Badboy Romance

by Lisa Simmons

  Please no.

  "When do you guys wanna leave?" I asked suddenly, hoping to distract them from the direction their conversation was heading.

  "Now, it's already 9:30," Emily said, thankfully taking my bait. I hadn't even realized but we'd been at the bar for nearly two hours. "Let's go back and touch up then get to that party, yeah?"

  We paid our bills and got up to leave, weaving our way through the bar. I couldn't stop myself from looking for Reece, but his tall frame was nowhere to be found. I wondered who he had come here with, what he was doing now, and when he'd be at the party.

  He was intoxicating, completely taking over my mind with the smallest of appearances as if my entire week of rational thinking hadn't happened.

  I already knew if I saw him at the party tonight, I'd want him again. There was no way I couldn't when my body craved him this way. I dared to hope that he felt something similar- this sweltering need to feel him near me again and have his body over mine. He had sought me out, right? He didn't have to come over but he had anyway; maybe he did feel the same electric buzz I felt. My heart thumped nervously, not sure which answer scared me more.

  After letting Chloe, who had only had one drink, drive us back home so Emily could get herself into a more appropriate state and having a few pregame drinks, we were ready to go. The party was actually only a few blocks from my apartment and it was still warm out so we decided to walk. While alcohol usually made me giddy, tonight it only added to my anxiety about potentially seeing Reece.

  In the back of my mind, I knew I would see him. He had made it a point to come over to me at dinner and pulled that stunt, purposely trying to get me going. Yes, I knew I would see him, and I knew it was going to be more than a casual conversation; I could feel it resonating inside me. It was as if it were inevitable- that we would end up together tonight whether I wanted to or not.

  Of course, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to. I wanted to end up with him tonight.

  My friends wobbled down the sidewalk, giggling excitedly as we made our way to the party. Luckily they were too distracted from their own fun to notice my quiet mood, too stuck in my own head to participate in their antics.

  The pounding of bass drifting through the air told me we were getting close. Sure enough, a house we were approaching was overflowing with students holding cups in their hands, happily throwing down drinks as they mingled on the lawn. A group of guys turned to cheer as we walked up, raising their glasses and drinking, pleased with the arrival of more girls.

  My friends laughed as we passed, Emily wiggling her fingers at the boys before winking at one of them. I smiled softly as we made our way into the house, trying to think of anything but Reece and failing miserably.

  Immediately my eyes scanned the crowd, half expecting him to be leaning against the wall by the entrance, smirking and crossing his arms coolly over his chest. I was disappointed when I didn't see him anywhere. Chloe grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd in search of drinks while Emily spotted someone she knew and ran over to chat, pulling Lauren with her.

  "Need a drink?" a voice said over my shoulder. My heart jumped in my chest before I realized it wasn't who I had been hoping for. I turned to see a tall guy with blonde hair smiling down at us. He had dark brown eyes, a perfect set of teeth, and was definitely attractive, just not the kind of attractive I was looking for.

  "We do," Chloe said, smiling up at him as she cocked her head to the side.

  "Two?" he asked, turning his gaze to me and smiling appreciatively.

  "Sure, why not," I answered, glancing at Chloe.

  "Come with me," he instructed before turning into the crowd and leading us to a table where a variety of drink ingredients were set out. I watched as he cracked open two cans of soda and poured them into a cup, adding rum before handing them to us. Chloe accepted hers gratefully and I followed suit. I was about to thank him for mine when I felt a shiver run up my spine, the feeling that someone was watching me creeping through my body.

  I turned my head slowly to the side, not at all surprised to find Reece watching me from the side of the room. He was perched just as I had pictured him, leaning against he wall with his arms folded over his chest. His expression, however, wasn't the smirk I had been imagining. His features looked hard as he stared at me, eyebrows pulled down and his mouth pressed into a flat line. Despite his stony expression, I felt what I always did when he looked at me, a smoldering rush running through me.

  I held his gaze for a few seconds before I realized why he looked so pissed off- this guy, whoever he was, was making him jealous. My head cocked to the side as I made this realization and a light smirk fell over my face. I could have fun with this.

