts. “Barnaby told me you made another compilation of indie bands.”

  “Yeah, I did.” I was always looking for obscure band
s to have at the café if they were in the area. They worked for pretty cheap and also got some added exposure. It was a win for me (really my parents) because it brought in some extra revenue on the weekends.

  “Do you have an extra copy?”

  “Yeah, I do, but they’re in my car.” I glanced over at Heather. She was now in the atrium, blocking my way out.

  “I can go with you,” Chance said, seemingly sensing my distress. “I was on my way out.” He leaned over, picked up his book, and shoved it into his back pocket.

  “Sure, sure, that would be great.” I looked at back at my phone once more…there was still no word from Moriah. “Okay, let’s go.”

  “Sweet,” he said and held out his arm. “You lead, I’ll follow.”

  I took a breath and made a beeline for the front door, keeping my head down the entire way.

  “Looking pretty hot, sweet cheeks,” Chance called out to Heather as he passed.

  I rolled my eyes and shoved open the atrium door. A chilly breeze swept over me as I stepped outside. The afternoon sun, bright and cheery when I walked in, had disappeared under a huge cloud and now cloaked everything in a shroud of darkness. Chance stepped beside me.

  “Check it out.” He motioned his head toward the trees.

  Crisp fall leaves blew across the front lawn, tumbling in a riotous display, then taking flight and twisting in the air. Suddenly I had an urge to run and try to catch them like I did when I was younger.

  “I always feel like chasing the leaves when they’re like that,” Chance said.

  I smiled. “Me too.”

  “We should sometime, you know?” His eyes glittered.

  “Yeah, we should…sometime.” My face flushed as I walked with him to my car. Glancing inside, I saw my bag was still there. Thank God for small miracles. Leaning in the window, I pulled out a CD from my bag. Standing back up, I handed him the CD. “Here you go.”

  Chance grabbed my outstretched hand in his… and my pulse quickened once more. He turned my hand over and looked at my bubblegum ring. “Damn, your finger’s green.” He looked a bit horrified.

  Embarrassed, I pulled my hand back and stuffed it into my pocket. “Yeah, it’s my ring.”

  “Why you wearin’ it if it turns your finger green?” he asked, frowning.

  My face heated. “It’s a long story,” I hedged. Actually, it came out of a bubble gum machine and was the only piece of jewelry I ever got from a boy. I didn’t care though. I loved it more than any of my other jewelry.

  “Huh?” He gave me a weird look and shook his head. “Well, thanks for the CD,” he said. “I gotta jet.” He stuffed the CD in his other back pocket and then took off in a slow jog across the quad.

  “See you this weekend,” I called after him.

  He turned in mid-flight. “Yeah, right…this weekend…should be epic.” He stopped and picked up the football in his path and sent it sailing in a perfect arch over to the group gathered on the hill.

  “Right…epic…” I opened my car door and climbed inside.

  DETAUTAFNI

  The co-ed dorm room smelled like a combination of expensive cologne, dirty gym socks, and sex. It wasn’t very large either, but it served its purpose. Kingston shared the room with Chance but they had an understanding with one another. It went pretty much like this: Stay the hell outta the room if the bull’s ball sack filled with change was hanging on the handle.

  “What’s your hurry?” Kingston asked as he lifted a pillow and dropped it behind his back.

  “I got to meet Evie, remember?” Moriah glanced over her shoulder towards the bed.

  A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he watched her walk across the room. He loved her ass. It reminded him of an upside down heart. She wasn’t the least bit shy about her body.

  Heather was.

  He didn’t think he had ever seen her completely naked, at least not with the light on and they had dated forever. That was not the case with Moriah. In the middle of the room, she stood in plain view as she pulled on her lacy blue panties. Her lightly tanned skin glowed in the afternoon sun that filtered in through the windows above his desk. “Why can’t she meet you later?” He stretched lazily and reached across the nightstand. Grabbing up a bottle of water, he unscrewed the cap.

  “What?” She pulled on her bra and glanced back at him.

  “Huh?” He lifted his eyes from her chest back to her face.

  “What did you say?”

  “Um…I don’t remember.” He smiled.

  Moriah visibly shivered. His smiles had that effect on her. “I thought you said you wouldn’t watch me get dressed.”

  He wiggled his brows in response.

  “Why you…” She threw her brush at him.

  Kingston caught the brush in one hand. “Come on, babe. What’d you expect?”

  Moriah pouted and crossed her arms.

