Dirty Girl (Dirty Girl Duet #1)

by Meghan March

  I guess she rubbed off on me because I didn’t wait past the first five minutes to get naked with Cav. Or then again, I guess you could say I waited way too long for that. After I finally got up the nerve to talk to him the first time around, it was another few weeks of flirting before we moved to the next level. All leading up to the night he stood me up.

  I know I can’t take another step forward with Cav until I come to terms with what happened before. We have no future if I can’t let it go. I won’t be the bitter woman holding something over her man’s head for the rest of his life; I’m not built like that. But I also have enough self-awareness to know that my abandonment issues aren’t easily overcome.

  “Earth to Greer. We’ve got incoming . . .”

  I look to Banner and then in the direction she’s tilting her head. Every person in the bar is chattering now with the arrival of Cavanaugh Westman. Good grief, does the guy not know how to go incognito? Shouldn’t that be Hollywood 101, along with the condom thing? Then again, maybe he just makes his own rules.

  It takes me a moment to realize he’s not alone. There are two large, burly guys following behind him. Security? Wow. Not something I expected.

  Cav finds our table quickly, nodding as he passes through the crowd of gawkers. The two security people keep the crowd away as he slides into the booth beside me.

  “What’d I miss, baby girl?”

  “Huh-uh. Excuse me? What are you—”

  He leans in and presses a kiss to my cheek, stalling out the rest of my stammered words.

  “Stopped by your place to pick you up for dinner, but you were gone. Doorman was nice enough to let me know your regular haunts.”

  “Traitor. His Christmas bonus may be less impressive this year,” I say under my breath.

  “Hi! I’m Banner,” my friend says brightly, holding out a hand. “I’m just letting you know that if you don’t get the friend seal of approval, we’re going to have issues. You want me to like you. It’s pretty damn important.”

  Cav grips Banner’s hand and shakes it. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m glad Greer has you around to weed out the assholes.”

  Banner grins. “She doesn’t always listen to me. Exhibit A, Tristan.” She shakes her head, and I want to bean her with an olive.

  A glance around reveals a crowd of onlookers and more than a few flashing cameras. I’ve seen enough with Creighton and Holly to know that what’s happening right now is going to make the gossip rags. Cav doesn’t seem to care at all, though, as he slides his arm around me, his other hand resting on my thigh. The gesture is one hundred percent possessive.

  “Fair enough. If you’ve got a problem with me, lay it out. I’m not afraid to work for something that matters.”

  “From what I hear, you’ve already put in some serious work.” Banner winks conspiratorially.

  Yep, she deserves an olive right between her perfectly arched eyebrows.

  “Really? Friendship foul, B.”

  She lifts her drink, salutes me, and sucks it down. I turn my attention back to the man beside me, or rather, surrounding me, as he doesn’t seem to understand the concept of personal space.

  I shift just enough to put an inch of space between our thighs. Cav immediately moves closer, his heat soaking into me.

  “What are you doing here? And what’s with the goons? You didn’t even try one of your hip Hollywood disguises?”

  Cav’s arm tightens around my shoulders. “I’ve got no problem with the world knowing you’re mine.”

  Then it dawns on me. He’s staking a claim. A very public one.

  “What’s your angle? Is this you trying to save my reputation?”

  He and I both know that my character is still being savaged in the media. Even with Creighton’s PR team playing cleanup crew, there’s no stopping it.

  Cav fingers a lock of my hair. “I’ve never played a white knight role, but I’d like to think I could pull it off.”

  “Villains are even better,” Banner quips. “Just sayin’. And the ad is kinda my fault. So feel free to save the distressed lady’s reputation.”

  Cav grins as Banner makes her confession, and I have no explanation for why I’m so envious that she’s on the receiving end of his smile. This man . . . he makes me crazy.

  “Why am I not surprised that putting the two of you together with a hell of a lot of alcohol will end with batshit-crazy stuff every time?” He shakes his head, looking from me to Banner. “I owe you a big thank-you, Banner. You’ve got my marker. Anytime you need a favor, just let me know.”

