Pursuit: A Bad Boy Romance

by Cristal Pierre

  “You know, if you want to make it to the party on time, you should really get dressed. You don’t want to miss a chance at getting back at your ex, do you? Think about the look on his face when he sees you with a hot stud like me.”

  I rolled my eyes, his narcissistic tendencies a bit of a turn-off for me, even if what he said was true. “Okay, okay.” I stepped into my walk-in closet and grabbed an elegant black dress. I could feel Luke’s eyes on my body as I was putting it on.

  “Backless, I like that…” He murmured into my ear as he moved closer, his fingers dancing along the curve of my back all the way up to my shoulders. With a skilled hand, he adjusted the sleeves until they were perfect. He kissed my neck ever so slowly before his hands slithered along the front of my body, approaching my pussy. I thought, for a moment, that he would sneak his hand under the slit of my dress, but instead, he zipped me up and stepped back. “You look stunning.”

  His eyes were softer than usual like he was giving me a genuine compliment, but I didn’t believe it for a minute. This man was nothing more than a sweet talker. Giving out compliments was like second nature to him.

  “Just give me a second to do my makeup,” I said, stepping past him, but he grabbed my wrist, reeling me into his body.

  “A girl like you doesn’t need makeup.” He whispered, his voice soft and seductive. “Makeup was created to hide imperfections, something that you don’t have.”

  I laughed. “You’re pushing it.” I wiggled out of his grasp and headed toward my vanity, sitting down in front of the large mirror.

  He stood behind me, making it hard for me to ignore his reflection.

  After a while, I was satisfied with my look and was ready to leave the house. As I locked the door behind me and followed Luke to his car, a rush of butterflies suddenly came alive inside my stomach. Was I doing the right thing by going to the party with a man I barely knew? Was I ready to face David again? These thoughts flooded my mind, bouncing around until my temples ached with the beginnings of a headache.

  “After you, milady.” Graciously, Luke opened the door to his car, waiting for me to get inside. I hesitated, biting my lip. I still had time to back out of this.

  “Is something wrong?” He asked, his hand on my elbow, steadying me.

  “No.” I shook my head. The need to get my revenge on David outweighed any argument against getting in a car with Luke.

  ***

  Soon enough, we arrived at a large estate. The gold-plated gates were open, a guard posted beside them. Luke pulled up before rolling down his window.

  “Name.” The guard was a large, powerfully-built individual wearing dark tinted glasses. He held a clipboard in his hand.

  “Amanda Roselle.” I leaned over, accidentally placing my hand on Luke’s thigh for support.

  The man looked through his list and nodded. Another guard undid the chain that prevented anyone from driving through. With a sparkle in his eye, Luke drove up the long driveway, staring at the extravagant estate like he was a little kid in a candy store.

  “What’s up with you?” I asked, noticing that he was acting a little strange.

  “Oh, nothing.” He said smoothly, but I could tell he was hiding something. Maybe it had been a bad idea to bring him here…

  Before I could contemplate it any further, Luke had parked between two other cars. Stepping out, he opened the door for me. He grabbed my hand, easing me out and into his arms. Before I knew what was happening, he pushed me against the side of the car.

  I gasped at the impact, my eyes widening as I looked into his, trapped by his mesmerizing gaze. He held me by the hips as he leaned closer, our noses touching, our lips grazing against each other.

  My heart skipped a beat, my hands resting on his chest. I didn’t understand how this man was having such an effect on me. Usually, I knew how to control my hormones, how to keep a level head, but Luke was unraveling me like a ball of yarn, turning me into a woman I barely recognized.

  “What are you doing?” I finally breathed.

  A man passed by us, entering the estate with his date.

  Luke pressed himself a little closer and I prepared myself for a kiss that never came. Instead, his lips brushed against the side of my neck. “I thought that might be your ex. Wanted to make sure he got the message.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You don’t have to have sex with me to get his attention.”

  “Oh? Who said anything about sex? Or is that what’s going through that pretty little head of yours?” He teased before he grabbed my hand and guided me inside.

  As always, the Charity Ball was absolutely breathtaking. The tables were decorated with extravagant centerpieces, each flower looking like it had been picked at the height of its bloom. The waiters that walked around the ballroom were dressed in classy white tuxedos. A giant ice sculpture was set up near a table with exquisitely made hors d’oeuvres.

  “Fancy shindig. You must know some pretty well-to-do people.” Luke commented, taking me by the arm and guiding me toward a group of people I didn’t even know.

  “What are you doing?” I hissed.

  “This is a mingling event, isn’t it? Watch me work my magic.” He straightened out his bowtie with a quirky smile on his face. As he passed a waiter, he snatched two glasses of champagne, handing me one. “Here, drink this. You’re way too tense.”

  I glared at him.

  With a confidence I had never quite seen before, he sauntered up to the group, making room for himself in the circle of people.

