Bad Reputation

by Nicole Edwards

“Chase…” I don’t know what I want to say, if anything, but I know something has to be said.

  He nods as though he understands what I’m thinking, and maybe he does. This is Chase Barrett after all. He’s my best friend. He knows me better than I know myself.

  “Let’s catch up with Natalie and Mark,” he tells me. “We’ll figure out where we go from there.”

  I nod because…yeah. Because.

  I allow Chase to lead me away from the bar, away from the people, away from what just happened. When we approach Natalie and Mark, I can feel Natalie’s eyes on me. She doesn’t look smug, which means she can tell how rattled I am.

  “I need to go to the restroom,” Natalie says, her eyes meeting mine. “Come on.”

  Without a backward glance at Chase, I move when Natalie grabs my hand and tugs me behind her. Somehow I manage to put one foot in front of the other and not stumble. Once we are safely in the ladies’ room, Natalie turns to face me.

  “Did I see what I thought I saw?”

  I stare at her, still dumbfounded.

  “Cass? What happened?”

  “I don’t know.” My voice is as weak as I am.

  “Did Chase kiss you? Or did you kiss him?”

  The only thing I can think is, Does it matter?

  “Cassie?”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “What does that mean?”

  I let the words churn in my head for a second before finally finding my sense of balance. I shake it off, relaxing my shoulders and taking a deep breath.

  “Nothing,” I tell her.

  We’re in Vegas. Strange things happen in Vegas, right? Surely that kiss was a one-time thing, never to happen again. We were caught up in the moment. Chase was saving me from Andrew, that’s all it was.

  Right?

  Yes. That’s all it was.

  I have to believe that.

  Too bad I’m kind of wishing I am wrong.

  Chapter 16

  Chase

  “Hey, bro. You cool?” Marky Mark asks as I stand here, staring after Cassie when she follows Natalie across the crowded casino floor.

  Am I cool?

  What the fuck just happened?

  Well, technically, I know what happened, but…holy fuck.

  A firm hand smacks me on the back and I jerk myself out of my own head.

  “Yeah. I’m good. Let’s get a drink.”

  Marky Mark doesn’t seem to have an issue with my suggestion. In fact, he’s already supplying the drinks, holding up four shot glasses. The ones Natalie had ordered, obviously. I down two instantly, needing something to calm my nerves. A few minutes later, I’m back to my normal self. Well, my new normal since I’m not sure I’ll ever be the same after kissing Cassie.

  I kissed Cassie.

  And holy shit, it was the best fucking kiss I’ve ever had. Seriously.

  Which is crazy in itself. No way should I still be reeling from a kiss.

  However, I can now honestly say that I did not kiss her last night. Not like that anyway. I damn sure would remember it.

  “Hey, y’all ready to hit the club?”

  I turn at the sound of Natalie’s voice and instantly seek out Cassie. She’s standing there, her eyes on me as though she’s still trying to understand what happened. Good to know I’m not the only one who felt that.

  “I need a drink,” Cassie states. “Before we go anywhere.”

  I head back to the bar with the three of them not far behind me. It takes a minute for the bartender to notice me, but then I order four more shots, then pass them around when the bartender hands them over.

  “What are we drinking to?” Mark asks.

  “To not remembering tonight,” Natalie says with a huge grin on her face.

  I wait for Cassie to look at me. When she does, I hold her stare. I get the strange feeling that I’m going to remember tonight. For the rest of my damn life.

  I toast them anyway, then down the shot.

  Once I’ve closed out my tab at the bar, the four of us head down to Jewel. Natalie was right about our celebrity status getting us into the club, because Natalie simply had to mention who we were and we were ushered in and seated in the VIP section.

  “I like this place!” Natalie shouts over the loud rumble of the music. “Come on, let’s dance.”

  It’s not clear who she’s talking to, but a second later, Natalie is pulling Cassie out onto the dance floor. I watch Cassie’s every move, noticing the way several heads turn her way as she passes through the crowded seating area and onto one of the many dance floors.

