by Jenika Snow
Evernight Publishing
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2013 Jenika Snow
ISBN: 978-1-77130-549-5
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: Karyn White
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
Live like there is no tomorrow.
As always I want to thank Evernight Publishing for being so great every step of the way! I'd like to thank my family and friends for always being there and having my back, and I'd like to give a big shout-out to the readers that are so supportive and show me love each and every time. I want you all to know that you hold a special place in my heart.
GIVING IT TO THE BAD BOY
Tattooed and Pierced, 1
Jenika Snow
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
The music was so loud Kiera’s ears rang. Why did you agree to go to this party again? Kiera gripped onto Molly’s arm as they weaved through the thick throng of people. She recognized a lot of them, mainly seniors and juniors, but there were a few sophomores thrown in. The rest had to be from out of town and in college. That would be the only explanation why they seemed to have an abundance of alcohol at a high school party.
Eminem rapping about bitches and hos filled the room in loud, angry lyrics. Kiera couldn’t help but cringe. She had never been one to listen to this type of music before, and she found the crude language on the offensive side, although she supposed her lack of appreciation of what was trendy made her look even more like a geek then she already did. When she had agreed to go with Molly to Haden Hollister’s party it had been more of an impulse. She honestly didn’t think her best friend would make her follow through with it.
“Is Ian coming tonight?” Kiera had to practically scream over the music, but either Molly didn’t hear, or she didn’t want to talk about it. Kiera had been best friends with Molly since the fifth grade. Ian lived next door to Molly, and when they had started high school together the three of them had stuck together. The three were now seniors at State Montessa High, ate lunch together, and hung out occasionally on the weekends, but where Kiera had delved into her studies, Molly and Ian were more into the social scene. Maybe it was because they were closer to each other since they had known one another their whole lives?
So, against her better judgment, Kiera agreed to go to a party. Being known as geeky at school had made her an introvert, but Kiera preferred her solitude. The only reason she even agreed to go tonight was because Molly and Ian were having a tiff, and Kiera was sick of Molly sulking around. Kiera didn’t know what was going on between them, but they hadn’t been speaking for a week, which had to be a record for any of them. Every time Kiera questioned Molly what the issue was, she would instantly clam up and have a pissy attitude. So, against her better judgment and missing re-runs of Roseanne, Kiera had agreed to go with her, hoping it would make her in a better mood.
The people were shoulder to shoulder in Haden’s large Colonial style house. The smell of beer, sweat, and something far more sexual in nature permeated the air.
“Come on, let’s get a beer,” Molly yelled over her shoulder and pulled Kiera more quickly through the crowd. They reached the kitchen and stood with several other people as they waited for a drink. Aiden Santino stood at the keg, filling up the typical red Solo cups and handing them out. After they got their beer they headed to the living room in search of a place to sit. Several people stopped them to talk to Molly since she was far more popular than Kiera. As Kiera stood there, drinking the bitter ass beer and people-watching, her skin tingled, and the hair on her arms stood. She knew without even seeing him that Reese Trenton had just entered the room.
****
The people parted for him like he was something special. He knew the truth, knew he was nothing but a sad, lonely boy who went through life filling voids that could never truly be filled. The music was loud, and the steady thump of the bass filled him. The alcohol and a steady stream of females from the parties helped him to forget what a shitty life he had. Despite everyone knowing what and who he was, they still saw him as something more than what he was. The guys were afraid of him, and the girls wanted to fuck him. It would have sounded conceited if he hadn’t been living that life for the past four years. Ever since he beat the shit out of some kid for airing his dirty laundry out to a room full of people, everyone looked up to him. Reese supposed his size aided in that department, but he needed to be strong, especially when good ol’ Pops came home on a bender and tried to use him as his personal punching bag. Those days had ended two years ago, right after Reese had put up with enough shit and showed his old man exactly how it felt to get knocked around. He may not get hit anymore, but that didn’t stop his dad from telling him daily how worthless he really was.
He saw her before she saw him. What in the hell was Kiera Sheppard—a good girl—doing at Haden Hollister’s party? This was definitely not a place for her to be, and not because she wasn’t the most popular girl in school. Reese didn’t give a shit about any of that, but he knew the fucked-up shit that happened at these parties. Debauchery was the norm. She stood by her friend, and he didn’t miss how she grimaced every time she took a sip from her red Solo cup. Reese hid his smile at that image. He might use his fists to solve his problems, but he was a fucking coward when it came to Kiera. For four damn years he’d watched her from a distance, seeing a light inside of her that rivaled his darkness. If he wasn’t such a bastard with a fucked-up background, he might have gone up to her, asked her on a date even. Those days had long passed, because the truth was Reese was no good. Not for anyone, but especially not for Kiera Sheppard. He was toxic and wrong on so many levels, and exposing that kind of ugliness to something as sweet and kind as Kiera was a disaster in the making. He might be an asshole, but he wouldn’t ruin her.
