Broken Kingdom : A bad boy college romance (Royal Hearts Academy Book 4)

by Ashley Jade

  And fuck if that doesn’t drive me even crazier.

  “Oh, God.”

  My core tightens and my thighs clench around his head with my impending release...however, right before it happens, he grips my hips and flips me over.

  Slowly, he drags his thumb down my spine, stopping when he reaches the crack of my ass.

  “Ever had anyone play with you here before?”

  I instinctively arch my back, hoping my answer won’t be a game changer. “No.”

  Palms cupping my cheeks, he spreads me wide. “Fuck.”

  My heart kicks up and if I was the kind of girl who blushed, I’d be ten different shades of red because I’ve never been so exposed before.

  “What else haven’t you done?” he murmurs, his stubble scraping the curve of my ass.

  I’m not sure what he means.

  “Like…in general? Lots of stuff. I’ve never been to India. Never went skydiving. Never been on a date—”

  A gruff laugh cuts me off. “I meant sexually, baby girl.”

  Right.

  Feeling like an idiot, I utter, “Well, seeing as I’ve never had sex since someone still refuses to fuck me, not mu—”

  Words die in my throat when he plunges two fingers inside my pussy and drags his tongue against my puckered hole.

  Holy shit.

  The action is so naughty…so filthy…so forbidden. My breath hitches and my body hums.

  He sinks his teeth into my ass as he curls his fingers inside me. “Such a tight little pussy.” He circles the illicit hole with his tongue again, meticulously siphoning every ounce of my pleasure. “And a sweet little ass.”

  My orgasm slams into me so unexpectedly my head spins and the room tilts as I gasp for breath.

  “That’s it,” he rasps against my flesh as he pumps his fingers. “Let go.”

  I shake and spasm, clutching the bedsheets for dear life as I ride out the rest of my climax.

  Waggling his eyebrows, he reaches for the blunt on the nightstand. “That was fun.”

  “It was,” I agree, still catching my breath. “Speaking of fun, your birthday’s next week. Do you have any plans yet?”

  I’m kind of hoping he says no, so I can spend the day in bed pleasuring him, but he brings the blunt to his lips and nods.

  “Boys’ night out with your brothers.” Giving his head a shake, he laughs. “And apparently a girls’ night out a few days later because Dylan and Sawyer don’t think it’s fair that Jace and Cole are hijacking me for my birthday.”

  I don’t think it’s fair either. “Oh.”

  I must fail to hide my disappointment because Oakley frowns. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  He pins me with a look. “Don’t lie to me.”

  “Fine,” I relent. “I was kind of hoping we could spend time together for your birthday, too.”

  He shrugs. “You should come out with us for girls’ night.”

  I pretend to think about this for a moment. “Sure…as long as I get to run Dylan over with my car a few times before we leave.”

  Reaching over, he tugs my hair. “Stop being a brat.” A cloud forms over his features. “Dylan’s important to me.”

  I know she is.

  However, it still doesn’t make me hate her any less.

  I open my mouth to tell him so, but a knock on his front door cuts me off.

  “Are you expecting company?”

  “No.” He cups his hand over his mouth. “Who is it?”

  “It’s Britney, bitch,” Cole calls out.

  “We brought munchies,” Jace adds with a chuckle. “Open up.”

  Oakley’s eyes go big. “Shit.”

  Shit is right.

  The one time I brought up possibly telling my brothers about us so we didn’t have to sneak around all the time—Oakley straight-up lost his shit.

  I thought it was because he feared a very probable ass-kicking, but that wasn’t the case.

  Oakley considers Jace and Cole his family and the thought of losing them…

  Well, let’s just say I care about Oakley so much I understand why we need to stay a secret.

  There’s no way my brothers will accept the thought of us having a summer fling, and given Oakley’s mother already walked out on him and he purposely distances himself from his dad because he can’t bear to bring himself to tell him he slept with his wife...

