Beware of Bad Boy

by Brookshire, April

  “You shouldn’t say bad words.”

  “I didn’t just say a bad word.” His serious demeanor was confusing me.

  “Yes you did. You said the G-word,” he whispered. “Girlfriend.” His fake shudder was over the top.

  “You’re horrible, do you know that? A complete player.”

  He put his arms around my waist, pulling me into his body. “I know, but if I did want to enter the form of slavery called being in a relationship, it’d be with someone as hot as you.”

  I glared up at him. “Wow, that was the second most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me. You’re on a roll, Caleb. Anything else?”

  “Yep,” His lips came crashing down onto mine.

  Responding, I went into this kiss with my eyes wide open. I knew he was a player and developing any real feelings would be a disaster. I’d just have fun with it while it lasted. We moved over to the bed with me on top. My lips roamed from his lips to his neck. Instinct told me to mark him. I sat up laughing.

  “What?” he asked, brows drawn together.

  “I gave you a hickey!” I declared triumphantly.

  “Are you trying to mark your territory?” he asked, gripping my hips to grind me against him. He didn’t seem bothered at all.

  “No, it’s just that you’re a player. You should look the part. It was either that, or write Player on your forehead with permanent marker while you sleep tonight.”

  “If you do that, I’ll write my name on your forehead while you sleep.” One hand moved up my waist and was just under my breast.

  “That wouldn’t be a good idea. Someone might make the mistake of thinking you had a girlfriend. I couldn’t imagine anything worse happening than that!” My mock horror made him chuckle.

  “Very funny, princess.” Caleb rolled me over onto my back with him on top and damn did he feel good there. We started kissing again and I slowly inched his shirt off.

  “What are you doing?” he mumbled against my lips.

  I quickly tugged his shirt over his head, so just his arms were still in it. “I want to see your tats!”

  He leaned back, pulled his shirt over his head and gave me a good look. Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. He looked so fucking hot! It made a girl want to give up her virginity. I guess I should’ve known since he had one eyebrow pierced, that both his nipples were pierced too. His body was ripped. I’d never noticed him going to the gym, but he must fit it in sometime with abs like that.

  On his chest was a really cool Chinese dragon tattoo done in red and black. I touched it and he asked, “Do you like it?”

  “Yeah, do you have any other ones?” He started to unbutton his jeans and I put my hands over his. “Wait! I don’t want to see that one!” I don’t, right? I’d probably faint and never be able to face him again.

  He laughed and said ambiguously with a strange glint in his eyes, “I’m just kidding. Maybe.”

  Now I had to wonder if he really did have a tattoo somewhere under those jeans. Damn him! The idea of getting a little payback popped into my head. I leaned up to lick his nipple, flicking the ring. He shuddered as I sucked his nipple into my mouth.

  “Gianna,” he moaned. “Fuck. We should stop before this goes too far.” He didn’t sound as if he really meant it.

  “That won’t happen,” I told him confidently. “My first time isn’t going to be with a player.”

  He sprang away from me so fast I swore I felt a whoosh of air. “Whoa, first time? You’re a virgin?” The way he said it, you’d think I’d just told him I had the clap.

  “Yeah, so what? Why’s that so bad?” Anger was building in me at his attitude.

  “I do not mess around with virgins.” He picked his shirt up and yanked it back over his head.

  “You’re an asshole,” I told him, not believing his attitude. “Peace out, motherfucker!” I snatched my bag off where it’d fallen on the floor and left the apartment. My whole point had been that I’d never have sex with him, but the way he’d acted you’d think I threw myself at him.

  As I walked to my car, I was thankful I didn’t have to drive home with him. I’d have probably followed through with number one on the list and punched him in the face. I was pissed on the way home, until I realized the best way to handle how he just treated me was to get a little payback. Now, I just had to figure out how to do it.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “In youth and beauty, wisdom is but rare!”

  -Homer

  CALEB

  After Gianna stormed out of the apartment in a huff, I laid back on my bed. Crap! I almost had sex with a virgin. Crap! I almost had sex with my stepsister! We may not be blood-related, but I still thought us hooking up was something most people would frown upon.

