Heartless (An Enemies To Lovers Novel Book 1) Read online

  Rhett glances at me from between the seats, widening his eyes. “Hell no, I’m in the dog house. She’ll rip my balls off if I talk to her now.”

  “And you want me to ask her to a party where you’ll be?” I’m really starting to like Rhett.

  “Yeah, you don’t have balls to lose. Besides, she’ll be all calmed down by the weekend.”

  “Fine, only because I owe you one for last night. I’ll ask Evie, but I’m not guaranteeing anything, and I can’t stay too late.”

  The campus is crazy busy and Carter has to double park.

  “Rhett, drive around the parking area. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Carter says as he gets out.

  “Have a good day, Rhett,” I say as I slip out.

  As I walk around the front of the car, Rhett yells, “When does the class finish?”

  “In two hours,” I say as I start to cross the road.

  “Watch out,” Carter snaps.

  His strong fingers clamp around my arm and he yanks me back. I lose my balance from the sudden jerk, and my body slams into his. My hands land on his chest and it doesn’t escape me that it feels as hard as it looks.

  “Are you fucking suicidal?” he growls.

  My eyes snap up to meet his. They are dark and hard. The grim line around his mouth only makes him look more gorgeous. I’m starting to hate that I find him so attractive. It’s really confusing liking someone you don’t like.

  “Why do you have to be such a jerk?” I pull away from him but this time I look left and right before crossing the road.

  I pick up my pace but then Carter starts to walk beside me. I glance up at him, wondering where he’s heading.

  “Do you have a class?” I haven’t seen him on this side of the campus before.

  “No, I’m making sure you don’t break your pretty little neck before you get to class,” he says, sounding irritated.

  What a jerk!

  Offended, I stop and glare daggers at him. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “You sure?” he says as he comes to stand in front of me. “It sure as hell looks like you need one.”

  My eyes dance over the strong features of his face. He has a killer smoldering look and kissable lips.

  No, Della! Focus. You can’t drool over his looks while you need to be angry.

  “Pity you’re a heartless dick.” Only once the words are out between us, do I realize that I said them out loud.

  Ugh.

  With one step he closes the distance between us, his chest pressing against mine.

  Oh wow. This is an overload for my hormones.

  I notice some of the students are stopping to watch this little interaction between us. It doesn’t even look like Carter is noticing any of them.

  I’m surrounded by his smell, his masculine woodsy scent, something natural, not spicy like most of the other guys drown themselves in.

  I can feel his hard muscles pressing against my softness, every unyielding inch of Carter. Heat swirls in my stomach and pushes all the way up to my neck.

  “Della,” he whispers. It sounds like a warning.

  Shit. No. Don’t talk to me now, not while I’m drooling over you.

  Dammit, he’s going to see how overwhelmingly aware I am of him. My plan to fly under the radar can’t backfire now. I’ve been doing such a good job of hiding my insane feelings for him the past two days.

  I clear my throat and suck in a deep breath, hoping to cool myself down before he can feel the heat waves coming from my body. All I get is another lung full of Carter.

  Lifting his hand, his fingers wrap around the back of my neck. The touch is electric, almost short-circuiting my brain. His thumb skims the heated skin under my ear, sending a lightening streak straight to the spot between my legs.

  That’s me, I’m done for. No use in trying to hide anything anymore.

  He tips my head back and I have no choice but to look into his penetrating eyes. As our eyes meet and lock, a jolt shoots through my stomach.

  I’m so screwed right now.

  ***

  CARTER

  Looking down at her, I can honestly say that she aggravates the living hell out of me.

  It’s not that I’m scared of a challenge. I mean, damn, I’m going to be working my ass off for the next three years, before Dad retires. It’s definitely not the challenge I’m afraid of.

  She’s too beautiful, the breathtaking, heartbreaking kind. I’m becoming obsessed with this girl and I don’t like it at all.