  Turning my attention back to the blonde man, I put a smile on my face and took a sip of my drink he had mixed.

  "So what's your name?" I asked brightly, beaming up at him.

  "Thomas, and who are you two?" he smiled, flashing his too-white teeth at us. The more I looked at him, the less attractive I found him, especially with the smoldering mess of a man currently glaring at me from across the party invading my brain.

  "Abigail, and this is Chloe," I said, gesturing to her. "Good to meet you."

  "So what does a guy have to do to get a dance with the two of you?" he asked, grinning cockily at us. I almost rolled my eyes at his over confidence before I realized Reece was even worse than he was and I had been pulled to him like a moth to a flame. Strange.

  "Oh, I don't think you could handle the both of us," I laughed, nudging Chloe conspiratorially. My eyes flitted back across the party to where Reece had been but was disappointed to see he wasn't there. So much for putting on a show- apparently my audience hadn't been interested.

  I jumped when an arm wound around my waist, pulling me backward into a firm chest. I suppressed the grin that worked to break through my face; I had won.

  "You about done here?" he rumbled into my ear, breath hot against my neck as he ducked his head next to mine. Chloe let out a startled squeak next to me, clearly just as surprised by his appearance as I had been.

  I pressed myself back into him, proud of my bold behavior and completely forgetting about Chloe and the blonde man, Thomas or whatever his name was.

  "What's with you and constantly sneaking up on me?" I asked lowly, tilting my head to the side to shoot my words at him. I couldn't see him but I was acutely aware of his hand on my hip and my back pressing into his chest, every inch of my skin igniting.

  "Do you want me to stop?"

  He spun me around to face him, giving me a hard look before taking my drink and giving it back to Thomas. Grabbing my hand to pull me away from them, he started to move through the crowd until he had us in a secluded hallway off the main room. The noise from the party could be easily heard, specific conversations lost in the mass of sound.

  "Do you?" he repeated, pressing me into the wall and leaning over me. I took in a deep breath and stared up into his eyes. Now was my chance to get out before I got any more sucked into him and this weird connection I felt to him. I knew already I didn't want him to stop doing anything he was doing, and I wouldn't have been able to stop him if I tried. My body wanted his too much, which was obvious by the way I leaned into him, my hands pulling him closer without my permission.

  "No," I breathed, very aware that his lips were only inches from mine as he stared down at me. "Don't stop."

  His eyes flicked between mine for the briefest of seconds before he crashed his lips down on mine, pushing me into the wall and setting my body on fire, finally letting it have what it had been craving for an entire week- him.

  "At the bottom of your heart, you don't love no one."

  Chapter 5

  My heart pounded erratically in my chest as Reece's lips parted mine, his chest pushing me further into the wall of the hallway as the party carried on obliviously around us. I tried to suppress the moan that vibrated from my throat as his tongue pushed into my mou
th, his hand tipping my head back as his fingers tangled roughly into my hair. His hips pushed against mine urgently and mine rose to meet his, increasing the pressure between us. I felt like heat was radiating around us in the narrow hallway, the overwhelming sensation of his body pressing into mine completely clouding my mind and making me lose all sense of reason. A gasp was sucked between my teeth when his palm slid down my side, squeezing my hip before dipping between my legs. My hands ravaged across his body wildly, gripping his shirt, feeling his back, tangling in his hair in an attempt to feel every part of him in as little time as possible.

  I don't know what it was about him that was so irresistible to me, what it was that drew me to him so irrationally and uncontrollably, but I could tell he felt it too. It was obvious he did in the way his lips collided with mine and the way his hands traced every inch of my body, pushing and pulling and kneading every bit of me he could find. He was pulled to me like I was to him, though neither of us knew why. His hot palm slid across the skin on my lower back, working beneath the fabric and pulling me flush against him while his fingers on his other hand dipped beneath the waistband of my jeans, the pads of his fingers pressing firmly into my skin. He pulled his lips from mine to drag his teeth down my neck, nipping harshly at the skin before running the flat of his tongue over it, the heat sucking away the sting of his bite. My back arched away from the wall when his hand slipped lower beneath my jeans, the tips of his fingers reaching my sensitive clit and circling around it, the tightness of my jeans giving him little room to maneuver but increasing the heat between us even more. A quiet cry slipped from my lips as he bit down on my clavicle and released the button on my jeans with his other hand, allowing him to drag his fingers up my entrance. His thumb pressed into my clit as he slid two fingers inside me, burying them up to the knuckle and almost buckling my knees.

