Perfectly Toxic (The Sterling Shore Series Book 9) (8 page)

Chapter 13

BELLA

Why am I telling him this? I sound like a slutty piece of shit.

“Anyway, the last guy I got involved with ended my string of bad boys. Such as yourself,” I state, ending it with a joking note while smiling at him.

“I ran a business for my dad because he couldn’t bear to lose it. I worked an average eighteen hours a day—including weekends—just to keep that place booming, and killed myself to make sure it went to the right buyer when the time finally came that I just couldn’t continue to hand over my soul to a company.”

That surprises me, considering it seems so out of the blue.

“I’m saying I’m not your typical ‘bad boy,’ and for the record, I hate labels of any kind.”

And that makes me smile again. He’s really nothing at all like I pegged him to be.

“Sorry I labeled you,” I tell him mockingly, watching as his lips twitch.

“What happened with the guy that turned you off for good?” he prompts, reminding me this is getting deep.

“Just before I moved to Sterling Shore less than a year ago, I had an apartment with Allie and Angel in our old city. I never brought guys home, but Allie and Angel went camping for some mother/daughter bonding time. I figured why not invite my boyfriend over? I did, and the next morning Allie came home to find Angel’s piggy bank money from her birthday party was gone. Over two hundred dollars that she’d gotten from our hospital friends we’d invited to the party… It was all gone. So was Allie’s necklace. I’d gotten it for her our first Christmas as friends. It was the first present she’d ever gotten. It wasn’t worth much money, but he stole something she treasured. He stole from Angel—a little kid. And
I
had let him into our home.”

He sits back, and so do I. We both stare like we can’t look away for several long, silent moments.

“I guess Allie was pissed.”

“She was upset, but not at me. Allie is really emotionally mature, usually. Other than when she first found Wren. But who wouldn’t be under those circumstances? She usually always focuses her anger on the actual target and doesn’t lash out at anyone else. I deserved her anger, but she refused to be mad at me. It just made me feel worse.”

He leans up, but before he can say anything, we hear a very familiar voice from very close by.

“Sexually aggressive women are actually less likely to have sex than girls who go for shy sexy.”

Britt Sterling.

My eyes pop up, and I find her vibrant red hair behind Ethan’s head, sitting in the booth right behind us. How did I miss her come in?

Her back is to us, so she doesn’t see us as she talks to a group of people who all look about her age.

I can’t hear what someone says to her, since they’re keeping their voice lower, but Ethan cranes his neck as though he’s listening as well.

“You can’t stimulate a woman that way,” Britt tells them. “I tried it on myself. It’s just a myth.”

I choke on my milkshake, and Ethan covers his face while shaking with silent laughter.

I really love Britt. She’s so refreshingly blunt and literal.

“I have to get home for a celebration for Rain’s sister, but I’ll give you my notes on sexual stimulation if you want,” she tells a guy who is… not looking like he’s laughing
with
her.

My smile fades as I study all of them, and Britt stands as someone tells her they’ll happily read her notes when she gets the chance to hand them over. She walks out happily, oblivious to the fact they’re all laughing
at
her. There’s a huge fucking difference between laughing with someone and laughing at them.

“Is she for real?” a guy asks.

“I told you!”

They’re talking louder now that the topic isn’t about sex.

Ethan’s eyes meet mine, and something cold and calculated crosses his gaze.

“Why the hell are you hanging out with her?” a girl asks another girl, who is between the two guys.

“Because she’s Dane Sterling’s sister. And because she’s in with all the Sterlings. My father said it’s the best move on my part. But all the girl does is talk weird like that. She gave me a twenty-five minute spiel about Wonder Woman yesterday. As if I fucking care. Don’t even get me started on her longest monologue ever about the origins of science fiction films.”

Britt—sweet, loveable, honest, genuine Britt—is being used, mocked, and laughed at by people she thinks are friends.

Deciding I can’t stomach listening to this and not
do
anything about it, I stand, and so does Ethan. My milkshake is almost gone, but his is still pretty full.

“You finished with that?” I ask sweetly.

He smirks as he slides over to me, almost as though he knows what I plan to do. As soon as I step by him, I open the lid, then do a fake stumble thingy that has the cup flying out of my hand, and splattering all over the girl and the two boys she’s wedged between. The other girl is lucky I can’t pull off a double fake stumble and hit her side of the booth as well.

“You stupid bitch!” the girl gasps, staring down at her milkshake shirt in horror.

The guy beside her starts to stand, but Ethan shoves him back in his seat with one hand on his shoulder, not even struggling to pin him there.

“Sit,” he tells the boy who looks barely eighteen.

He pales a little when he stares up at Ethan, and I put the empty cup on the table.

“I strongly suggest you leave Britt alone,” I say with a syrupy sweet smile.

