Tame the Beast (Ever After #1) Read online

  With a wicked glint in his steel blue eyes, Adam held up his drink. His guys followed suit. He paid no attention to anyone passing by as he said, “Here’s to tappin’ kegs and speadin’ legs and hoping sperm don’t hit the eggs! Bottoms up, boys!”

  Triumphant hollers orbited the table as the guys downed the remainder of their drinks, slamming the empty glasses on the table. Deacon was the last to finish.

  “Deacon,” Luke taunted, “I thought we talked about this, bro. You gotta step up your game!”

  Adam shook his head and suppressed a laugh. The Conroy twins couldn’t be more different.

  “Whatever.” Deacon grumbled as he rose from the table. “Just don’t come crying to me when you’re all too hung over to write your first paper.” Grabbing their empty glasses, he headed for the soda fountain for refills.

  “Where do you come up with this shit?” Corin asked Adam between laughs.

  Adam replied with a smug smile and shrug that said he wasn’t sharing any sources. Luke was the only other guy around the year the former college gods shared their brilliant wisdom before graduating, and he was too distracted by some blonde who walked into the cafeteria.

  “Rose!” Luke called from across the room. He waved her over before lowering his voice to the group. “This is the girl who lives on the same floor as Deacon and me. She’s cool. You’ll like her.”

  Natalie shifted between Corin and Marcus. Adam watched as her eyes jetted over to the girl who danced lightly across the cafeteria. It seemed Natalie didn’t approve of another blonde joining their little group. Too bad.

  “You calling dibs?” Corin asked.

  “Maybe. If it means she’ll be safe from the likes of you,” Luke said before turning to greet Rose. “Hey there, pretty lady, get your things unpacked?”

  “Yep.” Her smile was dazzling, causing Olivia to wrap her hands around Adam’s arm.

  Women, Adam mused to himself.

  “Where’s your roommate?” Luke asked.

  “Clarabelle said she would be down soon. She just got here.”

  “Clarabelle?” Corin asked, weaseling into the conversation. “Her last name doesn’t happen to be Wright, does it?”

  “Yeah!” Rose’s smile grew wider. “You know her?”

  “Sort of. We both grew up in Trousdale. We went to the same high school until her family moved. Can’t wait to see her again,” Corin replied with a hint of excitement.

  “We just met, and I love her already.” She beamed as she held out her hand to Corin. “I’m Rose, by the way.”

  “Oh, sorry. That’s Corin, Natalie, and Marcus,” Luke said as he pointed around the table. “And Adam and Olivia.”

  Rose waved, her blue eyes wide and gleaming as she looked around the seats. Adam approved. Not that he would hit on her. Sure, she was beautiful, but it was obvious his best friend had his sights set on her.

  Being the gentlemen he was, Adam offered Rose his seat. The daggered looks from Olivia were strong enough to pierce right through his heart. He was going to have to ditch her and fast.

  “Are you sure?” Rose asked sweetly.

  “Yeah,” Adam replied. “I have to go anyways. Meeting with my mother.”

  A chorus of “Oooo’s” bellowed around the table as if they were a bunch of middle schoolers and the principle called the class troublemaker down to the office.

  “Knock it off,” Adam warned.

  “Tell Dean Beaumont I say hello,” Luke said with a suggestive wink.

  Adam replied with a glare, daring his friend to say more. Over the years, more than one cougar joke had been made at Adam’s expense.

  “Dean Beaumont?” Rose asked. “Your mother’s the dean?”

  “Yep.” Adam flashed his signature smile before giving a little bow. “Adam Beaumont at your service. See you around, Rose.”

  Without a single goodbye to Olivia, Adam was out of the cafeteria and headed for Main Hall. In the last couple of weeks, the girl had gotten too clingy for Adam’s taste. The chase was over, and it was time to move on. Adam had two more years left, and he wasn’t going to waste them. At twenty years old, his life was only just beginning. Walking down the stone hallway, Adam’s mind wandered to all of his plans for the year. By the time he made it to his mother’s office, he was lost in thoughts of big parties and beautiful women.