  He has no idea what he’s just done. Clearly. Because I can already see Banner’s brain working overtime. She’s going to be cashing in this favor for a Hollywood insider’s trip.

  Banner rubs her hands together with a mischievous smile. “I really hope you’re ready to deliver when the time comes.”

  Cav just smiles confidently. “How about I buy you another round first?”

  Sitting here in the bar with Greer and her friend, I can’t help but remember the first bar I ever went to with the woman sitting beside me who keeps trying to put space between us. What she doesn’t realize is that her chance at putting any distance between us is gone. She blew that right out of the water the moment her hand wrapped around my cock for the first time.

  Our second round arrives, and my memories surface as Greer and Banner banter back and forth across the table . . .

  I knew it was a bad idea before we even walked in the door. I didn’t belong in this bar with this woman on my arm. Sure, it was a student haunt and a hole-in-the-wall, but I was the only guy in this place without a collared shirt and an overinflated ego fueled by Mommy and Daddy’s money.

  And yet here I was, because apparently I would follow Greer anywhere, including to the empty corner booth. Her jeans hugged her rounded ass, and I wasn’t the only one who noticed. I shot a look of death at one skinny little punk who was probably popping a half chub just watching her. When he finally realized he’d caught my attention, his gaze fell away.

  That’s right, kid. She’s out of your league. Fuck, she was out of my league too, but I wasn’t going to let that deter me.

  I didn’t care about the looks that Greer got. She deserved every single one of them, even if she was totally oblivious. But I wasn’t oblivious. My possessive instincts climbed with every pair of eyes that fixed on her ass. They could look, but she was mine.

  Except she wasn’t really, and I was screwing with myself if I believed she could be.

  I was the maintenance guy. She was a trust-fund princess.

  The attention that followed her landed on me as I slid into the booth beside her. Shock. The what the fuck is she doing with him looks. I met the gaze of another little prick, daring him to make a move. He wouldn’t. None of them would. They wouldn’t even know how to get their hands dirty.

  Including the princess across from me. But why wasn’t I holding that against her? Because you want to be inside her, my inner voice said. And it was right. I wasn’t supposed to be fascinated by this girl, but it was impossible not to be. She was like a goddamned magnet and I couldn’t stay away, even though I should.

  A server came to the table. No surprise, it was a guy.

  “Hey, Greer, want your usual?”

  She smiled politely and nodded, but he didn’t walk away or ask for my order.

  “Have you started your outline yet for Corporations? I’ve got a study group, if you want in.”

  “I’ll take a Bud, in a bottle,” I said, interrupting his blatant pickup attempt that ignored the fact I was sitting beside her.

  “I don’t want to talk about school tonight,” Greer said. “Catch you tomorrow or something?”

  The server nodded sheepishly. “Sure. Sorry. I’ll get those drinks right out.” His attention finally landed on me, and just like the rest of them, I could see the question of why I was with her burning in his brain.

  I sat up and put my arms on the table, shoving my shirtsleeves up my fo
rearms and revealing the sleeve of ink stopping at my wrist. His eyes darted from my arms to my face. Little fuck was probably assuming it was prison ink.

  Assume away, especially if it gets you out of our faces faster.

  He turned away, mumbling something I couldn’t make out.

  I shifted my attention back to Greer. She was completely oblivious to the posturing that had just happened. Her wide eyes were glued on my tattoos, which weren’t normally visible with my long-sleeved work shirt.

  Did the princess have a problem with the maintenance guy being tatted up? Her words put an end to my wondering immediately, as did the fingertips that ran over the ink.

  “Oh wow. I didn’t know you had tattoos. I want one, but I’m not quite ready to make it happen.”

  Memories of that night play through my head as I listen to the two women. There’s definitely a difference between then and now. Tonight, eyes are on me for a different reason—not because I don’t belong with Greer, but because she and I are equally matched. I belong in her world in a way I never did before.

