Page 15 of Wicked Lord

I was surprised she was being so nice. I definitely didn’t deserve it. I’d been a total bitch to her best friend, Lexi, last year. It must have been that fantastic sex afterglow.

Ax pressed a kiss to her forehead, and the oddly intimate gesture made me do a double take. It was the second time I’d seen those two post-fucking, and he’d been weirdly sweet on both occasions.

What was up with that?

Cordi wiggled her fingers in his direction and winked. “I owe you one.”

Damn, I was jealous of that girl. Cordi could get away with murder, and no one gave two shits. She could have purple hair,fuck the star quarterback in public, and her nouveau riche family still loved her.

Lucky bitch.

“I’ll get him back to you ASAP,” I called out as Axel grabbed a few of the boxes before they toppled from my arms.

From over my shoulder, I shot Cordi that fake smile I’d mastered after years of attending debutante balls, charity functions, and sorority affairs.

“Thanks for this,” I mumbled to Axel as I led him up the cobbled path to the Zeta house.

“No problem.” He shrugged, and his stomach let out a frightening growl. A chuckle slid out as he marched up the steps between the soaring white columns of the southern plantation-style house. “Guess I should’ve eaten more for lunch today.”

“I suppose I could buy you an early dinner to thank you for helping me move back in.”

He smirked, those bright blue eyes twinkling at the mention of food. “That’s a deal, Battenberg.”

I led him through the foyer, the typical chatter of dozens of females absent today. The plush sofas were empty, and only ashes remained in the grand marble fireplace.

This would be my first summer spent on campus.

I’d never had any desire to remain here before, but anything was better than being forced to associate with my arranged fiancé. Besides, maybe it would be easier to find an eligible bachelor with more than half of the female population gone for the summer.

How hard could it be to find one decent, wealthy heir?

“Why are you moving back into the sorority house by the way?” Axel canted his head over his shoulder when we reached the gleaming mahogany spiral staircase.

“I decided to take a few extra classes to bolster my transcript before I start applying to business schools in the fall.” The lie fell smoothly from my lips.

If I were to marry Brock, it would be the end of my university days, and I’d trade the textbooks and exams for bottles and poopy diapers. But no one had to know that.

“Look at you, little Miss Overachiever.”

“What’s your excuse?”

“Football, of course.” He grinned.

“What are your plans after graduation?”

His broad shoulders lifted. “I’ll probably go straight to work for my dad. That’s what my older brothers did. I already interned at Vanderhart Securities last summer, and I’ll do it again for a few weeks this year between football training sessions. Maybe I’ll try for my MBA after a few years of work experience. We’ll see.”

“It must be nice to have the family business to fall on.” I pushed open the door to my room, and an odd emptiness invaded my chest. My roommate, Becca, was gone for the summer, and it would be the first time having the space to myself.

Axel’s brow furrowed as he regarded me. “Please, like your father, the senator, couldn’t hook you up with some six-figure job in a multinational corporation.”

I let out a forced laugh, tipping my head back. “I know. I mean, of course he could.” I pointed at the stack of boxes along the wall, and Axel added his to the pile.

He plopped down on the bare mattress and glanced up at me. “And anyway, aren’t you getting married to that rich, old dude?”

“He’s not that old!” I hissed as I dropped the small box onto the bed.

“But he’s decent? To you, I mean?”