Don't Kiss The Heartbreaker (Billionaire Academy YA Romance Book 3) Read online

  “Still, you mentioned me.”

  I rolled my eyes, fighting a smile. “Don’t let it go to your head, Carlisle.”

  He raised both eyebrows. “And now a nickname? My chances keep looking better and better.”

  I ignored the comment, secretly thrilling at the banter. Whatever else was going on between us, the chemistry was undeniable. He stood close enough that I could smell his cologne, and it wasn’t helping my thought process, so I took a slight step back. “I’m sorry my mom practically conned you into coming to dinner. I can make an excuse for you.”

  “No way. You promised to go on another date with me—an ‘unromantic’ date, if I recall.” He leaned his shoulder against the doorframe, closing the distance I’d put between us as he gave me a half smile. “I figure a dinner date with your parents won’t be too romantic … unless you insist on playing footsie with me under the table.”

  I snorted. “Do people actually do that?”

  “There might be something to it.” He shrugged, his smile turning cajoling. “Want to find out?”

  I couldn’t hold back a laugh even as my heart stuttered. “No, I don’t want to play footsie with you.” I nodded at his hand. “But I will take that paper for the flyer.”

  “Oh.” He looked at the page as though he’d forgotten about it. “Right. Here you go.”

  “Thanks.” I took the paper from him, careful not to touch his hand, and skimmed the words. It was informative, but not overly so. The details for the auction, including a date, time, and location, were listed, as well as a request for clothing donations. I looked up to find Cade studying me.

  “What do you think?” he asked.

  “It’s good. But I’ll wait to get started on the design until after you’ve talked to my mom. She did have some decent suggestions …” I bit my lip. “But I can just tell you what she said so you don’t feel obligated to come on Friday.”

  He shook his head, keeping hold of my gaze. “Sorry, Radcliffe. I’m not letting you off that easy.” He leaned slightly forward, his eyes warm as he moved closer. “I’m looking forward to it way too much.”

  “You are?” My heart fluttered about wildly in my chest. Where was Lacey? Or the other girls in the dorm? The hallway was uncharacteristically silent, and the air around us grew supercharged with a pulsing heat. My mouth went dry as Cade’s gaze lowered to my lips. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t move. He paused, inches from my face, searching my eyes for permission.

  I held my breath, my entire body alive and hyper aware of him. I closed my eyes, no longer able to fight Cade’s magnetic pull—when girls’ voices sounded from down the hall. I jerked away from him, blinking back to focus.

  Cade glanced down the hallway and made a frustrated noise in his throat. “I’ve gotta go,” he said, turning to me with a look of longing mixed with regret. “I’ll catch up with you soon.” Without another word, he turned and walked in the opposite direction the voices were coming from.

  “Leaving so soon?”

  I cringed. It was Chloe’s voice. No wonder he’d bolted.

  “Yeah. I’ve got lacrosse practice to get to,” Cade answered. “See ya.”

  “Come by anytime,” Chloe called.

  I was tempted to look into the hallway, but no way was I going to face Chloe and whatever groupies she had with her, especially when they’d caught Cade hanging out by my room. Had they seen the almost-kiss? I shuddered and closed the door, double-checking to make sure it was locked. Either way, I had a feeling I would need to watch my back when it came to Chloe Davenport.

  Chapter Seven

  “Go on … just do it,” Lacey hissed.

  We stood outside my art teacher’s classroom, and I held a large canvas painting I’d done, feeling like my feet were suddenly glued to the floor. “This is insane. I can’t even make it to the art show,” I said, preparing to run back to our dorm.

  “Nuh-uh,” Lacey persisted. She held a portfolio with some of my sketches, but she used her free hand to gently nudge me forward. “You are entering this contest whether you’re able to be there or not. You have to be willing to put yourself out there at some point, Tia.”

  “I put myself out there,” I argued, digging my heels into the floor. “I’ve been in, like, a billion beauty pageants. It doesn’t get any more ‘out there’ than that.”

  “Actually, it does, because you didn’t care about those,” she said, dropping her hands to her hips. “This is something you do care about, which is why you’re scared.”

