“I want you,” I murmur, reaching for her hip and trying to yank her against me.
“Over my dead body,”
“I wouldn’t be so dismissive.”
She keeps stepping away until her back hits into the wall and she’s got nowhere to go. Exactly how I want her, trapped and powerless.
“I’m warning you, if you come any closer I’ll-”
“You’ll what, Adrianna?” I slide my hands onto her hips and yank her against me. “Tell me what you’ll do to me.”
“This,” she says and then slams her fist into my gut, knocking the wind out of me as I double over in pain.
–
Everyone in the Syndicate Academy knows Coach Archer for who he really is. A chronic womanizer. And he’s never been fazed by it. He wooes whichever girl he likes, beds her, and moves on.
No time for silly entanglements. He’s way too grown for that.
Until her.
Adrianna Vasquez.
She won’t let him in so easy, and he’s never backed down from a challenge before. Not now, not ever. But Adrianna is determined to teach him a lesson and leave him broken. Easy peasy.
In this despicable, risky game of emotions and wit, who will come out on top? And can Adrianna trust her heart to withstand Archer’s charm long enough for her to achieve her plan?
——————
Adrianna
This is our last year at the academy. It’s hard to believe that in less than ten months I’ll be saying goodbye to the place that has been my home since I was ten years old.
The grand hall is full of returning students and staff, gathering at the front of the hall, but there’s no sign yet of Azira or Natalya.
“Hey loser.”
I smile at the sound of Azira’s voice behind me and spin around as she runs into me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“I’ve missed you so much this summer,” she says.
I arch a brow. “Tell me about it. I couldn’t wait for it to be over.”
Azira laughs. “Only you would wish away summer break.” She sits down in our her usual seat and I sit next to her. “What did you get up to?”
My summer break was terrible. Father paraded me around to potential suitors as he intends to have me married the moment school is out. “Not a lot,” I say, swallowing hard at the thought of even recounting how terrible it was, especially as Azira always has the best summer breaks. “What about you?”
“I went with Mia to Saint Kitts for a month. It was glorious.” She holds a hand against her chest. “I want to be back there. The weather was to die for.”
I nod in response. “Sounds lovely.” My brow furrows as I glance around, noticing that Principal Byrne is getting ready to start the welcome back speech. “Where the hell is Natalya?”
Azira shakes her head. “No idea. Maybe she’s late.”
I shake my head. “That would be unlike her.” Natalya is always on time for everything, it can get annoying how organized she is.
“Everyone, take a seat,” Principal Byrne says over the microphone.
My attention moves to the front where all the staff are congregating. And a shiver races down my spine as I notice Coach Daniels is watching me intently. The man is painfully gorgeous, with a chiseled jaw and straight nose and dark eyes like coffee. And perhaps rightly so, he’s also the biggest man whore at the academy. Some students can’t resist his good looks and charms, even if they are just being used by him.
It’s amusing that a staff member can get away with openly propositioning eighteen-year-old students, but then this isn’t a normal academy.
Azira nudges me in the ribs, forcing my eyes away from the coach.
“What?” I ask.
“I said Natalya still isn’t here. Do you think she’s okay?”
I swallow hard and glance at the back of the hall, wondering if that bastard, Alexander, has done something to her. “Is Alexander here?”
Azira’s brow furrows as she searches the hall for him, but it’s too big. “Who the hell knows?” Her eyes widen a little. “Do you think he’s stopped her from coming?”
I shudder at the thought, as Alexander Morales has done some pretty terrible things to Nat in the past. If he got her alone without witnesses, it wouldn’t surprise me if his hatred for her would drive him to physically harm her again.
“I’ll text her and find out.”
Azira nods as I pull out my phone and type to Natalya.
Me: Are you okay? The welcome back assembly has started and you’re not here.
Once it sends, I stare at the two ticks intently, waiting for them to turn blue and signal she’s read it. And yet nothing happens.
“Anything?” Azira asks.
I shake my head. “No, she hasn’t even read it.”
When I glance up from my phone, my eyes catch on Coach again because he’s still watching me. The look in his eyes worries me to no end. It’s full of sinful intent and my stomach churns, as I wonder if he might consider me as his next conquest, which will never, ever happen.
Azira nudges me in the ribs. “Adrianna?”
“What?”
She shakes her head. “I said we’ll have to find her as soon as this is over.”
I nod in response. “Sure.” I glance back at Coach Daniels to find that he’s still staring at me, making my stomach twist with nausea. Forcing my eyes away from him, I focus on Principal Byrne, but I can hardly hear a word he’s saying.
Coach always sets his sights on one or two senior students a year to have his way with, and I don’t like the way he’s looking at me.
The mere thought of him touching me makes me sick to the stomach, no matter how gorgeous he is.
Finally, Byrne wraps up the welcome back speech, and it feels like my skin is on fire. The entire time, Coach watched me like a dog staring at a bone. A shudder begins at the top of my spine at the thought of Coach Daniels propositioning me. He may be sinfully gorgeous, but there’s no way in hell I’d let a man like him take my virginity.
Azira hooks her arm with mine. “Come on, let’s find Nat. She’s got to be here somewhere.”
I nod and glance one last time in Coach’s direction to find his eyes are finally elsewhere as he speaks with the principal. Following Azira, I try to forget the way Coach was looking at me. Perhaps it was a coincidence. Only time will tell.