Fantasy Boyfriend (A Tattooed Bad Boy Romance)

by Stone, Vanessa

  I didn't really want to go and would have much rather preferred to stay in my room and relax, reading one of my romance novels. There was nothing equal, to me at least, than escaping into the pages of a good book. Being transported to different times, different locations, with fascinating characters and the epitome of manliness was my idea of a good time. I never liked any of the guys I’d met at school. The others always looked forward to meeting new, cute guys, but I wasn't really into that. Sure, I like to date once in awhile, but to be quite honest, I didn't really want to waste the time just "going out." It wasn't like I didn't like sex or companionship, or even hanging out, but if a relationship wasn't going to go anywhere, what was the point?

  "Are you ready, Jessica?" Becky called from the landing.

  "Coming!" I hollered back. With one last critical look over my shoulder in the mirror, I shrugged and headed to the door. I opened it and stepped out to see Becky, Desiree, and Selena all gussied up and ready to go. Selena looked gorgeous in a tight-fitting black spandex-like dress. Her makeup complemented her darker skin tone, with a magenta and purplish eyeshadow and hot pink lipstick. Desiree looked classy as ever in a floral one piece summer dress and sandals, and Becky wore such a tight fitted pair of capris that I wondered how she had managed to get into them, let alone zip them up. Her tube top accentuated her bust line, which I am sure she intended. Her whitish blonde hair was pulled back away from her face, and, like me, she kept the makeup to a minimum.

  "Are we ready?" Desiree grinned.

  "Ready!” Becky, Selena, and I replied in unison.

  "I can't wait to check out the guys," Becky said, taking the stairs first.

  The rest of us followed, with me bringing up the rear. It wasn't far, and it was still light out this time of year, so we had decided to walk to the campus grounds. When daylight savings time brought darkness earlier, most of us opted for either a taxi or a short bus ride for safety’s sake. The air outside was hot, humid, and still, making me grateful once again that I hadn’t worn makeup.

  The frat party to which we’d – and the rest of the sorority – had been invited to was at one of the guys’ fraternity houses on campus, but I had forgotten which one. It didn't really matter. I would stick around for a while, mingle, enjoy a drink or two, and then probably just head on back. The others always thought me something of a fuddy-duddy, but I didn't really mind.

  By the time we got close to the fraternity building, we saw a relatively large number of partygoers coming and going. Some were alone, most in couples or foursomes, everyone seeming to be smiling and having a good time.

  I loved the atmosphere on campus, even though I rarely partook in it. It was fun to be surrounded by strangers, to mingle with humanity and yet remain isolated. Back where I came from, everybody knew you, what you did, and how you did it. It was nice to, in essence, disappear while still being visible in a social environment. The girls began to twitter in increased excitement as we headed toward the open front door. Music blared from inside, although I couldn't quite place the band. Sometimes, they all sounded the same to me. It sounded like Metallica, but what do I know?

  We entered the frat building, the bottom floor packed with laughing, shouting people calling to one another to be heard over the music. Most everyone clasped clear plastic cups of beer in their hands, although some carried bottles. I wasn't a big alcohol drinker, but once in a while I did indulge. Tonight was a perfect night to top off with an ice cold beer. The minute we entered the room, we girls separated. Before I could even say a word, Becky, Desiree, and Selena all went separate ways, each of them eyeing different corners of the room as if it had been synchronized and planned like a battle strategy.

  I stood just inside the doorway, smiling and shaking my head. They all seemed to have what we teased and called “guy-dar,” but as usual, I lacked in that particular skill. I looked over the crowd and then began to mingle, making my way to the far side of the room where a couple of card tables were set up with beverages.

  It was then that I saw him. I stopped in my tracks, and cliché as it sounded, my heart gave a little leap of excitement. What the hell? There was a guy smiling at me from across the room. For a second, I resisted the urge to glance over my shoulder to look behind me. Surely, he wasn't looking at me, was he? I succumbed to temptation and took a quick, surreptitious glance behind me. There were no single girls immediately behind me, at least, not facing his direction.

