That I’m the new girl? One he’s never had?
Or is it something else?
Something he knows about … that I didn’t tell him?
“I dare you …” A wicked smile spreads on his lips. “Not to come.”
There’s a sparkle in his eyes that makes me shudder, as he lowers his body farther and farther until he disappears beneath the water. It’s so dark that I can’t see where he is, only that he’s gone.
And for some reason, that disappoints me.
Fuck.
I hate what he’s done to me, that he’s made me so desperate for more with just a simple, all-consuming kiss.
Suddenly, his head pokes up out of the water again near a small alcove, underneath a bunch of hanging trees. He looks at me with a mischievous grin, then goes under again.
Am I supposed to follow him or not? But then why did he dare me not to?
I wade toward him, curious as to what he’s planning. Even though I shouldn’t get close, I can’t stop myself from approaching anyway. He’s a bad boy, but I still want to know why he plays these games with me. Why it specifically had to be me.
But as I look underneath the leaves dipping into the water, there’s no one there. “Cole?”
Why would he lead me away from the middle of the lake toward a tiny alcove out of view from the party, only to disappear? It makes no sense.
Suddenly, two hands appear from behind. One wraps around my waist, and the other covers my mouth right as I scream.
“Shh … Don’t want the others to hear us now, do we?” Cole whispers into my ear.
I shake my head as he lowers his hand a little. “I thought you were gone.”
He smiles against my ear, his lips grazing my skin. “You think I’d leave you like that? All hungry and desperate for more?”
My heart rate shoots up into the stratosphere as he pulls me against his rock-hard body, his pants tented with need.
“I wasn’t—”
“Shh …” he interrupts, his hand sliding around my throat. “No more lies, Mo … You asked for a dare. Here’s your dare …”
His hand slides down my waist, all the way to my bikini, and slips down inside. I gasp, my mouth wide open, but no sound comes out as he squeezes my throat slightly. His fingers spread my pussy, and he slides between with ease.
He’s done this before, and still, it doesn’t stop my body from turning mush in his arms. He was right when he said I was hungry for more, but I won’t ever admit that. I won’t. I can’t. He’s the bad guy, the guy I should run away from as fast as I can.
“We both know this is what you really want,” he murmurs, planting a sweet, sinful kiss right below my ear. “Secretly, you’ve been dreaming about having my lips all over you and my fingers inside you.”
He shoves two fingers inside, and I hold my breath, afraid I’ll moan out loud if I don’t. He thrusts in and out and circles my clit between, causing delicious shockwaves all through my body.
“You think I didn’t see you practically fawning over me at band practice? You’ve been yearning for me from the first day we met,” he murmurs, and his tongue dips out to draw a line from my ear down my shoulder as if to mark me as prey. “And I tell you now I’ve been waiting until you finally gave in.”
“Fuck …” I growl as he increases his pace.
I hate him for doing this, hate him for knowing exactly what I want and giving it to me, even though I know we shouldn’t. He knows he shouldn’t, and still, he does it just for the sake of it. Just to be able to say … I won.
“Why would you do this?” I murmur, almost unable to catch my breath as he fingers me so swiftly and without reservation.
“I told you … you should’ve listened to your friends when they warned you about me.”
Too late.
I already made the plunge.
I should’ve stopped when I still had a chance, when I could still resist.
But with one hand all over my body, touching me in places I didn’t know I wanted to be touched, I’m losing myself. His hand brushes along my breasts until my nipples are peaked, and he slides my bikini aside to free them. A guttural, animalistic groan emanates from his mouth, the sound setting me ablaze.
Fuck. I never knew I could fall this hard for any guy.
Until Cole fucking Travis came along and turned my whole world upside down.
“See? You’re gushing wet,” he groans in my ear, tugging on my nipple. “Your lies won't work on me.”
“It’s not lies,” I hiss, almost unable to control myself because he’s hitting that sweet spot.
He keeps rubbing me until I’m about to burst, and I don’t think I can stop it from happening.
One hand wraps around my neck, squeezing as he tilts my head to allow himself more of a view of my breasts. His cock is fully erect, poking against my ass, begging to join the fun, and my eyes almost roll into the back of my head.
God, I hate that he does what he does so well that it almost makes me want to beg for more.
“I hate you,” I hiss.
“Good … That makes this all the more fun,” he groans, and he continues flicking me right up until I hit that edge. “Come on then, Monica. Show me what it looks like when you fall apart.”
“Fuck,” I growl, not wanting to give him that part of me.
But it’s too late.
Too fucking late to stop the tsunami from rolling over me with sweet, delectable waves. My body cramps and convulses against him, pussy tightening as he thrusts in and out.
A victorious grin pushes against my ear. “You lost, Mo.”
“What?” I’m panting as he pulls his fingers out of my bikini panties.
With arrogant swagger, he says, “You lost the dare.”
The blissful intoxication I drifted in shatters and turns to dust.
I whisk myself out of his arms and adjust my bikini before turning to face him. “That’s what you did this for? A dare?”
He playfully licks his lips. “I told you not to come …”
That’s what he meant?
