Dirty Bad Boys Box Set: Forbidden Romance Collection

by Kat T. Masen

  “But you’re here,” I remind her. “Is this not for pleasure?”

  She smiles, loosening her grip on the steering wheel. “That depends. We’ve been chatting for nearly an hour and you haven’t asked me out.”

  Good point. Smart and sassy. I’m not the type of guy who asks a woman out. I don’t date, I fuck. That’s all I do. I’m not interested in relationships. After all, I am only twenty-eight. Still in my prime.

  “I’ve been instructed to stay clear of any women associated with Charlie.”

  Kate laughs at my comment. “Charlie is a simple woman. She’s relationship-oriented. She never grasped the concept of having fun. You know… letting loose.”

  “Please don’t talk to me about my cousin letting loose. She’s still the girl who stayed at our house during summer vacation and made me watch Clueless on repeat.” I roll my eyes.

  “If it’s any consolation, she’s a happily married woman now. A mother.” She smiles proudly.

  “Unless she’s a nun, can we please change the subject?”

  A Porsche cuts us off, prompting Kate to mouth off at the driver. “I should flip him the bird, the arrogant asshole!” Letting out a frustrated breath of air, she continues to drive while calming herself down. “So tonight, what are you doing?”

  She is asking me out. A straightforward thinker. If only I hadn’t overheard the conversation between Kate and Charlie or noticed that she glances at her cell every two seconds as she attempts to drive and battle the traffic.

  “Nothing tonight. I’ve only been here for two days, so I haven’t had a chance to do anything that doesn’t involve tea parties or playing dress-up.”

  You’re such a fucking liar. You were eating pussy hard last night. Did you forget that?

  “All right, time to take you out to play with the grownups. We need to get around Lex and Charlie. Otherwise, they’ll make a big deal out of nothing.”

  “I’ll just meet you wherever you want to go,” I suggest.

  “Okay, there’s this new bar out in Malibu. Let’s meet around eight. Do you have a ride?”

  “I’m sure Charlie will lend me her car. Otherwise, I’ll find a way,” I tell her. Of course, she will, and if she doesn’t, I’ll remind her that yesterday Addison got red marker on my expensive shirt which resulted in a last-minute dry cleaning so I could wear it today.

  The traffic moves forward and we continue talking about life in LA. Due to her time spent in New York, Kate is very anti-California. She dislikes the heat and the traffic. She often refers to Los Angeles as a fame-driven money pit. It occurs to me, somewhere during a rant about the smoggy air, that this British girl is extremely homesick.

  “I can tell you miss home.”

  “I miss the cold weather. My mummy’s fish and chips with the mushy peas on the side.”

  “Excuse me? Mushy peas on the side of fish and chips?” I almost gag at the thought.

  “Yes, it’s my favorite dish. You don’t like peas?

  “Uh... I don’t mind them, but mushed with fish? No thanks.”

  “Such an arrogant Yank. You think that’s gross but you eat peanut butter and jelly.”

  Taken aback by her disrespect for one of the classics, I wonder how anyone could possibly knock a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

  “Are you comparing mushy peas to a PB & J?” I ask loudly with a confused face.

  “Oh, please, it’s weird, okay?” She cringes.

  A horn honking breaks our argument, and in return, Kate slams her hand on her car’s horn, cursing along with it. “Did you see that? He flipped me the damn bird!”

  She looks hot when she’s angry. I wonder what would happen if I flipped her my bird?

  “We’re here,” she announces, parking the car at the front of the building.

  There goes that idea.

  I look outside the window and see a small brown building. It’s not the high rise I’d been expecting, nor does it even look like an office. It’s nestled between two large modern buildings, prompting me to recheck the address.

  “Are you sure this is the right place?” I question Kate while searching for the address on the email Lex sent me.

  “It sure is. Just remember, don’t judge a book by its cover,” she says wisely. “I’d love to come out and introduce you to Haden but I have a meeting to get to. Japanese businessmen do not like tardiness.”

