The Bad Boy’s Woman: Hidden Masks Book 2

by Arthurs, Nia

  “I’m not glad you got punched in the face by thugs,” Mom lightly scolded. “But to be honest, I’m grateful too. This is the longest stretch your father’s gone without gambling. I haven’t seen Tito in a while either.”

  “Thank God,” I mumbled. Tito was Dad’s old gambling buddy, but he was also a creep who made the hair on the back of my neck stand up whenever we were in a room together.

  Mom’s gaze sharpened. “What does that mean?”

  “Nothing. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

  Mom looked like she wanted to grill me, but I got a text from Harley and used that to deflect her questioning gaze.

  HARLEY: Waiting downstairs.

  I drained my glass of milk and grabbed my backpack from the ground. “Mom, I gotta go. I’ll see you later.”

  “Have a good day, honey!”

  I waved in acknowledgement and locked the door behind me.

  Harley’s rusty pickup waited in the parking lot. He welcomed me with a nod when I climbed in and got the door closed on the first try.

  “You’re getting the hang of it,” he said.

  “You need a new car, Harley. This one is ready to meet its maker.”

  “Sh.” He pressed his hands against the steering wheel like they were ears and spoke to the dashboard. “Don’t listen to her. She’s just jealous.”

  I laughed.

  Harley’s blue eyes crinkled. He had pale, almost translucent skin and blonde hair. We’d been friends since childhood and many people assumed we were dating. Thankfully, neither of us ever had romantic feelings for the other.

  “So…” he drove down the street, “what did you do last night?”

  My gaze went sideways. “Uh, not a lot. Some homework.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Pretty much.”

  Harley shook his head. “Liar.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Angie posted pictures of you two at Club Elite last night.” He pursed his lips. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  I’m going to kill Angie.

  “I didn’t think you’d want to go.”

  “So you lied instead?”

  I rubbed the back of my neck. “Technically, I didn’t lie. I just withheld information.” When his jaw hardened, I tacked on. “Come on, Harley. What am I supposed to do? James is your band’s direct competition. I don’t want to choose sides.”

  “No one’s asking you to choose sides.”

  “Then what do you expect from me? I’m walking a tightrope between your two fragile egos as it is.”

  “What I expect,” Harley’s nose flared, “ is honesty, Mo. That’s it.”

  Silence fell.

  How could I reply to that?

  Harley glared out the windshield.

  “I’m sorry.” I winced. “I… don’t want to hurt your feelings. The fact that James just started out and he’s already overtaking your band—”

  “He just got lucky,” Harley snarled.

  “Of course.”

  “It’s his dad’s money paving the way.”

  I knew that wasn’t true, but Harley was grasping at straws. There were some things I left alone and the animosity between my boyfriend and my best friend was one of them.

  “How’s Paisley?” I asked, desperate for something else to focus on.

  “She’s fine. Mom’s forced to cool it with the competitions while she’s in school.”

  “That’s good, right?”

  “Not really. Mom’s extra moody and takes it out on me. She’s itching for pageant season to roll around again.”

  “On the bright side, at least your little sister can eat what she wants now.”

  “Yeah.”

  I sensed that Harley was still upset with me so I stopped trying to force the conversation and counted the miles until we got to school.

  We climbed out in a cloud of tense silence. When Harley slammed his door closed, I almost jumped.

  He shot me a sheepish look. “I didn’t mean that for you, okay? The door’s just giving some trouble.”

  I approached him slowly since he seemed to have calmed down. “When’s your next concert? I haven’t heard you guys play since the Christmas tree lighting last year.”

  “Mo, I know you don’t like rock.”

  “That’s not true. It… has redeeming qualities.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like, uh, the fact that you play it.”

  Harley laughed. “We’re doing the rally next week if you want to hear me play that badly.”

  “I’ll be there,” I promised.

  We walked into the school building.

  I headed for my lockers and glanced over to ask Harley a question when I recognized James standing frozen in the hallway. He had his back to me, but there was no way I’d miss that head of thick black hair, those shoulders or those long legs.

  “There’s James,” I said to Harley in excitement.

  He rolled his eyes.

  “Come on.” I dragged my best friend over.

  Harley and Baz exchanged wordless, chin-up greetings. I stepped beside James, waiting to be acknowledged but he paid no attention to me. His gaze was locked on someone else.

  I turned to look, my heart already pricking with jealousy, when I noticed Alex nearing us. The jealousy fled, chased by genuine shock.

  Alex had traded his baggy T-shirt and jeans for a sensible button-up shirt and khakis. His hair had been brushed back to show off his broad forehead and a pair of thick black glasses was perched on his nose. It was a completely different vibe than his club gear.

  “Alex?” I whispered.

  James’s head whipped toward me and his brown eyes widened. “Mo, when did you get there?”

  “A while ago,” I whispered. “What is Alex doing at our school?”

  Baz spoke up. “He’s our new music teacher.”

  My jaw fell.

  Alex stopped in front of us, a charming smile on his face. Behind him, a crowd of freshmen pointed and gasped. Looked like the handsome new teacher had already made an impression. I could see the explosion of girlish hormones already.

