I flip him off.
“What’d you do to her? Or did you finally bang her, and she was a dud in the sack?”
“No,” I growl. “Shut the fuck up.”
He smirks. “You’re right, there’s no way that girl is going to be a bad lay.”
I can’t listen to him talk about her while I sit on her unmade bed. It’s too easy to imagine how she’d look naked beneath me, her dark hair against the white sheets.
Fuck.
I push to my feet and stalk past him.
“Grumpy fucker,” he mutters.
He’s not wrong, and he’s also not doing a single damn thing to help my mood. As per fucking usual.
“Get the girls.”
I see him salute me from the corner of my eye.
“Sir, yes, Sir.”
***
The club is pumping around me, the heavy beat pulsing through the wall I’m leaning against.
I tug my ball cap lower on my head and glance out at Avery and Billie dancing.
I feel like an ass. Billie hasn’t said a word to me since we left. In fact, she hasn’t even looked at me once. It’s like I don’t exist.
I should be happy to be out; no one has recognised me yet, and having her keep her space is the ideal outcome, given that I can’t have her, but instead of making me feel better it’s just fuelling my rage.
Every shake of her hips or smile on her lips is just making me more pissed off. The worst part about it is I can’t even have a drink, and I’m surrounded by it.
Josh tosses back another shot, catches my eye and grins, apparently oblivious to my mood.
He might be a pain in my ass, but I’d be lost without him. He’s the only person in my inner circle that doesn’t make allowances for my addiction. He drinks in front of me, and I need that, no matter how much it pisses me off. Alcohol doesn’t just disappear because I can’t drink it.
I guess the same could be said for Billie. Her and Avery are downing drinks like there’s no tomorrow, but I‘m not sure I’d count her as being in my inner circle, not yet – maybe not ever.
“You going to go and talk to her? Or would you rather stand here like a prick all night with a scowl on your face?”
“The latter,” I growl, turning my head so I can’t see the tempting brunette anymore.
“Well fuck that.” He shrugs. “You can sulk all night, but I’m going to go make myself the filling in a hot-girl sandwich.”
He yells out the girls’ names and bounds towards them like a big golden retriever.
Billie finally glances at me, and I hold her gaze until she looks away, dropping her eyes to the floor.
“Fuck this,” I mutter.
I’m agitated.
I’m on edge.
I know what I need. I don’t know where I’m going to get it, but it sure as hell isn’t standing here.
I give Oliver a gesture that I’ll be back and skirt around the edge of the dancefloor before he can even think about following me.
He and Eric think they’re blending in, but they stick out like dogs’ balls in here. I’m probably more likely to get recognised with them hovering than I am without them.
I’m a hell of a lot more likely to pick up a chick without having a babysitter too.
I weave through the crowd, keeping my head down as I head for the less crowded area at the end of the bar.
I order a tonic water with lemon, because for some reason, women like to think that a guy is having a few drinks.
I lean against the bar for a few moments, taking in the scene around me.
There are women everywhere, but none that are anywhere near hot enough to fuck Billie out of my system.
I sip my bullshit drink and listen to some guy getting shot down a few spaces down from me.
I can’t see the chick’s face, but I don’t miss the way her head shakes from side to side and how she’s trying to subtly move away from him.
I smirk. Watch and learn, buddy.
I head for the girl, an arrogance in my swagger.
My smirk deepens when I finally lay eyes on her. Red-head, great rack and a skirt so short it makes Billie’s look modest.
Her eyes drift from the dude she’s trying to escape, to me, and the look of distaste turns into one of hunger.
She doesn’t recognise me, I can see that, but she wants me all the same.
I jut my chin out conceitedly and a wicked grin crosses her lips as she slides from her seat and comes to meet me.
Maybe it won’t be so hard to forget the woman I came here with after all.
I hold my hand out to her and she takes it without question, following me without hesitation to a dark, private corner of the club.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Billie
I feel the sweat running down between my boobs and I sigh heavily. I look around for Masen where I last saw him, but there’s no sign of him anywhere.
Eric and Oliver haven’t moved an inch, but Oliver, in particular, doesn’t look happy. Eric is starting to make me feel self-conscious with how close he’s watching me, but no doubt he’s just following his orders.
“Where’s Masen?” I yell at Josh over the thumping music.
He shrugs at me and continues grinding his crotch against my best friend’s ass.
I don’t know how that’s considered dancing, but it seems like that’s what they’re going with.
“You good, B?” Avery shouts, worry marring her features as she takes in my concerned expression.
“I just… I hope he’s not drinking or something,” I yell back.
Josh scowls at the idea, and Avery looks surprised. “He wouldn’t, would he?”
It’s my turn to shrug now. I don’t know anything much about Masen when it comes down to it. I’m in no way qualified to know how strong his resolve is.
“Fuck’s sake, FG, now you’ve got me worried.” Josh is doing what I just did, scanning the area where he left Masen, and coming up empty.