  This is fucking bullshit. She has an irritating habit of pressing all my wrong buttons. She’s constantly saying something to piss me off. I should hate her, but all I want to do is hold her.

  Her skin is silky soft beneath my fingers. Her eyes are wide and totally focused on me. She looks at me in a way no one has ever looked at me.

  To most, I’m a walking bank. To Dad, I’m the future of his company. To the guys, I’m a brother. To women, I’m a walking cock.

  What am I to Della?

  Her tongue darts out, wetting her bottom lip. My heart spasms as her lips part, and a blush creeps over her cheeks.

  “Carter?” she whispers, as an uncertain look dawns over her face.

  She confuses the ever-loving fuck out of me but hearing her breathe my name does something to me.

  It makes me lose control of the firm grip I have on my life.

  My mouth crashes against hers. Her hands shoot up and she grabs hold of my biceps. She pulls slightly away, a look of shock on her face while her lips part on a breath.

  I tighten my hold around her neck and crush her mouth under mine. I bring my other arm around her and fanning my fingers over her lower back, I press her against me.

  She feels so good against me. I want to hear her scream my name. Damn, I want to be buried deep inside this woman.

  And I fucking hate that she’s making me feel all these unwanted emotions.

  It only makes me kiss her harder. I plunge my tongue inside her mouth and our tongues continue to fight this war between us.

  Her hands slip up and over my shoulders. She sucks in a breath as her fingers trail over my jaw.

  Somewhere a car backfires, yanking me back to the now.

  I pull away from Della, my eyes burning over her face. The blue of her eyes looks like midnight. Her lips are wet and swollen, and the look makes her fucking stunning.

  She brings a trembling hand to her mouth and her eyes dart around us. It’s only then I notice the students watching us.

  There’s a sinking feeling inside of me. I wasn’t supposed to kiss her.

  I don’t even fucking like her.

  I glare down at her. “Taste like shit,” I spit the words out.

  Shock washes over her features as her eyes well up with unshed tears.

  I walk away from her, not waiting to see what damage my words are causing. The more she hates me, the better. I don’t need her sniffing around me.

  I’m Carter Hayes. I’m fucking heartless. I don’t care about the beautiful blue-eyed girl behind me. I don’t want her. She means nothing to me. Besides, all I know of women is that they’re quick to run, just like my mother did. None of them ever stick around.

  I’m almost done with my MBA degree, then I’ll take over as CEO of the largest publishing house in the New York. I can’t let Dad down. He’s sacrificed so much for me, letting me study away from home so I could be with my friends. The last heart attack almost took him from me. It’s time for him to retire. I don’t want him dying in that office.

  CHAPTER 5

  DELLA

  My life has returned to normal, which means things have been pretty uneventful. Since the guys fixed my truck, I’ve only seen Rhett a couple of times when he’d come into the diner. I didn’t go to the party and luckily no one asked why. I haven’t seen Carter since the kiss which has also been a bonus.

  I know he did it only for show, but my mind keeps playing tricks on me. The kiss felt so real. Honestly, I’ve never been kis
sed like that.

  But the thought of the kiss turns sour when I remember his words.

  I smell like shit. I taste like shit.

  He’s made it pretty clear what he thinks of me. Not like it really matters. For a stupid second, I lost sight of my goals. Never again.

  Went I went to visit Jamie, Sue didn’t look well. She kept coughing horribly. She blamed it on the flu, but I could see the worry in Jamie’s eyes. When I asked Jamie how long Sue had been sick for, she said weeks. It feels like I’m running out of time. If something happens to Sue, I don’t know what I’ll do. I can’t bring Jamie here, which means I’ll have to move back to Saluda and commute back here for my exams. The gas money alone will eat up most of my savings.

  I need to focus all my energy on my studies. Exams are starting next week. I just have to get through the next few weeks. Everything will be okay. It just has to be.