  I grimaced, knowing she was right. I lifted both shoulders and then let them slouch, blowing out a breath. “Okay, so maybe you’re right.” My eyes tightened as I turned to face her. “But what if no one likes it? What if my art has no future and I end up stuck doing some job I hate for the rest of my life?”

  “Like running your dad’s company?” she asked dryly, giving me a pointed look.

  I was about to say something snarky in return, when I saw Oliver Ramirez coming down the hallway. “Guess who’s coming toward us?” I said beneath my breath.

  Lacey turned to look, and then her eyes whipped back to mine, tight with panic. “Oh my gosh, what do I do?” she whispered.

  I smiled. “Looks like it’s time to ‘put yourself out there,’” I whispered back.

  Her eyes bulged. “I can’t just talk to him.”

  “It will be way more awkward if you don’t. We’re the only ones in the hall.”

  “Tia,” she squeaked, looking like she was about to go into statue mode. My panic response was flight … Lacey’s was to play dead.

  I turned and nodded at Oliver, who had almost reached us. “How’s it going?” I asked.

  He smiled. “Good.” He looked at Lacey. “You’re in my history class, right?” He pushed the thick-framed glasses he wore further onto his nose.

  Lacey nodded, but didn’t say anything, so I grasped for a topic, noticing the small carved bird in his hands. “Wow … did you make that?”

  “Yeah. I was thinking of entering it in the art contest.” He turned it over in his hands. “It’s not my best work, but I figured I would give it a try.”

  “It looks amazing,” I said, subtly nudging Lacey in the side to try to unfreeze her. “Lacey loves birds.”

  “Really?” He looked at her, and I held my breath, relieved when she nodded.

  “It’s really good,” she said, giving Oliver a shy glance. “How long have you been carving?”

  He smiled. “I just started about eight months ago. I mostly mess around, but it’s kind of a relaxing pastime. My classes have been intense this semester.”

  “Mine too,” she said. “Have you started studying for the history test yet?”

  I sucked in my lips to hide a smile. Go, Lacey! I touched her arm. “I’ll be right back.”

  She nodded and carefully handed the portfolio to me, her eyes sparkling as she turned to listen to what Oliver was saying. Now that they were safely involved in conversation, I wanted to give them a little space. Besides, Lacey’s courage inspired me to be brave and face my fears. With the portfolio in one hand in the canvas in the other, I took a deep breath and entered the art classroom.

  * * *

  “I cannot believe that just happened!” Lacey squealed once we were out of the building and away from any onlookers.

  “I know!” I squealed back, taking both of her hands in mine and jumping up and down with her. I’d never seen her smile so big. “What did you guys talk about after I left?”

  “We got to talking about our test this week, and he asked if I wanted to study with him tomorrow.” She clapped a hand over her mouth and squealed again. “He asked for my number, Tia!”

  I beamed. “See? You put yourself out there and it totally paid off. I knew he would reciprocate if you showed a little interest. You guys are so cute together.”

  She sighed, happily linking her arm through mine as we walked toward the mess hall for dinner. “What about you? How did it go turning in your drawings?
”

  I shrugged. “We’ll see.”

  “I’m sure Mr. Watts loved them.”

  I smiled and gave her arm a squeeze. Mr. Watts was my art teacher and he had seemed impressed by my work … but he was always supportive. I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high. “Now you’ll have an excuse to go to the art show with Oliver to see his carving, and while you’re there, you can look at my stuff too and let me know how it goes.”

  “Or you could tell your mom you don’t want to do the pageant and be there yourself,” she said.

  “Yeah,” I answered without much enthusiasm. “Maybe.”

  She gave me a sympathetic look. “Either way, I’ll be at the art show to support you.”

  “Thanks, Lacey.” I smiled at her as we entered the dorm mess hall.

  “Mmm. Smells good in here,” she said. “I wonder what’s on the menu?”

  It smelled like the inside of an Italian restaurant, making my mouth water. “Let’s go find out.”