“You don’t really think he’d…”
“Only one way to find out.”
The music suddenly seems too loud, the pulsing dancefloor too crowded.
Josh shoves me in front of him and follows me through the crowd, towing Avery behind him.
“Where’d he go?” Josh demands when we reach Oliver and Eric.
“Disappeared into the crowd about a half hour ago.” Oliver scowls.
I gape at him. He’s got no idea where Masen is, and I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“Disappeared? What the fuck is that shit? Isn’t it your job to know where he is at all times?” Josh demands, his chest rising and falling heavily.
“It’s my job to do whatever he tells me to do,” Oliver replies, his tone less than impressed with Josh’s accusations. “He told me to wait.”
“Whatever, man.”
Josh turns, reaching for my hand as he does, tugging me and Avery behind his big body. He pushes through the masses of people, his head turning side to side as he looks for his friend.
This is probably the first time he’s had his hands on me that I actually approve of.
“Do you see him?” Avery asks, pushing up to her tip toes to try and see for herself.
It’s not so loud over here – thank god – I can hear myself think for the first time in the past two hours, but there’s no way I’ll be able to see if Avery can’t, she’s got about two inches on me.
“Nope. If that fucker has a drink, I’ll kill him myself.”
“He won’t,” I hear myself saying.
Josh spins around to look at me, dropping my hand as he goes. “What makes you so sure?”
I shrug a shoulder. “I mean… I hope he won’t.”
Josh mutters something under his breath and stares at me curiously as Avery scans the area looking for the man of the moment.
“Oh, you’re kidding me,” she hisses, her hands balling into fists at her sides.
My heart drops as I follow her line of sight to the darkest corner of th
is slimy nightclub, and there he is, reclined back against his seat, arms slung wide, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips, and a beautiful redhead sitting in his lap.
She’s giggling, throwing her head back with laughter, and touching his chest like she has the right to.
Avery steps in his direction but I grab her. “Don’t, please, Avery,” I beg, but she’s not listening. She shakes off my hand and charges in the direction of Masen.
I don’t want to go over there; the thought of seeing Masen up close with another woman makes my stomach roll, but Avery is about to cause a scene. Masen has gotten away with not being recognised this long, but that’s all about to change if I don’t rein her in.
“Oh shit,” I hear Josh say, a hint of amusement in his tone. “He’s about to cop it, isn’t he?”
“You have no idea,” I mutter as I rush after her.
I glance behind me and see that Eric and Oliver have both followed and, for the first time since this whole thing began, I’m glad they’re here.
Oliver especially, because if I know my best friend – which I do – Masen is about to require protection.
I can feel Josh at my side as I skirt around the few people in my path, all the while watching Avery bulldoze her way to the man who is single-handedly destroying my heart and dignity.
Masen looks up from his piece of ass just in time to see Avery skid to a stop in front of him, and he looks right at her, his face expressionless.
“You’re a real fucking asshole, you know that?” she screams at him. “What the hell is your problem?”
She doesn’t know exactly what happened between the two of us earlier – him rejecting me – but she knows that something happened, that he did something to hurt me. She’s also not blind, and you’d have to be to not have seen the chemistry sizzling between us this weekend.
She promised not to cause trouble, but I guess that promise went out the window the minute she saw him with someone else.
The red head in his lap glares at Avery and instinctively, I get my back up. I might be letting Masen treat me like shit, but no way is anyone crossing my best girl.
“Do you know this bitch?” she asks Masen, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she speaks.
Avery lunges forward, about to rip into the chick. I make a grab for her, but Josh is faster, tugging Avery’s back against his front and wrapping his arms around her middle, holding her back.
“Chill, baby, they’re not worth it… either of them.” He spits the last part like venom.
I gasp at Josh’s words and the look of disappointment on his face as he and Masen exchange unspoken words.
Avery half-heartedly struggles against him, sending a death glare Masen and the girl’s way.
“You should get a leash for your cat,” the red head says, grinning as she settles back into Masen’s lap.
“That’s really original.” Avery sneers as Josh hauls her off, away from us, and then it’s just me, standing there, hurting for something I never even had.
“You want something, sugar?” Masen asks, his tone lazy but his eyes burning with an emotion I’ve never seen on him.
Only to have never met you, I think to myself.
I take one final look at him, shake my head and walk away.
***
I don’t let the tears fall until I make it to the bathroom. The last thing I need is for Masen or that stupid girl to see me cry.
I could do without Eric seeing me break down too. I don’t need anyone else in this whole mess thinking that I’m weak.
A girl stumbles out of a stall behind me, and I swipe at the tear running down my cheek.
“Oh, babe, are you okay?” she asks in a typical ‘I’m a drunk girl in a nightclub bathroom’ way.
I nod, rather unconvincingly.
“Boy trouble,” she states.
“How’d you know?” I sniff.
She rolls her eyes in an overly emphasised gesture. “Girls don’t cry in the bathroom over anything else.”
