"You've apologized."
"Not enough. And, you still don't believe me. Just ten minutes. Then you can head to the library."
Talia rolled her bike to one of the bike racks and locked it up, then tucked her thumbs in her backpack straps and rocked back on her heels. "Okay. You have my attention. Where are we going?"
"Come with me." He took her hand before she could protest. And then he led her along the side of the engineering building to the utility entrance in the back. When he pressed the button for the service elevator, she stared at him. "Are you sure we can do this?"
He nodded. "I used to work here as a security guard last semester. I have an internship now so I don’t need this job anymore. But I still get access whenever I want."
“Right. The perks of the job. How many girls have you brought up here?"
He wasn't sure why, but that one stung. "No one. Not even Jenna.” He shrugged. “I don't know. I kind of liked the idea of having the place to myself.”
When the elevator let them out on the roof, she gasped beside him and he grinned. Looking south toward downtown, you could see the entire San Diego skyline, including Coronado.
"Wow. I didn't know you could see all of this."
He shrugged. "Most people don't. There aren’t any lecture hall classes on the top floors of the buildings. It's usually just administrative offices and professor’s lounges. Like I said, as a security guard I could check out this whole campus. There’s something like this on the Arts and Humanities building too."
"Seriously? This is amazing."
Cage pulled out the box from his backpack. "Look, seeing you again was a surprise. But you have to know, I don’t remember that night.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “And given my family history, it embarrasses me that I don’t remember. I'm embarrassed that when the shit hit the fan, my first move was to obliterate the pain and to do something I’d been dying to do for ages. I am really sorry. I'm even more sorry that I can’t remember it at all. Because it's all I used to think about."
Talia’s eyes went wide. "I can’t believe you used to think about kissing me. I thought I was pretty much invisible."
"Not to me. Honestly, you and Trevor were the only ones I could talk to. And even with Trev, I didn't go into all that that emotional shit. But with you, it was somehow easy."
"Why didn't you ever say anything?” She asked softly.
And there was the crux of the problem. "I was fucked up. And thinking about you felt like a betrayal of Trevor’s trust. But also, after all the shit with my dad and everything, I met Jenna. She needed someone to pamper her and put her on a pedestal, and I needed someone to take care of. To somehow prove that I was nothing like my old man. She fit the bill for me, and I fit the bill for her. With you, it would have been too complicated, so I didn't go after what I wanted.” He shrugged. “Please see earlier about me being fucked up.”
Talia took the box from him and stared at it. "What is this?"
Cage grinned. "Open it."
The impish grin she gave him made it all worth it. She loved surprises. He’d always known that about her. And when she opened it, if possible, her smile grew. “Doughnut cakes. Where in the world did you find these?"
"There's a place up in Orange County that takes special orders. So what better way to say, ‘I'm sorry I was a dick back then, and I'm sorry I've been a dick now,’ than with doughnut cakes?"
She blinked rapidly. "Cage, you didn't have to go all the way up to Orange County for these. I’m probably overreacting. It was a long time ago. None of that matters now."
She was letting him off the hook. But letting him off the hook wasn't exactly the same thing as forgiving him. Besides, he was still feeling the sting of embarrassment over how he’d acted and the fact that he’d forgotten her. After all, how many times had he imagined kissing her? Too many.
“It's a peace offering. And maybe I don’t remember kissing you that first time. But I remember the club. Your taste is still lingering on my tongue.”
What he should've done then was backed off. Taken her to the seats that had the best view of the Coronado Bridge and handed her a fork so both of them could tuck into those doughnut cakes. But instead, he leaned closer. "I'm sorry I hurt you." She didn't move, and Cage leaned over farther, softly brushing her lips with his.
The flood of lust was instant, almost debilitating. Jesus Christ. She gasped and he swallowed it, delving his tongue into her mouth and stroking her tongue with his.
Fire laced his blood. And all he wanted to do was devour her and quench the aching need. But he stopped, pulled back. Shit. He was going to have to watch himself with her. Or maybe you don't do this at all. Trevor is going to kill you.
It was true. Trevor wasn't going to be happy about this. But it wasn't his call to make. Now that he’d kissed her, he wasn't sure he could stop doing it. He wasn’t letting Talia go. He just had to bring her around to his way of thinking. "Come on. Let’s watch the sunset over here."
With dazed eyes, and a slightly confused frown, she followed him. It wasn't everything he wanted, but it was definitely a start.
Talia's lips still tingled from the rooftop kiss with Cage. She was so screwed. Kissing him at the club had been like some kind of karmic payback. But that kiss on the roof—that was something else. And worse, she'd wanted that to happen. She'd wanted him to kiss her. She'd wanted it to be real. And a part of her had thought maybe he would kiss her again. But he hadn't. Instead, they'd sat and watched the sun set over the Coronado Bridge.
Once the sun was down, he walked her back down and she went to the library as planned, as if that magic moment had never happened. She still couldn't believe he'd driven all the way to Orange County. In traffic, at that. Just to get her a peace offering. Or maybe it was more than that.
