Bad Romance (2 page)

“
That is so cool! He was my mentor last year. I’m an archeology major. I nearly went with him but I had a full course
load here to fulfill my major.”

“
That is just
so fucking interesting, Todd.”

That voice.

There it was again.

I turned my attention away from the smiling, attractive man, and back to the beast that was looking down at me like I was some sort of snail slithering in his way. He crossed his arms over his chest and his biceps bulged. He looked like a wrestler. A very large, angry, narcissistic one.

“
My friend Todd there has yet to learn that women don’t dig that shit. They dig a guy that can fuck’em for hours, make them cum, and calls them the next day for round two.
Ain’t that right, little girl?”

I knew my face had gone beet red. I could feel the heat all over my body at his vulgar words.

Who talks like that?

“Fuck yeah,” Shannon mumbled.

That’s right, Shannon talks like that.

No one, all through high school, knew why she and I had been best friends. We met when my dad moved here four years ago, my freshman year of high school. She latched on to me fast and hard. Yet somehow I remained uncorrupted by her liberal way of living life.

“See, Todd. Girls like to fuck.”

You see, sleep deprivation had slowed down my wits. Normally a guy like this would’ve gotten one of my best nerd-girl comebacks. He would’ve been compared to a Dalek or something equally repugnant in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. But like I said, I was very much off my game. I could only glare, right before I straightened that spine of mine and marched past the shitty asshole standing in
my
kitchen, insulting
me
. I reached my hand out to the handsome guy standing in front of me. He was yuppie perfect. You could see the ten pack of abs rippling behind his slightly damp white t-shirt. His arm muscles weren’t behemoth large like the asshole behind me, but he was in shape, lean, and his boyish good looks had me nearly melting at his feet. This guy was my type all the way. I felt myself falter a bit as he took my hand. His large, smooth hand closed around mine and he kept that goofy grin on his lips as his blonde hair flopped forward.

“Nice to meet you, Todd. I can let my dad know I met you. He usually Skypes me before bed.”

His hand closed around mine tighter and his grin turned into a full-watt smile. His white teeth exposed, he nodded.

“You think I could come over one day? I mean, he knows me and all. I was one of his picks for going with him this semester, but like I said, course load here was too much. And the fraternity commitments and all…”

“Who the fuck cares! Jesus H Christ, you two are fucking boring.”

I could feel my annoyance level rise. Then I felt him at my back. All that man heat was hard to ignore. I looked up at Todd and his gaze was sympathetic and still had that charm that was quickly winning me over to his side. Then hands landed on my shoulders. Hot breath teased my tangled hair, and my cheeks flared as I looked up at Todd, who t
ook a step back, almost uneasy.

Why did a good guy like him hang out with a douchecanoe like this?

“
I’m having a party tonight, a house warming of sorts, see
you there.”

Then the mysterious hot guy was gone. The heat that invaded every sensation in my body was striding out my door like he owned the place.

Note to self, keep door locked from now on.

As I watched, the muscles worked in his ass and thighs I realized he looked so much better leaving than coming. I licked my lips and looked back up at Todd. His shoulders lifted and he shoved his hands into his pockets.

“I would apologize for him, but he wouldn’t even apologize for him, so it’s kinda pointless.” He looked around my kitchen, seeming to avoid eye contact. “But, I mean, if you aren’t busy, it would be cool for you to come tonight.”

Was this guy, well, into me?

There was that damned heat in my cheeks again. I felt like a virgin fool. I wasn’t even a virgin thanks to my most recent ex, who had somehow talked me into giving that little tidbit of trust away, then running off and humping some girl at a Taylor Swift concert in the bathroom. I wouldn’t have known if he didn’t post a selfie while in the act on Instagram. Apparently I dated douchebag idiots. I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth and nibbled on the sensitive flesh.

“
Sorry, but school for me starts tomorrow. I mean, my first class isn’t until ten in the morning, but I’m like you, I kinda packed my schedule pretty heavy. I got approved for extra credits because of my dad.
I just don’t think I can come.”

Todd nodded. He was so effing cute. What was I supposed to do with him? He was cute, probably rich, was in the same major as I was, and he and my dad got along. Temptation was a bitch. I’d promised myself after my ex I wasn’t going to date again until after college and I had some so
rt of stable internship or job.

“
I understand.” He paused, turned to leave, and then came back. The guy invaded all my space and something funny happened. I didn’t blush, I didn’t lose my train of thought. No, that other twatbag did that to me and it pissed me off. It pissed me off so much that I wanted nothing more than to prove that bit of biology
wrong
! “But I really hope you come. I know I’m a third year and you're a first, but—“ He ran his fingers through that messy mop and it stuck up all over and was the most adorable thing I had ever seen. “I think we could really hit it off, you know?” He brushed his knuckles over my cheek and turned and strode—no, he swaggered out of my damned house. Once all the testosterone had left the building, I collapsed in a chair and looked up at Shannon, who was currently wiggling her brows at me.

“
Oh my fucking God,
you whore! They both dig you.”

Both? Did she not see the way that other a-hole was looking at me?

“
You’re delusional. Who was that other ass anyways? God, I’m NOT going tonight. I am ninety percent sure that Todd will be in some class with me, and I’ll see that guy with him living next door. I am not walking into the hellmouth next door with that guy running the place. He’s like a giant animal heaving and blo
wing out hot air. What a dick.”