  Besides, Julie may have liked me, but I didn’t think she’d like me banging her daughter. That woman had some serious issues when it came to her child and trying to live through her. She saw Gianna as her perfect little angel. No wonder she’d never caught on to Gianna’s Saturday night activities. All Julie could see was perfect looks and pom-poms.

  Speaking of pom-poms, I hoped Gianna realized she’d seen the end of those. I did have to admit, though, that I loved seeing her in her little cheerleading outfit at the football game Friday night. It gave me lots of school spirit. Go Team!

  I wondered again what number thirteen on her list meant. Since I was blackmailing her, I was sure I could make her tell me. It was probably some stupid girl thing. Back to the blackmailing thing, shouldn’t I have been getting more out of it? I guess I was having fun messing around with her life. Plus, I got the satisfaction of being in control.

  Maybe we didn’t just almost have sex. She did say she had no intention of giving it up to a guy like me. That she didn’t want her first time to be with a player. It was like she was asking me to prove her wrong. No! Don’t think like that! I didn’t sleep with virgins. They were too emotional about sex.

  What kind of tattoo did she want? Probably a butterfly or daisy. Chicks always got stuff like that. Speaking of chicks, it was hilarious when Gianna got jealous of that girl at the diner. What was her name again? All I vaguely remembered about her was the weird sounds she made during sex. I probably shouldn’t have mentioned to that girl the night we hooked up that I always ate at the Rocky Mountain Diner.

  When I was back at my dad’s house, I parked out front. I hoped it wasn’t awkward between me and Gianna, but I mostly hoped she wasn’t still pissed. From the foyer, I heard Julie and my dad talking in the kitchen. In the living room Gianna sat in front of the television playing video games with Chance.

  “Hey,” I cautiously greeted.

  Their heads turned around almost as one. “Caleb! Watch me play!” Chance demanded.

  Gianna smiled sweetly at me and I wondered what that was all about. “Hi, Caleb.”

  “Hi?” I repeated, confused. Wasn’t she still the least bit pissed at me? Wasn’t she the one who said peace out, motherfucker?

  I sat down on the couch behind them and watched them play. Chance was whooping Gianna’s ass at Mario Kart. I’d hooked up my Wii the other day and he was now obsessed with the game.

  Gianna turned around and whispered to me, “Caleb?”

  “Yeah?” I answered warily. What was with the whispering? I leaned forward and so did she.

  “You remember what we were talking about earlier?”

  “Yes,” I replied, not exactly sure what she was referring to.

  “Well, I think you were right,” she whispered.

  “Right about what?” I asked, still confused.

  “We’ll talk about it later,” she said on a conspiratorial wink. “Come to my room later.”

  That sounded like an invitation for more than talking.

  “Dinner’s ready!” Julie called from the dining room. Okay, not sure what Gianna was talking about, but I guess I’d be finding out later.

  We sat down to eat the spaghetti and garlic bread Julie made. Gianna was acting oddly happy, wh
ich was making me wonder what the hell happened between her leaving my mom’s apartment and her coming here. After dinner, I went upstairs and turned on my laptop. I felt weird going over to Gianna’s room, but eventually I found myself knocking on her door.

  “Come in!”

  I shut the door behind me, almost bracing myself for whatever it is she wanted to talk about. She sat at her desk in front of her computer, watching a music video online.

  “You said you wanted to talk about something I was right about earlier?” I said slowly.

  “Caleb, the way you acted about me being a virgin, well, you were right.”

  “I was?” Where was she going with this?

  “Yes, you were, and I’ve decided it’s time I lost my virginity.” She was serious about this from her earnest expression.

  “Gianna, I told you I don’t mess around with virgins,” I reminded her.

  “No, not you. Jared.” she blithely blurted out.

  “What the fuck, Gianna? You’re not having sex with Jared!” I yelled.

