The Bad Boy's Girl (The Bad Boy's Girl Series Book 1)

by Blair Holden

  “Great, I’ll pick you up at seven in the morning.”

  Note how I said practically anything; some things are strictly out of bounds.

  “You’re joking, right?”

  Chapter Twenty-Four: You’re A Tweedlewart

  The fact that I can sense another person’s presence in my room would be considered useful. It would mean that even when I’m asleep, my super ninja powers will protect me. However, on a Saturday and at the unholy hour of seven a.m. it’s more like a curse. Sleeping Beauty, consider yourself lucky. Imagine all that uninterrupted sleep and you don’t even age! How is that even a curse?

  As I start to become aware of someone creeping toward me, I’m reminded of a tacky horror film. If I weren’t so lazy, I’d just get up and scream “NOOOO.” There’s an inner battle going on within me. Half, well more like about ninety-nine percent is content to keep sleeping while the other measly one percent reminds me that Cole is probably here and might possibly witness me drooling on my pillow. Drooling in my SpongeBob pajamas no less.

  Guess who won that showdown?

  “Tessie.”

  I pull the covers tightly around myself so that my body is cocooned by them. My head’s buried in the pillow and I try to block out his voice. I love the guy, of course I do and his voice is just divine but nothing and absolutely nothing sounds appealing to me at this hour.

  “Come on, shortcake. Don’t make me bust out the big guns,” he says in a singsong voice and I feel him plop down on the bed beside me. At this point, I more or less resemble a mummy, what with being wrapped up in the sheets and all.

  “Mmph.” This is the only sound of protest I can stand to make. Too tired and too lazy to do more, coupled with what remains of my PMS, has me struggling to gain coherency.

  “I don’t understand sleep-obsessed Tessie, can I order the regular version please?”

  “It’s too early for me to make a wisecrack,” I mumble, or at least that’s what I hope I mumbled. From what my ears manage to pick up I sound like someone stuffed a boxing glove in my mouth. Coherence obviously isn’t at its peak at the moment.

  “Tessie, come on. I’ll buy you donuts and even let you get the one with the disgusting frosting.”

  He’s bribing me with donuts. That much I can process and so lured in by sugar-coated goodness, I pop one eye open and then the other. Suddenly the world has clarity and I have a purpose to actually make it out of this bed.

  Donuts, yummy Nutella-filled donuts with an extra large coffee.

  Once he’s convinced that his method of bribery has worked, he leaves me alone after a kiss to the top of my head but not before I have the last word.

  “Tweedlewart.”

  “What?”

  “You’re a tweedlewart.”

  “Is that supposed to be insulting, Tessie?”

  “It sounded a little bit more intimidating in my head.”

  ***

  It definitely is the perfect start to my day. To say that I’m not nervous would be the kind of lie that would set an infinite amount of pants on fire. Cole’s friends are ex-felons, well, most of them anyway. Not that I’m judging them, it’s me that I’m more concerned with. I’m a dorky blonde and the closest I’ve come to getting a tattoo is Photoshopping one onto my arm when I got bored in computer class. What if I make it all one big awkward disaster? Cole hasn’t seen them in a while and I would hate to be the reason that he doesn’t get the opportunity for the kind of quality time that he requires with them.

  Before I can psyche myself into not going, I rush to the shower. Once standing between the steady streams of hot water, it’s easier to think of Cole’s friends as human and not Russian mobsters. Cole went to military school too and he’s perfectly normal, right? Well, normal isn’t a word likely to be associated with him; he’s extraordinary.

  My point is that it is wrong to be presumptuous. I don’t know what they’ll be like so there’s no need to be terrified. Then again if they don’t like me then that’ll definitely not bode well for what Cole and I have finally managed to establish—a healthy, drama-free relationship. If Beth and Megan hadn’t approved of him, I’d be having second thoughts about Cole too.

  I dress simply but assertively, jeans and a graphic T-shirt with an old pair of brown suede studded boots. It took me a couple of times to nail the look but I’m satisfied now.