Shannon sucked in a breath and waved her finger at me.

“Language, language, Ms. Parker. He must have really gotten under your skin.” She took a sip of her coffee and watched me over the top of her mug.

I got up and collected mine and took a sip. I strode over to the front window and looked out at the scene before me. It was honestly a buffet of hot. Men and women dashing about. All were shirtless—well, the women were in bikini tops. It was then I felt it, eyes on me. I scanned the front yard and saw that a-hole watching me, leaning against the huge U-Haul out front. He tipped down his glasses and winked. I lowered my eyes to slits and glared. It only seemed to encourage him as he grabbed a girl running past. He gripped her ass as she wrapped her legs around him, giggling. He kept his eyes on me. The guy came closer, finally pinning the girl to a tree in
my
yard. Still, he looked at me.

I felt Shannon
come up behind me and whistle.

“
If he wasn’t that guy, I would totally screw him. But I honestly don’t fee
l like being one of his girls.”

Sadly, I couldn’t take my eyes off the duo as he clearly had his hands in her pants and was bringing her off in my yard.

“Who exactly is this guy?”

She scoffed like how dare I not know. Of course Shannon would know who the big man on campus was when she didn’t even go to the school.

“Dax Trenton.”

I felt the color drain from my face, and if I was the swooning type, I would have totally passed out Scarlett O’Hara style. But I was a nerd, I was a smart girl/woman, and that name. A flood of emotions rolled up inside my stom
ach and came to rest like lead.

Dax Trenton, my former best friend from Illinois before h
e moved away when I was eleven.

“Fuck.”

Chapter Two

Dax

How the fuck did I miss this shit?

The one thing, or should I say person I hated most in this life was watching me pin a girl to her tree and finger-bang her into orgasm.

“Oh fuck Dax, yes, please, so close,” she whimpered.

She was annoying the living fuck out of me. I was only doing this to prove a point. That I could have any girl I wanted, and
she wouldn’t, couldn’t have me.

Never again.

“
That’s it
, come, come all over my hand.”

And come she did. Just as I was about to give the little bitch next door the grand finale, licking this bitch’s juices off my fingers, she turned and walked a
way. Rage boiled hot inside me.

How dare she fucking deny me that?

With a firm smack to the chick’s ass—I didn’t know her fucking name—I sent her on her way. I didn’t leave, though. I leaned my shoulder against the tree and looked up at her window.

What were the damned chances we would end up in the same place again? When I left, she gave me that huge song and dance how she would keep in touch and write and never forget me. I got fucking nothing. Clara Parker was the reason I was the man I was today. I heard a door slam and realized she had gone out the back.

Did she figure it out?

Doubt it.

Clara always cared more about her books, fandoms, and other bullshit than any living person.

“Dude, why the fuck were you such a douche to Clara?”

Fanfuckingtastic.

Todd was gonna be a problem. Clara was his type. Innocent on the outside, smart, driven, and he could turn them into raging whores in the sack. I guess that’s how it was supposed to be. I gave a lazy glance over my shoulder.

“What? Professor Parker’s little girl? Yeah, well, she’s a bitch.”

His hand was on me and he had me pinned to the tree.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? She’s nice. If you don’t like her, let it go. I’ll take her.”

Something hot and ugly roared to life inside me and before I knew what was happening I had him pinned against the tree.

“Like fuck you’ll take her.” I was panting, I saw red. Then I saw Todd and her naked, fucking, her moaning his name and I just wasn’t having any of it. I pushed off him and stormed over to the house. I slammed open the front door and up the two sets of stairs. The main reason I’d picked this house was it had the attic fully redone to be a room for Todd and me. He and I always saw eye to eye. About everything. Girls, books, school, and movies. So this had to be fucking with his head.

“Whoa, what the fuck is going on with you, man? Usually if I say I like a chick you back off. You treat her like shit, then I say I’m gonna make a play and you go all fucking Conan the Barbarian on me? What the fuck, Dax?”

I stabbed my fingers through my hair and moved to the mini fridge to pull out a Blue Moon. I gulped half of it down pretty quick before collapsing on my mattress. This shit needed to get sorted if I had any hope of getting Clara out of my head before she showed up.

The bead dropped to the side and Todd blew out a puff of air. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t know mine and Clara’s history. I mean fuck, I doubted Clara knew we had a history. I wasn’t that skinny little fuck that had followed her around like she was some angel. Like she was perfect. Like she was mine.

But she had been mine.

Until she wasn’t anymore.

No doubt some fuck had already claimed that pussy and left her damaged goods.

“What’s going on, Dax?”

I shook my head and got to my feet. I finished my beer and tossed it in the trash.

“
Nothing. You want the little brat, go for it. Don’t expect her to give you anything good. She’s gonna be like the last ten chicks you dated. Those smart ones never give you what you want. I told you, hook up with the Kappa hoes and all will be well. They even make good trophy wife ma
terial when you need to marry.”

Todd smirked and held up his fist and I knocked it. I had him back. Even if he really wanted Clara I could fuck that up real fucking fast.

No one, and I repeat no one, was getting their hands on Clara Parker. I would blacklist her if I had to. I’d done it to bitches before, and I would do it to her. Fuck who her dad was. He wasn’t here right now, and that meant she was free game.

The shitty part was, I liked her dad. He was a good guy that let me stay the night when everyone else thought he was nuts to let a little punk like me into his home, much les
s have him around his daughter.