  The rational part of my brain screamed at me, begging me to realize that there were a ton of people only feet away who could very easily stumble through the archway and see us, but every other part of my body pushed the thought back, not caring in the slightest. I'd let him fuck me against the wall right now if it meant I could have him again, even though I knew that wasn't possible. We needed to go somewhere else, somewhere we could tear into each other without the glaring risk of being discovered.

  This thought was almost wiped from my mind as he pushed his fingers into me again, his forearm flexing beneath my hand as I clutched at his skin and tried to hold myself up, sure I was about to collapse under the assault of his long fingers. My mouth fell open in a silent scream as his thumb circled my clit again, his lips trailing back up my neck and across my face. He took advantage of my open mouth and dipped his tongue into it, molding it against my own in a way I'd never experienced before but instantly loved. He pushed another finger into me, adding to my delicious turmoil and nearly ending me as his other hand clamped around the side of my neck, his thumb holding my jaw tightly. He pulled back and shot me a dark look, his green eyes blazing as he glanced down at his hand buried inside me. When his eyes flitted back up to me, a smirk covered his features. I wanted to slap him and kiss him all at once.

  My breathing was heaving from my chest unevenly as he watched me, his fingers never ceasing their movements as he watched their affect reflect on my face. I tried to return his heavy gaze but had difficulty keeping my eyes open as I felt every flick of his fingers, the movements building the heat that was growing in my stomach. A flush crossed my face and chest as my eyes squeezed shut once more, unable to stop them just as I was unable to stop my hips from pushing forward, always wanting more from him.

  "That's it, baby," he growled, his voice so deep I could barely hear him over the noise of the party mere feet away. He gave one more flick of his thumb over my clit and I was done, my body releasing the pressure as it radiated through my limbs. His arm wrapped around my lower back, holding me up as my knees buckled, my chest pressing firmly into his as I bit into his shoulder. My head fell back to look at him as he pulled his fingers from me and slide them into his mouth, his tongue licking them clean. I stared at him with wide eyes, trying to absorb every detail from his face as he watched me come down from my high. His eyes were still dark with need, and I could feel him pressing into my hips, hard and ready for more of me, as well. A shiver ran through me as he released his hold on me, letting me fall back into the wall before his fingers trailed across my hip before nimbly rebuttoning my jeans, holding my eye contact the entire time. I couldn't tear my eyes from his, the familiar burning already starting to ignite again as my chest rose and fell heavily between us. Only a few inches separated us but it was far too much; I wanted him close again, to feel his body without the burden of clothes between us and let him take me however he wanted. He leaned forward, placing his hands on the wall on either side of my head and ducked is lips to my ear, his body pressing into mine once more.

  "I need to get you somewhere where I can have all of you." His deep voice reverberated down to my bones and sent a jolt through my body; my hands reached out automatically to pull on the sides of his shirt, tugging him into me again.

  "Take me anywhere," I breathed, my head falling back against the wall as his lips moved down to my neck. My eyes closed as his tongue slipped out against my skin.

  "Oh god! So sorry," a flustered voice suddenly called out, too loud and too close and immediately causing irritation to flood through me. Reece pulled his head from my neck to glare at the guy who had finally discovered us, thankfully now rather than a minute earlier when Reece's hand had been between my legs.

  "Get out," Reece commanded, his strong voice echoing slightly in the small space as the guy practically ran away. He turned his gaze back to me, his lips inches from mine as he watched my expression. I felt myself inching forward, desperately trying to close the gap between us, nearly accomplishing my goal when he pulled back, leaving me gasping and desperate. The sting of the rejection was immediately erased, however, as he gripped my hand firmly and pulled me off the wall, dragging me behind him as he re-entered the party.

