10. Winter

It was onlythe first week back, and I'd already dropped my keys somewhere and had to wait outside for half an hour for someone to show up to let me in. If I believed in omens, it wouldn't be a good sign for this academic year.

Now, I lay on my bed and slowly turned the pages of my textbook. I was studying art history, one of the subjects my parents actually approved of. I had a terrible suspicion it was because it was a subject that made for a well-rounded wife for some stuffy finance douche my father would dig up one day. I didn't care. I just liked taking photographs, and studying art history was fascinating. There was so much to learn, even through more traditional mediums, that could apply to taking photographs, from framing to color and light theory.

"Hey, there's someone downstairs for you." Selena stepped into the room and shot me a salacious look.

She had no idea that I'd humiliated myself in front of Asher, basically begging him to pretend to be my boyfriend, only to be brutally rebuffed.

"I'm not home," I muttered.

"Oh, I think you'll want to see who it is," Selena said, wriggling her eyebrows.

Who would she be making that face for? Asher?Maybe he'd changed his mind?

I got up and glanced in the mirror as I passed. I'd fluffed my hair a few times and pinched my cheeks before I realized what I was doing. Preening. For the man who'd threatened me with a knife, spanked me, and cut my hair. Maybe insanity was contagious.

I headed downstairs, hot on Selena's heels. He was waiting in one of the drawing rooms. The Zeta Pi Nu house had been in the sorority for generations and was a grand old dame. She had dressing rooms, parlors, and even a dumbwaiter.

I pushed open the door to the room and went in, my heart suddenly racing. Was I excited to see Asher? God. He could never know.

I stared at the man standing at the window, looking out at sorority row. My heart dive-bombed.

Trent turned around and gave me a broad smile.

"Winter, welcome back to campus." He nodded toward Selena. "I just met your friend. She was really talking you up…I heard you don't really date."

I shot Selena a glare. She laughed, unbothered. "Thanks for that."

"You're welcome, babe. Have fun," she said and gave me a wink, closing the door behind her.

No. Stop. Come back. Don't leave me alone with this man.

"She loves to kid around," I said vaguely.

Trent leaned a hip on the window ledge and watched me, eyeing me from head to toe. "I heard. It's a shame what's happened to that family since her dad died."

"What's happened to them?"

"They're poor. Struggling…lost and alone, without our help."

Trent sauntered toward me, and I edged behind a wingback leather armchair, casually keeping it between us.

Trent stopped and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Your help?" I repeated. "Do you mean Invictus H.H Group?"

Trent smirked. "The Fitzgeralds are Invictus H.H Group in Hade Harbor, especially since your father got too busy to keep up with local affairs."

"Selena and her family seem fine to me," I said stiffly, returning to the subject.

Trent nodded. "I heard that about you. Not very observant, or maybe just self-absorbed."

I swallowed hard, cringing from the insult. Did I not notice things going on right under my nose? I'd buried my head in the sand to avoid getting hurt for so long, I had no idea what was going on in my life.

"Did you come here just to talk about Invictus H.H Group? Do you have a membership flyer or something? Next time just leave it at the door," I said in a clipped tone. I didn't feel safe alone with Trent. I felt dirty, his filthy, appraising stare crawling over my skin like spiders.

Trent chuckled, but it was cold as ice. He didn't like to be made fun of. Men like Trent were all the same. What he lacked in dick size (I assumed), he made up with a supersized ego.

"Funny. You're a funny girl, Winter. Your dad told me something funny earlier this week," Trent said.

I held my tongue. When I failed to ask him what the hell he was talking about, he continued.

"The funny thing he told me was that you have a boyfriend. I had a good laugh about it, your dad, too, when I explained to him that you were joking."

"I'm not joking," I said quickly.

He tilted his head to the side. "Of course you are. My father has always planned to merge our families, and you and I are in the ideal position to achieve that."

"Good thing we don't live in the eighteenth century and we can choose for ourselves," I retorted.

Trent shook his head. "That's where you're wrong. I live in the present day. You might as well still live in the eighteenth century, for the amount of difference your opinion will make. If I want you, if I choose you, Winter, that's all that matters. Pretending to have a boyfriend isn't going to do anything but delay the inevitable. Your dad will realize that there's no boyfriend, and then…I'll get to have you." His florid face had turned pink from the heat of the fireplace.

I could smell his stale sweat. I felt sick. His tone was so confident. So damn infuriating, but there was nothing I could do about it. Trent's dad was one of my father's oldest friends, and I didn't want to ruin that friendship. I hated upsetting my dad in any way.

