“Fine, yes, you are a bad guy,” I reply, sighing. “Happy now?”
He looks at me, dead serious. “No.”
“Then what do you want?”
He leans back in his chair again, casually waving the book back and forth. “Want this? I’ll give it back if you do what I ask.”
Nothing’s ever easy with Cole Travis. “How about you give me back my book?”
“I will …” That familiar smirk comes back. “If you come to my show Saturday.”
I make a face, confused as hell why he’d want me to be there.
“No ifs, no buts,” he adds. “Just be there. That’s it.”
Is this some sort of trap? It has to be. No way would Cole Travis himself invite some random new girl to one of his gigs unless he’s trying to bait me. But for what?
“This is a joke, right?” I ask.
“No joke,” he says. “In fact, after the show, talk to the bouncer. He’ll let you backstage.”
He licks and then bites his bottom lip while his eyes briefly dart to mine, and for some fucked-up reason, I can’t stop thinking about how sexy that was… and how much it makes me think of what those lips would feel like pressed against mine.
I swallow hard. Maybe it isn’t a joke … maybe he actually likes me?
Is that why he’s been such an asshole?
Not that I want to be backstage with a guy like him. The last time I saw him go backstage with someone, it ended in school-wide rumors, and I don’t want to be the next girl in his long line of willing victims.
I sigh. “Why do you want me there? So you and your buddies can jump me when I get there?”
He snorts. “Is that what you think of us?”
“Well, I’ve met a few assholes in my life, but …”
A grin spreads on his face. “None as big as me.” He winks, and for some reason, it makes my heart beat faster as he leans in and places the book back on my desk. Suddenly, the look on his face turns darker. “Believe them when they tell you …”
“What?” I mutter, wondering what he means.
“That’s it, class! Back to your own seats now,” the teacher says, and before I know it one of Cole’s bandmates is tapping his foot right behind me, annoyed that I’ve not moved yet.
“You’re in my seat,” he says, running his fingers through his shoulder-length wavy blond hair.
I haven’t even had the time to move or get an answer from Cole, but whatever. I still get up and sit back at my own table again, but my eyes can’t help trawl off to Cole’s. He’s staring right back at me over his bandmate’s shoulder. But not in a sweet, casual way, no, this stare … this is one that makes all the girls beg. One that says … Do you dare?
But I don’t think I have a choice anymore.
My heart’s already made the choice for me.
Chapter 10
Monica
Saturday
I’m standing at the end of the room, far away from the stage, clutching my phone in my hand. A part of me already regrets that I’m here.
I check my phone and reread the messages Mel sent me. She didn’t have time to come, I asked, but she was busy with her friends. She even invited me to come over too for a sleepover, but I said no because Cole personally invited me.
Because he genuinely wanted me there, and for the first time ever, it felt like he meant it. And I didn’t want to disappoint.
But now I’m starting to regret that decision. I’m all by myself in a club I’ve never been to, with people around me that I’ve never met. No one pays me any attention, luckily, but I still don’t feel like I belong. It makes me clutch my phone even harder, in case I need to call someone to come and pick me up.
Don’t be such a wuss, Monica. You came here for a reason. You can do this. Get over yourself.
I swallow hard and approach the crowd. Cole and his bandmates are already on stage, as I came late because I was still going back and forth with myself about whether I was going to go or not, seeing how it went last time. I’m glad I made it in time for their last act, though.
Cole’s looking at the crowd with so much joy in his eyes. It’s clear he loves doing this. Being a rock star is his thing. The way he shakes his body to the rhythm between singing his notes gets the crowd going, and when he throws off his shirt and chucks it at a girl, she goes nuts, along with all the other squealing girls in the crowd.
I hide my laughter behind my hand as I don’t want to ridicule them, even though it’s funny to watch. This used to be my vice too, back when …
I choke up and force myself to stop thinking about it.
That was the old Monica.
And the old Monica no longer exists.
I’m just me, and I wanna be here in the moment, living my life to the fullest. I don’t want to regret anything anymore. I just want to smile.
So I do, and at that moment, our eyes connect, and my heart stops. When he looks at me, it becomes hard to breathe. I don’t know why he has this effect on me, and why I don’t want him to ever stop looking.
He dances to the music and shows off his skills, and I can’t stop staring at those abs dripping with sweat. My body swings along to the sound of their killer track, and I realize that I don’t need anyone to have a good time. I can be here all by myself, be safe, and still enjoy the evening.
When the song is over, the crowd goes mental as the boys thank them and bow out. They walk off stage, high on the enthusiasm and cheers, and I smile at seeing Cole’s satisfied face. Heck, from this point of view, I totally understand why girls would call him handsome. He’s practically a sex god up on that stage. No wonder they all fawn over him and his music when they see him play.
Suddenly, he points at a girl in the crowd. My smile disappears.
The girl jumps up and down and runs over to the rope, which separates the crowd from the stage and waits until she’s let inside by the bouncer. My heart sinks into my shoes the moment he throws his arm around her and walks off backstage with her.
Disappointment sets in, and I reach for my phone, but I realize I never actually got his number. Fuck.