  “Shh! Do you want my family to hear? And why not Jared? He’s one of my best friends and from the kiss he gave me last night, I can tell we have some chemistry. He isn’t a jerk like Josh or a player like you. He’s perfect!”

  Okay, I didn’t see any of this coming. She was technically right. If she was going to lose her virginity, she should lose it to a guy like Jared. That didn’t mean I’d allow it. “When do you plan on this happening?”

  “I figure the sooner the better. I’ll see Jared on Saturday, so probably then.”

  Good to know when I needed to be prepared to stop this mistake. I would stay informed of her plans and stop them. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Duh! I need your help.”

  “You need my help to lose your virginity . . . to Jared?” I asked skeptically.

  “Of course, you’re the biggest manwhore I know. You can give me pointers and help me out with what lingerie to wear. We’ll go to Victoria’s Secret together. You know, you may as well add this to my list. Lose my virginity, number fourteen.”

  “All right,” was all I could manage to choke out.

  What the hell had I done? I wanted to be a bad influence on Gianna for the right reasons, not the wrong ones. Sure I’d had sex with a lot of girls. I’d be the first to admit I was a manwhore who loved easy girls, but I couldn’t let that happen to Gianna. She was too special to turn into me or one of those easy girls. She deserved her first time to be special, too.

  Most of all, I didn’t want anyone else touching her. Not that douche Jared, not that date-rapist Josh, no one. Since I couldn’t have sex with her, the best plan was for Gianna to stay a virgin. If I couldn’t touch her, she’d just have to be happy staying untouched. I wondered how she’d take it if I tried blackmailing her into staying a virgin.

  GIANNA

  After Caleb left my room, I buried my face in a pillow and let all of my pent up laughter out. That was the funniest thing ever! I had a hard time controlling my laughter when he was here, but I did. That was what he got for treating me like a leper for being a virgin. And I meant it when I said earlier today I’d never lose my virginity to a player like him. I had no intention of having sex with Jared on Saturday night. I mean, I was in no way against the idea of sex, but I figured it’d happen when it was meant to. It just hadn’t happened yet for me.

  The look on his face, or I should say the many looks on his face were hilarious. Shock, jealousy, irritation, anger all flashed over his handsome mug. Oh, it was a beautiful sight! He probably thought he’d kept his cool too, but I was looking out for it. I was deciding how far I should take this revenge. I thought I’d take it as far as I could without actually having sex with Jared. Caleb deserved it for blackmailing and insulting me.

  I knew this would work. I had to deal with Josh’s jealous and possessive ass for long enough to know that no matter what Caleb felt about me or my virgin status, the thought of me having sex with Jared would bother him. Caleb may not want to be with me, but being territorial just came naturally to guys.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman.”

  -Chanakya

  GIANNA

  Waking up the next morning with a feeling of anticipation, I felt better than I ever had on a Monday morning. I hurriedly dressed for school and went downstairs. Grabbing a breakfast bar and Gatorade, I sat at the kitchen table, tossing my backpack on the chair next to me.

  My mom snatched the Gatorade from my hand and replaced it with a bottle of water. “Honey, do you realize how many calories are in just one Gatorade?”

  “No, mom.” The bottle of water got a scowl from me. My mom got another one as she left the kitchen.

  Caleb walked in and awareness coursed through me. Did he have to be so hot? His body was freaking ridiculous. He was obviously irritated. This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with our little chat last night, would it? I hoped so.

  “Good morning, Caleb!” I said cheerfully.

  “Morning,” he grumbled while pulling the Gatorade I wanted back out of the fridge.

  “So when are we going shopping?”

  He finally looked at me, eyes wary. “Shopping? For what?”

  I leaned forward and whispered, “For Operation Pop My Cherry.”

  He was in the middle of taking a drink and spewed red liquid all over the countertop. I turned my head to the wall, holding back laughter.

  “Are you serious, Gianna?” he asked, his eyes flaring wide.

  “Of course I’m serious. You’re a dude. You’ll be able to help me pick the sexiest outfit for Jared.” I thought my patient tone was a nice touch.