  It’s that dress.

  I still remembering seeing her for the first time in her bathroom. Sure, I’ve seen Cassie dressed up plenty of times, but never in my life have I seen her look that fucking hot. The dress was made for her, showing off her long legs and exquisite curves, the sleek, toned lines of her back.

  Someone should have warned me. Maybe then I could’ve been prepared.

  When the waitress comes over, Mark surprises me by handing over his credit card and insisting that all drinks are on him tonight. It’s not that Mark’s a cheap-ass, but I honestly had expected to cover mine and Cassie’s drinks. But, whatever. I’m certainly not in a position to argue, considering my head’s all over the damn place right now.

  I kissed my best friend.

  More than that, I’m pretty sure I married her last night.

  My stomach knots up, but it isn’t in a way I expect. It’s more the anticipatory tightening, like right before a game, when the adrenaline and excitement is coursing through me. I’m not sure what to think.

  “At least now I know why you’ve warned us off Cassie all these years.”

  Mark’s statement draws my attention to him. He can obviously read my confusion because he smiles.

  “If I’d known you were so into her, I would’ve never mentioned it.”

  I shake my head and go with my usual response. “It’s not like that. We’re—”

  “Friends,” he interrupts. “I know. We’ve heard it a million times, but I have to say, Barrett, I’m not sure friends kiss friends the way you did.”

  The waitress returns with drinks and shots. I down two shots and nod for her to keep them coming. I know better than to get smashed, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to avoid it. Especially as I watch Cassie, the way her body moves so seductively…Damn I’m in trouble here.

  I peer up at her face and notice she’s looking at me. She’s not smiling, but the look on her face makes that strange tingling feeling return in my chest and my dick stirs to life. That’s never happened before. The tingling thing, that is. But then again, this trip to Vegas is chock full of firsts for me.

  Son of a bitch.

  “I’m gonna go out there before some schmuck tries to take what’s mine,” Mark says, but I barely process his words.

  When they do register, I lean back in my chair and watch what’s taking place. The way Mark moves over to Natalie, pulling her against him roughly as he stares down at her. She smiles up at him in a way that says he’s getting lucky tonight.

  And right here and now, I want that with Cassie. I want her to look at me as though she wants to eat me alive. In fact, I want it so bad I can taste it. I’ve spent years wanting her, denying to myself and everyone else that I could have her if I tried. Because I didn’t want to lose the best thing in my life, I’ve never acted on it.

  But I do want her. This. Us.

  So fucking badly.

  Unfortunately, that’s the absolute last thing I should want.

  I take a long pull on my beer and continue to watch Cassie. She’s dancing alone now and only a dumbass would continue to sit here and not join her.

  Obviously, I’m a dumbass.

  But that’s all right, because some dickhead does walk up to her, smiling. My gut clenches painfully when she turns to the guy and smiles, allowing him to step closer. The music is fast-paced and if I thought that would keep the guy at a safe distance, boy am I fucking wrong
. The asshole moves in closer, closer still until he’s practically pressed up against her.

  The next thing I know, I’m slamming my beer down on the table and I’m on my feet.

  I’ll probably deserve a serious penalty for this one, but like always, I really don’t give a fuck.

  Cassie

  When Mark joins Natalie out on the dance floor, I’m tempted to go back to the table. The only thing that stops me is the intent look on Chase’s face when we make eye contact. Rather than have a confrontation I’m certainly not ready to have, I remain right where I am.

  “Hey, sweetheart.”

  I turn at the gruff voice coming from behind me. Rather than stop, like I know I should, I continue to dance and force a smile on my face, pretending I’m interested.

  I’m not.

  Interested.

  Hell, after that kiss Chase planted on me, I’m not sure I’ll ever be interested in another man again.

  Which is inherently stupid. I mean, Chase is my best friend. That kiss—both of them—was a mistake. A huge mistake. Any minute now, Chase is going to be dancing with some woman and all will be right in our world. And that’s the only reason I continue to dance with the guy who’s wearing far too much cologne.