  “Who are you?” One woman asked, flicking her auburn-colored hair over her shoulder, exposing her bare flesh. “I haven’t seen you at any of our previous banquets.” The woman was very direct, twirling her glass between her fingers, her eyes never leaving Luke’s. “And I think I would remember a man like you…” She whispered, pursing her lips as if she was getting ready to kiss him.

  To my surprise, a hint of jealousy flared up inside of me. My chest tightened at the thought of this woman trying to flirt with my date. In that moment, it didn’t matter to me that I had almost rejected his offer to come here, all I cared about was that she was trying to steal something that was mine.

  Before I could stop myself, I stepped forward, leaning against Luke, my hand on his chest in a suggestive manner. “He’s with me, Tiffany,” I said, my tone sharper than I intended it to be.

  The event organizer locked eyes with me, a frown appearing on her face almost instantly.

  “Oh, look what the cat dragged in…”

  “Ladies, ladies… There’s no need to be so hostile. I know everyone wants to take a bite out of me, but unfortunately, tonight I’m committed to Amanda here.” With these words, he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close.

  Tiffany’s cheeks reddened in anger. I couldn’t help the wild smirk that flashed across my face. A sense of pure adrenaline rushed through my veins. I couldn’t believe how good it felt to flaunt my date in front of this woman, to make her feel jealous.

  “So, this is a pretty nice place. What’s this charity ball for, anyway?” Luke started to dominate the conversation. The people around us gravitated toward him like moths to the flame. It seemed like he just had this innate ability to make everyone give him their utmost attention. Even I was getting sucked in.

  He started to recount stories about his childhood, drawing everyone a little bit closer.

  “So, one year, my parents decided it would be a good idea to go hiking in Vermont. They have a lot of forests and nature paths and all that. My sister was a serious birdwatcher, so she was all for it. She brought the camera she had gotten for Christmas that year hanging from her neck and she started taking pictures of everything… and I mean everything. If there was a pile of deer droppings on the ground, she snapped a picture of it. If there was a pretty-colored rock, she would make us stop so she could play around with her lens, trying to be a professional photographer.”

  “That sounds rather annoying,” Tiffany said. Somehow, she had m
aneuvered through the circle until she was standing right beside him. I pulled Luke a little closer almost as if I was being territorial.

  Luke chuckled, leaning down gently to kiss the top of my head. A few people whispered amongst themselves, commenting on how cute of a couple we were. My cheeks reddened at their words, but I knew, deep down, that this was all just a game for Luke. He was nothing more than an actor, putting on a show.

  Ever so smoothly, he started up the conversation again. “Oh, it was. Especially during my pre-teen years. I thought my sister was being a complete moron, so I started to deviate from the group. My parents were so enthralled by the nature hike that they didn’t even notice me leave. Then again, they barely noticed me.” I listened as he spun the story, making him look like a victim, getting the pity vote from his crowd. This guy was good. Damn good.

  “So, I trailed off, and what happened?” He leaned in closer. “Well, I’ll tell you what happened. I was standing there, minding my own business when I see this bear.” A few women gasped. “Oh, yes. It was huge. One of those big grizzlies you see on TV. Now, I was scared, of course, so scared that I was frozen in place. The bear and I had a staring contest and my heart was beating so loud… boom… boom… boom…” He had everyone in the palm of his hand, feeding off every word he said.

  “And then…” He paused for dramatic effect. “He started running.”

  “What did you do?” Someone asked, their eyes wide.

  “What do you think I did? I ran like hell!” He clapped his hands together before he ran in place, just building more and more suspense. “I had no idea where to go, I just kept moving my legs as fast as I could. Every time I looked back, that monster was gaining on me… getting closer… and closer… and closer…”

  I could tell everyone was holding their breaths because I was too.

  “And then… just when I thought I was as good as dead… he stopped. Something must’ve scared him off. I have no idea what it was… but I’m telling you, I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for that saving grace.”

  Everyone was quiet in the aftermath of his story before Tiffany called over one of the waiters, getting everyone a glass of champagne. “To Luke’s health!” She chimed, holding out her glass. Everyone joined in, creating a great big tinkling of glass.

  “Oh, please you’re too kind.” He bowed graciously, a great big smile on his face. He was just about to start up again when I spotted David across the room, my body growing as stiff as a board.

  Luke must have noticed this because he looked down, raising an eyebrow in question. He followed my gaze and saw me staring at David across the room. “Is that him?” He asked in a low whisper. “The guy in the baby blue suit?”

  I shook my head and grabbed his hand like I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. “I… I need to go to the bathroom.” I lied quickly.

  “Oh no you don’t. We came here to make him jealous and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Trust me. You’ll thank me when this is over.” Without another word, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close. I had to take small steps so I wouldn’t trip on my long dress. My heart was beating so fast as I tried to avoid looking at my ex-husband. I shouldn’t be doing this. It wasn’t right.