  “You want me to go with you to pick out an outfit for you to lose your virginity in?” His own tone of disbelief and horror was priceless.

  “Well, I probably won’t be losing my virginity in the outfit. The goal is to drive Jared so wild he rips it off me first,” I explain coyly.

  “Please someone save me,” he muttered distractedly.

  “What was that?” I pretended not to hear.

  “Nothing, we’ll go later this week, I guess,” he agreed reluctantly.

  “Thanks, Caleb. You’re the best stepbrother ever!” This revenge stuff was fun. Picking up my backpack, I slung it over my shoulder.

  “Wait, Gianna, I’ll drive you today.”

  “Why?”

  “Just do what I say,” he barked out irritably.

  “Um, okay,” I said quietly. Why would he want to drive me?

  We drove to school in silence. I couldn’t help noticing how handsome he looked in a white Henley and dark blue jeans. The Henley was tucked in only at the front, showing his belt, which added a bit of sexiness.

  He managed to get a close spot in the school parking lot. I grabbed the door handle but he put a hand out to stop me. He was about to say something but changed his mind, shaking his head. People approached both of us as we got out of the car. If you put a camera in their hands, they’d be paparazzi.

  I zeroed in on Josh standing by the front doors, staring our way. God, I’d totally forgotten about him. I glanced over at Caleb to see him glaring back at Josh. I was surprised Josh didn’t come up to me. Maybe he was taking this breakup better than I thought he would. Well, that was a relief. I had been worried he’d do something crazy or embarrassing.

  People crowded us as we entered the front doors. I mostly ignored them and nodded my head here and there. My gaze met Josh’s when I passed by him. “Hi, Gianna.”

  “Hi, Josh.” Deciding that was polite enough, I kept walking.

  Some girl I’d never seen came up and touched Caleb’s arm, hanging on as if she were afraid to let go. He smiled charmingly at her and she giggled like an idiot. I had the urge to pull her bleached hair. At least my naturally dark blonde hair didn’t look like straw. I couldn’t believe I was getting jealous again over a player. It defied logic. A guy like him shouldn’t even be taken s
eriously.

  I ignored their flirting and walked to my locker. So much for Hannah, I guess she was last week’s flavor like I’d thought. Speak of the she-devil; she was waiting by my locker.

  “Hi, Hannah.” Turning the dial, I unlocked my locker and unloaded a book from my backpack to replace it with another. Finding a Gatorade I’d left there on Friday, I opened it and took a big gulp. What my mom didn’t know didn’t hurt her.

  “Do you know what your stepbrother did to me on Friday night?” Hannah hissed angrily.

  I thought to myself, do I want to know? But I instead said to her, “Nope.”

  She stomped her foot, and I thought, oh my god did she just stomp her foot? “I asked him if he was going to ask me to be his girlfriend!”

  Oh no, the G-word. That was taboo with Caleb.

  “And do you know what he did?” she asked insistently.

  “Nope,” I repeated, hoping she would just go away.

  “He laughed and told me, ‘As long as you’re okay with an open relationship.’ What the hell is that, Gianna? I can be his girlfriend as long as he’s allowed to be with other girls. That defeats the whole purpose of being his girlfriend!” Hannah screeched, oblivious of the attention she was drawing to herself. Two sophomore boys were her rapt audience.

  I managed to hold back my laughter, but at the same time I thought, what a creep Caleb was. But then, it’d been his whole purpose, to discourage Hannah from thinking relationship-type thoughts.

  Before I had to suffer any more of Hannah’s whining one of Josh’s friends came up to me. “Hey, Gianna, can I talk to you for a minute?”

  I gave him a grateful smile. “Sure, Seth, do you want to walk with me to class?”

  His green eyes lit up. “I’d love to.” I’d always liked Seth. He was such a sweet guy. He was kind of cute, too, with brown hair and green eyes. He played on the football team with Josh and we’d chatted in the past.

  While we were strolling down the hall, he cleared his throat nervously. “Josh told me about you two breaking up. I’m sorry.”