****
Kiera was very aware that her reaction to Reese was completely unjust. They didn’t even know each other, and had only said about ten words the last four years since they started State Montessa. Maybe it was the whole “bad boy” persona that seemed to hang over him, or the devil-may-care attitude he held onto? Whatever it was, it had Kiera’s body lighting up like a firecracker every time he stepped into the same room.
She let her eyes sweep through the room and stopped when she spotted him. He was larger than many of the other guys in height and build, but that wasn’t how she noticed him. Whatever aura surrounded him demanded attention immediately. People parted for him, as if they were afraid to be too close. Tonight he wore a plain white t-shirt and a pair of distressed jeans. His head was bent low, and his ball cap concealed his face for the most part. His sleeves of tattoos covered both of his arms. The fact he was only eighteen and already had arms full of ink should have freaked her out, but instead she found it highly arousing. Kiera even remembered when he started to get them. The end of junior year they slowly appeared, and by the time they came back from summer vacation to start their senior year they had tripled in quantity. Now, with it being close to the end of the school year, he had added on to them. She didn’t know any parent who would let their kid get tattoos at such a young age, but she had heard the rumors about his home life: Broken. Alcoholic. Trash. Despite the nasty background, Reese was popular. In fact, people tende
d to bow at his feet, so to speak.
He made his way through the crowd, most likely to where the alcohol was. She knew the three guys who followed. Marcus Thayer, Christian Montgomery, and Leo Marks were just as much trouble as Reese, or maybe it was the other way around? Either way they were all bad news. The four guys disappeared into the kitchen, and even over the music Kiera could hear the girls swooning over Reese. It was no secret he slept around. The girls he had already screwed wanted more, and the ones he hadn’t gotten to yet pawed at his feet for his attention. It was sad and pathetic, but of course she couldn’t blame them. Of course Kiera had her own deep, dark secret, one she had never told Ian or Molly. If they knew she had fantasized about being under Reese Trenton, feeling his big, hard body on top of hers and thrusting away, they would think she was insane. He was trouble all the way, and her father already kept his shotgun loaded in case any boy ever showed up at her doorstep. Yeah, despite all of that she wanted him in the worst kind of way.
“Kiera? You on planet Earth?”
She looked at Molly, who stared at her as if she had grown another head.
“I called your name like three times.” Her face heated, and she knew Molly noticed. Molly looked toward the kitchen, and her brows furrowed. When she looked Kiera again she still had a look of confusion on her face.
“What?” Kiera took her beer and started guzzling it. She was nervous and knew it showed.
“Who were you looking at?”
Kiera coughed as beer went down the wrong pipe. “Nothing. Nobody.”
Molly’s eyes narrowed. “You’re a damn liar, and a bad one at that.”
Kiera straightened her shoulders and said, “I don’t see you very forthcoming about the issue with Ian.” Molly’s lips thinned, but she didn’t press her again. Ha! Kiera-1, Molly-0.
An hour later and two beers down and Kiera felt pretty damn good. She never drank, but after that first one and seeing Reese, which in turned had caused her hormones to go into hyper-drive, the alcohol had been just the thing she needed.
She leaned toward Molly’s ear and said, “I’m going to get some water.”
Molly turned around and gripped her forearm. “Hey, you sure you’re all right? I know you don’t drink, and you pounded that second beer like it was going out of style.” A few girls from their school stood around them. Kiera knew them, but didn’t know them, certainly not like Molly did.
“I’m good. I’m just a bit hot and need some water.” Kiera fanned herself and smiled. It was hot, what with so many people crammed inside. It was only midnight, and she knew it was only the beginning of the party. There would be no one to call the cops and stop it, not with Haden’s parents’ house sitting on five acres. She weaved her way into the kitchen and squeezed by two guys playing some kind of severe drinking game. A deck of cards and a line of shots sat between them. She didn’t recognize either of them, but they looked older and she assumed them to be from a university. After getting a glass of water and guzzling that, Kiera filled it up again and turned around to lean against the counter.
Her heart jumped in her chest when she saw Reese sitting at a table playing a hand of cards. Andrea, a big-breasted blonde, sat on his lap. Her boobs spilled over the top of her baby doll tee and were practically down Reese’s throat. She watched him as he discarded the cards he didn’t want. Andrea started nuzzling his neck, and when he whispered something in her ear and she giggled, Kiera felt her lip curl in disgust. She was sick with the scene, and she was sick with herself. Wanting a guy like Reese made her just like all those other girls who fell at his feet. She might not show him how much he affected her, but she knew it, and it pissed her off. He drank too much, slept around, and always seemed to be in fights. He was trouble with a capital T, and she wanted no part of it.