I thought he was talking about following him. Never in my mind did I think it meant … this. Him, touching my pussy, kissing me under the moonlight, only to make me come for a stupid game. All this, just to mess with my head. I can’t believe it.
Fire erupts in my belly. “You can’t be real. You … you did this to me just to win some stupid game?”
He stares at me without saying a word.
I shake my head. “I knew it.” I should’ve listened to that voice inside my head telling me not to play along, not to even give him an inch of my time. But I did it anyway … and why? Because deep down, I’m as desperate as he said I was.
“You’re a fucking asshole, Cole Travis,” I say, tears staining my eyes.
His nose twitches with rage the moment I say the word asshole. “Don’t.”
“What? Say you’re an asshole?” I’m furious, so I scream out loud, “Cole Travis is a fucking asshole!”
I hope everyone heard. It seems like it, judging from the laughter coming from somewhere on the other end of the lake. And Cole’s flaring nostrils prove it.
“Forget it. Forget this ever happened,” I add, and I turn around and try to swim off, wishing I could forget all the sinful things he did to me and how much I liked it.
“You don’t know what you’ve done, Mo,” he says through gritted teeth.
My eyes narrow as I pause in the middle of the water. Was that a threat?
But before I can ask, he’s already vanished.
Disappeared underneath the dark waters of the lake … just like my cold, melted heart.
Chapter 16
Monica
I haven’t seen Cole again tonight.
Not that I wanted to.
I’d probably be mortified if I saw him dancing with other girls after what he did to me. He made me feel weak, vulnerable, and I let him willingly.
I should’ve put up a fight, should’ve shoved him a
way, should’ve …
But it’s too late now.
I can’t take back what I did, can’t undo that stupid game of his.
Cole Travis marked me, just like all his other prized wins.
Fuck him.
He wanted me to hate him? He has his wish.
“Monica? You haven’t said a word, are you okay?” Mel asks while we’re in the car together.
I waded all the way through the lake only to tell her I wanted to go home. I couldn’t stand to stick around another minute. If she hadn’t said sure, I probably would’ve left without her. With a taxi or by foot, just as long as I could escape the scene of the crime.
My body is still frigid from the water, and I’m shivering in place. I quickly dried myself off before we jumped into the car, but it’s not enough to rinse off the shame.
“Monica?” Mel grabs my arm and pulls me out of my thoughts.
“Huh? Uh … yeah … I’m fine,” I lie, not wanting to make this a bigger deal than it already is.
“Are you sure? Because you don’t look like it,” she says.
I look out the window, wishing I could erase what happened from my mind, but I can’t stop thinking about his hands and lips all over my body and how good it made me feel … and how hard I came crashing down when I realized it was all a game to him.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. It’s the first time I’ve been honest with her.
“What happened?” she asks. “Did someone hurt you?”
“Cole,” I say through gritted teeth.
She grabs me and turns me around to face her. “Did he do something to you?”
I mull it over for a second. I’m not sure I want to tell her.
“You can trust me,” she says. “I promise I won’t tell a soul.”
“Honest?” I say. “I didn’t actually stop him. That’s the problem.”
She cocks her head and sighs. “Oh, Monica …”
I clutch my towel closer. “I should’ve trusted you. You warned me about him. And I still fell for it.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s just what he does.” She puts her arm around me. “Don’t beat yourself up over him.”
“I know … it’s just … hard. Hard to forget about him when he makes it so difficult,” I scoff.
She laughs. “Yeah, you’re not the first to say that.”
“He’s had many, hasn’t he?” I ask.
“Oh yeah.” She rolls her eyes. “By the dozen. Usually, they don’t last more than a month.”
I snort. “I didn’t even last a day.”
“Aw, come here.” She hugs me tight. “Fuck that guy. He’s not worth the trouble.”
“I know, especially with my baggage,” I reply.
“Baggage?” She looks up at me.
Shit, I forgot, I never told her.
I rub my lips together. “Ah, it’s nothing.” I shrug it off.
Not sure I want to spill the beans to her, even though I came close. This is something I need to deal with on my own. Mel has nothing to do with my problems.
“Hey, I can punch him for you, if you want,” she jests.
I laugh. “You don’t have to do that for me, but I appreciate the thought.”
“Hey, you might be the new girl, but you’re also my friend, Mo.” She smiles. “I don’t like seeing my friends get hurt.”
“You’re a good friend,” I reply. “Actually, the only friend I have right now.” I snort.
“C’mon, you can’t be that lonely?” She raises a brow.
“Well, there’s always Sam, but she’s somewhere out there partying with people from my old school, I guess.” I shrug.
“She’s your bestie, right?” she asks. “Why don’t you invite her to join us sometimes?” She grabs her phone and hands it to me. “Here, add her number. I’ll add her to the group convo.”
“What? You sure?” I mutter in disbelief.
“Yeah, of course.” She grins. “The more, the merrier. And if she’s anything like you, I’m sure it’ll be fun.” She winks.
Well, I guess this miserable night might just have one silver lining.