  I ready all the study materials for my first exam, then quickly run to the kitchen. I grab two bottles of water and an apple. On the way back to my room, the front door opens. Willow, Leigh, and Evie all laugh as they come in. The three of them have been spending a lot of time together. Evie tried to include me, but I had to decline. Between working extra hours and studying my ass off, I hardly have time to eat.

  When the guys follow the girls inside, I rush into my room and kick my door closed.

  I place the bottles and apple at the foot of my bed, then sit down in front of my books and laptop, crossing my legs.

  I do my best to block out the voices and laughter, and to focus on the words in front of me.

  A knock on my door, makes me sigh miserably. I don’t have time for any of them.

  “Della,” Rhett calls from the other side of the door. My shoulders slump in defeat. I really wanted to get a full night of studying in.

  There’s a series of knocks, each followed by, “Della.” Knock. “Della.” Knock. “Let me in, Della. You know you want to. You can only resist my charm for so long. Give in, babe. Admit you’re dying to see me.”

  I start to laugh at his silliness. Crawling off the bed, I go to open the door. Rhett has a huge smile plastered all over his face.

  He wags his eyebrows at me. “Love the shorts and socks, babe. The look totally suits you.”

  I glance down at my clothes. I’m wearing a white, long-sleeve shirt, pink striped shorts, and socks that reach to my knees.

  “It’s comfy,” I retort.

  “How are you doing, babe?” There’s a sincere look in his eyes, which draws a smile to my face.

  “I’m good. I just have a lot of studying to do. Exams start next week.”

  He leans in, giving me a hug. It feels so good to be held by someone that I close my eyes to absorb the moment. Sometimes I forget how much I miss touching another human.

  I’m just about to shut the door behind Rhett, when Carter slams his hand against it. The warm feeling I have from talking with Rhett turns icy when my eyes meet Carter’s.

  I try to shove the door closed, but he only moves closer and blocks me with his body. In a hurry to get away from him, I let go of the door and walk over to my bed. I sit down in front of my books and force my eyes to focus on the words.

  I hear the door close, but before I can let out a sigh of relief, I hear him move.

  Shit!

  I steel myself for the fight and glare up at him. “You can leave the same way you entered.”

  A smile tugs at his lips, drawing my attention to them. It makes me remember what it felt like to have his mouth on mine. Hell, heaven has nothing on that kiss. It was pure euphoria. His kiss had the power to wipe out everything around me, my past, my problems, my uncertain future, and even my dreams. It transported me to a world I didn’t even know existed.

  Of course, it turned to shit the second he opened his mouth.

  Suddenly, he says, “You look like shit.”

  My mouth actually drops open. I shouldn’t be surprised or hurt. But I can’t help feel the stab of rejection, the pain of being overlooked as a human being. When someone treats you so harshly, you can’t help but feel like a waste of space.

  I swallow the hurt down and grind my teeth as I hiss, “Like your opinion actually matters. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

  Instead of doing as I asked, he picks up the apple and looks at it with disgust. “This isn’t food,” he snaps.

  I frown, thrown by the sudden change of topic.

  “You’re a skinny fucking shit, Della. You need to eat more.”

  Again, my mouth drops open and I can only stare at him in shock and anger. Unlike him, I can’t afford to eat three square meals a day. I have to save every cent for Jamie.

  To my horror, I watch as he pulls his wallet from his back pocket. He takes out a couple of notes and tosses it on the bed.

  I start to shake my head, not being able to process what’s busy happening.

  Rage washes over me and I dart from the bed. I scoop up the money and shove it hard against his chest.

  When he makes no move to take it from me, another wave of rage washes over me wiping out every bit of my self-control.

  I grab hold of his belt and shove the money down his pants. That’s the closest my hand has ever been to that part of the male body. I’ll die of embarrassment later. Right now I’m seething.

  I shove him away from me and walk back to my bed. My body is shaking with anger as I sit down.

  “You’re a self-absorbed jerk,” I snap. Once I’m angry, it takes me forever to calm down. I also don’t think clearly. I lean back against the wall and bring my knees up. Glaring at the asshole, I open my legs wide.