  “Come in,” his mother called after his second knock.

  “Hello, Mother.” Taking a seat, Adam threw his feet up onto her desk. He was careful not to kick her shiny gold nameplate that read Angela Beaumont.

  “Feet down,” she instructed. She was the perfect example of how the esteemed Beaumonts should always conduct themselves. Well-mannered, always composed, always aware of how she presented herself to the world. Even her designer clothes were tailored to demand respect and power. Her hair, pulled into her usual French twist, was dyed and smoothed to perfection. Not a single blonde hair out of place. The only hint of emotion on her poised face shone in her disappointed stare as she looked across the table at him. “Adam, we need to discuss your current behavior.”

  Shit.

  Chapter Three

  Clara followed her orientation group in quiet agony. After what felt like hours of listening to her student tour guide discuss every single detail of each historic building, Clara was ready for a well-deserved nap. Her little flats proved to be a horrible choice in footwear as the vicious edges dug further into her skin. She would have blisters for a month. Her only source of comfort was the equally pained look on Rose’s face. At least they could suffer together.

  “Now, I would like everyone to take a paper for the scavenger hunt,” the tour guide said, her voice too excited for Clara’s foul mood. “This will help you become familiar with campus before your classes start next week. You may split up into whatever groups you’d like, but meet back here at two.”

  “Partner?” Rose turned and asked as they received their papers.

  “Sure.” Clara glanced down at her sore feet. “What kind of impression do you think I’d leave if I ditched the shoes and just walked around campus barefoot?”

  Rose suppressed a laugh. “I’d be more concerned about what you might step on. Just don’t go down Greek Row.”

  Clara laughed and shrugged the thought away. “My little sister is constantly barefoot. She prefers it that way.”

  “I think I’d like her,” Rose said, smiling as she linked their arms together. “Come on. We have time to run back to the dorm and change. My feet are killing me too. Flats, adorable with many outfits, not meant for walking around campus.”

  “I think I’ll wear slippers to my first class.”

  “Right there with you.”

  With a new determination to complete the scavenger hunt without blisters, the two retreated to their room. Lost in a discussion, they looked over the list. They took little notice of the guy in their path until they were almost crashing into his large figure.

  “Ladies,” he greeted. “Headed somewhere?”

  Rose answered first. “Corin, right? Sorry we almost ran you over.”

  Corin’s deep laugh filled with amusement. With his height and even larger frame, there were very few who could run him over. His dark eyes darted to Clara. She shifted under his gaze, averting her eyes from his.

  “Clara, it’s good to see you.”

  “Yeah, it’s been a while,” Clara said. Two years to be exact. Corin Sander was not a man one could forget. She might have missed her hometown of Trousdale, but he wasn’t the reason.

  “It’s funny how life brings old friends back together again.” Amusement filled his piercing stare.

  Clara replied with a soft smile, remembering why she never liked the guy. In Trousdale, Corin was the man every girl in her school drooled over, which made his over-inflated ego swell even more. Clara never understood the appeal. But the more she had tried to ignore him, the harder he tried to pursue her. Shivering at the memories, she praye
d he’d grown up in the last couple of years.

  “So, where are you two lovely ladies headed?” he asked.

  “Scavenger hunt,” Rose replied, oblivious to Clara’s disinterest. She lifted the paper for reassurance. “We have a couple of hours, so we are heading back to the dorms first.”

  “Scavenger hunt, eh?” Corin snatched the paper from Rose’s hands. “I remember this. They make all freshmeat do it. I’ll tell you what, I’ll get you the answers if you two ladies promise to come to my party tonight. And later, if you’re still lost on campus, I’ll give you a tour myself. What do you say?”

  “Thanks, but you don’t have—” Clara began to say, but Rose’s voice rang over hers.

  “Deal!”

  Corin’s dark eyes shifted between the girls. His smile crept across his lips into something Clara could only describe as unscrupulous.