Well, he asked me to come backstage. He didn’t forget, did he? Maybe this is all a part of the plan. Maybe they’re having a backstage party, and that girl was just invited because they know each other. Who knows.
At least, that’s what I tell myself as I walk up to the bouncer, and say, “Cole Travis wants me backstage.”
The burly man glares down at me. “Name?”
“Monica Romero,” I reply.
It takes him a few seconds, but then he steps aside and pulls the rope down.
I quickly pass without giving him a second look as I don’t want to piss him off and end up getting thrown out, or worse. There’s a small corridor next to the stage, which leads into the dressing room and guest chambers. Three doors, and I guess each band member has their own room, but which one do I go in?
And am I really welcome?
“Cole?” I mutter.
No response.
I knock on one of the doors, but there’s no reply. So I check the doorknob, and to my surprise, the door is unlocked. I open it and step inside. The room smells like an intoxicating mix of vodka and cologne, a scent I recognize all too well. And judging from the black leather clothes hanging over the lounge in the back, this is definitely his changing room.
But where is he?
I walk inside and check out the bathroom, but that’s empty too. Except for a few bottles of liquor. Yikes.
Suddenly, the door handle is pushed, and my eyes widen. I immediately go into flight mode and run to the nearest closet in the room and lock myself inside. It’s stupid and plain idiotic, but if I get caught in the act of snooping, what will his band members do to me?
Michael already ripped into me for bumping into Cole. I can’t imagine what else they’ve got up their sleeve if they found me here.
Cole must’ve forgotten he invited me.
And fuck, the mere thought pisses me off �
��
But not as much as him slowly backing his way into this room while a girl is tousling his hair and calls him tiger.
Gross.
There’s a slit in the closet door, and it provides the only light in this cramped space. I don’t want or need to see any of the things about to take place, but what if I have no choice?
I can’t leave now. They’re right here in the room, while it looks like she’s trying to seduce him, and they don’t even know that I’m here. If they discover me hiding here, it would be the most awkward, shameful discovery ever.
I peek through the hole to see what they’re doing, but my leg itches so much it distracts me. My eyes widen. There’s a huge ass spider crawling over me.
I squeal and jump, bumping into the door, which bursts open, with me dropping out like an unwanted guest. As I flick the spider off me, I look up and stare straight at two bewildered people who were still hugging each other.
Fuck.
“Monica?” Cole mutters, narrowing his eyes at me.
I crawl up from the floor and shake off the jitters, patting down my dress like it’s no biggie even though I’m mortified.
“Who is that? What is she doing here?” the girl asks.
“None of your business,” I reply.
She gives me a dirty look. “Whatever. Cole, I’m gonna go, I think.” She turns and gives him one last shoulder squish before leaving. Cole shuts the door right as I run to it, his hand flat on the wood. I swiftly spin on my heels, but he’s right there, a few inches away from me.
“What the hell were you doing in there?” he asks, glaring at me.
I try not to look, I really do, but those muscles are just staring at me, and it’s hard not to notice. I force back the shame. “Checking out the spiders. You’ve got a lot of those.”
He looks confused and then shakes his head. “Don’t make up bullshit.”
My nostrils flare, and I force my eyes to look at him instead of his delicious body. “Fine. I was looking for you, and when you came barging in with that … that …”
“That what?” He playfully raises a brow, a stupid grin on his face.
“Girl,” I say. “I hid. Happy now?”
I don’t care who she is. I search for the door handle with my hand, but when I try to open it, he stops me. With a hand firmly on the door, his arm right beside my body, he blocks the way. “No. Not at all.”
Fine. He wants to play this the hard way? He’s got it. “You invited me here, remember?” I say, putting my hands against my side. “What? Cat’s got your tongue?”
He smirks and lowers his eyes. A snort follows right after when his head drops between his shoulders. “No … I didn’t forget.”
“Then what? Why the hell did you invite me backstage, Cole?” I ask. “When you weren’t even here in your room. When you were off somewhere else doing … God knows what.” I choke up. I really don’t want to think about what he was doing with that girl, but I can think of a few things.
“Oh … jealous now, are we?” he muses, the look on his face practically spelling out sin.
My eyes widen, and my lips part, but all I can do is stutter. “Wha—No, of course not.”
He laughs in a guttural way that puts all my senses on high alert. “You’re funny, you know that?”
“What’s so funny?” I ask.
He shakes his head again, the stubborn grin on his face so sexy yet so infuriating at the same time. “Your reaction is better than I thought it would be …”
I frown, completely confused. “I don’t get it. What is going on? Why did you want me to be here if she—”
“She was a distraction,” he says, his muscles tensing up as he leans in closer. “For you.”
My lips part, but I have no idea how to respond. With his free hand, he reaches for my face, his thumb grazing my cheek as he grabs a strand of my hair and tucks it behind my ear. “I wanted to see what you’d do.”
That … that was a prank? To get me to make a fool out of myself?
I thought he was finally opening up to me and trying to be a friend, and now he pulls this shit.
