King of Pride

I’d graduated top of my class from Oxford and Cambridge, lettered in tennis and polo, and spoke seven languages fluently. I’d founded a charity for funding the arts in underserved areas when I was eighteen, and I was on the fast track to becoming one of the world’s youngest Fortune 500 CEOs.

“He also mentioned someone named Easton.” Kai’s gaze remained steady while my blood solidified into ice. “Who is that?”

My heart pounded in my ears.

Forget strangulation. That was too good for my brother. I was going to make him watch while I shredded every suit in his closet with garden shears before suffocating him alive with the scraps

Who the hell is Easton?

“Admit it,” I said around a mouthful of cheese and pepperoni. “You did have fun.”

“Because of you.” Kai plucked a pepperoni off his slice and placed it on mine. He hated the topping and I loved it, which meant we were pizza partners made in heaven. “Not because of this place.”

Butterflies swooped in my stomach.

“See? No reason to be jealous.”

Heat touched my skin. “I wasn’t jealous.”

“Of course not. You look at every man like you want to rip them to shreds and barbecue them.”

We more than know each other. He’s one of my favorite people on the planet.” She beamed up at him.

A muscle ticked in my jaw. “How lovely.”

And what am I? Chopped liver?

We’ll almost always throw aside common sense in favor of instant gratification.

If looks could kill, Dante’s glare would’ve incinerated me on the spot. I returned it with an innocent smile.

His talent was being talented.

“Yes! I read your guest column in World Geographic. I can’t believe you went diving in Silfra,” she breathed. “That’s one of my top bucket list items.”

My jaw tensed as she rambled on about his adventures. Personally, I didn’t think they were a big deal. So what if Leo went diving between tectonic plates? He didn’t discover the Silfra Fissure, for Christ’s sake.