  “Good morning,” Alex said.

  “Hi,” I replied breathlessly. Not because I was flustered by him but because I was so confused. I stepped closer and whispered, “Are you really a teacher here?”

  He whispered back, “Yes.”

  “But… you’re so young.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.” He fixed his collar. “I’m twenty-four. Not that much older than some of you.” His gaze slipped over Baz and Harley. “You two are members of the school’s band, right?”

  “Yeah. I’m Harley and this is Baz.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Alex shook their hands. “I’m planning to start an elite music group that meets after school and I was told you guys were the ones I should speak to.”

  “What are the requirements?” Baz asked. “We’ve already got gigs lined up with Eric.”

  “Nothing too infringing. I wanted a place where everyone interested in music could jam together. Maybe have some in-house battles, song competitions. Things like that.”

  “I’m in,” Baz said.

  Harley grinned. “So am I.”

  “What about you, Monique? We’ll need some backup singers.”

  “She can’t sing,” Harley and James said at the same time.

  I narrowed my eyes. “Music is not my area of expertise. Sorry.”

  “What about you, James?” Alex tilted his head. “I’ve heard you play in person so I know what you can do.”

  “Not interested.”

  The bell rang.

  Alex just nodded, a smooth smile on his face.

  Baz tapped James on the shoulder. “Later, man.”

  “I’ll see you at lunch,” Harley said to me.

  I nodded.

  Harley walked off with Baz.

  Alex swung around and yelled, “I’ll be in touch about the group!”

  “Yeah!” The boys roared ba
ck.

  “I should get going,” I said, checking my watch. “I don’t want to be late.”

  James looked down at me. There was a small wrinkle between his brows. I wondered what he was upset about, but Alex was still standing there so I didn’t ask.

  “I’ll walk you to class,” James said.

  Alex grinned. “Have a good day, Monique.”

  “Thank you.”

  Alex turned his brown eyes on James. “We’re not done talking about the group. I have a feeling I can convince you to change your mind.”

  James clenched his jaw. “Don’t think so.”

  Alex smiled like he knew something we didn’t and walked off.

  As soon as he was gone, James sneered. “I really don’t like that guy.”

  “In my defense, he didn’t seem that weird when we were talking last night. What were the odds that he’d be a teacher at Pine Hill?”

  “I don’t know.”

  I rubbed his arm. “You okay?”

  “Yeah.” James nudged me forward with a hand to the small of my back. “I thought you didn’t want to be late?”

  “I have a few extra minutes.”

  “Said the girl who likes to be in her seat five minutes before the teacher walks in.”

  I scoffed. “It’s called manners.”

  “It’s called ‘being a nerd’.”

  “Hey!”

  “But you’re a cute little nerd.” He slung his arm over my shoulder. “And I like that about you.”

  I melted but tried not to show it. “Are you still coming to Pandora’s tonight?”

  His face darkened. “No. My mom begged me to stay home. My dad’s hosting a dinner. I wish I could skip the stupid thing.”

  “Would it help if I was there?”

  James stiffened.

  I watched his face carefully. He hadn’t introduced me to his parents yet, even though he’d met mine very early on in our relationship. I knew he wasn’t dragging his feet because he was ashamed of me. His family life was a darker, more painful side he didn’t share with anyone.

  “I can’t put you through that,” James said, stopping in front of my classroom. His eyebrows hiked. “Do you want to go?”

  “I’ll go if you want me to.”

  He glanced to the side.

  I did too. My classmates filtered past, shooting curious looks at us.

  Most people couldn’t believe we were together. Though James and I hadn’t made any official announcements, after Marissa—his ex—suddenly disappeared and I started hanging around, the gossip ran rampant.

  Things had just started to calm down. For which I was thankful.

  When news about us first got around, random girls would stop me in the hallway demanding to know if we were really dating. For a while, I kept looking over my shoulder, waiting for one of James’s super fans to corner me in the bathroom and beat me down.

  James finally nodded. “Yeah, I’d like you to come. It’ll make it more bearable.”

  “Okay.” Nerves immediately sprang to life in my stomach. “Should I dress up or…?”

  “Wear whatever. You always look beautiful to me.”

  I melted. Again.

  James smirked. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Bye.” I wiggled my fingers and floated into class.

  James had allowed me into his world at last. All he’d let me see before was a glimpse of the chaos. I hoped I was strong enough to wade into his family’s crazy world and keep him safe.

  4

  INTO HIS WORLD

  James

  “Do I look okay?” Monique asked when I stopped by to pick her up that night.

  I wanted to say yes.

  I also wanted to say ‘let’s ditch that stupid party and go somewhere else’.

  I called this the Monique Dilemma—the extreme, sappy yet ungentlemanly reactions this beautiful, curly-haired creature stirred in me.

  Kiss her cheek. Kiss her senseless.

  Take her hand. Take her clothes off.

  I wanted to make love to her. Over and over. I also wanted to protect her and Monique had given no indication that she was ready for sex. But the wait was driving me crazy. We’d been dating for almost five months and it was getting more difficult to restrain myself.

  On the one hand, I knew I needed to do things differently with her.

