BriarEdge Academy: Winter Break Read online

  BriarEdge Academy

  Winter Break

  Kit Kyndall

  Amourisa Press

  Kit Tunstall, writing as Kit Kyndall, reserves all rights to BRIAREDGE ACADEMY. Any resemblance to people or places is a coincidence. Please respect the copyright by not sharing this work. Permission of the author or publisher is required to copy any part of this work.

  © Kit Kyndall, 2019

  Cover image: Depositphoto

  Cover design by Amourisa Designs

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  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Blurb

  1. Chapter One

  2. Chapter Two

  3. Chapter Three

  4. Chapter Four

  5. Chapter Five

  6. Chapter Six

  7. Chapter Seven

  8. Chapter Eight

  9. Chapter Nine

  10. Chapter Ten

  About Kit Kyndall

  Blurb

  They don’t want her there. She doesn’t care if they push her out until she finds good reasons to stay at BriarEdge Academy. Two weeks away from the academy is just what she needs.

  Home for winter break, Candace visits Kip in Boston, where their relationship changes again. Then Lex comes for a visit, and Dalton is an unexpected ally to help them have some time together. Only Jonas is missing, and she can’t wait to get back to school to see him again.

  She spends a lot of time with Dalton until they get careless, and his father and her mother learn they’re dating. Will Ashton and Hannah follow through on their threat to send them to schools thousands of miles apart?

  This is a series intended for mature YA and adult readers. It includes some cursing, mild violence, a few darker elements, and sex. It is a contemporary reverse harem academy romance with some bullying, including from one of her love interests. When four is better than one, #whychoose?

  This is part-five of a seven-part series. There could be cliffhangers ahead, but the installments will be released quickly.

  Chapter One

  Candace

  It was an uncomfortable limousine ride home with Malone and Dalton. Dalton sat near her, his hand stroking her thigh upon occasion, but he mostly behaved himself. Malone continued glaring at them, making no attempt to hide her disgust, but like the last ride home, she mostly kept her head buried in her phone.

  When they arrived home, Hannah and Ashton were there to meet them. Hannah looked a little better than she had last time, and she was starting to show. It felt weird hugging her mom with her baby bump between them, but it was good to feel her mom’s arms again.

  Hannah stood back, putting her hands around Candace’s face for a minute as she looked at her. “You’re starting to look all grown up now.”

  Candace blushed. “I’m only a month older than the last time you saw me.”

  “But you’re also eighteen, which means you’re no longer my little girl.”

  “You’re disowning me?” teased Candace.

  Hannah laughed. “No, you know what I mean. It’s been a rough transition to realize you’re now technically an adult.

  “That technically means a world of difference,” said Ashton as he came forward. He insisted on a hug this time, and Candace endured it, but she quickly stepped back.

  There was nothing wrong with Ashton, but she wasn’t much of a hugger with people she didn’t know, and she still felt like she didn’t know Ashton all that well. She’d spent the summer with him before heading off to BriarEdge, but he and her mom had been busy doing a lot of things to bond as a couple, and though they’d tried to include her, she had felt like a fifth wheel, and so she’d declined many of the invitations.

  That left her still in an awkward position of not really knowing her stepfather. It was the same with Malone, though that was because Malone had no interest in getting to know her. Not that she was eager to make friends with Malone either. Malone was the kind of person she really didn’t like. At least she felt close to Dalton, though not in a way that either of their parents would appreciate or approve of, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her.

  “I’ve cleared my schedule for the day, so we thought we’d put up the Christmas tree after we do some shopping,” and Ashton. He looked at Malone. “It’s a good time to spend as a family, since you’re going off to your friend’s house for a few days, and Candace is visiting her friend in Boston. We won’t really be together again until almost Christmas Eve, so I’d like us all to spend the day together. Calvin is meeting us at the mall.” Though phrased as a request, his tone indicated it was a command.

  Malone curled her lip. “I have a headache.”

  “We have Tylenol,” countered Ashton with a thread of steel in his tone. “Why don’t you come with me, and I’ll get you some medicine to take care that headache?”

  With a huff, Malone followed Ashton, leaving Hannah, Dalton, and Candace standing there. Hannah looked a little awkward with Dalton, and she hadn’t tried to hug him. She smiled at him, though it looked a little wobbly. “How are you, Dalton? Are you excited about vacation?”

  Dalton sent a meaningful glance in Candace’s direction before looking back at Hannah. “I am. There’s a project I’m hoping to advance. I’m getting to a new stage of experimentation.”

  Candace shivered in anticipation as Hannah blinked and then smiled. “You brought homework home with you?”

  “This is more a personal pursuit than homework,” said Dalton with a grin.

  “You’re doing science for fun?” Hannah looked impressed.

  Dalton winked quickly at Candace. “I’m really interested in the chemistry of this project.”