  Now I just have to convince her of that.

  One thing hasn’t changed—Greer is still completely oblivious to the reasons for the looks she gets. She thinks it’s because of the notoriety of the ad, but that’s not it. At least, not completely. She’s got no clue that she’s the total package.

  It blows my mind that her boyfriend would cheat. Definitely missing brain cells, but I owe him a thank-you. If not for that, she might never have placed the ad, and I wouldn’t have gotten the signal loud and clear that my second chance had arrived.

  “You’re gonna take good care of my girl now, aren’t you? Make sure she gets home?” Banner’s words slur together as she climbs out of the car driven by Greer’s driver, Ed.

  “I’ve got it covered.”

  As Banner stumbles toward the door, I tell the driver, “Would you follow her up to her apartment and make sure she gets inside?”

  Ed’s already climbing out of the car. “Of course, sir.”

  Greer snuggles into me as the door shuts. “That was a good idea.”

  “Can’t be too careful.”

  I watch through the large windows in the lobby as Banner grabs Ed’s arm and allows him to lead her into the elevator as she waves to the doorman.

  “How drunk are you, Greer?” I pull her onto my lap sideways and stare into her shining brown eyes.

  “Drunk enough but not too drunk. I’m perfect.” Her words aren’t as slurred as Banner’s, but she’s beyond tipsy.

  “Which means?”

  “I’m drunk enough to want you to take me back to my apartment and do dirty things to me, but not too drunk to enjoy it.”

  My cock, already hardening against her curvy ass, pulses.

  “You sure you can handle what I want from you, Greer?”

  She reaches up and curves her hand around my head. “I think the real question is whether you can handle what I want from you.”

  “Anything you want, I’m your man.”

  She tugs at the short hair at the back. “Anything?”

  At this point in my life, I’m closer to being able to give her anything than I’ve ever been before. And when she looks at me like this, there’s nothing I could deny her.

  “Yeah, baby. Anything.”

  She wiggles her ass in my lap and presses her lips to my jaw. If I kiss her right now, there’s a good chance that I’m going to fuck her in the backseat of this car, and that’s not something I’m willing to have an audience for. Especially not her driver, who is just about to pull open the door.

  Thank fuck we’re only ten minutes from her building.

  “Can you make it quick, Ed?”

  “Of course, sir.”

  Ed, the trusty driver, looks at me with Greer on my lap in the rearview mirror. I see the look of judgment before he schools his expression. Big Brother is probably going to be receiving a full report as soon as Ed drops us off.

  I may not have all the money Creighton Karas does, but I’m not opposed to going toe-to-toe with the guy. Or I could just kidnap Greer and take her away to some remote island and keep her there until she’s as addicted to me as I am to her, and her brother’s opinion ceases to matter. As far as I know, she never told him about me before, because I never received a death threat from his camp.

  We pull up in front of the building, and Ed hops out and opens the door. I slide out of the car, lifting Greer as I stand, readjusting her in my arms.

  Her quick intake of breath signals her surprise. She grips my shoulders tighter, her gaze clashing with mine.

  “I’m not gonna let you fall.”

  “I can walk. I’m not that drunk.” Her protest is quiet and halfhearted at best.

  “And I want you in my arms, so I’m carrying you.” I nod at Ed, who is watching us with eagle eyes. “Good night, sir. Thank you for the ride.”

  “Of course, Mr. Westman. Have a good evening.”

  I can tell he wants to tell me something else, probably to warn me that I’d better take good care of Greer, but he stays silent.

  He doesn’t need to worry. I’m not going to let anything happen to her. I’m capable of protecting her at least as well as he is, and probably better. After all, I’ve got more than money and fear of Creighton Karas motivating me.

  Greer waves to the doorman as we head inside. His polite chin raise gives away none of his true thoughts about watching me carry her through the foyer. For a moment, I wonder if this is something he’s seen before, or if he’s really that good at hiding his shock.

  “You get carried up to your apartment a lot?”