  “I promise, I won’t do it again,” he said, lying his ass off. Yeah right. If she was going to parade around in front of him naked, he sure as hell wasn’t going to avert his eyes. She was hot. Heather was hot, too, but this was different…Moriah was different. Maybe it was the newness. Maybe that is why Heather didn’t do it for him anymore. Kingston wasn’t real sure what to make of it. He guessed he was falling for her—hell he probably already had fallen for her. Only she had no idea he felt that way, which is exactly how he liked it.

  If she knew how he felt, he was sure he would become one of her NOTS, sooner rather than later. No, he played it cool. Always acting just bored enough to keep her coming back for more. It was working perfectly.

  Moriah walked over to the bed. “Hairbrush,” she said, and held out her hand.

  Kingston grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her back onto the bed. “Sorry babe,” he murmured. “I can’t seem to help myself.”

  “Sure you can’t.” She grabbed the hairbrush out of his hand and brushed her hair. She tried to keep a stern look on her face but her lips twitched. It was hard to stay mad at Kingston. He was without a doubt, the most beautiful boy she had ever seen. Every time she looked at him her insides quivered like jello. “What time are you going to be there?” She pulled the brush through the ends of her hair.

  “Huh?” Kingston wasn’t paying attention.

  Moriah stopped brushing her hair and turned toward him. “What time are you going to be at Briarcliff?

  “Briarcliff…” he trailed off, his eyes slid back down to her breasts. They jiggled every time she moved. God he loved her tits.

  “Kingston,” she sighed. “For the party…you know the one you’re throwing?”

  “Yeah, we’ll be there,” he said distracted.

  “I know you are going to be there,” she exhaled. “But what time?”

  “I don’t know.” He glanced at the clock. “About four, I guess. There’s some shit I need to take care of before then.”

  “Oh.” She bit her lip.

  “Hey…”

  She looked up at him. “Yeah…”

  “Nothing,” he said, and then leaned forward. His muscles bunched across his chest.

  “Why don’t I believe you?” She grabbed her bag and stuffed her brush inside.

  He shrugged. “I guess you have some trust issues.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” he said.

  “Okay,” she said. Even though what he said was true. With him, how could she not. Kingston was an untouchable and somehow she had finally snagged him, from Heather Bishop, his ex. Heather was her complete opposite and not only in looks. She wore “the perfect” clothes, hung around “the perfect” people and pretty much belonged to every perfect club. Moriah wasn’t poor but she wasn’t a freaking Rockefeller either. Kingston was a part of Heather’s world. He drove an Aston Martin and he too, wore perfect clothes, belonged to the same perfect clubs, and had the same group of perfect friends with a few exceptions, which included herself and Evie. Moriah had
a nice car in an economical sort of way. She said she wanted a “green” car—right. That’s what she told people. The truth was she couldn’t even begin to compete.

  “What are you thinking about?” she asked, feeling nervous. Kingston was looking at her, his dark brown, almond-shaped eyes hooded. She could never tell what he was thinking, really.

  “I think…” He leaned back. “There is something you should take care of before you leave.”

  “What’s that?” She frowned.

  He gave her one of his sexy looks and lowered his eyes down to the growing object under the sheet.

  “What?” She played dumb.

  “What do you think?” he murmured, his voice husky.

  “Evie’s on her way,” she said. “She’ll kill me if I’m late.”

  His gaze smoldered. “Evie can wait.”

  “No, she can’t. I promised.”

  “Who’s more important?” His brow hitched up a notch.

  “Stop,” she said. “That’s not fair.”

  “Come here.” Giving her a lazy lidded look that made butterflies swirl in her stomach, he pulled her closer.

  “We don’t have time,” she protested, even though tingly shivers slid over her body.

  Kingston lifted his hand and slid his fingers up her inner thigh. “Sure we do…” he coaxed as his fingers slid even higher.

  Moriah quivered from his touch. She wanted to lean forward and kiss him. Tell him he was the guy of her dreams—her one and only…but she was afraid. Actually, she was terrified. What if he didn’t feel the same way? What if he dumped her like he did Heather? No. Telling him her feelings right now was not a risk she was willing to take…yet.

  “Just one more kiss,” he murmured. His fingers burned against her skin. With his free hand he peeled down the strap of her lacy blue bra. “See, that’s not so bad, is it?” Wetting his lips, he leaned forward and pressed them to the delicate skin.

  Moriah moaned in response and threaded her fingers through his hair.

  “That’s it, baby. Just let go.”

  She arched back, giving in. “I hate you.”

  “Sure you do.” His mouth found hers again and Evie was quickly forgotten.