She eyes my scrubs then snorts derisively.

“Whatever.”

“I’m serious. I’m friends with the Sterlings and—”

They burst out laughing like I’ve said something ludicrous, but Ethan slides in behind me, putting his arms around my waist. The laughter slowly starts to fade when the girl takes him in, and her eyes widen with recognition.

“I also know the Sterlings,” he says, sounding bored. I almost want to do a victory dance. “And Britt is family. Let her down gently or I’ll make a call to your father myself to sever all ties to Live Wire.”

I have no idea what that is, but it sounds awesomely threatening. I’ll save that victory dance for a private session.

She clears her throat and averts her eyes, and a hushed silence ensues as Ethan kisses the top of my head. “Let’s go, babe. We have a celebration to attend.”

I let Ethan pretend we’re a couple, threading our fingers together as he guides me outside. I should take my hand back once we hit the sidewalk, but instead, I let him pull me along.

“Are we really going to celebrate something?” I ask him, almost hoping for a reason to continue hanging out, even though I should be putting space and lots of distance between us.

“Nah. Just wanted to rattle them by making them think we were going to the same place as Britt. You owe me a milkshake. I’ll collect that in the future.”

I smile in spite of myself, and I stare down at his hand that is still gripping mine. Such a small touch shouldn’t wield so much power.

“Where are we going then?”

“My place. I just got a new TV that hasn’t been used, and I finally have a chance to be alone with you.”

That has me planting my feet in the concrete, but he just tugs me along, forcing me to stumble.

“I just told you we can’t—”

“You have a serious issue with thieves. I get that. I can assure you I have zero reasons to want to steal anything from you. I won’t be robbing Angel’s piggy bank or taking anything of Allie’s. Even still, I’m taking you to my place instead of yours. Your issues have nothing to do with me.”

“There are also cheaters and liars.”

“The packaging hasn’t got a damn thing to do with those. Inhaler boy could have been any of the above. Just because he isn’t cocky or whatever doesn’t mean he’s a good guy.”

Fair enough. “I have a type. It’s only the guys I’m attracted to who seem to fuck me over.”

He turns, facing me, and his lips tilt in a smile. “Stop doing the math on everything that could go wrong, and start enjoying life while we’re still young, Bella. Trust me, time flies when you’re being an adult. And you wake up wondering what all the fun people were doing while you forgot to live.”

I’m still fun, but I don’t point that out.

He opens the door to a very sexy Shelby Cobra. Great. He also has a sexy car to go along with a sexy bike.

“Getting in?” he asks, his lips fixed in a daring grin.

A smart girl pats his cheek and walks away, just like I did the first time I met him. A dumb girl gets in the car.

I’m not a smart girl at the moment.

Chapter 14

ETHAN

Bella whistles when we step into the foyer. The house isn’t obnoxious like some of the Sterlings’ or Tag’s, but it’s a nice house that’s too big for just me. Now that she’s here, it’s hard not to say something stupid that will have her cursing me and bolting for the door.

Being an ass and snarky sparring I can do. But I think we’re sort of past that point. At least at the moment.

Something tells me she’s not just going to tear off her scrubs and head into my bedroom without a little effort either.

What the hell am I doing?

Inwardly groaning, I lead her into the living room.

“Want a drink?” I ask, tossing her the remote as she sits down on the couch.

“Just water. You know, I only live a couple of blocks from here,” she says as I head into the kitchen.

“You feeding my stalker habit?” I ask her, smirking when she laughs under her breath.

“Just figured someone like you would be in a much ritzier area. Like on the beach or something,” she calls out.

I grab a couple bottles of water and head back into the living room as she flips through the channels on my TV.

“I’m not big on sand. No matter how hard you try to keep it out, your house is full of sand when you live on the beach. And the uptight neighborhoods aren’t feasible for partying.”

I wink at her, but she rolls her eyes.

“Right. For a second, I actually forgot you were a party boy.”

“Ah now, that’s not all I am, Banana Girl.”

She glares at me, and I bite back a smile as I get comfortable on the couch, handing her the water. She snatches the bottle out of my hand, fighting hard not to smile.

“Damn Wren Prize.”

My laughter sneaks out before I can stop it, and she mutters a few curses and something about bells.

“So I guess you’re a blowjob expert if you’re giving her pointers?” I ask, smirking when she coughs on her water.

She turns her eyes on me, and a slow smile curves her lips. “Don’t get excited. Even if I wanted to give you a demonstration—and I don’t—I don’t think I’d know what to do with all the hardware you’re sporting.”

My eyebrows waggle, and she shakes her head. “It works exactly the same. It just feels better.”

“There’s another line I bet you’ve used a hundred times,” she says while mocking a gag, which has my cock twitching in response. Until she adds, “But I don’t know where that thing has been, and my mouth isn’t going anywhere near it.”