  I turned around and found him again, standing near the table next to some iced bottles of beer. He was incredibly cute, but looked kind of preppy. His clothes were clean-cut, close-fitting, and modest. He wore a pair of tan khakis, a dark blue and white striped rugby shirt, and a pair of camel-colored suede loafers. He had handsome, well-defined features: a strong, narrow jaw, a shadowed stubble of facial hair, and luxurious, no, luscious, thick, black hair that was shaved close on the sides and long on top. How would it feel to run my fingers through that hair, I wondered briefly. I decided I would just keep heading on over to the table, thinking to grab myself a beer and then join my friends. He kept his eyes on me as I crossed the room and approached the table. It was a little disconcerting, the way he stared at me, but flattering at the same time. Certainly, there were a large number of girls in this room that outshone me in the beauty department, that was for sure.

  As I stopped at the table, he took a step closer and smiled. God. He had perfect, white teeth.

  "Hey," he said.

  He gave me a once over, top to toe and then back again. Amused, I did the same, hiding the fact that I was more than a little impressed. "Hey," I said back.

  "I'm Luke," he said, extending his hand.

  I smiled and reached my hand for his. "Jessica." His fingers wrapped around mine and I felt a curious tingle. What was this? Chemistry? Or just hopeful thinking? I wasn't sure.

  "Can I get you something to drink?"

  I suddenly changed my mind about the beer. "No, not right now, thanks. Maybe a little later."

  He offered a little shrug. "Suit yourself," he said, still smiling.

  I stared at him for several moments, lost in his green eyes. I wondered idly if he was Irish, but his skin was a little darker than I would've expected. Maybe Black Irish? Not wanting him to think I was an idiot, I gestured over my shoulder. "Well, I'll see you later," I said. Then I turned and walked away, looking for any of my friends. I felt his eyes boring into my back as I walked away from the beverage table. The reason I had walked away was not because I wasn’t interested, but because I wanted to see if his interest in me was real. If it was, he'd follow me.

  I casually meandered my way through the crowd, pretending I knew more people than I did, smiling and nodding greetings. At one point, I had the opportunity to glance back over my shoulder. For some reason, I felt a strange hint of disappointment that Luke hadn't followed me. Oh, what did I expect? I’d just met him and I was one of many apparently unattached girls in attendance. He had his pick from at least a dozen, if not more. No reason why he would single me out.

  I passed an hour at the party, meandering this way and that, not really talking to too many people, but merely people watching, always focusing on a distant point in the room as if I had someone to head toward or something to do. It always worked for me and helped me feel less self-conscious. Plus, it was amusing. Each of my friends had already hooked up with guys, grouped into small clusters of laughing, drinking, and more than a little flirting. In one corner of the room, I heard raucous laughter and shouts and encouragement and realized there was a group of guys playing beer pong. I strolled over and watched for several minutes, amused by their increasingly drunken antics, thinking that they were all going to wake up in the morning with nasty hangovers and probably some toilet grasping, but that was their problem.

  Just as I turned away, I caught a glimpse of him again. Like before, he caught my eye and smiled at me. I smiled in return and then sighed. He would probably never make my cut, still fresh in my mind from writing in my di
ary just a couple of days ago. Still, it might be fun to flirt with him until my dream guy showed up – if ever. I wandered back and forth, continuing to meander through the crowd, thinking that it was just about time to call it a night.

  I had already discounted Luke as a potential source of amusement when I turned around and saw him standing by the beverage table again, this time staring idly outside one of the windows. He had pushed up his sleeves. It was rather warm in the room. But that’s not what caused the flush of heat I suddenly experienced. It was his arms. Wow. Strong and thickly muscled, each with a noticeable vein traveling up the forearm. Even more stunning were his full sleeve and exquisitely colorful tattoos. I felt a tingle of excitement in my nether regions. I don't know what it was about tattoos, but they were such a turn on to me. His tattoos looked gorgeous, even from a distance.