  She was different, unlike any girl I’d messed with before. That was a good thing. I admired her convictions. After all, my lack of self-control was what got me into trouble with Marissa last year.

  On the other, I’d never wanted to be this close to another person. What I felt for her was consuming and the stronger my feelings got, the more I needed to touch her and be touched by her.

  “James?” Monique was nearer now. Her brown eyes drew me in. “Is it too much?” She swatted at one of the coils that framed her smooth cheeks. Most of her hair was up in a bun, but she’d left a few curls free. “I’m not overdressed, am I?”

  “Uh, no.”

  “You don’t sound sure.”

  “I’m sure.”

  She tilted her head. The light in her apartment’s lobby hit the expanse of her delicate neck. A neck I wanted to explore with my fingers, my lips. Heat filled my body.

  “James?”

  “Huh?”

  “You’re getting red.”

  I pressed a hand to my cheek. “It’s hot in here.”

  “Is it?”

  I shrugged.

  Her eyes narrowed. “O…kay. You’re acting weird. Are you nervous about tonight?”

  Right. Tonight. Dad’s stupid dinner. “No. I’m not nervous.”

  Since all his friends would be there, Dad would behave. He couldn’t afford to ruin his perfect, family-man image by arguing with me in front of everyone.

  “Let’s go.”

  Monique walked beside me. Her heels clopped against the concrete. The wind carried the scent of her. She smelled like heaven, some mesmerizing combo of flowers and coconut milk. A man could easily get hooked on that fragrance.

  My eyes shot to her dress again. It hit her knees. Had long sleeves. No cleavage. It was perfectly modest by any standard. But the way she filled it out…

  Get your mind out of the gutter.

  My attraction to Monique was already blistering hot when she wore a T-shirt and jeans. The black dress that clung to her curves and showed off her rich brown skin wasn’t helping my case. I took a huge gulp of the evening air.

  “Are you sure I don’t need to bring anything?” Monique asked as I opened her door.

  “No.”

  “I could buy some flowers at least.”

  “Trust me. Mom wouldn’t know what to do with flowers.” I hooked my arm above her door and leaned in. “You look gorgeous, by the way.”

  She ducked her head. I had a feeling a blush would be sweeping her cheeks if her skin weren’t so dark. Every time I complimented her, Monique acted shy, surprised, and a little uncomfortable. It made me want to praise her more.

  “I could gaze at you all night,” I added.

  “But you won’t.” She glanced up, a smile flirting with her lips. “Or we’ll be late.”

  “Nothing will happen if we’re a few minutes late.” Actually, Dad would kill me, but I’d make the sacrifice if it meant I could have Monique to myself for a little longer.

  “Something will happen alright.” She lifted her hands. “You’ll catch these fists. Now stop staring at me and drive.”

  I laughed and locked her door for her.

  Trotting around to the other side of the car, I got in and drove to my place.

  Twenty minutes later, I killed the engine. “Here we are. Home sweet home.”

  “James, I think you brought me to a museum.”

  I chuckled. “This is it.”

  Her mouth slackened. “I’m sorry. Do you mean to tell me only three people live in that house?”

  I nodded.

  “It’s... huge.”

  I tried to see the
house from her eyes, but I just couldn’t drum up any excitement. Yeah, my place was big and expensive, but it was also hollow and cold.

  I hated coming home.

  Even though Monique’s apartment was small, at least it was warm and filled with love.

  “It looks like some of the guests are already here. We should hurry.” She scrambled out of the car.

  I chuckled and led the way inside.

  The living room was brightly lit. A handful of people milled about, their fingers clasped around delicate champagne glasses. Light piano music tickled the air. I glanced to the side and froze when I saw a familiar face behind the keyboard.

  “Is that Alex?” Monique whispered.

  I wanted to answer, but I was too stunned to speak.

  What the hell was he doing here?

  Before I could storm over, my mother appeared. She wore a navy dress that exposed her pale shoulders and swept the floor. Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and diamond earrings sparkled from her ears.

  “Monique!” she cried happily.

  “Mrs. Sawyer. It’s nice to meet you.” Monique tilted her head and grinned. “Again.”

  “Let’s forget about that first encounter, shall we?” Mom winked.

  “Done.”

  “You look lovely tonight.”

  “Thank you.”

  I nodded to Alex. “You invited him?”

  Mom turned her head, her gaze scanning the crowd until she found him. “That young man? Your father did.”

  “To play piano?” Monique asked.

  “Oh heavens no. He looked uncomfortable and out of place when he arrived, so I asked if there was anything he needed. He requested a keyboard.”

  “And you gave him mine?”

  Mom blinked innocently. “I didn’t think there would be a problem.”

  I opened my mouth to set her straight.

  Monique slipped her hand over mine and smiled brightly. “There’s no problem, Mrs. Sawyer. Do you need any help setting up?” Monique shot me a glare when Mom wasn’t looking and mouthed, “Stop it.”

  I sulked.

  “Oh, no. I’ve hired caterers to handle the details, but thank you for asking. Are you hungry? Thirsty?” Mom didn’t pause long enough for us to answer. “Go right into the kitchen. The food’s all set up. James, you know what to do.”