  “We’ll be there,” Rose assured.

  “Perfect. Meet me back here at a quarter to two.” With a wink, Corin continued down his path, the scavenger hunt clutched in one hand and his phone in the other.

  As soon as he was out of hearing range, Clara turned toward Rose. “Why did you do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “We were supposed to fill it out.”

  “Oh come on, Clara. First of all, my feet are killing me, and I know yours are doing the same. You didn’t want to go on the hunt as much as I didn’t. It’s not like it’s a graded assignment or anything. We could have probably filled out the answers without even leaving the dorms.”

  Clara’s face remained sour. Even though she knew Rose was right, there was a larger problem with their deal. “I don’t want to go the party.”

  “Why? It sounds like fun.”

  “Trust me when I say that Corin Sander wants more from a girl than just showing up at his party.”

  “I’m sure.” Rose nodded as they turned past the last building before their dorm. “He seems like the type, but it’s a great way to meet more people. And I plan on enjoying these years. What about you?”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “And Luke and Deacon will most likely be there. They’re all friends, right? I thought you liked them?”

  “Yeah from the few minutes I met them, but—”

  “But nothing,” Rose interrupted before Clara could make more excuses. “You told me your sister made you promise to go to at least one party, right? Why not get it out of the way now? Come on. Please, Clara?”

  Clara looked into the pleading eyes of her new friend. Rose’s pout was almost as good as her sister Harper’s. With one huff, Clara blew the few stray hairs that managed to escape her low bun. “Fine.”

  Rose cheered as they entered their residence hall. At least with the scavenger hunt taken care of, Clara would have the rest of the day to rest. She planned on putting her sore feet up and diving back into her current story the second she entered their room.

  The hours of escape flew by fast, and Clara soon found herself catching hordes of clothes that flew her way. Corin was very persistent in telling them to dress to impress. Rose was thrilled, determined to turn Clara into her personal Barbie doll. Clara pretended to be unfazed, but her gut fluttered with the excitement of a makeover, even for one night. She blamed Rose’s sparkling optimism. It was contagious.

  Taking a deep breath, Clara took in her new look. The added makeup around her brown eyes made them stand out. Her pale yellow button up flowed loosely around her torso while Rose’s dark skinny jeans did a number to show off Clara’s lean legs. Legs that went on forever thanks to her roommate’s black heels. There was no doubt that her feet would hate her after the night.

  She hated to admit it, but Rose had a great sense of fashion. Clara had never been concerned about her wardrobe unless it was for a special occasion. She always had other things on her mind. But one glance into the thin dorm mirror and Clara’s body tingled with delight. Playing with her hair that was no longer held prisoner by the usual hair tie, Clara beamed at Rose and asked, “Ready?”

  “Uh-huh,” Rose replied, smacking her lips together as she applied a coat of ruby red lipstick. “Are you?”

  Clara nodded. “A little nervous. I don’t do parties.”

  A soft smile pulled at Rose’s pink cheeks. “Honestly, this will be my first that doesn’t include a birthday cake.” Self-assurance grew in her voice as her eyes met Clara’s. “But I’m going to enjoy this year.”

  Clara smiled wide. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

  Rose laughed as they waltzed out their door, arms linked. The cool summer wind brushed against Clara’s warm cheeks. Excitement buzzed through her. Walking toward the student apartments with Rose by her side made her realize just how much her life had changed in a few days. Clara no longer needed to check in with her father when she was running late. Not that she ever ran late, but it was the idea of being on her own that gave Clara a new sense of independence. She was beginning to understand what made Rose so cheery. Somewhere between studying for exams and dreaming of the future, she had entered adulthood. She knew the day would come, but she’d been so concerned with graduating and moving on she almost missed the moment.

  By the time the bass from the party reached Clara’s ears, she was ready to enjoy herself. From the happy looks on the faces of the crowd, the party would not disappoint. It didn’t take Corin long to spot them from across the room. He was at their side in a few long strides. His eyes swept over Clara with such lusty approval it made her skin crawl. She didn’t want Corin’s attention. Never had.