  Downstairs I find an odd picture in my kitchen. My father, from what it looks like, is trying to maintain a conversation with my brother and Cole. He and Travis try to make sure their timings never match, which is why it’s exceptionally weird seeing the three of them have breakfast like they were in Little League together.

  “Well I’ll be damned. Who knew my daughter would actually be able to get up before noon?” My father chuckles and I make a face at him. Traitor! We’re all big on sleep in this family, so what if I happen to love it more than the rest of my bloodline?

  “Told you I could do it, now pay up.” Cole grins at my brother, who grudgingly gets out a wad of bills from his wallet and hands them to my soon-to-be-dead boyfriend.

  “You guys were betting on whether or not I’d get out of bed?” I narrow my eyes at the three of them sitting behind the kitchen island. It takes all of my cranky morning will to not dump my freshly brewed nectar of the gods onto their heads.

  “Honey, you don’t exactly have the best track record. Trying to wake you up early on a weekend is like poking a bear in hibernation. Remember the time your mother tried to get you up for the visit to your grandparents.”

  A booming laugh escapes Travis and despite the teasing, I feel warmth spread through me. Not only is this the first time Dad has remembered Mom fondly since she left, it’s also the first time Travis and Dad are actually acting normal around each other. If embarrassing me with sordid details of my sleep-obsessed nature is the key to get them to get along then hey, come at me.

  “You mean when she ‘accidentally’ set off the fire alarm in her room and you guys had to spend the rest of the day figuring out what was causing the beeping?” I bite my lip in humor at the memory. Those scented candles are more useful than most people assume. Just hide them in some discreet corner and you can get a peaceful amount of sleep while everyone else figures out the cause of something that might potentially burn your entire house down. All while having a room that smells like peaches. You tend to pick up some things when spending considerable time with Cole.

  I see him looking at me with a mixture of amusement and adoration in his eyes and it makes gargantuan butterflies burst in my stomach. Now that I’m looking at him, really looking at him, my mouth waters slightly. In my sleep-induced hatred for all human beings, I somehow managed to overlook the fact that there’s something different about him. Of course he always looks mind-numbingly hot but today there’s a kind of rugged, dangerous, bad-boy edge to him that wasn’t there before. Whether it’s the threadbare concert shirt, the dark-washed jeans, or the leather cuff on his wrist, Cole is emanating his dark and dangerous appeal today. Usually, he’s rather subtle about the bad boy that he truly is, especially since coming back. With me he’s been the perfect gentleman but I’ve caught glimpses of the pre-military school Cole, especially when Jay’s around. Today is the day his appearance stresses who he really is and it is swoon worthy.

  He waits until we’re all eating breakfast to point out the fact that he noticed my blatant ogling. “I like it when you stare at me openly; you should do it more often, shortcake.”

  Blushing is second nature to me, it truly is. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch my dad reading his morning paper and Travis going through his phone while shoveling spoonfuls of cereal into his mouth. They’re both distracted enough so I let my gaze drop to Cole’s lips.

  “I like the view.”

  His eyes darken in a way that makes me wish we were alone. I’ve become quite adept at flirting if I do say so myself. He’s an excellent teacher and now I don’t feel like a moron when expressing how I feel. Confidence is key
and he’s the one who taught me that.

  He places his hand on my knee beneath the island and my heart skips a beat. My skin feels like it’s on fire and I wonder if I’ll ever get used to this heady feeling I get when I’m around him. We share a moment when our gazes lock and I see a strong emotion flit across his eyes that terrifies me. It’s like he’s trying to convey something important with just that one piercing look and it has me all kinds of frightened. Some people may say that it’s not too soon for us to be feeling this way, that what we feel is too strong to wait for what’s considered the right time. But I can’t do it.

  Of course I’m in love with him. What sane or even slightly unhinged girl wouldn’t be, but I can’t chase him away. Loving people and I don’t exactly have the best history. Whether it’s my parents or my brother, even Nicole—I’ve just been let down so many times that even with someone like Cole it is a bit daunting to have that kind of expectation, especially with the L-word.