“Got tested a few weeks back. The results are in the top drawer of my dresser, if you want proof I’m clean. And I haven’t fucked anyone in… too long. So everything is up to date.”

She clears her throat and looks away, and my smile grows. I like making her squirm. Before I can mess with her more, my phone is ringing, and I glance down to see my lawyer’s name flashing across the screen.

“Gotta get this,” I tell her before standing and heading toward my room.

“Take your time,” she says to my back.

“You got it taken care of?” I ask instead of doling out a generic
hello.

I check to make sure Bella isn’t following me, just in case. Then I close my door.

“Well, hello to you too,” Darren states flatly. “And yes I do. I spoke with the mother first, who got too emotional to continue speaking. The father took over, but he was struggling to speak as well. They couldn’t believe it. They want to thank the man who is giving their son this chance.”

“Absolutely not. This is completely anonymous.”

He sighs hard. “Very well. I’ve taken care of all the paperwork, and they’re willing to sign the waver, promising they can’t sue you if anything goes wrong in the operation. I’ll be cutting them a check from the firm as soon as it’s all squared away. One of my guys is catching a flight tonight to get it all taken care of, and he’ll hand them the check as soon as the paperwork is signed.”

“Sounds perfect. I’ll wire the funds to you. Thanks for getting on this so quickly.”

“How could I not? Let me know if you need anything else, and keep me updated on the boy’s progress.”

“I doubt I’ll be kept updated, since I’m a silent funder on this.”

“Right. Then I’ll call the mother and keep you updated.”

“Thanks for that,” I tell him, then hang up and head back to the living room, where I stumble to an abrupt halt.

Ah hell.

There are some moments in life that just shouldn’t happen, and this is one of them.

Bella is sitting on the couch, smirking in my direction, and right beside her is a girl whose name I should know but can’t remember.

“Ethan!” the girl says, standing as she adjusts her very short skirt.

Mothballs. All I remember about her is that she smells like mothballs.

Bella screws the cap on her bottle of water, sitting silently until I glare at her.

“Sorry,” she says, not sorry at all. “Lynn knocked, so I let her in. Says she lost her panties here, and she came to retrieve them.”

I do remember that we didn’t get her panties off, so that’s bullshit.

Lynn beams at me, then winks. I want to throttle Bella for letting her in, and I want to forget all about the fact I almost had sex with Lynn during my welcome home party that ended with me in the emergency room.

“And I wanted to see how you’re doing,” Lynn interjects, still beaming. “I’ve tried calling, and I tried to find you at your last party, but I never saw you. The guys said you’d taken a girl home. I’ve stopped by a few times, but this is the first time I’ve caught you at home.”

Bella stands just as I start to point out I took Krysta—Ruby’s sister—home, since she shouldn’t have been here in the first place.

“Well, as great as all this is, I really need to be going,” Bella tells me, holding up the bottle of water. “And thanks for the drink. It was… clarifying.”

The humor in her tone is forced, and I mentally check off the ways Lynn has fucked up my entire night.

“Bella, I—”

She holds her hand up. “I don’t need anything from you. It’s your life, and you don’t owe me anything. But the truth would have been nice, considering it’s been… How did you put it?
Too long?
Guess we have different definitions of
too long
.”

Cursing, I follow as she heads toward the door with quick steps. My hand slams against the door before she can escape, and her back tenses as I press against her from behind.

“This isn’t what it looks like, and you can at least let me explain before you storm out.”

Drama. I never do fucking drama.

“Told you I had a type,” she says, pulling at the door handle.

I release it, my jaw ticking as I step back and let her step over the threshold. She whirls around, and she gives me a bitter smile.

“Ethan?” Lynn calls from the living room, reminding me I have to deal with her on top of everything else.

“Enjoy being a frat boy. Just leave me alone. Please,” Bella states flatly, and my head falls back as she turns and starts walking away.

“I drove you,” I remind her.

“I need the cardio,” she says without looking back.

I slam the door, moving toward the living room where Lynn is biting her lip nervously.

“Sorry. Was that your girlfriend?” she asks with fake contrition.

“You need to go,” I tell her, tossing her purse at her chest.

She squeals as she catches it.

“But my panties,” she reminds me, and I grab my wallet.

Shoving forty dollars in her hand, I start pushing her toward the door, and she stumbles over her own feet to move with my pace.

“Buy another pair. On me.”

I push her all the way out, then I lock the door before heading to my garage. Bella just reminded me why I don’t do relationships. I should fucking thank her.

I’ve never liked being labeled. I’ve always hated being called a liar. And I don’t do drama.

I don’t care how bad she’s under my skin, I’ll find a way to get the hell over it.