Page 35

There was no way she hadn’t at least heard about the flyers. Everyone on fucking campus had heard. Even the academic integrity board. I’d been called into the dean’s office this afternoon and had to sit through an hour-long lecture about what I’d done.

I’d walked away with my first warning. Two more, and he said it could be grounds for academic dismissal. Grounds for didn’t necessarily mean I would be kicked out, but still… Not cool. Yet, all the while, I remained steadfast in the belief that what I’d done was totally worth it.

If Mystery Girl actually replied to my summons, that was.

I’d gotten nearly fifty spoof replies so far, but not a single one of them was legitimate.

Dropping my backpack on the floor next to my door, I trudged across the room so I could tumble miserably onto my mattress and stare moodily up at the ceiling.

Resting a forearm against my brow, I heaved out a depressed sigh, only to mumble, “Maybe she doesn’t even go to Haverick.”

But still. Even then, she’d have to have connections with someone from our university to even know to come to our party in the first place. And whoever that tie had been had probably passed on word about the Cinderella panties.

I tapped my fingers restlessly against my abdomen and bit my lip, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why someone would want to avoid me this hard.

I mean, she’d liked me enough to give me a blowjob and sit on my face. Why hide after that ?

Thinking I could glean some answers from her underwear, I removed the arm resting on my brow to swing it toward the desk next to the bed.

I’d left the panties sitting there, on the corner, within reach of where I slept.

So when I patted my hand blindly around the top, I expected to encounter cloth within moments.

Nothing.

My fingers bumped into some kind of thick paper instead.

Frowning, I took hold of that and brought it up above my face to blink at an envelope with a fancy letter M, written in some Old English font with one of those special calligraphy pens and framed within an angry circle where the ends never met but slashed right past each other in a rush.

“What the hell?” I swiped my thumb over the M and then sat up slowly.

Glancing toward the desk, I found the pair of Mystery Girl’s panties gone.

“Son of a bitch!” I cried, leaping to my feet.

Still holding the envelope in one hand, I took a few minutes to search around my desk, opening all the drawers, getting down on my hands and knees to see if they’d fallen underneath, ripping down the sheets to see if they’d fallen onto my mattress at some point. But the panties were gone.

My attention returned to the envelope.

Holding my breath, I wedged my finger into the back flap that had been sealed and I ripped it open.

Inside was a single-folded sheet of cream-colored paper made from a thick, fancy cardstock with that same M logo on the front that had been on the outside of the envelope.

I opened it slowly, and my mouth fell open as I read.

Keene Dugger, you have been a very bad boy.

The Mistress is displeased. Your punishment for so publicly brandishing my undergarments across campus for all to see has just lost you possession of them.

I hope you’ve learned your lesson and will endeavor to be more tactful and respectful going forward. Sincerely, M.

“Holy shit,” I murmured in awe before flipping to the back to see if she’d written any more.

She hadn’t.

Disappointed, I returned to the words and reread what she’d written.

She’d put a lot of time and attention into making this look and sound professional; it was damn near aristocratic. So naturally, I was more intrigued than ever.

“I knew I’d get you to reply,” I murmured with a slow, knowing smirk, impressed with how easily she’d been able to best me at my own game.

This girl right here was a worthy opponent.

I mean, it totally sucked that I now had nothing she’d want to retrieve from me, but damn. She’d beaten me with such style that?—

“Wait a fucking second.” I darted my attention around the room as it suddenly occurred to me that Mystery Girl had been inside my room. Today.

How the hell had she gained access to my house?

Fifteen minutes later, all four of my roommates had sworn to me that they hadn’t let anyone into the house.

“So you’re telling me someone broke in, stole the panties off my desk, and sashayed right back out the front door without a single one of you noticing?”

Damien sent me a funny look. “Why are you assuming she used the front door?”

“Really?” I cried, lifting my hands in outrage. “ That’s the part you’re taking issue to? This girl just proved she’s a thief.”

“And a catfisher,” Alec added helpfully, only for me to send him a scowl.

“No. We’ve already established she did not catfish me.”

“And how can she really be a thief?” Oaklynn wondered. “If it was her own property she was retrieving. I mean, after what you did, I’d probably trash your room and poison your food too, ya dick.”

I blew out a harsh breath and endeavored to ignore that comment. “She had to have come in while someone was home because that’s the only time we leave the doors unlocked,” I went on. “Yet none of you saw or heard anything ? How is that possible?”

I glanced around the kitchen table where I’d called this emergency meeting to take place and made sure to make eye contact with every resident before moving on to the next.

Damien sighed and sent me a dry look as if I was being ridiculous.

Oaklynn rolled her eyes before folding her arms over her chest, not a fan of my accusatory stare.

And Alec shrugged, honestly clueless about all of it.

At Xander, I squinted in suspicion because she’d been the quietest of everyone.

I knew her the least since she’d only lived here for four months, and we hadn’t met before she’d moved in. When she shrank lower in her seat under my intense stare, I had no idea if it was from guilt or because I was just being that intimidating.

“I swear, I didn’t see or hear anything,” she told me, lifting her hands, her big blue eyes wide with worry.

I frowned at her harder.

“Oh my God,” Oaklynn finally muttered. “So this girl got her own underwear back. Yay for her. But this obviously means she doesn’t want anything else to do with you.

Be happy she didn’t slice your throat open while she was here and just move on already, will you?

I mean, your obsession with her is starting to freak me out.

You’re Keene fucking Dugger. Why have you not scored with half a dozen other girls since then? ”

“Because she played me,” I said, blinking at her in astonishment. “She fucking made me think I was with someone else. Wouldn’t you want to know who’d impersonated you with Archer if he thought he’d just boned you, only to realize—oops—wasn’t Vargas after all?”

Damien scowled at the question, but Oaklynn merely sent me a dour look. “That’s not the same comparison at all. I’m with Damien and in love with him. You’re not dating anyone. You’re a freaking player who’ll nail any girl who breathes in your direction.”

I scowled. “I mean, not any girl.”

“And you go through them like toilet paper.”

“Again, not quite accurate,” I noted, starting to feel offended.

“Does it really matter who she was?” she asked, blowing off my feelings. “She clearly wants to move on from it. You should too.”

I blinked at her once, then glanced at the others, thinking someone would have my back here. But not even Alec seemed to disagree with her.

None of them cared that Mystery Girl had made this personal and that I was now more determined than ever to unveil her identity.

“I see,” I announced stonily as I stood up from the table, chin held high. Sending them all a hard smile, I sarcastically snipped, “Thanks so much for your time. You were all so very helpful .” And I marched from the kitchen, giving them the cold shoulder.

This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. It didn’t matter that none of my roommates cared. I was going to find this girl if it was the last thing I did.

Screw making her come to me. I was back in the chase.