  We walked to the end of the line, peering over shoulders to see what was being served. I caught sight of garlic knots and a yummy-looking rigatoni dish, as well as the customary salad bar offerings and an assortment of desserts. I’d seen movies and read books with joking references to “cafeteria food,” but with the award-winning chefs employed at RLA, I couldn’t relate. Every meal was perfection.

  Lacey and I got our food and sat at an empty table near a bank of windows. I waved at Mikayla Howard at the next table over, and she smiled and waved back. I liked Mikayla. She and I were both quiet, so we had a sort of mutual understanding. She listened as her friend Paige talked animatedly about something. Unlike Mikayla, Paige was outgoing and often dominated their conversations. She paused in whatever she was saying to wave at us, and then went right back to whatever she’d been saying.

  Lacey and I took our seats and soon fell into a discussion over how she should style her hair for her study date with Oliver, when I sensed someone standing behind me. I turned to see Chloe glaring down at me, her arms folded across her chest. Jenny stood beside her with a matching look of disdain.

  “What’s the deal with you and Cade?” Chloe demanded.

  I swallowed. “Excuse me?”

  She shifted her weight. “Don’t play dumb. I keep seeing you two together, and he was hanging out by your dorm room. I know he can’t be into you, so what’s going on?”

  Anger tightened my chest, but I kept a neutral expression. “Since you’re so confident he’s not into me, I’m surprised you even bothered to ask.” I blinked. “What do you think is going on?”

  She huffed a laugh. “I honestly don’t have a clue, but I’m guessing there’s an ulterior motive behind it.”

  “And I’m guessing it’s none of your business,” Lacey said.

  I turned to her in surprise. Lacey, who normally froze into a statue when faced with a stressful situation, had just called out the meanest girl in school?

  Jenny reared her head back, and Chloe’s eyes narrowed to slits. “What did you just say?”

  “I said it’s none of your business.” Lacey met her stare, holding her ground.

  A cold smile spread across Chloe’s lips as she zeroed in on Lacey. “You’d better watch your back … just like you should be watching your carbs.” She gave a mocking look at Lacey, gesturing to her plate and then to her in general.

  My blood boiled. “Did you just threaten my best friend? Because if you did, you’d better watch your back.” I grabbed a garlic knot and took a big bite of it to rub it in Chloe’s face, because I knew she was always on a diet. “Mmm. This is delicious,” I said. “I think Lacey and I will go back for seconds.”

  She sneered at me. “Fine. You want to play it that way? Game on.” She flicked her blond hair and stormed off. Jenny glared at us and followed after her.

  I turned to Lacey, feeling triumphant, but that quickly evaporated when I saw the moisture in her eyes. I reached out and touched her hand. “Hey, don’t you dare let Chloe Davenport determine your worth. You’re beautiful, Lacey. Gorgeous. And you don’t have to fit some cookie-cutter mold to know that.”

  She swallowed, staring at her tray. “Easy for you to say. You’ve never known what it’s like to be the big girl in a school filled with skinny.”

  I bit my lip. It stung that she was turning on me when I’d just stood up for her, but I knew it was coming from a place of deep hurt and insecurity. I squeezed her arm. “You’re right. I don’t know what it’s like. But I do know you.” I met her eyes. “You’re not just beautiful on the outside, but you’ve got deep beauty that shines from within too. You’re the whole package—which is why Oliver couldn’t wait to ask you to study with him.”

  Her face brightened at the mention of his name, but there was still uncertainty creasing her brow. “Do you really think he likes me? Maybe he just needed a study partner.”

  I shook my head, taking my hand away from her arm so I could pick up my fork. “You know better than I do that he's one of the smartest kids in school. He likes you, Lacey. It was written all over his face.”

  “Really?” She smiled and the light returned to her eyes. “Thanks, Tia. You always know what to say to make me feel better.”

  “That’s what best friends are for.” I nodded at her food. “And I was serious about the garlic knots. We should go get seconds before they’re gone.”

  She giggled and picked one up, taking a bite and then closing her eyes. “Holy cow … yeah. That’s amazing.”

  “Right?”