  As if he could feel my eyes on him from across the room, Luke suddenly turned away from the windows and stared directly at me. For several moments, we just eyed each other, and then he suddenly turned and walked toward the table where the guys were playing beer pong. I followed after him minutes later, standing off to the side and watching again for several minutes. I played it cool, admiring his features, thinking he had a nice, easy and friendly laugh, and of course, watching the way his forearm muscles bunched up when he leaned on the table. As his fingers clutched a ping-pong ball, I could only imagine what they might feel like grasping my nipple.

  "There you are!"

  I turned around, feeling the heat of a flush of embarrassment rush through my cheeks as Desiree grinned at me. Had she seen?

  "He is a looker, isn't he?" she asked, nodding toward Luke.

  She sent me a knowing smile. "I can tell you have the hots for him," she said. "And he's real, too, not some fictional character you find in the pages of your romance stories."

  She threw an arm over my shoulder and guided me toward the beverage table. "Come on, girlfriend, I think it's about time that you whetted your whistle."

  Chapter 3

  I was more than a little tipsy as I headed toward the bathroom. I knew I shouldn't be drinking so much, but sometimes once I got started, it was hard to stop. There was a bathroom on the bottom floor of the fraternity building and one on the second floor. I slowly made my way up to the second floor, thinking that the line there might be a little shorter than the one on the bottom. I was wrong. As I waited in line for my turn, I leaned against the wall, brushing my hands through my hair. I knew I was going to pay for this in the morning. My head was already beginning to throb.

  "You don't have to wait in line, you know."

  I turned and saw Luke standing right next to me. My heart gave a little thud and more than a little thrill ran through me. I quickly glanced along the line of people in front of me and then right behind me to make sure he was talking to me. He was.

  "I can show you a secret bathroom," he commented with a wink.

  I was no fool. I don't care how cute he was or how many tattoos he had, I was drunk and knew that I was vulnerable. It wouldn't take much for any guy to take advantage of me. He seemed to sense my hesitation and cocked his head slightly to the side, as if reading my mind.

  "Don't worry, Jessica, I won't take advantage of you," he assured.

  Could I believe him? After all, I didn't even know who this guy was. I had never seen him before tonight. For all I knew, he could be nothing but trouble. Then again, I wondered in my drunken state of mind, if that was perhaps what I'd been looking for. Why wasn’t I ever satisfied with the guys I had dated? Were they too safe, too tame? While I certainly didn't want to put myself in harm’s way, and I had no inclination of getting involved in a relationship with someone who was overly jealous or manipulative, I couldn't deny the attraction I felt for Luke.

  Even in the semidarkness of the hallway, I smelled the scent of an unfamiliar yet captivating cologne, something between a musk and sandalwood. Not to mention that even the thought of those full sleeve tattoos he had captivated me and were more than mysterious. I hadn't really gotten a good look at them downstairs, but I would certainly love to be able to inspect them at my leisure. The colors were bright, as if the tattoos were relatively new, not over a few years old, at least. Not that I was an expert on tattoos or anything, but I knew fresh ink from old ink.

  I stared at him a moment, wondering if he was fooling around with me, but then I grinned and shrugged, nodding for him to lead the way. Maybe he was fooling with me. It didn’t really matter. I had a good head on my shoulders and would know if and when it was time to back away. Until then, I could have a little fun flirting for once. Grabbing my hand, he gently pulled me out of the line and headed down the hallway towards a door at the far end. As he opened it, I saw that it led upstairs into what I at first thought was an attic space, only to find that several additional rooms had been converted from that space.

  A short hallway hugged what would be the outside load-bearing wall of the fraternity structure, with three doors, one open and two closed, along the left side of the space. At the far end stood another door, halfway open.

  "I didn't know there were more rooms up here," I commented.