Fuck him. “No, fuck that, you don’t just get to prank me—”
“Prank you?” he interjects, his brows furrowing.
“You’re an—”
I can’t finish my sentence. Can’t even utter the words off my lips.
Because he’s covered my mouth with his.
With his hands, he cups my face and slams his lips on mine.
And I stop breathing entirely.
The kiss is earth-shattering, hot, and greedy as if he’s wanted to do this since the day he met me but never found the right opportunity. As though he wants to take me right here, right now.
His grip on my face is overpowering, and when his body pushes against mine, I lose it. My knees feel weak, and my heart beats faster and faster as I struggle to cope with what’s happening. His lips feel electrifying against mine. Like they could kill me if I didn’t stop.
But I can’t.
I can’t let Cole Travis do this to me.
So I force my brain to kick back into action and bite.
He leaps back, touching his lip. Blood seeps down, and his tongue darts out to lick it up. “You bit me,” he says in a way that almost makes it sound unbelievable.
“Asshole,” I finally finish my sentence, and I wipe my index finger along my lip.
“I told you not to call me that,” he growls, approaching me again.
But I swiftly push down the door handle and open the door before he tries to seduce me.
“That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?” he says with an arrogant tone.
“I knew it,” I hiss, marching out the door. “Coming here was a mistake.”
“Where are you going, Monica?” he calls after me.
He might’ve thought I was easy, but he’s wrong.
I won’t become another one of his long list of victories.
And instead of responding to his obvious taunt, I stick up my middle finger and stride out through the hallway, determined not to let that fucker toy with my heart again.
Chapter 11
Cole
I slam the door to my room so I don’t hear my dad preach about how I should be more careful with women because they’re snakes, and how I shouldn’t let my anger out on the mansion because I’m wasting all his hard-earned money. I don’t care. After what happened backstage, I need to release this pent-up rage.
Fuck.
I grab the expensive lamp from my nightstand and throw it against the wall, and it shatters into a million pieces.
My dad storms up the stairs and rams on the door, but it’s closed.
“Open your fucking door, Cole!”
“I know, I’m fucking sorry, okay?” I reply. “I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“I’m done with you breaking things in this house. You’d better respect the roof you live under, or you’re out. Got it?”
“Yeah, I got it, Dad. Sorry. I’ll get it repaired.” I should really stay on my dad’s good side. I’ve seen his bad side when other men tried to negotiate a bad deal for him. It did not end well.
“You’re going to pay for the damages. Twice. And don’t ever do that again,” he yells, punching the door again.
I sigh out loud. “Yeah … I won’t.”
“No, you won’t. And stop getting involved with those fucking whores. They’re not worth it,” he barks. “The only thing worth it is hard work and money. That’s fucking it. Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I reply as he stomps down the stairs.
But I didn’t get my anger issues from a stranger.
I really need to get out of here fast, but I don’t want to spend all the hard-earned cash from our band performances on getting a new place to live. No way. I need to ride this out until we’re famous enough that I can do whatever the fuck I want where I want.
Anything to get away from my dad and his schemes.
God, I can’t
believe I ever looked up to him as a kid.
I grab some pieces of the shattered lamp and throw them in the trash. I should really fix my temper, but it’s hard, especially with a girl tempting you and then running off like she has other plans.
Monica … fucking Monica …
I knew she was gonna be trouble. But I couldn’t help myself. The more someone tells me to stay away, the more I wanna get close, and with both her and Ariane telling me not to, how could I resist?
She’s like a walking temptation to me, and I can’t get enough. Now that I’ve had a taste, I need more. More of those lips, those eyes, her touch … I want it all.
But I chased her away.
A part of me is angry because I had my shot, and I wasted it on a stupid prank, but I needed to see her true feelings, and they shone brightly. Jealousy sparked in her eyes, but it also pushed her away from me. That’s the part I hate.
Because some part of me wants to stop me from hunting her.
She’d never survive.
I shake my head and mutter, “Monica, Monica … what have you gotten yourself into? Playing with the devil.”
I lie down on my king-size bed and stare at the painted ceiling, trying to banish her from my head, but it’s impossible. I’m still reeling from our encounter, and I can still taste her on my lips, and fuck me, I want more. But I can’t. I can’t fucking expose her to the wolf in me.
Especially not when she ran off like that, with that look in her eyes …
That look that I’ve never seen before, not in any other girl I just kissed… one filled with fear and anguish.
Something about her makes her pull away, and the more I think about it, the more I wanna find out what it is.
Fuck.
I shouldn’t fucking do this, shouldn’t even be this fucking into her, but when my dick wants something, it’s hard to ignore. And this dick is rock solid right now, as I imagined her riding me right there against the wall of the backstage room. My mouth on her lips, her pussy on my cock, her moans loud and clear.
My mind is playing me, and I can’t fucking take it anymore, so I rip down my zipper and pull out my hard-on. I jerk myself off to the thought of her lips kissing mine, her tits bouncing up and down as I fuck her against the wall, my balls squeezing tight to release the cum inside her and fill her up.
Rowdy Boy (A High School Bully Romance): Black Mountain Academy Page 8