  “You here alone?”

  I don’t answer. If I were here with someone, would I really be dancing with him like this?

  I wish I had an excuse for my actions when I allow him to grind up on me, but the truth is, I’m still shaken. Not only because Chase kissed me but because I liked it. So much.

  “What hotel you staying in?” the guy asks, his voice loud, almost frightening. I know he’s simply trying to talk over the music, but it’s creepy.

  I smile, not answering. Like I’m going to tell him where I’m staying after two minutes on the dance floor. Not that it doesn’t work for him with some women. It probably does, but not with me.

  The major discomfort finally comes when the guy pulls me to him, jerking me harder than I expect and pressing far too intimately against me. I start to pull away, but his hand tightens on my back. I can feel my heart start to pound even harder and I’m seconds away from panicking when suddenly the guy stops, releasing me so fast, I stumble backward.

  Strong, unyielding arms come around me, stopping me from an embarrassing descent to the floor. I glance over my shoulder to see Chase staring the guy down, his face harder than I’ve ever seen it. Curious as to what’s passing between these two men, I look back at my dance partner to see him backing away, his hands coming up in surrender.

  I’m trying to catch my breath when Chase slowly turns me to face him. He’s not dancing, just watching me intently. When our eyes meet, I can’t look away. I’m instantly transported back to that moment in time when his mouth was on mine, his hand curled behind my neck, and I wish he would kiss me again, as ludicrous as that sounds.

  When he doesn’t kiss me, I realize he’s not planning to and I feel like a fool, so I jerk myself out of my thoughts and force a smile. That seems to be all I’m doing tonight. When I start toward our table, his hand comes down on my back gently, urging me forward as he clears a path for us.

  “You okay?”

  I nod. Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be? It’s not like my entire world has been altered tonight.

  Chase passes over a glass of water and I graciously accept, then eye the shots that are lined up on the table. In an effort to clear some of the fog from my brain, I reach for one, then do a mock toast before tossing it back.

  Chase follows suit, his eyes still on me. I can tell he’s thinking and I wish he would tell me what about, but I’m scared to ask.

  “What in the world are you two doing sitting here?” Natalie asks, rushing up to the table, out of breath. “You should be out there having fun.”

  Yes, we should. I know that, Chase probably knows that. It would be the smart thing to do. To forget what happened earlier. I once again meet Chase’s gaze, willing him to know what I’m thinking. He seems stunned momentarily, but then his eyes clear and he’s smiling.

  “You’re right,” he agrees. “That’s where we should be.”

  Natalie grabs an extra glass of water and practically drains it before reaching for a shot as soon as the waitress delivers more. Clearly Chase has informed her that’s our beverage of choice tonight, because that’s all she brings. I know better than to drown myself in tequila two nights in a row, especially when I’ve got my speech tomorrow, but I can’t help myself. I grab another.

  “Once more with feeling,” Natalie says cheerfully, holding up her shot glass. “To a night we don’t remember in the morning.”

  I smile, glancing over at Chase once more. “To not remembering,” I echo, then clink my glass with theirs and down the shot.

  If that’s how I’ll get through this unscathed, then bring on the tequila, because heaven help me, if I don’t do something quick, I might do something I’ll completely regret tomorrow.

  And if I happen to do that anyway, I’d really prefer to be oblivious to it.

  Chapter 17

  When I asked Chase to explain how it felt to play in his first NHL game, the smile that broke out over his face is one I’ll probably never forget. It was evident that he still remembers that day clearly. “Nothing in my life has ever compared to that moment. And I seriously doubt anything will ever hold a candle to it.”

  —Excerpt from Sports Unlimited’s Bad Boys of Sports edition

  Chase

  Why I give in to tequila, I don’t know. It’s true, I’ve cut back over the past couple of years for the most part. Probably because I’ve grown up a little. Not that you would be able to tell that—the slowing-down part, not the growing-up part—based on the amount of liquor I’ve put back these past two nights.