  I hid behind his wide shoulders, hoping my friends wouldn't spot me and ask questions, delaying me from ripping the layers off his skin even more. Luckily they were apparently busy doing other things, because we made it outside without any interruptions. I couldn't help but notice, however, that I had been the target of several glares on the way out. Some had been jealous, some angry, others confused, yet they had all been directed at me rather than Reece. I guess his reputation was true if I was attracting so much attention simply by being pulled from a party with him.

  "Where are we going?" I asked breathlessly as he pulled me down the sidewalk, ignoring a girl that tried to talk to him on the way and brushing her off completely. I watched her face as we passed, her eyes greedily devouring his body before setting sight on me and frowning deeply. Huh.

  "To my house," he said flatly.

  "Your actual house, this time?" I asked, not really caring as long as he took me somewhere even though I was curious to see what kind of place a guy like him lived in. I stopped myself. A guy like him. To be honest, I still didn't really know anything about him, so I had nothing to judge what kind of guy he was. All I knew was that I was drawn to him just as he seemed to be drawn to me. I reminded myself that he might not feel that way; it could all be part of his game to get girls, but deep down I knew differently. He felt this too, whatever it was, despite knowing essentially nothing about me.

  "Yes," he answered.

  I had almost forgotten my question in my musings. Excitement flashed through me at the thought of seeing where he lived, what his room looked like.

  "Do you live alone?" I asked, hurrying to catch up with him. He had released my hand once we had cleared the crowd, no longer needing to pull me through it.

  "Yes," he said shortly, glancing down at me with a frown as we walked. I didn't ask anymore questions, not wanting to push him. He wasn't angry or annoyed, but I could tell he wasn't comfortable wi
th it.

  "Do you?" he asked suddenly, surprising me. I looked to at him to see his green eyes flitting back forward.

  "No, I have a roommate, Emily. She was at dinner," I reminded him, not that he had paid even the slightest bit of attention to anything beside me.

  He nodded but didn't say anything. We walked in silence for a few blocks, his pace increasing the closer we got, which was fine with me. Despite the dropping temperature outside, I felt my body heat only increasing with every step we took, the silence between us building the sizzling tension that was so thick I could almost taste it. Sideways glances were cast between us, neither of us speaking but feeling the need flowing through the air. I bit my lip into my mouth as I stared forward, attempting to stop myself from staring at him in my desperate state.

  A low groan sounded next to me, the only warning I had before I was pulled roughly to face him, his lips crashing into mine as we stopped in the middle of the deserted sidewalk. His hands pulled at my hair before sliding down my back and squeezing my bum, pushing his hips into my groin. My body responded immediately, tangling my fingers in his hair as I clutched at him, desperate to feel every inch of him. As quickly as he hand jumped on me he practically shoved me off and stalked away, his wide shoulders hunched slightly as he rushed away from me. I stood there for a second in shock, panting lightly before I gathered myself enough to follow him again.

  "Don't do that again," he hissed when I drew even with him, not looking at me as he spoke.

  "Don't do what?" I asked in confusion.

  "Bite your lip, don't do that," he said.

  "It makes me want to throw you down on the street."

  That sounded perfectly fine to me but I could see how that wouldn't be practical.

  "Okay. Sorry," I said, stifling a laugh. That was good to know.

  He turned sharply down a walkway, approaching a small, average looking house. The windows were all dark as we approached, me struggling to keep up with his long strides. I bounced nervously on my feet as he unlocked the door, throwing his shoulder into it to shove it open. I followed him into the dark house, sure he could hear my heart pounding solidly in my chest in the quiet space. I could barely see his dark silhouette in the shadowy hallway; he stood perfectly still as he watched me come inside and close the door. I regretted doing so immediately, because it cut off the only source of light, leaving us in the pitch black. My breathing was ragged in the silence, adding to my thudding pulse as my senses heightened, trying to get a sense of where he had gone.