  ***

  We leave shortly after breakfast, tons of coffee and promised donuts later I’m fully functional and my nerves return. My eyes keep going to that cuff on his wrist because it’s so foreign to the everyday image I have of him.

  “What’s going on in that overcomplicating but adorable head of yours?” Cole asks, driving with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on my knee.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  His brows wrinkle and he looks at me like he’s trying to read my mind but still nods.

  “What were you like in military school? We never talk about it or not much and I want to know that Cole, just to get an idea of what I’m going into.”

  He stares right ahead for a while, concentrating on the windshield, but then he squeezes my knee and leans over to kiss the top of my head. He exhales heavily before starting something which I guess means a lot to him.

  “At first I was mess, a smart-ass who mouthed off a lot.”

  “So a lot like your usual sunny self.” I chuckle and am punished with a poke in the ribs.

  “Yeah, I was a lot like I was back here. But then I learned the hard way that it’s not a great idea to be a hothead in a place chock full of them.”

  Ah, a legion of Coles. That must have gone well. I let him continue, truly interested in his story. He knows how I spent the last three miserable years of my life so it’s only fair that I know about him too. Growing up with him meant that I’d always had him in my life. He’s well acquainted with every aspect of it and I’ve got so much to learn about his.

  “The teachers were tough, and the first year I just kicked myself for landing in the hellhole but then I met some guys whom I could actually relate to, you know?”

  I nod, understand dawning. For being as close as they used to be, Jay and Cole have always been polar opposites. Like my brother, Jay fit the image of golden boy to a tee. Cole’s always been a little controversial, a little louder, and a whole lot of trouble.

  “There’s Landon, but don’t call him that, ever.” He gives me a mock-stern look as a smile twitches at the corner of his lips. “Lan’s a lot like me and we discovered that after nearly beating the shit out of each other the first day we were made roommates sophomore year.” He must have seen my shocked expression since he chooses to elaborate.

  “Let’s just say we weren’t big on sharing space with egos bigger than the size of our room. Things got better after that. Lan introduced me to a couple of really cool guys, all of whom you’ll be meeting today. They’re great, shortcake, I wouldn’t take you to see them if they weren’t.” Then almost shyly, with a light flush coloring his cheeks, he adds, “It means a lot to me that you’re coming with me, you know. Feels nice to show my girl off.”

  I beam at him, filled with warmth. God, I love this boy.

  ***

  An hour goes by quickly. Sometimes we talk each other’s ear off and sometimes there’s companionable silence. The drama of yesterday is forgotten and I feel a lot like myself given that my “girl time” is nearly over. As Cole talks about his friends, I begin to relax. They sound like really nice, normal people, which makes it all the more important that they like me.

  I think of that as I run my fingers over the cuff on his wrist absentmindedly.

  “You’ve been paying this thing a lot of attention. Do you like it?”

  Yes! It’s completely hot and so very bad-boy but I can’t tell him that, now can I?

  “I’ve never seen you wear it before. It’s . . . interesting.”

  “Interesting good or interesting ‘it makes you look like a girl and I hate it’?”

  I laugh at his exaggerated question and slip a finger beneath the band and trace his wrist. It’s one of his moves and it always turns me into jelly. So when his breathing hitches, I discover it affects him somewhat in the same manner.

  “Definitely interesting good.” I grin at him and he gulps audibly. I lean back in my seat. Tessa: 1, Cole: 100 gazillion. Ah, how beautiful are small victories.

  As we enter the city limits, my nerves start acting up again but it’s better than before. Hearing all the hilarious stories Cole’s just told me about them makes them more real and less intimidating. It still doesn’t do much to help me deal with my meeting-new-people anxiety.

  “Hey, look at me.”

  Cole parks in the parking lot of what looks like a five-star apartment complex.

  “Don’t be nervous, everyone’s looking forward to meeting you. I’ve talked about you so damn much that they already know you and I bet are just as crazy about you as I am.”

  I gulp and break into a sweat. This is me at my worst; the lack of confidence, the crushing shyness and awkwardness is why I keep to myself.

  “I . . . umm, I can’t . . .”

