The Lucan's Prince Undoing

Chapter 1 — Lily Lily was hurrying across campus, her bag bouncing against her hip as she tried not to run. She had five minutes before class started, and Professor Thomson was not the forgiving type. If she missed the presentation, she would be hearing about it for weeks. Her head was already pounding from the night before. Lily wasn't much of a drinker, but Claire had been in an unusually good mood, and somehow a few drinks had turned into several. She should have known better than to go clubbing on a weekday. Claire had insisted, but Lily hadn't exactly put up much of a fight. "Thank God." She spotted the classroom door still open and hurried inside just as Professor Thomson walked through it. Perfect timing. She slipped into the nearest empty seat beside David, her project partner, trying to catch her breath. David leaned toward her. "You're late," he whispered, although the accusing tone made it sound more like a shout. "I noticed." "I thought I was going to have to do the presentation myself." "Not a chance." Lily gave him a sideways look. "We didn't work our asses off for weeks just so you could leave me hanging at the last minute." David rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of amusement in them. "What did you do last night?" "We went out for a drink and kind of lost track of time." His expression changed. "Did Claire come with you?" "Of course she did. Who else would I go out with?" David didn't answer. Lily knew exactly what was going through his mind. He had been trying to get into Claire's pants practically since the first day he'd met her. So far, his efforts hadn't paid off. Thankfully. Claire wasn't interested in David, and neither was Lily. Neither of them wanted to become another number on his very impressive list of conquests. David was a notorious womanizer. Being one of the university's star athletes certainly didn't hurt his chances. Girls practically threw themselves at him, and he never seemed to have any trouble finding someone new. Lily preferred to stay as far away from that whole scene as possible. Although, annoyingly, she had to admit that most of the athletes were ridiculously good-looking. Too bad good looks didn't come with brains. When Professor Thomson had paired her with David for the project, Lily had immediately assumed she'd be doing all the work while he contributed nothing but his name. To her surprise, he'd actually done his share, although Lily suspected his enthusiasm had more to do with Claire than the project. By the time they finished their presentation, Lily's stomach was growling. She had skipped breakfast, and now she needed coffee and something to eat. They headed to the little café near campus, and the first sip of her espresso nearly brought her back to life. Black. No sugar. Her brother had introduced her to it years ago. When Tom had still been home, Sunday mornings had followed a familiar ritual. He would go to his favorite coffee shop and always bring her one. They would sit together in comfortable silence for a while, drinking their coffee. Then the interrogation would begin: school, friends, boys, her mother. Tom wanted to know everything that had happened while he was away. Until one day, he didn't come home. Lily's chest tightened. She stared down at her coffee. She still hadn't learned how to think about Tom without feeling that familiar ache. He was gone. And despite everything, she still missed him every single day. She took another sip and pushed the memories aside. Thinking about her mother wasn't much better. Her mother was somewhere in the world, probably enjoying herself with husband number four. Lily had stopped trying to keep track of the exact location. She had other things to worry about. Like surviving university. And, more importantly, becoming independent. She was in her second year, studying finance and business administration. Her plan was simple: graduate, get a good job and move as far away from her mother's influence as possible. She knew it wouldn't be easy. But she didn't care. She would rather struggle on her own than spend the rest of her life being controlled by someone who saw marriage as a financial transaction. Her mother had already started suggesting the sons of wealthy friends as potential husbands. "He's handsome, darling." "His family owns half of Manhattan." "You should at least meet him." Lily hated every second of it. To her mother, a good marriage meant security. To Lily, it sounded like a prison. Thankfully, her grandmother had left her a trust fund. Unfortunately, her mother had somehow managed to get control of it. According to her, the money had been given to her husband to invest. Lily wasn't stupid. She knew there was a good chance she'd never see that money again. What her mother didn't know, however, was that Tom had made sure Lily would never be completely dependent on anyone. He had left something behind for her. A hidden account, and the Norton motorcycle she had loved riding whenever he was away. Tom had always been better at planning ahead than anyone gave him credit for. Lily smiled faintly at the memory. Her mother certainly hadn't approved when Lily got a part-time job. She'd been furious. Apparently working was beneath her. Lily should be concentrating solely on her studies. Lily had ignored her. She always did. Besides, there was something deeply satisfying about earning her own money. Especially when she could spend it without someone telling her she'd wasted it. The little café where she worked had become almost like a second home. Linda, the owner, treated Lily like family. And that meant more to her than Linda probably realized. So, after her classes ended, Lily headed there for her shift. The evening was exhausting. By the time she finally clocked out, all she wanted was a hot shower, pizza and a long night's sleep. Thankfully, she had no morning classes the next day. Perfect. That was exactly what she was going to do. Nothing was going to change her mind. Not even Claire. Although, knowing her roommate, by ten o'clock they would probably be fighting over the last slice of pizza. And this time, Lily was determined to win. Claire had stolen a burger straight out of her hands. This time, Lily would keep the pizza box on her own lap.