  Greer’s laugh is muffled by my shirt as I elbow the call button for the elevator. “Nope. This is a first for me. I don’t think Tristan could’ve actually picked me up. Maybe that’s why he was always encouraging me to lose weight.”

  I already wanted to fuck up this Tristan punk, but even more so now at Greer’s confession.

  “Was he mentally defective? What the fuck was the guy’s problem?”

  Greer shrugs against my chest as we step inside the elevator and the silver doors glide closed. “He sucked. I’m glad I didn’t let him fuck me in the ass. He could have that redheaded ho for that.”

  “Whoa. What?”

  She looks up at me, blinking. “That’s what I walked in on. Him fucking a redhead in the ass. She was actually quite polite about the whole thing. Told me I should’ve just let him have at it because you could hardly tell.” She lowers her voice to a stage whisper. “He suffered from pencil-dick-itis. I only got off if I got myself off. God, that’s pathetic.”

  Well, at least I know I’ve got that fucker beat in more than one department. There’s nothing pencil-like about my dick, and I know how to make Greer come.

  “And you stayed with him because . . .” I let my question trail off. I don’t want to talk about this prick, but my curiosity is strong.

  Greer shifts in my hold as the elevator slows to a stop and the doors slide open. Her voice is quiet when she finally answers. “I don’t give up. I’m not a quitter. I thought it would get better if I kept working at it. Trying new things. But it didn’t get better. I guess I owe him a thank-you for cutting it off because I didn’t know how to pull the trigger. After I got over the rage and hurt, it was more a relief than anything.”

  I hate that she went through that shit, but I’m also really fucking happy she’s not still attached to the guy and nursing a broken heart.

  “Anyway, I don’t want to talk about him.” She turns her face up to mine, her lips curving mischievously. “I want to talk about all the dirty things you’re going to do to me, and how hard you’re going to make me come.”

  I should be blushing at the things I’m saying to Cav, but something about him destroys my filters. This level of need surging through me is unique to him—totally raw and primal.

  I know my words have an effect on Cav because his voice is rough when he says, “Keys, baby. We get inside this apart
ment, and I’m going to tell you exactly what I’m gonna do to you.”

  I dig into the bag slung over my shoulder and fish out my keys. Cav makes short work of getting inside. He doesn’t stop once the door is closed behind us, but instead of heading into the bedroom like I thought he would, he goes toward the kitchen.

  “What—”

  “No more questions, Greer. I’m going to give you what you want, and you’re gonna love it.”

  My feet touch the floor and before I realize what he’s doing, I’m spinning around and bending until my forehead touches the bar level of my countertop.

  Cav wraps my hands around the edges. “Don’t let go.” He leans close, his big body covering mine as he speaks low into my ear. “You’re not going to let go until you’ve come at least twice, and even then, not until I say. Yesterday was just a warm-up, baby girl. It’s time for you to understand exactly what I like.”

  Shivers ripple across my skin, and my nipples harden against the cool granite. Heat pools between my legs, and I’m on edge waiting for him. I was perfectly honest in the car earlier; I’m drunk enough to lose my inhibitions, but not too drunk not to know what I’m doing and appreciate it.

  Tonight in the bar, his presence reinforced something I knew three years ago—Cav is more man than any I’ve ever met.

  He steps back, separating the press of his body from mine, but his hands never leave me. Starting at my fingertips, which are wrapped around the edge of the counter, he drags his palms down my arms, pulling up the sleeves of my light sweater.

  “Softest skin I’ve ever touched. Like silk.” His voice is husky and every word sounds like a revelation. “This is coming off.”

  He grasps the sweater at the hem and peels it up my torso, and I lift just enough for him to slide it the rest of the way free. Underneath it I have nothing but a bra. Lacy and black, with an array of straps at the back forming a starburst pattern.

  “Every damn thing about you screams expensive. It doesn’t matter what you wear, what you do, how you do it, you’re all class.” His lips press to my shoulder. “And you’re all mine. You’re gonna be my dirty girl.”