Page 81 of Depraved Boys

“Maybe I have a soft spot for damsels.”

He ran the pads of his fingers down the side of my face, sending pleasure skittering down my back. His gaze dropped to my lips before moving back up to my eyes.

A jolt of excitement shot through my belly and awakened a flock of butterflies. My throat dried, and I swallowed hard, not breaking eye contact even when the waiter returned with fresh drinks.

I don’t know how long we sat locked in each other’s gazes, but for those moments I couldn’t think of anything but bringing our lips together in a kiss.

“Prakash, I—”

“What’s this?” asked a familiar voice.

My heart leaped into my throat, and we both jumped back. Leopold and Sebastian stood on the other side of the table, each sporting wide grins. Heat bloomed across my cheeks. How long had they been standing there?

“Excellent timing.” Prakash stood and swayed on his feet.

“Wait a second,” said Leopold. “Is Wills two-timing us?”

My mouth fell open. “I…” nobody had told me we had actually started dating. Leopold had said they would share me with Prakash… Or had that been Sebastian? Or had the drinks implanted false memories of what we had discussed in the boys’ hideout? “I didn’t—”

“He’s joking.” Sebastian walked around and offered me his hand.

Leopold slung a steadying arm around Prakash’s back and marched him toward the lounge’s double doors. Prakash turned around and gave me a heart-stopping, warm smile.

After tucking my manilla envelope under his arm, Sebastian helped me up and murmured, “How much have you had to drink?”

I pressed my body against his. “Enough to make me want three different goodnight kisses.”

“Something tells me you’ll get your wish.” He wrapped an arm around my waist and followed after Leopold and Prakash.

Outside, cold, fresh air filled my lungs and cleared away some of the fog clouding my brain. We walked through the gravel courtyard, and Sebastian opened the door to the back of his jeep. I sat next to Prakash in the back, and Sebastian helped me fasten my seatbelt.

I glanced up to look for the second king, but he wasn’t there. “Where’s Leopold?”

“Driving the Audi back to the academy.” Sebastian gave me a peck on the lips and shut the door.

Fingertips brushed against my hand. I looked down to find Prakash stroking me with those long, elegant fingers. As the jeep pulled out from the gravel courtyard, he took hold of my hand and pressed my knuckles to his lips. Heat rose to my cheeks. It was such a chaste gesture but it conveyed so much, considering that he barely even smiled, let alone flirted.

I twisted in my seat and locked gazes with Prakash, hoping he would lean forward and kiss me. His gaze dropped down to my lips, but he turned around and said to Sebastian, “What will we do about the queens?”

“Did Geraldine and Bianca say something?” snarled Sebastian. “I told them Willow was off-limits.”

“A group of them staged a violent ambush.”

Sebastian glanced at me through the rearview mirror as though checking me for injuries. “And you charged in like a knight to the rescue?”

“Something like that. We have to put an end to this nonsense.”

Sebastian’s face hardened. “We’ll have to take drastic measures. Let’s wait until Leo’s with us, and we’ll talk.”

The jeep left the town center and turned onto a highway, and the extra speed made my stomach churn. “Maybe tomorrow,” I groaned. “My head’s spinning. I think the alcohol has caught up with me.”

By the time we reached the mountains, nausea swirled through my insides in synch with the jeep’s twists and turns around the bendy roads. I lowered my head into my lap and moaned.

“Willow?” asked Prakash.

“I need fresh air.”

“There’s a lay by a quarter of a mile ahead.” Prakash wound down the windows and let in cool, fresh air. “That’s the safest place to stop after dark.”