Black Number Four by Kandi Steiner Read Free Book Online

followed by a pair of socks and my sneakers. Jess knocks just as I open the door again, reaching for my iPod and squeezing past her.
    “Are you okay?” she asks, but I keep walking.
    “Going for a run. I’ll see you for dinner tonight.”
    I shove the earbuds in before she has the chance to reply and jog down the stairs and out the front door, falling into rhythm with the pop song blaring through the tiny speakers. As my breathing gets heavier and my chest tightens, I realize my poker face may be a little better than I thought. Because the entire time I was in that room, I didn’t once give off that I might like Kip, that maybe I don’t want to play this stupid game because I’m into him and I don’t want to deliver him on a silver platter to my Big.
    Which is exactly why I can’t let him win me at the date auction.
    If he’s Erin’s now, then I need to get rid of him. I need to get out of this while I still can, rip off the Band-Aid. And if that means cheating? Well, I’m not above getting my hands a little dirty.

    Clinton’s Little, Josh, has had a crush on me since we met at freshmen orientation. He’s tried to get me to go on a date with him multiple times, but he’s far from my type – huge, muscles too big for his body, cheesy smile that screams “I’m a douchebag!” and orange skin from using too much bronzer. I’d sooner go on a date with Clinton than Josh, and he’s like a brother to me.
    Which is why I can’t believe I’m shoving a thousand dollars from my savings account into his palm and telling him I want him to buy me at the auction tonight. As sad as it may be, he’s my Ace in the hole – and I need him.
    “You can’t tell a single soul,” I remind him again. “Not even Bear. This is against the rules – big time. Just make it look casual and go up as high as you need to, but don’t jump out the gate with all one thousand. Hold back and see what the crowd does, only bet as much as you need to.”
    “Whatever you say, baby.” He grins, throwing his arm around me. “I knew it was only a matter of time before you’d give in. Turning me down all this time and now look at you – paying me to save you from other guys so you can spend a whole night with me.”
    I groan, pushing him off. “Don’t make me change my mind. I’m serious, Josh, this stays between the two of us.”
    He runs his fingers up my arm and hooks his hand around the back of my neck, pulling me closer. “I look forward to a lot of things being kept between the two of us.”
    Gag.
    I pull away and check my phone for the time. “I have to go get ready. See you tonight. And Josh?”
    His green eyes meet mine, waiting.
    “Please don’t screw this up.”
    He laughs and I let myself out of the Omega Chi Beta house, turning toward KKB. I only have a few short hours before the auction and I need to get prepped for the tournament tonight. The auction should only last until ten, but the tournament starts at ten thirty. That’s barely enough time to drive there, let alone buy in and get in my zone. It’ll be tight, but I have to make it work.
    Ashlei and Jess help me get ready while my Little studies flash cards. I have no idea how she’s already studying when classes have been in session all of five days, but that’s her. I watch her look at a flash card, close her eyes and mouth the answer, then open them and flip the card over to check if she was right. She repeats this over and over and each time I smile a little more. As much as I admire Erin, I think I admire Cassie, too. She’s so bright, and so unafraid to be exactly who she is. I’m not sure I could ever be that confident.
    Jess and Ashlei are like two peas in a pod. They’re both majoring in event planning, they both love country music, they’re both born and raised in South Florida, and they’re both blonde and beautiful. Pretty much the only difference is that Ashlei came from old money and Jess’s family came into their fortune from a lawsuit.