  I don’t want him to lose another person he loves.

  Jumping off the bed, Oakley shuffles into his sweatpants. “One second.” He swiftly chucks my t-shirt and shorts at me. “Put your clothes on.”

  “Anytime today, man,” Jace’s impatient ass booms.

  The chatter on the other side of the door picks up as I get dressed.

  “I bet Casanova’s in there giving one of his many skanks the D,” Cole declares.

  Jace laughs dryly. “Probably.”

  A surge of anger rushes through me and I charge for the door, determined to give my two asshole brothers a piece of my mind.

  Oakley’s toned arm wraps around my waist, tugging me back. “Are you crazy?”

  “Maybe,” I hiss. “But you know what I’m not? A skank—”

  He slams his hand over my mouth and points to the window on the opposite side of the room. “I’ll deal with them. You crawl out there.”

  I do a double take because I must not have heard him correctly. He can’t possibly expect me to crawl out a damn window. “Seriously?”

  He pops the screen off. “It’s gonna look suspect as fuck when they come inside and realize you’re here.” His face falls and he looks so freaking cute right now my belly does a little flip. “If they find out about us—”

  “They won’t,” I whisper, swiping my pinky through his. “Pinky promise.”

  My heart stops when I realize what I did.

  Liam.

  I’m not sure what to make of his expression when he looks down at our adjoined pinkies. “Thanks for having my back.”

  Pushing down my emotions, I gesture for him to give me a boost so I can climb outside.

  I’m about to heave myself out the window, but he halts me. “Wait.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  A jolt runs through me when he brushes his nose against the curve of my ear. “Be ready at eight tomorrow night.”

  I raise a brow. “Ready for what?”

  A smug grin creeps along his mouth. “I’m taking you out on a date.”

  The smell of fresh baked zeppole hits my nostrils as I blink up at the flashing lights and various game stands surrounding us. “You brought me to a carnival.”

  After stuffing me full of mint chip ice cream at my favorite spot, I figured he’d take me out to dinner, or maybe the movies…

  Anywhere other than this place.

  It’s obvious Oakley doesn’t know me like I thought he did, because I don’t do carnivals.

  The rides—wild death traps they are—remind me of the car accident that killed my mom.

  However, I don’t want him to think I’m a coward, so I simply gesture to my outfit and say, “I’m not dressed for this.”

  It’s not exactly a lie. I chose a cute, short black summer dress and my favorite deep purple crop jacket to pair with it.

  Oakley doesn’t look at all put off. Quite the contrary actually…it’s almost like he was expecting me to reject being here.

  Leaning down, he skims the shell of my ear with his lips. The action sends warm tingles over my breasts and along my thighs.

  “Baby girl.”

  Closing my eyes, I soak up his addictive scent. “Yeah?”

  The deep rasp of his voice rolls through me. “Stop being a pussy.”

  When I look up there’s a knowing smirk on his face.

  Dammit. I hate when he calls me on my shit.

  I start to protest, but he grabs my hand and leads me to a zeppole stand where he promptly orders a small bag of them. “You have to have one.”

  Despite them smel
ling like little drops of heaven, I decline. “Do you have any idea how much fat is in that? It’s like a heart attack waiting to happen.”

  He takes a huge bite out of one and it takes everything in me not to lick the remaining powdered sugar off his lips. “They’re so fucking good.”

  Going back for another bite, he moans around the dough and—holy hell—I have to remind myself we’re in public because I seriously want to jump his bones.

  I sweep my eyes up and down his glorious body in wonder. “How do you have a body like that when you eat like crap?”

  Laughing, he slaps his flat stomach. “I have a fast metabolism. I also do a hundred push-ups a night.”

  That makes sense. God knows I have to work hard at maintaining my figure by not only eating healthy, but staying active.

  “Come on,” he urges, holding his zeppole to my mouth. “One bite.”

  The eager, almost childlike, look in his eyes makes me fold like a cheap lawn chair.