  Candace wasn’t certain whether to laugh, smack him, or leap on him at the moment. His words were making all kinds of naughty thoughts form in her mind, which was extremely uncomfortable with her mom standing right there. She shot him a warning look before turning to her mom.

  “Yeah, BriarEdge doesn’t believe in vacation. Every one of my teachers sent home an assignment to do over break.” Including Kip, even though he knew she was going to be in Boston. Maybe he was planning to personally oversee the paper she had to write on the tragic life of Sylvia Plath.

  “It’s a rigorous program. Are you keeping up?” Hannah’s brow furrowed in concern.

  “I’m doing well in my classes.”

  The worst class was Manion’s, and she had a B- in that. As much as she knew Suzanne would love to fail her, she was maintaining a B+ in that class. It would’ve been in A or A+ with any other teacher, but Suzanne was nitpicky about every little thing. All Candace could do was try to remain diligent, and other than the one problem she’d had that Dalton had explained to her in his overly public way, she’d understood everything they were covering.

  “Just don’t get in trouble, kiddo. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask. We’ll get you a tutor or something, okay?”

  Dalton spoke then. “Yeah, I’m going to help Candace with her French class. We’re going to do some study sessions over Christmas break.”

  That was news to Candace, and she wondered how he knew she wasn’t doing as well in French, since she hadn’t mentioned it to him. It would give them cover to spend time alone. She nodded to support his assertion. “I think it will be beneficial for Dalton to show me. I’m having trouble with some of the verb tenses, along with vowel and consona
nt sounds.”

  “You do need to work on your tongue positioning,” he said with a completely straight face, though Candace knew right where his thoughts had jumped.

  “That’s so generous of you, Dalton. I’m glad you guys are getting along.” Hannah seemed on the verge of tears, and she wiped her face. “Excuse me. These hormones are the devil.”

  After that, Ashton and Malone returned, and though she looked displeased, Malone accompanied them shopping, where they all picked out an ornament to commemorate their first Christmas together, and Candace almost laughed at the clever ornament Malone had picked. It was from “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” making her feelings known about their first shared holiday celebration. It was a clever and passive-aggressive way to get her point across, but Candace didn’t reveal her amusement. She’d either make Malone angrier, or she might risk encouraging further bad behavior.

  After shopping, they stopped for dinner and then went home. Candace was surprised at the size and fullness of the tree, having never seen anything like it. It dominated the living room with its twelve-foot ceiling. Working together, it took the six of them three hours to finish, and then they sat on the couches having sugar cookies and cocoa.

  She was sitting near Dalton, and it was tempting to put her head on his shoulder, but she was afraid that would come across as the wrong kind of affection to their parents, so she just contented herself with having his leg pressed against hers as they shared the coffee table with their feet propped on it. Even Malone had subsided into silence, and while she was clearly still fulminating with annoyance at having to participate, she wasn’t actively making comments. It was about the best they could all hope for under the circumstances.

  Chapter Two

  Kip

  Kip waited outside the apartment building where his father had an apartment he kept for company use but didn’t mind loaning to Kip when he was in the city. He’d expected to meet Candace at the train station, but she’d texted early that morning to tell him her stepfather insisted on her taking the car and driver instead, so she was coming right to his door.

  That was why he was standing outside waiting, so she wouldn’t have any trouble getting past the doorman. His stomach churned with excitement and a little bit of anxiety, knowing being alone with her was more temptation than he could withstand. She was an adult now, but that didn’t remove the obstacle of him being her instructor. It could cost him his job if people discovered their relationship.

  Yet he couldn’t stand the idea of waiting another five months to be with her. He was aware she was steadily growing closer to her other boyfriends, and Kip didn’t want to lose this chance with her. He thought their strong connection could withstand waiting five more months, but he was unable to summon the fortitude to do so.

  A black limousine pulled up in front of the building, and he was certain Candace was inside even before the driver got out and opened the door for her. She had one large piece of luggage, and he overheard her assure the driver she didn’t need help getting it inside. He hung back, not because he didn’t want to run to greet her, but because she’d already told him she was pretending to stay with Isis for a few days, and he didn’t want to make the driver suspicious and report back to her parents.

  How he hated having to sneak around like this and pretend he wasn’t with her. It was one of the reasons he’d never even been tempted by a student before, though plenty had flirted with him. There were just too many complications and entanglements, but Candace seemed worth risking them all.

  As soon as the driver had gotten back in the vehicle and pulled away, Kip approached her. “Welcome to Boston.”

  “‘Welcome to Boston,’” she repeated in a heavy Boston intonation, teasing him.

  Kip realized his accent had come out more since he’d been back home. He laughed as he put his arm around her waist. “Come on up, and we’ll get you settled.”

  She put her arm around his waist, and they walked up together, the wheels of her luggage squeaking behind them as they went. That got a few eyes on them from the annoying sound, but Kip didn’t pay the neighbors any attention. He couldn’t have identified any of them in a lineup, and it was a busy, crowded building. People came and went all the time from the apartment his dad maintained for his company, so no one would know him or even remember him.