  “It’s okay, we can leave the hand holding for later.” I raise my eyebrow and follow it with a smirk.

  “Sure.” She turns her body to face mine, positioning her legs carefully so they don’t expose what I would love to have a look at. “Nothing like a good hand job. So, tonight?”

  “Tonight.” I grin, breaking out in a small chuckle as I open the door of her car.

  She leans her head as close as possible to the passenger window, and with her lips cracking into a smile, she says, “You’re a heartbreaker, Mr. Mason. And someone out there is definitely going to get their heart broken.”

  ***

  Kate’s right. You don’t judge a book by its cover. So you shouldn’t judge a building in the same way. As soon as I step inside, I’m astonished to see such an architecturally well-presented office space.

  The reception area has dark wooden floorboards and crisp white walls. The back wall, where the receptionist sits, is old brickwork restored to its original condition. Hanging on the wall are various book covers sitting in large frames with an autograph at the bottom of each print. Moving closer to the reception desk, I notice that each book on that wall is a New York Times bestseller.

  The sconces in the room are modern, illuminating the area and giving it a warm and inviting feel. And positioned in the corner is a vintage, brown leather couch with a bookshelf beside it housing many books. There are more books positioned on the oval-shaped coffee table which sits on a huge, off-white shaggy rug.

  I want this to be my living room. All that’s missing is a fireplace and a woman sprawled in front of it naked.

  The receptionist is wearing an earpiece and motions for me to wait a minute. The second she hangs up, she asks me who I am.

  “Noah Mason. Here for my first day on the job.”

  “Right. You’ll want Mr. Cooper,” she replies with a cute, I-want-you-to-finger-me type of smile.

  She stands up and walks around the desk, careful to adjust her tight fitting skirt. She requests I follow her, and I try my damn hardest not to look at the way her firm ass shakes from side to side as she leads me through the office.

  I could do so many things with that firm little ass. Clear your dirty thoughts. She looks young. You like your women with a little more life experience.

  We stop at the glass office at the end of the hallway. Opening the door, the man—who I assume is Haden Cooper—motions for us to come in.

  “Mr. Cooper, this is Noah Mason.”

  He stands from his desk, extending his hand to shake mine. He appears very young to be running a publishing house, he’s almost my age. Tall with a muscular build, he’s wearing thick-framed reading glasses. Irritated by his beard, which he seems to be repeatedly scratching, I can notice the wedding band on his finger. Poor fella.

  “Noah, pleased to meet you. Sit.”

  I take a seat in the plush chair as the receptionist leaves. His office is nothing special, scattered manuscripts all over his desk with barely room for anything else. There’s a mug next to his desktop which has a picture of Homer Simpson in his briefs with the caption ‘The last perfect man.’

  “So, Noah, Lex had only good things to say about you. But then again, that man could persuade anyone to do anything.”

  “He does have a way with words. Thank you for this opportunity, Mr. Cooper.”

  “Call me Haden. It’s weird, you seriously look like you could pass as my twin brother.” He chuckles.

  I relax. “Perhaps. No ring on my finger, though.”

  “Ah…” he smiles, “… life works in mysterious ways. That, and my wife is a ballbreak
er. I probably shouldn’t say that out loud because she’ll be lurking around here somewhere.”

  “She works here, too?”

  “Senior editor. I’d show you a picture but she doesn’t allow me to put a photo on my desk of her and our son. She reckons people who do that in the office are lame and missing a pair of balls.”

  I like his wife already.

  “So, I’m impressed with your marketing background. I think you’ll fit right in here. We need a strong push on our upcoming releases and the marketing interns we have need direction. Let’s have a meeting with them this afternoon,” he suggests.

  I nod, agreeing, only to be interrupted by a stunning woman wearing a fitted pantsuit and low-cut, blue blouse. She has curly brown hair that’s tied into a bun with a loose tendril falling over her face. This office is like a candy store, except instead of candy it’s filled with sweet, beautiful pussy.

  But I have to remember the golden rule—you don’t shit where you eat.