As if he heard her thoughts he lifted his eyes to her. The light blue of them could be seen all the way from where she stood on the other side of the room, and her heart beat faster. It seemed like forever as he did nothing but watch her. Feeling slightly uncomfortable she shifted on her feet. What she should have done was leave, gotten far away from him so his eyes couldn’t look so deeply into her. Of course she didn’t, though. Pulling up her strength from deep within, she ducked her head so the heavy fall of her dark hair concealed her face, and darted out the back door. The night was humid, but there was a slight breeze that made it tolerable. About twenty people loitered around outside, their loud, drunken voices carrying far. The backyard housed a stone patio with a hot tub in the corner, a pool beside that, a few lounge chairs, and a table. Haden, the host, was surrounded by three girls wearing bikinis that barley covered their nipples. One girl made out with Haden like they were attached at the face. The other two girls were kissing each other, but their hands were beneath the bubbling water, and Kiera could only imagine what was going on down there. She couldn’t stay out here forever, hiding from Reese and her ridiculous feelings. He was a man-whore in every sense of the word. The testosterone that poured off of him made him seem more male than any other guy around. Kiera let herself have this small reprieve. Molly would come searching for her eventually, but right now she just wanted to find a quiet place to get her bearings.
A garden was about twenty feet away from the patio. Fortunately, most of the people kept close to the house, so she made her way over there. Small flowering trees surrounded the bench and table. Flowers bloomed around, causing bursts of sweet, floral fragrance in the air. After taking a seat, Kiera stared at the house. Her buzz was still pretty strong, a feeling she wasn’t used to. After drinking her second glass of water she slouched and rested her head on the back of the bench. The sky was clear, and she could see each of the individual stars twinkling. A memory of sitting with her brother on the roof and counting the stars flooded her mind. With Alex finishing up his third year of college Kiera missed those times when he’d help her onto the roof while their parents slept. If their mom and dad found out they had risked breaking their necks just to count stars they would have been in deep shit, but that never stopped them.
Music started blaring from the house, and she closed her eyes. At least they decided to play a song that didn’t have “ho”, “bitch”, and “fuck” after every other word.
“Hey, aren’t you Alex Sheppard’s little sister, Kiera?”
She snapped her eyes open and straightened in her seat at the male voice.
“Yeah, I’ve seen you visit him on campus.” A guy she had never seen stumbled over to her. He held a red cup in his hand and wore a sloppy grin. “It’s cool. I’m cool. I play football with your brother.”
The guy was clearly drunk, and Kiera felt her skin tighten. She was secluded by the greenery and away from the house. She made a move to stand, but the guy waved his hand. It didn’t matter that this guy tried to play it off like he and Alex were cool. She had heard enough warnings from her older brother about some of the guys who hung around his frat house.
“No, no, sit down. The party is a bit too out of control for me, if you know what I mean. I need a breather.” He slurred his words and took a seat in the chair across from her. A glance at the house showed no one even looked her way. The click of a lighter showed the mystery guy lighting up a joint. He inhaled deeply, the tip lighting up a bright red. Kiera was no stranger when it came to drinking and drugs, not when she witnessed half the school participating in the acts, and could now check off the whole drinking phenomenon herself. The smell of pot had her nose wrinkling. He held the joint out, and she shook her head. She needed to get out of here. She went to stand again, but the guy stood quicker than she thought someone drunk or high could, and sat beside her. He threw his arm over her shoulder, and she stiffened.
“I’m Josh. I went to school with Alex. He is your brother, right?” He sounded like a broken record.
“Yeah.” She clipped out the word and tried to move away, but his arm tightened on her.
“Hey, I’m just trying to talk to yah. He inhaled deeply from the joint, and the smoke surr
ounded her. She coughed out and waved her hand in front of her face. “Just chill.”
“Listen, I have friends waiting for me, so I’m going to head back in.”
“Just hang with me a bit.” He took another hit, and Kiera started to grow increasingly uncomfortable. “You’re what, eighteen, three years younger than Alex?”
She shifted, trying to put space between them, but his damn arm was like a vise on her. She didn’t doubt he played ball with Alex, not with his six foot frame and muscular build. And the fact she was so much smaller compared to him and his clear intention that she stay had warning bells going off.
“You sure you don’t want a little hit, you know, to loosen you up?” He tried to give her the joint again.
She shook her head and said, “No, really, I have to be going. My friends are going to start wondering where I am and come looking for me.” The smoke that surrounded her was making her lightheaded, and she blinked rapidly. “In fact, my boyfriend will be out here soon, and he is pretty jealous.” She hoped she lied well enough, because the smoke he kept exhaling was making her feel unbalanced.
“Boyfriend, huh?” He blew more smoke in her face, and she coughed again. “Nah, I don’t think you got a boyfriend at all. I only saw you here with some chick.”
Her heart increased in speed. Had he been watching her? Before she could stand and leave he turned on the bench and had his lips on hers. The smoke he blew in her mouth was harsh and dry, and she inhaled out of reflex. Slamming her hands on his chest she pushed him away. Coughing uncontrollably she rubbed her chest as it burned something fierce.
“What do you think you’re doing?” She gasped and stood. Her vision blurred from the tears that stung her eyes, and she tried to suck in air, but that only caused the burning sensation in her lungs to intensify. She couldn’t get enough air into her lungs, and that was starting to freak her out.