  "They only renovated this area last summer, or so I was told. Anyway, there’s a small bathroom with a toilet at the end."

  He let go of my hand and gestured toward the far corner of the attic. It wasn't terribly dark, but definitely darker than I had expected. I hoped I wouldn't crash into anything as I made my way to the far end, hands held out in front of me as my feet shuffled on the hardwood floor. I entered the bathroom and found the light switch just inside the doorway. The bathroom was no bigger than a closet and held a toilet and a small sink. That was about it. It was enough for my needs, anyway. I closed the door, but didn't find a lock on it. I certainly hoped that Luke was enough of a gentleman that he wouldn't even think about coming inside. As I hiked up my skirt and quickly pulled down my underwear and sat down on the toilet seat to pee, I also hoped that he wasn't standing outside of the door listening. How embarrassing.

  Within moments I had taking care of business, washed my hands, and then realized there was nothing to dry my hands on. I waved them in the air for a few moments before exiting the bathroom.

  "Better now?"

  I glanced at him, nodding.

  "How do you intend to thank me?"

  I stared at him a moment, watching a slow grin transform his features into a wickedly handsome young man. Because I was already a little tipsy, my usual shyness had disappeared. Not that I turned into a slut every time I chugged down a drink, but you could say that my barriers were definitely lowered. I grinned in reply and stood on my tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek. At the last moment, he turned his head and I found my lips meeting his. His lips felt soft and warm. I was so surprised that I couldn't react.

  Seconds later, the kiss deepened and before I knew it, he had slipped his tongue into my mouth. He stepped closer to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me gently closer to his frame. The thought of those hands, those arms, that sleeve ink, got me tingling all over. I made a soft, mewling sound in my throat and pressed myself even closer. Almost of their own accord, my hands found his forearms, tracing my fingers along the length of muscles, and over the vein and the ink I knew was there.

  Damn, he was hot. I had never really felt this kind of pull or chemistry toward any guy before, and least of all, not here at the university. Where had he come from? How come I hadn't seen him before? Stupid girl, I suddenly thought to myself. Here you were, getting kissed by one of the most handsome guys you'd ever seen, with tattoos no less, and you're thinking about other things other than the sensation that his lips and tongue elicited in you? Just as I was re-focusing my attention completely on the warmth of his lips, the smoothness of his tongue, and the way it stroked and tangled with my own tongue, I heard steps coming up the stairway.

  I quickly broke off the kiss, taking a slight step back even though Luke seemed loath to relinquish his grip on
me. Nevertheless, he also took a step back, and we both turned at the same time as a guy reached the top of the stairs and stepped into the room.

  "Who's up here?" the man asked.

  "Just me," Luke replied.

  "Oh, hey, Luke. Sorry to interrupt your make out session, but I gotta use the head. No way in hell am I waiting in that line downstairs."

  As the frat member approached the bathroom, I stepped away from Luke and began to make my way back toward the stairs, with Luke right behind me.

  "You leaving already?"

  I glanced over my shoulder and smiled. “It's late, I'm drunk, and I should be going," I said.

  "You'd have more fun if you stayed," he grinned.

  I saw the whites of his teeth in the darkness, and while more than anything I wanted to kiss him again, I didn't want to seem too easy. If he wanted something from me, he would have to work for it. "No doubt that's true," I said, heading down the stairs. "Nevertheless, it is late, I am drunk, and I am going."

  Chapter 4

  The next couple of days passed in a blur. The party at the fraternity house had been Friday night, and it was now Sunday afternoon. Tomorrow would be the first day of classes, but I was ready. I had already filled my schedule, with enough time a couple of days a week to take on a part-time job if I needed to. I had a full schedule on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays, although on Tuesday I just had a couple morning classes, and on Thursdays, a couple of afternoon classes. Between the weekends and the two half-days off, I could probably generate an adequate part-time income from something around the neighborhood if I needed to. I probably would. I certainly didn't like to be idle.