  I need this job right now, and my raging libido has to go sit himself in the naughty corner alone.

  “Hello.” She offers a friendly smile. “You must be Charlie’s cousin, Noah.”

  Crap! She knows Charlie. Game over.

  “That I am,” I answer politely.

  She introduces herself, “I’m Presley Malone.”

  Haden coughs while shooting her an annoyed, wary look.

  “Sorry, Presley Malone-Cooper,” she says, rolling her eyes at him.

  I laugh softly. “Ahhh... the wife.”

  Definitely game over.

  “When the title fits,” Haden quips, stroking his beard.

  “Stop being a jerk, Haden,” she fires back, trying her best to disguise her smirk. “Anyway, it’s great to have you onboard. I hope Haden was kind enough to invite you out for drinks tonight?”

  “I hadn’t gotten around to it, yet. It’s what happens when Mrs. Know-It-All interrupts,” he complains. “So, Noah, are you free for drinks tonight?”

  “I had plans but I can change them to later tonight.”

  “I’m sure you men will have fun. Listen, I’m off. If you need me, I’ll be trying to get through to an author about her manuscript having too much sex in it.”

  “And I told you, there’s no such thing,” Haden states with a playful smile on his lips.

  I’d have the same smile if I were tapping her sweet ass every fucking night.

  “Are we having this argument again? There needs to be a plot. A story to make the readers want more. A sex scene on every page is overkill.”

  Their argument continues on, and the more I observe, the more I see that Haden purposely riles Presley up to get a reaction from her. It’s comical, to say the least. I see now why Charlie and Kate joke about him being a jerk.

  After not agreeing on anything, Presley walks out, leaving Haden and me alone.

  “My wife,” he says with a small laugh. “Do you see what I have to deal with every day? Ballbuster. Too damn stubborn.”

  “Headstrong is a preferable word.” I laugh. “Much like Charlie and her friend Kate.”

  “You know Kate?” He follows with a whistle. “The three of them together are like Charlie’s Angels… excuse the irony of the name. Trying to battle with everyone while standing up for equality for women. Kate’s a troublemaker,” he finishes with a soft laugh.

  “Interesting, I only met her today. A feisty Brit at that.”

  “She’s fun. Not as uptight as Presley and Charlie. I think they have this need to protect her from the awful men lurking around New York City. They’re forever on her back and don’t seem to get that she’s a free spirit. Doesn’t care what people think, just does what makes her happy.”

  Interesting way to describe Kate. She came across as fun-loving and relaxed, not one of those women desperate to get married and have babies. Maybe that’s why I like her—I don’t feel this unwarranted pressure around her.

  “Look, I’m gathering that you’re hooking up with someone tonight so don’t worry about drinks. Seriously, I totally get it.”

  I don’t want to tell him it’s Kate. Having only just met Haden, I don’t know if he’d encourage me to spend time with her or warn me against it. Despite what he’s just said, people have a funny way of reacting to things, and it’s best to keep it on the down-low for now.

  “Someone invited me to some bar in Malibu but it’s no trouble.”

  “I’m not getting in the way of a man and some pussy. Trust me…” He laughs. “We’ll have drinks later this week. I’ll try to convince Lex to come out but knowing him, he’ll be out of town as usual.”

  I spent the remainder of the day being shown the ropes. By five pm, I was beat. I’d made my way back to Charlie’s for a quick change. I want to use her bike and it takes a lot of convincing, especially because it’s her baby, and after an hour-long lecture on road safety she finally hands me the keys. I pack some extra clothes, unsure of where the night might lead me.

  Between Kate’s legs... hopefully.

  It’s bumper-to-bumper traffic to Malibu. Some dick lost his load which causes a major traffic jam. Thank God I’m riding her bike, swerving in and out of the traffic to avoid further delays. By the time I arrive, I head for the bar, and couldn’t be happier to have a drink in my hand. I know I have to consume less so I can ride back home.

  Moving through the crowd, I notice Kate sitting out on the big deck staring across the ocean. She’s wearing the same clothes as this morning, but her expression looks bleak. Nothing at all like the fun-loving Kate I saw earlier today or the one that Haden had described.

