Page 1 of Vexatious Queen

JANUARY 12 – MONDAY 8:11 AM

Ren

“Ugh, do you know how much I hate you?” I growled, shooting a glare over my shoulder as I fought with the buttons on my blouse.

Nash looked like a sexy cat, all proud of himself. He was lying on his side, head in his hand, and a smirk firmly on his lips.

“About as much as I hate you,” he said with a casual arrogance that made me want to hit him, mostly because he was right.

Tearing my eyes away, I looked down and then in the mirror that hung on the back of his bathroom door. My shirt was bunched up, showing more skin than was school-appropriate. I groaned as I once again tried to rebutton my blouse. Movement caught my attention, and I backed up as Nash stood and walked toward me.

“No, stay over there. I’m already late. It’s my first day, and I’m late. That has never happened before.”

In typical Nash fashion, my protest was ignored, and my back thudded against the wall as he invaded my personal space. He reached for me, and I smacked his hand.

“Don’t, I’m serious. I need to get to class.”

“I’m only trying to help,” Nash said, smiling as he undid the button I had lined up wrong.

“Liar. Your brand of help is…not what I need right now.”

I kept my eyes firmly on his hands and not his arms flexing, or hard abs, or…

“Would that be so terrible? To break the Ren mold and do something outrageous like miss a class.”

He sucked in a deep breath and made a shocked face. My eyes narrowed.

“You…mocking me, Collier?”

The words didn’t come out as firmly as I intended when Nash pulled the last button free and slipped his hands into the open gap of my shirt. I trembled at his touch despite being kept up most of the night. Nash was voracious, and the passion he aroused in me led to my alarm being ineffectual.

“Just asking a question, Princess.”

Licking my lips, I knew that I had to put space between us. I tried to slip away, but he pressed his body up against mine. My brain ceased to function along with my breathing when Nash dropped his head to my throat.

“Would it really be so terrible to spend the day in here with your husband?”

“Easy with that husband stuff,” I said, but tilted my head for him to kiss a line up the side of my neck.

“Not a chance. I’m going to get on the PA later and tell the whole school. That way, if anyone so much as looks at you, I can kill them,” he said, cupping my face.

“You’re insane,” I murmured, and my heart hammered as he lowered his mouth to mine.

“I thought we had already established that,” he said with a smirk and then nipped at my bottom lip.

“Nash…I really need to go. I’ve already missed so much time.”

I placed my hands on his forearms, and his eyes immediately dropped to my naked finger.

“Where is your ring?”

With a sigh, I wiggled out of his hold and went over to his nightstand. Pulling the drawer open, I retrieved the box he’d given me and opened it to show my ring nestled in the satin.

“Okay. But why aren’t you wearing it?”

He crossed his arms as he walked toward me.

I quickly put the box back in the drawer and closed it.