  “Fine.”

  Jesus. I can see why Oakley moaned before. The little ball is so warm and crisp yet super tender with the perfect amount of sweetness.

  Calories be damned.

  “Holy shit.”

  His lips twitch. “Told you.”

  I hastily finish it and much to Oakley’s delight devour another one.

  I can feel him studying me as I lick the remaining sugar off my fingers. “What?”

  “Nothing. It’s just nice to see you have fun for a change.”

  I’m about to remind him I have plenty of fun when we’re in his bed, but he tugs on my hand again. “Come on.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Ferris wheel.”

  Record. Fucking. Skip.

  I swiftly plant my feet into the ground. “I don’t do rides…ever.”

  Turning to face me, he frowns. “I had a feeling you’d say that.” He takes a step closer. “How about we make a deal?”

  “No.” I shake my head. “I’m not trying to be a bitch and ruin our night, but…” I close my eyes. “I can’t do it.”

  Rides scare me. Hell, almost everything scares me.

  His brows crash together. “Why?”

  “Because I don’t want to die.”

  He runs the edge of his thumb along my cheekbone. “We’re all gonna die someday, baby girl. But it’s still no reason to miss out on all the fun life has to offer.”

  He has a point—a valid one—but it still doesn’t ease my anxiety.

  “I’m scared,” I admit, loathing the way my voice shakes.

  “I get that.” He tips my chin. “But know that whatever happens…I got you.”

  I know he does.

  And that’s the scariest part of all.

  I trust Oakley with everything I have in me.

  Somehow, he’s broken all my locks and climbed all my walls.

  I vaguely recall what he said before. “You mentioned something about making a deal earlier?”

  He fishes a small piece of paper out of his pocket. “I wrote something.” I go to snatch it, but he holds it out of my reach. “But you can’t read it until after the ride is over.”

  That’s not fair.

  He knows how much I’m dying to read whatever he wrote.

  “Fine,” I begrudgingly concede. “Let’s go.”

  He interlaces his fingers with mine and I let him lead me to the Ferris wheel of doom.

  My knees buckle as we wait in line, and by the time it’s our turn I almost chicken out again, but Oakley squeezes my hand.

  And he doesn’t let go.

  The moment the ride starts moving I close my eyes, latching on to the safety bar for dear life with one hand and his with my other.

  My stomach churns with every stop and I say a silent prayer the ride ends quickly.

  His rough voice touches my ear. “Open your eyes.”

  I give my head a stubborn shake.

  His bottom lip trails along my cheekbone. “For me.”

  Dammit. He’s not playing fair.

  Hesitantly, I do.

  I instantly regret it the moment I realize we’re stuck at the top.

  My belly does a weird, panicked lurch.

  Oakley juts his chin. “You see that?”

  Nope. I refuse to look at anything other than him.

  “See what? That we could plunge to our deaths at any moment?”

  I expect him to laugh at my dramatic antics, but his expression grows serious.

  “No.” His gaze locks on mine. “That’s the world, baby girl.” The look he gives me steals my breath. “And you’re in it for a reason.”

  A sharp twist goes through my chest as I take in the bright lights and the gorgeous view of the town below us.

  I’ve been so scared of dying…I haven’t been living.

  Because I’ve been too busy missing them.

  It’s like my life stopped the day my mother’s did.

  And then when Liam died, it broke whatever was left of me.

  I honestly can’t remember the last time I took a breath without the weight of my grief pulling me under. Or the last time I looked at something beautiful and didn’t immediately wish they were here to witness it with me.

  But maybe—just maybe—it’s okay to smile and enjoy life once in a while.

  I couldn’t save them—and it’s something I’ll always feel guilty about.

  But I can still save me.

  Reaching into the pocket of my jacket, I pull out the paper Oakley gave me.

  A soul as black as the night sky.

  Lips as red as the blood she’s out for.

  The girl who leaves them running scared.