  Before she could turn and sprint back to her dorm, he asked, “What can I get you, ladies?”

  Rose was quick to respond, “What do you suggest?”

  With a wicked glint in his eye, he asked, “Do you trust me?”

  Before either could answer, he disappeared into the crowd and headed for the kitchen. The girls looked back at each other, both wondering the same thing. Do they follow? With small shuffles, they stepped further into the room. It wasn’t long before Rose was bouncing to the song that poured from the speakers, encouraging Clara to do the same. The music itched at her body, and soon she was moving in sync with her friend as she scanned their surroundings.

  The apartment was not like she imagined it would be. Instead of the typical college bachelor pad with limited furniture and beer bottles scattered over every surface, Corin’s place looked like it came out of a home magazine. She was impressed which, to her dismay, made her distaste for him lessen. When he returned with two cups in hand, Clara happily reached out. The red liquid sloshed around the rim.

  “What is it?” Rose asked over the pounding music.

  “Jungle Juice. Our own little blend, so take it slow,” he replied with a wink.

  Rose’s smile grew as the liquid touched her lips. “It’s good.”

  Clara swallowed hard and tilted her cup. The sweet mixture swept across her tongue. Its fruity tastes filled her senses, but the burning in her throat was stronger than any taste from her father’s beer or sip of champagne. Surprisingly, she enjoyed it.

  Corin nodded his approval. “Come on,” he said as he guided them to a long table where cups stood like bowling pins at either end. “You ever play before?”

  Clara tried to hide her nervousness with a smile. She didn’t go to parties. At least not ones dominated by her peers who drank themselves silly. She wasn’t even sure what the proper protocol was. Afraid to embarrass herself, Clara struggled for words. The stuttering sounds that spewed from her mouth caused her cheeks to burn more.

  Bless Rose’s heart for coming to Clara’s rescue, as she batted her eyelashes and asked, “Why don’t you teach us?”

  Corin pounced at the opportunity by kicking the two teams off the table before yelling, “Hey Marcus, get your ass over here.”

  Marcus’s wide frame pushed through the crowd and took his place at Corin’s side, the top of his head barely reaching Corin’s shoulder. “Are we goi
ng to take on these beautiful ladies?”

  “No, we’re going to teach them.” Corin’s lust-filled gaze left Clara feeling dirty. “You can be Rose’s partner.”

  Clara shivered at the thought of Corin creeping his way to her side under the pretense of teaching her how to play. There was no way she was going to allow that to happen. Raising her chin, Clara tried to mimic the flirtatious tone Rose used earlier. “Actually, I wanted to be Rose’s partner. You don’t mind, do you?”

  Corin’s gaze raked over her again. Clara resisted the urge to throw her drink in his face. Perhaps the shock would snap him out of the little fantasy she was sure his mind was thinking. No way, no how. He could stare all he wanted. She wasn’t going to return his desire.

  “Okay.” A roguish smile pulled at his lips. “Maybe we’ll play for something good.”

  “Maybe you just teach us first.”

  To her relief, Corin’s attention returned to the game as he explained the rules. It seemed simple enough. Throw the little ball at the cups and pray it goes in.

  With Rose at her side, the duo proved to be quite the pair. They dominated the table as new friends found their way over to watch and cheer along with every shot.

  In a daze, Clara looked around and soaked up the joy that pulsed through every one of her veins. She was about to turn her attention back to the game when she caught a glimpse of someone pushing through the overcrowded doorway.

  A hum of cheers greeted him. The energy of the room sent tingles deep within her stomach. A wicked grin formed on his full lips. A smile like that should be illegal, she thought as her heart pounded violently against her chest. She forced her attention to the red cups at the end of the table but her mind remained fixed on the tall stranger with the broad, muscular shoulders. He had the type of arms that saw hours in the gym, strong and sculpted. Clara found herself wondering what each curve would feel like under the tips of her fingers.