Guilty Secrets (Campus Love and Murder Sorority Eyes Romance Book 1) Read Free Page A

and down like she was inspecting me for smuggling narcotics on my person into the island nation of Loser-ville. She pushed into my apartment like she owned the building and pointed at my suitcases.
    "New girl, got an inflatable lifeboat inside one of those?"
    "Sure, want to take turns blowing it up?"
    She turned to me and laughed. "You'll do. What's your name?"
    "Robyn White."
    "Major?"
    "Journalism."
    "You?"
    "Fashion."
    "Look, I appreciate the welcome, but I've got more pressing matters to attend to."
    "Professor?"
    "Huh? Professor Davina Cole."
    "Watch out for her."
    I swear she checked out my ass.
    "Unless of course she's your type, Robyn. Not that I'm suggesting you didn't earn your place on merit."
    "What do you mean?"
    "Takes a lot to get on Queen Skype's good side. I guess you know that already. Just don't get on her wrong side or dream city quest turns into the scrapheap challenge."
    My head began to ache. I pointed to the door. "Satisfied?"
    "It takes a lot to satisfy me." She licked her lips. "Yes, you'll do."
    She took a few pictures of the flood and then grabbed my hand. She dragged me up to the top floor and in through an open door into the biggest and most luxurious apartment I have ever seen.
    "Who lives here?"
    "You do,"Mai Ling said.
    It was about then that I realized I must have hit my head and was at that moment dreaming as I floated face-down in the flood.
    Mai smiled patiently then added. "If you want to, of course, no pressure. I mean, it would be nice to have a room-mate. Mine bailed and it's too big for one."
    Too big for one? It was too big for a small army. It didn't just dwarf your average long haul flight aircraft-hanger, it could give the Taj Mahal a run for its money in the size and opulence game.
    Walls lined with expensively produced framed photos of fantastically toned young men and women in erotic and passionate embraces seemed to disappear out of sight down the long winding corridor with a dozen rooms leading off it. Everywhere the fragrance of lilies of every variety in simple, elegant white vases in rows alongside the pristine white walls.
    Mai smiled. "My own work."
    There were no wall heaters, but the place seemed the perfect temperature. Cozy, but not stifling. I could curl up on the floor, knowing it was cleaner than the inside of my last refrigerator.
    Standing in the center of the marble floor living room that seemed to stretch in both directions with high floor to ceiling windows for a mile or two, and for the duration of a blissful five seconds I dared to imagine life there. Waking to the view of the vast lake and the tiny island in its center.
    Mai explained Kimberley Island marked the boundary between the land leased by the college and that used by the owner of all the land around here as far as the eye could see. I knew I needed to venture onto that island someday soon. Mai advised me that Kimberley Island was apparently considered out of bounds and the owner's privacy was fiercely protected.
    His land as far as I could see was about three miles in every direction. It was a blissful, peaceful scene that I felt could soothe the nightmare journey I was about to embark on.
    I sighed and knew it was not to be. Reluctantly, I pinched myself back to reality.
    "I could never afford this. Not even a single square foot of rental."
    "Who said anything about rent?"
    I slowly shook my head with confusion.
    "Look, Robyn, it's like this. My father gave it to me for my twenty first. Rich bastard trying to buy his neglected daughter's love and ease his guilt over dumping my mother for a bitch not much older than me."
    "Did it work?"
    "I'll let you know when I've got the rest of his fortune."
    Aware my bottom lip was doing an impression of a yo-yo, I realized I hadn't breathed since I arrived. My head began to swim.
    Mai grabbed my shoulders and guided me to the biggest sofa I'd ever seen. I sank into it like I was sinking into a cloud.
    "Fresher Week can be rough, right?"
    I nodded.
    She made