She’s probably right about that too.
“You’re a total babe. You should just go tell him to fuck himself and get yourself a new one.”
I huff out a laugh. “It’s slightly more complicated than that.”
She turns the tap on and shoves her hands under the stream, sending water spraying all over her dress. She doesn’t even seem to notice.
“He hot?”
“Scorching,” I admit.
“Well then go get your man,” she states and, honestly, I’m surprised she doesn’t pair it with a few finger snaps.
She sways on her heels and, drunk as she is, she still might have a point.
As far as the world is concerned, he is my man.
That’s my damn man out there, and no way am I going to be a doormat that sits around and lets myself be disrespected like that.
This whole thing might be pretend, but it was real enough that Josh wasn’t allowed to kiss me. It’s real enough that my privacy has been erased. I bet it would be real enough that no other guy would be allowed to come near me either, and if that’s the case, it can be real now too.
I straighten my spine, and my resolve while I’m at it.
“You’re right.”
She waves her hand dismissively. “I’m always right after tequila shots.”
I shoot her a grateful smile, check my makeup in the mirror and rush from the bathroom.
Josh, Avery and Eric are all waiting outside the door for me, but I walk straight past them.
“B!” Avery yells, but I don’t even turn.
I’m on a mission now and I’m not stopping until Masen Lennox learns that I’m not going to be a woman he can walk all over.
I shove through the throngs of people until I reach the spot where I left Masen and his little side kick. Only now, he’s alone.
“What? No lap accessory this time?” I demand, my tone sassy.
He looks up at me in surprise, his dark eyes finding mine in a flash.
“Why are you here?”
“I came to talk.”
“About?”
“My conditions.”
He rises from his seat slowly, his attention apparently piqued.
He slowly pulls the unlit cigarette from his lips and tucks it behind his ear, his ball cap now slung backwards on his head.
The action related to his dirty habit shouldn’t turn me on, but damn, he makes being bad look so good.
He’s too calm and composed as he steps towards me; it unnerves me all over again.
I cross my arms across my chest and try to remember why I’m here – what I want from him.
“And what are your conditions, sugar?”
“If we’re going to keep doing this… if you expect me to be ‘your girl’, then I have rules.”
He smirks arrogantly, but waves for me to continue.
I look past him to the empty glass next to the chair he was occupying, there’s no way of knowing what was in it just by looking at it. “No alcohol.”
He follows my line of sight.
“Haven’t touched a drop.”
I meet his gaze again and I believe him. Undoubtedly, and maybe that makes me dumb, but I’m beginning to realise that even the smartest girls get a little dumb when faced with Masen Lennox.
“And no other women,” I say while I still have the nerve.
The words hang between us.
“I have needs,” he growls.
“So do I.”
His stare grows heated. “What are you suggesting, sugar?”
I don’t know what I’m suggesting, but the words fell from my lips before I could think them through and now that I’ve said them, implied what I have – I want it. I want it bad.
“You know what I’m suggesting.” My voice wavers, but my eyes never leave his.
I want this. I want him.
He closes the distance between us, his lean body pressing against mine.
“You want to give me this sexy body?”
“It’s just sex – I can’t give you more,” he promises.
I nod slowly as he cups my jaw.
I can’t think.
I don’t care.
I only want.
“I’m your girl, use me,” I whisper.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Masen
I’m your girl, use me.
The tempting words bounce around my mind as we drive back to the house.
Josh didn’t even look at me. He’s fucked off with me and I haven’t seen him this pissed off in a while. Avery looked like she wanted to knee me in the balls, so I’m glad as hell they’re not riding with us.
Josh and Avery are in one vehicle with Eric, and Billie is in the back of the Range Rover being driven by Oliver, with me.
I haven’t spoken a word to her since she offered herself to me and I feel like a prick.
I don’t like feeling like a prick. I don’t like feeling anything at all. I like getting what I want from women and then cutting ties. No strings attached. No guilt. No feelings.
We both get what we need from the night and then we go our separate ways.
This is different.
That’s not going to happen here, not with Billie.
There’s the fact that she’s a live-in deal, but it’s even more complicated than that. She’s not the kind of girl you fuck once and forget about. She’s sexy in a way that she doesn’t even know about yet. She’s intriguing, and above all else, she’s too fucking sweet.
I know myself, if I let anything or anyone get too close, especially someone like the woman sitting next to me, I’ll get addicted.
It’s who I am.
An addict.
And I have a feeling that the pull of alcohol would be nothing compared to the allure of Billie.
“Would you just say something?” She whispers the plea.
I exhale heavily.
I don’t know what she wants me to say… how I can already imagine how it would feel to be inside her? How good I already know she tastes?
“If you’re not attracted to me, you can just say so… I won’t be offended. I know I’m not like that girl in the club.”
Mr. October: A Rock Star Romance (Calendar Boys Book 10) Page 8