Cole
I’m tuning my guitar, but every single time I play a note, I’m reminded of the fact that I’m gonna have to play these songs again. The same songs that I played while Monica was looking at me. And I can’t get those eyes out of my mind. That body that curved so beautifully into the palm of my hand, those lips that yearned for more, that wet, aching pussy begging to be relieved.
Fuck.
I’ve never had this before, not with any girl, and it’s infuriating. She’s just a fucking girl, someone I got intrigued by because of Ariane’s protectiveness, nothing more.
I shake my head, trying to forget about her, but the harder I try, the stickier her image becomes. Just like the rage-fueled hatred seated in her eyes when she realized I won the dare.
I’ve always liked winning, especially girls. They fall for me in droves, and I enjoy the attention. Seducing comes easy to me, but something about this girl makes it not as easy to let go as it was with all the others. Normally, I would’ve moved on already … but right now, all I can think about is her, and it’s driving me insane.
I growl out loud and put my guitar aside. What the fuck is wrong with me?
Tristan walks into the room with a beaming smile on his face. “Dude. Check this out.” He holds up a closed envelope. “Found it in the PO box.”
“What is it? More fan mail?” I ask, expecting a lot of gushy messages.
“No, idiot. It’s an invitation.” He smacks the envelope down on a table in front of me. “From DAP Studios.”
My eyes widen. DAP Studios. That’s only the most prestigious recording agency in the state. We sent them a sample of our work a few months ago but never heard anything back. I always thought we were rejected and that we wouldn’t hear about it anymore.
“Holy shit,” I reply, getting up to pick up the envelope.
“I know,” Tristan says with a grin on his face. “Open it.”
I pick it up, but then I realize the rest of the band isn’t here. “We should wait for the others.”
“Benji, sure …” He frowns. “But since when do you care about Michael?”
I shrug. “We’re a band. I don’t like him, and I don’t have to, but I can at least be a man about it.”
He makes a ridiculous face. “I’m impressed.”
I throw him a playful punch. “Oh, shut up.”
“No, I’m serious. I know it’s been hard ever since … well, you know.” His eyes travel away from mine, and suddenly, the air feels thick with unspoken words.
He knows I miss Jayden. He was our number one guitarist, and I could never match his solos. But sometimes, the pressure of being in a famous band gets too much, and it got to him in the worst kind of ways. Drugs killed him … and his death was a wake-up call to me.
“I miss him too,” Tristan says, and he places a hand on my shoulder.
I nod in response, but as I look up, there she is, marching down the hallways.
Monica Romero, the only girl who manages to catch my eye not once but twice.
She doesn’t look my way even though we both know she only passes through this hallway to watch me play. Today she pays no attention, not a single glance, and for some reason, that makes me want to shout out to her. It’s infuriating, and I don’t know why.
Fuck.
“Cole?” Tristan mutters, narrowing his eyes at me. “What was that?”
By the time he turns around to see what I’m looking at, she’s already long gone. “Nothing,” I reply, and I tap my foot to deal with the urge to run after her.
“Nothing?” He shakes his head. “No, I recognize that look.”
“What look?” I gaze up at him in feigned ignorance.
“That look,” he retorts. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not—”
“It was a girl, wasn’t it?” he says, his jaw dropping. “That’s why you’v
e been acting out so much lately.”
“No, I’m just tense because of the new setup, that’s all.”
I brush it off as if it’s Michael’s fault, but Tristan’s right.
He laughs and bites his lip like it excites him to see me get worked up over a girl. “Who is it?”
“No one,” I reply, making a face.
“Oh, c’mon.” He rolls his eyes. “You’ve got chicks following you for days. There must be one who’s distracting you so much.”
God, I hate it when he digs. “It’s not some chick, just … it’s not important.”
Fuck. I may have said too much because he’s completely silent and judging me with a simple look.
“Wow,” he mutters. “She must be really good for you to be protecting her like that.”
“Protecting?” I step closer. “I’m not protecting anyone. She means nothing to me.”
“Right …” He throws his bag over his shoulder. “You tell yourself that. As long as she doesn’t get in the way of that.” He points at the envelope.
“It won’t,” I say.
But he’s already turned around and thrown his finger in the air as he walks off out the door.
“Fuck …” I growl, staring at the envelope right in front of me.
A lot is hinging on this one letter.
If they wrote us back, that means something. Something important that we’ve been working for our whole lives.
Tristan is right.
Nothing can get in the way.
Not even finding out about the secrets of Monica Romero.
Monica
I was so not looking forward to my first class without Mel but with Cole. But here I am, walking right into the death trap. Unfortunately for me, he’s beaten me to it, as I spot him sitting in his usual seat at the back of the room, a moody look on his face as he stares out the window.
I try to be quiet, but the teacher immediately says, “Monica! Do you have that paper for me?”
I completely forgot. “Oh, right,” I mutter, digging into my bag. “Here it is.” I place it on her desk. “Sorry for the late turn in.”
“It’s fine,” she replies. “As long as you tell me up front.”
“Of course,” I say, nodding awkwardly.
Rowdy Boy (A High School Bully Romance): Black Mountain Academy Page 12