  He hated that he considered the thought though. Seeing Candace like this felt a bit like carrying out a spy mission of utmost secrecy. He hated feeling like he should watch over his shoulder everywhere he went, but there was no way he could send her home now. He couldn’t bear to.

  Once they were in the lift, he turned and kissed her. He ignored the old woman in the corner with her Chinese Crested dogs, both who also seemed to give him a look of disapproval for the PDA. He didn’t stop kissing her until the elevator opened on the eighth floor. Then he took her hand and led her out of the elevator and down the hallway to apartment eight-seventeen. He used his keycard to enter, and she followed behind him.

  She paused a few steps in as he closed the door. The soles of her snow boots squeaked occasionally against the hardwood floor as she looked around. “Swanky.”

  “Yeah. It’s a corporate apartment my dad uses to host clients. He gets to write off everything.”

  “Nice. And the apartment is really nice too.”

  He nodded, giving her a quick tour before taking her down the hallway to the guestroom. “This is your room. Mine’s across the hall.”

  She looked disappointed. “We aren’t sharing a room?”

  Kip barely pushed back a groan at the way she bit her lower lip before licking a path across the plump contours. “I didn’t want to presume anything, or make you feel pressured.”

  She nodded as she set her bag on the bed. “What’s on the agenda?”

  “I thought we’d take in some must-see sites, and I’d like you to meet my grandmother. She’s the one who raised me since my dad was too busy in the corporate world.” There was a hint of bitterness in his words that flowed through, and he was surprised. He thought he’d gotten over his resentment of his father’s busy lifestyle that hadn’t left much room for a sad, motherless kid.

  She frowned, coming closer to him. “What about your mother?”

  “She died when I was little. I don’t really remember her.” It was an old hurt, but it still pained him, and he appreciated when she reached out to hug him. He pulled her into his arms and just held her for a moment before clearing his throat and stepping back. He didn’t want to rush her into anything physical, and he had a lot of plans. “Do you need to unpack first?”

  She shrugged a shoulder. “I probably should, but I’m anxious to get started.”

  “In that case, let’s go.” He held out his hand, and she took it. They left the apartment and the building within a few minutes. Kip had structured the activities knowing she hadn’t been to Boston before. It wasn’t that far from Portland, but he inferred she and her mom hadn’t had much money for vacations or pleasures before Hannah married Ashton.

  Their first stop was the Quincy Market, and it was decked out for the season. They’d already missed the tree lighting, but it was lit and decorated within an inch of its life, and they paused for the light show with accompanying music. She was clearly enthralled. They picked up a few things as well, since Candace hadn’t yet had much opportunity to do Christmas shopping for her family. Since she seemed content with walking, they moved on to the Boston Common without hailing a cab.

  After lunch at his favorite Italian restaurant in Beacon Hill, they flagged a cab so they could catch the holiday lights trolley. It took them on a tour of the city, highlighting beautifully decorated homes and businesses, and making Kip nostalgic for the city. No matter how long he was away from Boston, it always felt like home.

  They rounded out the day with ice-skating at City Hall Plaza. Kip showed off his skill, and Candace impressed him with her ability to take a fall and keep going. For the fifth time when he lifted her to her feet and p
ulled her against him, she laughed at herself. “I’m never going to get the hang of this.”

  “Hang on to me then,” said Kip with confidence. He held onto her hand, and he started skating. He was used to navigating the rink with ease, having been on it countless times as a kid and an adult, so when they turned a corner, it was an unexpected shock when she fell, knocking him off his feet too. He went down hard on the ice and winced, at least managing to break her fall.

  She landed mostly on top of him, and he held onto her for a moment before stretching upward to kiss her. She tasted like strawberries from the chocolate and strawberry candy they’d sampled on the trolley, offered to them by a kindly older woman who’d also brought her own bottle and offered them a tipple of mulled wine. Kip had declined, since Candace couldn’t accept either.

  When she pulled back a little bit, he let out a heavy sigh. “I think we should call it a day with skating. You need to get ready anyway. I have something amazing planned for tonight.”

  Her eyes lit up with excitement. “There’s more?”

  He nodded. “I have more things planned for tomorrow too, including meeting my grandmother, but I wanted today to be just for us.”

  She eased back, and Kip got to his feet. It had been so long since he’d fallen while ice skating that he’d almost forgotten the technique of putting his hand on his knee and pushing down on it to get to his feet. By the time he was on his feet, Candace was also on hers.

  Kip paused for a moment to rub his hip and his butt, wondering if he’d end up with a bruise where he’d landed. Then he cautiously took her hand and directed her toward one of the exits from the ice. After they took off their skates and turned them in, he led her to a queue of taxis, and they got in one, where Kip gave the address for the apartment.