  Glancing over, I see Natalie and Mark practically mauling each other in the chair beside me. I have to look away because Jesus H. Christ, those two are about an inch from fucking right here in this club and I damn sure don’t need to see that.

  “All right, children,” I announce. “It’s time to call it a night.”

  “It’s morning,” Natalie notes, pulling her mouth from Mark’s.

  She flashes me a smile.

  “Still time to go.”

  I peer over at Cassie. She’s sitting there, her elbows on the table, chin on her hands, her eyes rolling back in her head. I think she’s seconds away from passing out and I’m not looking forward to carrying her to the room, so I decide to make an executive decision.

  “Okay, hot stuff.” I get to my feet. “We’re outta here.”

  She seems somewhat reluctant to leave and I’m not sure if that’s because I kissed her or because she’s having a good time. Once the awkwardness of that kiss wore off, we managed to get into the partying mood. It helped that Mark and Natalie were here, keeping things lively. Like I’ve said, Natalie is fucking crazy. In a good way.

  Half an hour later, we’re stumbling out of the elevator on our floor. At least I hope it’s our floor. I’m having some trouble processing things, thanks to all the tequila.

  “Is it me, or is the wall tilting?” Cassie asks as I assist her down the hallway to our room.

  She’s leaning on me, but I think I’m leaning on her just as much. My limbs went numb long ago and my head’s buzzing intensely. I’m not sure how I managed not to overindulge, but I did. Sure, I’m drunk as shit, but not to the point I can’t walk.

  Yet.

  “I think it’s you,” I tell her.

  That makes her laugh.

  When we finally get to the room, I fumble in my pocket for my room key. I have to bat Cassie’s hand away when she attempts to help. That won’t help. Not a damn thing.

  “I think we should come to Vegas more often,” she says, her words running together, a drunken giggle escaping.

  “Yeah?”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “I think we should go to bed…uh, I mean you. You should go to bed. In your own room,” I ramble uncontrollably,
urging her toward her room when she starts listing to the left.

  “Prolly a good idea.”

  I release Cassie after ensuring she can stand on her own two feet. That lasts all of two seconds before she starts teetering on her heels. If I were a smart man, I would simply let her sleep where she lands, but of course, I can’t do that. For one, I can’t let her fall, so I put my arm around her, ignoring the perfect contours of her body as they mold to mine. Cass feels so good against me, so warm, so soft. It’s likely exacerbated by the alcohol. Or so I want to believe.

  When we reach her bed, I manage to extricate myself from her hold and gently ease her down onto the mattress. Her eyes are closed, which I take as a good sign. Before leaving her room, I rummage through her bathroom and find a bottle of aspirin and fill a glass with water.

  I’m tempted to wake her and make her take the medicine now, but I refrain. For one, I need to leave this room right this minute or I’m likely going to do something really stupid.

  Not that I could get much stupider than I already have.

  One, I kissed my best friend. Never mind the fact that I think I married her. Which, I’m still hoping was a dream because…yeah.

  However, it could get worse. I think.

  Yes. Yes, it could.

  I could royally fuck it all up by sleeping with her.

  Hell no. Not happening.

  I place the glass and pill bottle on the nightstand and start toward the door.

  Just when I think I’m making a clean getaway, Cassie’s voice trails me from across the room.

  “Chase?”

  I stop, but I don’t turn around. Gripping the doorjamb with both hands, I hold myself there. I refuse to turn around, to go back, to fuck this up more than I already have. “Yeah?”

  “Why did you kiss me?”

  Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. I know better than to tell her that I’ve been waiting for that moment for the past seven years. That won’t go over well. Plus, I need to go to sleep and forget that this ever happened. That’s the best thing for both of us because I love Cassie dearly. She means more to me than anyone in the world and the last thing I want is to hurt her. I know me. I will hurt her. It’s what I do. I’m commitment shy, even I can admit that. And Cassie’s the greatest person I know. She deserves…well, she deserves someone a hell of a lot better than me. That’s the very reason I’ve resisted the urges all these years.