  She's a beautiful nightmare.

  “You were supposed to read that after the ride,” Oakley reminds me, but I ignore him because I’m too fixated on the words he wrote.

  Words he wrote for me.

  It’s so hauntingly gorgeous it cuts straight into my heart.

  “Kiss me,” I whisper, because I want Oakley’s lips on mine more than my next breath.

  I want us…whatever this is.

  Gripping the back of my neck, he kisses me long and deep…

  As if he needs this as much as I do.

  Chapter 32

  Oakley

  Past…

  Her gorgeous smile is so bright it rivals all the lights around us as we get off the Ferris wheel. “Thank you for making me do that.”

  I’m about to tell her she doesn’t have to thank me for giving her a new experience, but my phone rings.

  I press the ignore button when I see Loki’s name flash across the screen. I’ll hit him back later.

  Right now, I have more important things on my mind.

  Like the girl next to me.

  The one burrowing under my skin.

  Rain starts coming down—not enough to soak us—but enough to send some people ducking for cover.

  But not Bianca.

  She tugs on my hand, gesturing to the live band that’s playing a stripped-down version of some Nickelback song.

  “I love this song,” she declares as she walks over to the small stage where they’re performing.

  It takes everything in me not to laugh, because almost everyone I know hates the band…but not her.

  As usual, the girl is full of surprises.

  She ebbs when everyone else flows.

  The muscles in my chest draw tight as she sways to the music and fireflies begin flickering around her.

  As if they too are utterly captivated by her presence.

  The rain picks up, but it still doesn’t stop her.

  Hand clutching her heart, she tilts her face up to the night sky, the hem of her now damp dress rising up her thighs as she moves.

  I want to remember this moment forever.

  Because if life has taught me anything…it’s that beautiful things never last.

  No matter how much you might want them to.

  I suck in a breath when she smiles again.


  She’s like the smell of smoke in the distance…warning you to stay away.

  But I can’t.

  There’s something about her. Something raw and authentic.

  The side of her I might not have known if I had kept listening to Hayley’s lies…or the feeling in my gut.

  The one cautioning me she was trouble and not worth the bullshit.

  My chest coils as I continue observing her, the alarm bells growing louder in my head.

  Watching my dad fall apart after my mom left showed me what a woman can do to a man—the way they can annihilate you and leave you with nothing once they’re through with you—and then I let Crystal do it to me.

  I’m not looking to repeat the mistake.

  Her dark eyes lock on mine, luring me in. “Dance with me.”

  I shake my head, taking a step back.

  Bianca Covington is the type of woman who could steal a man's soul and then destroy his existence when she’s done.

  If I had any sense, I’d stay far away.

  She stops moving, that gorgeous smile falling off her lips as thunder booms above us. “Please.”

  Like a moth to a flame, I find myself moving closer, drawn to this frustrating—yet fascinating paradox of a girl I have no business fooling around with.

  I grip her waist. “I don’t dance.”

  But I do…for her.

  Chapter 33

  Oakley

  “I know you care about her, Oak,” my dad states. “But you need to move on. You might not realize it yet, but there’s only one way this story ends.”

  I place some Cheerios in a bowl for C.J. Given she had a meltdown last time, I decided to keep them in stock at my apartment.

  “And how’s that?”

  His expression is solemn. “With your heart getting smashed.”

  C.J. gives me a cheesy grin when I hand her the bowl.

  “She’s marrying another guy,” my dad points out like I’m not all too aware of that fact. “Not to mention, you know how the Covingtons are.”

  I don’t follow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Jason Covington knows how to be a shark when he wants to be. It’s why he’s so successful. I wouldn’t put it past him to file a lawsuit and sue for damages for his daughter.” He shrugs. “Will he win? Of course not, because he’d be going against me and I’d nail his goddamn balls to the judge’s bench. But it doesn’t mean it won’t be tedious and a pain in the ass to deal with.”