  “Deep breaths, Tessie, deep breaths.”

  His hand rubs up and down my back and he says soothing words to help calm me down. I’m seconds away from a Hannah Montana song when he leans in and kisses me. Just like that, all my worries disappear. I forget why I’m so stressed out, why I’m acting so neurotic, and why I’d rather launch myself in front of a tractor.

  He kisses me slowly, languidly, like he has all the time in the world. As always, my eyes shut on their own accord and my hands tease the hair at the nape of his neck. We kiss and kiss until I lose all sense of time and place and then when it’s getting difficult to breathe, he pulls away and rests his forehead against mine. We’re both panting slightly and my lips are tingling, swollen from his ministrations.

  “We good?”

  I grin at him, suddenly filled with euphoria. “We’re great.”

  “Lan’s dad owns the apartment but he’s always on business trips so this is more like Lan’s bachelor pad,” he says as we walk down the polished floors of the lobby, the door of which was opened by a very prim and proper doorman. I’m familiar with posh places because of my parents and grandparents but still not very comfortable. Growing up around money meant constantly being judged for it, so you tend to disassociate yourself from those titles and authority.

  “This is nice,” I say as we take the elevator to the fifteenth floor. Consciously, I study my image in the mirror and Cole wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his chest.

  “Beautiful” he says, kissing my cheek and I snuggle into him.

  With a ding the elevator approaches our destination and hand in hand, we walk out. He knocks on a door just on the left of the carpeted floor and gives me a reassuring smile, squeezing my hand. I’ve got to do this for him. He’s changed my entire world so the least I can do is get along with the people who obviously mean a lot to him. Nothing bad could possibly come out of this. Except for the nearly naked platinum blonde who swings the door open with a shit-eating grin on her face and launches herself onto my boyfriend, attacking his lips with hers.

  I spoke too soon, now let me at her.

  Chapter Twenty-Five: The Lecherous Ho Has a Point

  For a few minutes, my mind is simply processing why a leech is sucking the life
out of my boyfriend. It’s like staring at a piece of abstract art and trying to figure out what the artist was trying to portray. Everything’s a blur of shapes and colors and you’re just standing there trying to console yourself that you’re not an idiot and it’s the artist that lacks talent.

  There is a girl, a girl wearing next to nothing and she’s wrapped herself like a spider monkey to Cole. I think I’m going to be sick. I might be making really painful sputtering sounds but I don’t really care. What matters is that there is another girl with her hands all over MY guy.

  “What the fuck, Kimmy!” I hear growling. Someone is growling and the leech is pushed away. She makes a sound of protest and is ready for another attack but someone grabs her arms and pulls her in before she does some more soul-sucking.

  “But Coleee, I missed you.” Okay, so the leech speaks.

  “That’s enough, Kimmy. Don’t make me bring out the tranquillizers.” A heavy male voice tries to control the leech, who is struggling in his grasp. What is wrong with her? Is she epileptic, is she having a seizure?

  “Goddammit Lan, you said she wasn’t going to be here.”

  My head whips around and then I realize it’s Cole who is growling and rubbing his lips very, very vigorously. Well, too late for that, buddy. You have her saliva and germs all over you now. I shudder, pitying the poor guy, but that’s when I take in the crestfallen look on the leech’s face and suddenly it all makes sense. She’s pouting but looking at Cole like he’s her entire world. I recognize that look; I wear it more than often myself.

  “Yolanda,” I gasp and all three people turn to look at me with various expressions on their faces. Cole looks apologetic and panicked, like he’s waiting for me to storm out of the place. I can’t exactly do that even if I want to since he’s my ride. I then face Yolanda, the leech, and she’s glaring at me with a kind of viciousness only rivaled by that of Nicole’s, and then there’s Lan.

  Lan is as tall as Cole and has a similar build. Tall and lean with arms that aren’t overly muscular, a T-shirt stretching over his biceps, emphasizing them, and his toned chest. He has a head full of thick, dark hair and when my eyes finally land on his face I realize he has really stark green eyes, which are watching me with wariness and something akin to shame.