  We fell into our usual chatter, and I was happy to see Lacey back to her usual, cheerful self. I could feel Chloe’s glares on my back, but I ignored them. She was petty and cruel … and something about the gleam in her eyes when she’d made her threats said she would probably follow through on them. But there was no way I was going to stand by and let her insult my friend.

  My phone buzzed with a text, and I glanced at the screen. Every time I saw Cade’s name, my heart hiccupped.

  I’m excited to hang out with you on Friday, but there’s one problem with that.

  My stomach muscles tightened. Was he canceling already?

  What’s that? I typed.

  Friday can’t come soon enough.

  Chapter Eight

  “Wow.” Cade put his car in park and gazed up at the entry to my house. “That is an impressive amount of glass.”

  I smiled. “You have no idea.” My mom had a thing for natural light, so our house had windows everywhere. Our estate backed up against the Puget Sound, and I’d spent countless hours daydreaming as I looked out over the water. Maybe that was one reason I’d taken up drawing—the views from every room offered endless scope for the imagination. I turned to Cade. “You know, it’s not too late to turn back if you want to,” I said, more than a little nervous to unleash my parents on him on our second date. “You could just drop me off and I could say that you got sick or something.”

  His eyes danced as they met mine. “Why is it that you’re always trying to get rid of me, Radcliffe? You know there’s no way I’m missing out on this.”

  My face warmed. We’d been texting back and forth all week, and I did know. He’d tried to get together more than once, but each time I’d come up with an excuse not to. I knew I was a coward, but the more my heart yearned to spend time with Cade, the more my flight instincts fought against it. I still wasn’t sure I could trust him. I shrugged. “All right—but just know that my parents can be a little overbearing at times.”

  He grinned. “Sounds like I’ll feel right at home, then.”

  I let him in through the front door, and we stepped directly into the glass-ceilinged atrium that served as an entry. “Mom,” I called, “we’re here.”

  “I’m in the dining room,” she called back. With all of the glass and tile in our house, sound carried remarkably well.

  Cade gazed around the atrium. “This is hands down the coolest house I’ve ever been in.”

  He looked so hot in his da
rk wash jeans and long-sleeved Henley with the sleeves pushed up to the elbows. His shirt brought out the color of his eyes and was just fitted enough to show off his well-defined upper body without being too tight.

  I felt slightly dizzy every time I looked his way, but I managed a smile. “Thanks. I grew up here, so I have to agree.” I tenderly fingered the leaf of an indoor fern and sighed. “It’s been too long since I’ve been home.”

  He tilted his head. “The academy isn’t far. Why don’t you visit more often?”

  “Um …” I didn’t want to bring up the pageants, so I made up another excuse. “I’ve just been busy, I guess.”

  He nodded. “I get it.” He dipped his chin to meet my gaze. “But if you ask me, you’re too busy. I still can’t believe you wouldn’t meet up with me this week—not even for a study date.” He gave me a playfully accusatory look.

  I cleared my throat, avoiding his gaze as my pulse raced. “It sounds like my mom is waiting, so we should probably go find her.”

  His mouth curved up in one corner. “My bad. Was that too flirtatious to say on this ‘non-romantic’ date?”

  I swallowed. Good thing he didn’t know how hard my heart had been pumping ever since he’d picked me up tonight. I’d been holding strong all week, but spending time with him again was quickly eroding my defenses. I had to keep the boundaries firm. I playfully rolled my eyes. “Everything you say comes across as flirtatious, Cade. You’re a hopeless flirt.”

  “Ouch.” He winced and shook his head. “You’re still determined to think I’m a heartbreaker, aren’t you?”

  I lifted a shoulder. “I haven’t had any proof otherwise.”

  “That’s why we’re on this date. So you can get to know me better.”

  “Actually,” I countered, “we’re on this date because my mom invited you to dinner.”

  He smirked. “True. But you agreed to go out with me again before she made the invitation, so it counts.”

  His expression so alluring that I had to look away again before he saw me blush. “Whatever.” I took a breath and nodded in the direction of the dining room, needing to put distance between myself and Cade. “The dining room is over here.”