"That's a nice little misogynistic fairy tale you've spun there, Trent, but unfortunately, I do have a boyfriend, and it's serious. That's reality, and my dad respects it."

Trent glared at me for a long moment. He didn't like being refused; he wasn't used to it. He started forward, coiled violence in every step, just as the door opened.

"I brought you guys some lemonade," Selena said, stepping into the room. Sure enough, she had a tray with three tall glasses of cloudy lemonade.

I could have kissed her at that moment.

She set down the tray. "So, what are you guys talking about?"

Oh my God, please don't mention the boyfriend, I suddenly prayed. Selena would want to know what the hell Trent was talking about, and then he'd never believe me.

"I was just asking Winter to a party next week." Trent surprised me by changing the subject.

"Oh! That sounds fun." Selena smiled. She sat opposite Trent and batted her eyelashes at him. "What does a girl have to do to score an invite to that?"

Trent looked away from me to my friend. "You can come, if you want."

"Really! Okay, I can't wait. Is it upstate?" She asked coyly.

Trent tilted his head at her. "What do you know about the place upstate?"

Selena shrugged. "Not much, but I heard you and your dad own a club up there, near Bar Harbor, and it's a wild night."

Trent studied her a long moment and then nodded. "Wild isn't enough to cover the kind of night you can have at The Cove."

The Cove.

"I've never heard about it," I muttered.

Trent chuckled. "Of course, you haven't. The Cove has nothing to do with Invictus H.H Group or your father. It's been in my family for three generations. It's my legacy."

I rolled my eyes as discreetly as I could, even though I was pretty sure Trent saw.

His hands tightened into fists. "Well, your name will be on the VIP list next week."

"Pass. Clubs aren't my thing," I murmured with a sugary sweet fake smile.

"The Cove has something for everyone," Trent argued back.

"I'm excited to come," Selena interrupted and smiled at him, diffusing the building tension.

Trent nodded. "You can come on the condition that you drag this one along. Someone has to teach this girl some social skills."

Selena tittered. "I say that all the time. I'll get her there. Don't worry."

There was no way I was going to some random club upstate for a party. I didn't even want Selena to go. I didn't trust Trent at all. Pressure expanded in my chest. He knew the boyfriend was fake. He was going to tell my dad. I had to get Asher to agree. I had no one else to ask.

I stood abruptly. Selena was holding court about something that had happened at cheer practice. She stared at me, clearly surprised by how rude I was being. I was pretty surprised, myself. Good manners in the face of obnoxious assholes had been bred into me from birth.

"I have to go. I'm late for something, I'm sorry." I backed toward the door.

Trent watched me with those dishwater eyes. "It's fine. I'll see you at the party."

I forced a stiff smile. "Sure."

When Hell freezes over.

I took a long shower after Trent left, trying to calm my panicking mind. Why should I care so much what he threatened? My name and my father's influence could keep me safe from a man like that, as long as I didn't go anywhere alone with him.

Right?

My phone rang. I was happy to see Dad's name on the display.

"Good evening, princess, I suppose you're getting ready for the big game?"

The big game?

"The Hellions' first game back this semester," he clarified.

Shit.Of course, if my boyfriend was a bigshot hockey player, I should probably go to his games sometimes, even if he wasn't officially playing yet.

"Yeah, I'm getting ready," I lied, glancing at myself in the mirror. Maybe I should go.

"Have fun. I've been thinking, remembering that article about Asher that I read…He's warming the bench thanks to those damn transfer rules. He barely played in Denver, it's ridiculous. Should your old man see what can be done about that?"

I sank down at my desk. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I know a few fellas who work in the federation, and I'm sure I could put in a good word. These rules are bent all the time if you know the right people. If I'm going to meet this boy who claims to be good enough to date you, I want to see what he's like, on and off the ice."

"That's really considerate of you…if it's no trouble."

"For you, pumpkin, anything. I'll make a few calls. Don't forget to organize the dinner," he reminded me.

"I won't." After I hung up, I turned over what he'd said in my mind. Maybe he could get Asher off his no-play ban faster. That would be amazing. Surely Asher would appreciate it and do whatever I asked him to? Yes, I was sure he would. I couldn't let up. I was going to win this game with a hell of a trump card.

Selena came in as I was getting dressed. "Whoa, where are we going?"

"The Hellions' match, but first, I need to stop by and see Eve. She has my outfit," I quickly responded before grabbing my things and heading for the door.