  Luke towed me right in front of David. As he passed by, he grabbed my ass, hard, causing me to gasp. David looked up and we made eye contact. Before things could get too awkward, however, Luke pushed me up against a wall and started to make out with me right then and there.

  I could tell David was staring at us, but as Luke continued to kiss me, overwhelming me with his passion, I started to forget all about my ex. All that mattered were the sweet lips dancing against mine.

  It was only when we were both breathless that we broke away. I looked over Luke’s shoulder, looking for David, but he was already gone.

  “Over there.” Luke pointed across the room, where David was now red-faced, downing a glass of whiskey. “If you ask me, he’s pretty pissed that you found yourself a hot new boy toy and he’s all alone.” He chuckled, an amused look on his face.

  “I’ve never seen him so red…” I whispered. “It almost looks like his head is going to explode.” I giggled.

  “Shall we make him squirm a bit more?” Luke suggested as he grabbed my hand and brought me to the dancefloor. There were a few couples already dancing.

  “Oh… um, I don’t know how to dance…” I whispered, suddenly feeling nervous. I wanted to make David rue the day he cheated on me, but at the same time, I didn’t want to make a fool of myself, especially not in front of all my friends and colleagues.

  “Don’t worry, just follow my lead. Stay close, let your body melt into mine and it’ll be a walk in the park.” He leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear. “Trust me.”

  Before I could come up with some kind of excuse, he already had his hand on the small of my back, pulling me nice and close until our hips were locked together. My eyes widened, looking up at him. He took my hand in his and started to circle the dance floor, bringing me along for the ride. It was a little awkward at first, but soon enough, I started to get the hang of it, feeling like I was floating on air.

  I was actually enjoying myself. A sense of happiness that I hadn’t felt in a long time washed over me. “Luke…?”

  “Yes, my dear?”

  “Why are you doing this?” I stepped in perfect sync with him, our bodies so close that I could feel how muscular he was even through his tuxedo. Now that I was warming up to him a bit, I had to admit, he looked undeniably sexy in a tux. A spark of lust surged in my loins and for a split second, I wanted to push him against the wall and resume our make out session from before.

  “What do you mean?” He asked, his eyes surveying the venue almost as if he was looking for something. Suddenly, his pupils widened and he shifted us toward the back of the dancefloor, where we were hidden behind the other couples.

  I found that strange, but I didn’t bother to comment on it, thinking it was part of the dance or something. “I mean, why are you doing all this to help me?”

  “Well, believe it or not, I’ve had my fair share of heartbreaks in the past. I know what it’s like to be with someone and think that everything is perfect, only to have everything shatter before your eyes. In an instant, you’re forced to pick up the pieces, only you can’t, because every time you try, you get cut, until finally, you become so calloused that you just don’t feel anything anymore.”

  My heart tightened at his words. I wasn’t sure if he was saying all this just so I could feel sorry for him or if he genuinely felt that way. “Luke…”

  “But, enough about that! We’re here to have fun, aren’t we?” He tightened his grip on my body, suddenly swooping me downward until my head almost hit the ground and my leg was high in the air. The music stopped for a second before it changed to the next song. In that moment, I found myself staring deep into his eyes. It felt like everything in the world had stopped and we were the last two people left.

  Chapter 10

  Luke

  Amanda looked at me with great big eyes. I could tell she was falling for me. I had been carefully weaving my web all night long. From the long and mostly fake story about the bear, to the make out session in front of her ex, to the dancing – it was all just a way to lure her in. And now, I finally had her trapped.

  I leaned down slowly, kissing her lips ever so gently. They were soft and sweet, exactly the way I liked them.

  As the kiss continued, she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer. As she parted her lips, my tongue slithered inside, wrapping with hers. I tightened my grip, leaning her down even further. My other hand reached for her thigh, her long, shapely legs exposed by the long slit in her dress. I crept my hand further along her leg, getting into dangerous territory. I waited for her to push me away, but she never did.

  I definitely had her trapped.

  Eventually, I let her get back up, breaking away from the kiss. She kept her ey
es closed for a moment longer as if savoring the taste of my kiss. I smirked. “And then you say you’re not a good dancer…” I complimented her, loving the way her cheeks turned rosy as I did.

  “That was… amazing.” She breathed. “I never danced that way with anyone before.”

  “Well, you’ve obviously never been with a man like me.” I winked at her.

  Her blush grew even darker. Thinking it would be unwise to push her any further, I took her hand and guided her to a table. I pulled out a chair for her. “Thanks.”

  “Do you want anything from the bar?” I asked with a grin. Her ex was still sitting there, a sour expression now permanently etched on his face. “I wouldn’t mind a word with your ex.”

  She shook her head at my suggestion. “You can’t.”

  “Why not?”