  Same look.

  Same story.

  Someone has broken her.

  That guy. The one with the big balls.

  Ugh.

  Charlie warned me—not once, but twice—to be on my best behavior. Focus on my career and not on women. Especially ones in her circle of friends.

  I try not to come across as a stalker, though I’m half covered by a large bush, watching her from afar. Not at all stalker-like, you idiot.

  I observe the way she quietly sits at the table with her cell in front of her, it appears to be a distraction. As if on autopilot, she picks it up, stares at the screen, places it down, then repeats minutes later. Her foot taps impatiently under the table, causing her skirt to ride up. She doesn’t appear bothered, allowing it to do so, then on second thought, she pulls it slightly down again.

  I amble toward her until I’m by her side.

  “Hello, stranger.”

  “‘Bout time you got here, Mr. Mason,” she says with an upbeat cheer. “Time to have some fun.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  She grabs my hand and a large purse, pulling me through the not-so-crowded bar until we find ourselves on the footpath leading to the sand. As if in a mad rush, her heels click against the concrete until we reach the end of the path where the sand leads to the ocean. Bending down while holding onto my shoulder, she removes her shoes, her bare feet now touching the soft sand.

  The sun has set, the sky darkening with a hint of pink. With her hand pulling me near the shore, she settles on a spot beside a metal lifeguard chair. My body jerks toward the ground as she pulls me down with her and removes a bottle of tequila from her purse.

  Opening the lid, she takes a drink, letting out a roar as the tequila makes its way down her throat. “Goodbye,” she shouts, holding the bottle up to the sky. “To bad decisions, and wankers that need to get a fucking life!” She takes another drink. I warn her to slow down, attempting to pull the bottle from her hand.

  “You know what your problem is?”

  It didn’t take long, the tequila already running through her veins resulting in a drunken slur.

  “What?”

  “You’re too uptight.”

  I let out a chuckle, followed by a triumphant smirk. “Oh, Kate, you honestly don’t know me.”

  “Yes, I do.” She stands up in a rush, swaying slightly. “You like
to fuck women. Lots of women. You don’t care about their feelings. You think with your dick and your dick has all the fun.”

  “And what’s wrong with that? I don’t need to settle down... yet.”

  “Exactly,” she points out. “I was just like you. Doing my thing. Having fun. I didn’t want a relationship. Now look at me,” she cries loudly. “I’m a goddamn mess.”

  “You’re not a mess, Kate. Sit, and slow down on the tequila.”

  She listens, plonking herself on the sand while letting out a huge sigh. “I need to let loose again. Have fun. Find a way to forget the last six months ever happened. I want to have sex. I want to fuck like I’m alive. You get me?”

  I get her all too much. I let out a sigh myself. I’m not supposed to be back here. This here is everything that got me into trouble in the first place. There’s plenty of people who’ll have my face on a target if I touch her. Charlie, Lex, Haden... fuck! There could be more. We could just have fun, we could chat. I don’t need to fuck her.

  Be strong. She’s messed up, big time. Don’t succumb to your old ways.

  “C’mon, Noah.” She hands me the tequila, waiting for me to take a drink.

  I stare at the bottle, thinking about how this time last month I was at the beach with Benny and Tom, getting wasted while we played volleyball with a group of Brazilian women on vacation. We laughed until our stomachs hurt, drank until we puked our guts out, and fucked those three women like desperate cavemen.

  And now, I’m here.

  Without a friend. Alone. And living with my mistakes.

  Unscrewing the cap, I bring the bottle to my lips and swallow the tequila until it burns my throat and I can no longer stand it.

  Kate cheers loudly, “That’s my boy! Forget it all exists, if only for tonight.”

  I repeat until we both fall into a fit of laughter, watching as the sky turns dark and the barely seen stars twinkle in the distance.

  “Fancy getting wet?” Her eyes light up, waiting for me to respond, while the bottle of tequila touches her lips and makes its way down.