  “Is this what you want? For me to spread my legs. Should I look all achy and needy for you?” His eyes drift over my body and it’s hard to miss how they darken. “It will never happen, Carter. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone wants to be on your screwed list.”

  He moves so fast, pouncing on me before I can even take a breath.

  His hard body presses me into the mattress as his mouth slams into mine. I grab at his hair with the full intention of yanking him away from me, but then his tongue shoves past my lips, driving its way forcefully inside my mouth.

  His one arm pushes in behind me and he lifts from the bed, crushing my body to his. He pulls me down and drops his full weight on top of me. Feeling all of him on top of me is incredible.

  I feel his hard bulge right between my legs. His teeth and tongue make quick work of any resistance I wanted to put up. My mind clouds over as an aching feeling starts to pulse between my legs.

  I’ve never felt like this before. I hate him but I want him. I want to push him away but at the same time, I want him to strip me bare.

  I hate myself for wanting him.

  ***

  CARTER

  Feeling her lips trembling against mine, her soft body melting into me, and the heat radiating from her pussy, makes me lose my mind.

  I want to fuck her out of my system. Since that fucking kiss the other day, I can’t stop thinking about her. She’s poison, slowly spreading through me until there’s more of her than there is of me.

  Her hands travel to my shoulders and she starts to push against me. I pull her body further beneath mine, but then she breaks the kiss. She gasps for air as she shoves hard at my shoulders. Stunned, I sit back and watch as she almost falls off the bed in her hurry to get away from me.

  “You can’t do that,” she whispers as tears start to spiral over her cheeks. Her flushed face quickly pales and she wraps her arms around her waist.

  I have that same sinking feeling I had after our first kiss.

  “You can’t just come into my room and practically assault me.”

  For a moment I actually feel bad, but then she goes and accuses me of shit once again.

  Anger flares up and I take step towards her.

  “Rhett!” she screams. She runs for the door, darting right by me. “Rhett!”

  The door slams open and she collid
es with the side of it. I wince knowing it has to hurt. I might not like her but I really don’t want to hurt her. I just wanted to teach her a lesson.

  Rhett catches her arm and his worried eyes go from her tear-streaked face to me. He pulls her into his arms and it only makes her cry harder.

  “Make him leave,” she sobs.

  Anger tightens his features as he makes eye contact with me. He shakes his head and ushers Della out of the room. When I get to the door, all the guys are on their feet.

  “What the fuck did you do?” Jaxson asks as he walks towards me.

  “I just kissed her,” I spit out. I don’t need this shit. “She’s fucking crazy.”

  I stalk out of the apartment, not in the mood for drama.

  When I get home, I’ve cooled down a little. Enough to know that I was a fucking asshole to Della. That is twice now that I’ve kissed her without her permission.

  Even though she kissed me back, it doesn’t change the fact that I basically forced myself on her.

  The front door slams open and Rhett stalks towards me. When he throws a punch, I do nothing to stop him. I deserve it.

  His fist connects with my left cheek and my head whips back from the force. Pain shudders through me, but I keep standing, looking him dead in the eye.

  “She’s a fucking woman,” he shouts. “You never use your strength against a woman. You’re not fucking stronger to hold them down. You’re stronger to protect them, asshole.”

  I nod, knowing he’s right.

  “Don’t you fucking do that. You don’t get off so easily,” he hisses.

  He shakes his head and it fucking sucks to see the disappointment on his face.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt her,” I say.

  “What did she do to you that you hate her so much?” He throws his arms wide.

  At first, I don’t plan on answering him, but then the words rush from me. “She’s under my fucking skin. I won’t let her do to me what my mother did to my dad.”

  Rhett frowns at me. He takes a step closer to me until we’re eye to eye. “That’s fucked up. She’s not your fucking mother, dude. She’s an innocent woman.”