Talia dropped her head on her econ book. This was so damn confusing. What did it even mean? He was different than she remembered. Oh yeah, he was still hot as sin, with a body that was built for fantasies. But he was also sensitive. And could be sweet. She remembered that about him. But there was something infinitely more intense about him.
He wasn't your typical douchebag jock, though he could definitely be cocky. The thing was, the more she thought about what happened then, the more she remembered he was always a tad overprotective of her. Until that night. Even if he didn't remember, he'd definitely backed off from their interactions after that. As if a part of him sensed that he'd stepped over a line. Or maybe he was embarrassed he'd gotten that drunk. If what he said was true, then there was so much shit tied up in him having a few drinks, no wonder he’d blocked it out.
Back then, he'd chosen to hang out with them so many nights that she'd figured something wasn't okay at home. The fact that his mother had allowed it so often meant she probably knew where he spent most of his time. Or maybe she knew that being at Talia and Trevor's house was a reprieve for him.
Everyone knew his father. He was the damn mayor of their town. And he was as well known for his politics as he was for his drunken womanizing ways. Back then, Talia hadn't known what a functioning alcoholic was, but she knew the man on television was not the same man she'd sometimes seen pick up Cage with bleary bloodshot eyes, reeking of alcohol. It was all made worse by the fact that Cage's father cheated on his mother all the time. It was a poorly kept secret in town. Talia had always felt terrible for him.
She ran her hand through her hair and tried to focus on the book in front of her. It had all been so long ago. She'd been a kid then. Fifteen. But somehow that first heartbreak had stayed with her.
It was time to let it go.
She could put all that behind them. He was certainly not the same guy who had callously stopped talking to her after they made out. And besides, the man had just driven two hours to get her something that would make her happy. Who does that?
Cage Ward does.
The problem was, the more she softened towards him, the more she became the version of herself that used to moon after
him; the more she became the girl who used to hope and pray that Cage would notice her. That he'd throw her a scrap of attention. Then there was the other problem—he was still Trevor's best friend. Which meant that any fantasies about her and Cage were never going to happen, so she needed to stop even thinking about it.
Her brother would lose his mind. For starters, he always thought she was too young for anything. As far as he was concerned she was always going to be his annoying little sister. He’d always seen her as a twelve-year-old who insisted on tagging along to do everything, but her brother got particularly nuts when she dated, insisting that no guy was good enough for her.
It was probably because their father traveled so much that Trevor had always acted like a surrogate adult. And in some ways, it was great. He was a good big brother. He covered for her when she needed him to, and he loved her. The problem was, she wasn't twelve anymore. Looking out for her when she was in high school was one thing, but it was way overprotective now. Shoot, he still double-checked with her every month to make sure she paid all her bills on time.
Case in point: him calling Cage to look in on her. That was just the sort of thing Trevor would do. One time, when she was a senior, he asked the sister of an old teammate to befriend her. The two of them had zero in common.
It was true that as a freshman she'd been awkward and slightly antisocial. But that had all changed once she graduated high school. She’d really started to come into her own. The problem was, he didn't see it.
The other problem with Trevor was that he'd always had a thing about how Cage was his friend and she should stop trying to steal him. They were grown now, but there was still that underlying root of sibling rivalry. He wouldn't be pleased if she started dating his friend. And finally, the largest hurdle was Cage Ward himself. Before he'd started seeing Jenna, his reputation with girls was legendary.
Hell, since he and Jenna had broken up, she'd heard the girls on campus talking about him. Mostly about his skills off the rugby field. It was innuendo and hushed whispers, but she didn't exactly think that after three years of dating someone the guy was going to be celibate. And then there were the other whispers. The kind that made the sorority girls blush as they held out their hands about a foot apart. Not that she listened to such murmurs. Anyway, it wasn't like she cared or wanted to know. It was none of her business.
Except you want it to be.
Okay, fine. Maybe she was a little curious. But honestly, who wouldn't be? She just wanted a complete picture. With all his shaggy hair, exceedingly broad shoulders, and the tattoos. God, those tattoos. All she wanted to know was exactly how many did he have, and where were they strategically placed? Inquiring minds and all that. It was purely for research. Yeah, sexy alone times research.
"What's up superstar?"
Talia jumped. "Holy shit. Bailey, you scared the crap out of me."
Her friend laughed. "I thought you were going to be here a lot earlier. What happened?"
"I — I ran into Cage."
"You ran into Cage, did you? You mean Mr. sexy, tattooed and completely fuckable? "
"Yes. And it's not what you think." She sighed. "Okay, maybe it's sort of like you think. He kissed me. But the whole thing is confusing."
Bailey grinned. "How is this confusing? This is what we talked about. You can have some fun with Cage Ward."
Talia slid her gaze around. "Would you be quiet? And no. And the plan is not going to work. There's a lot of crap in the way. But we had a talk. He didn't even remember that kiss. That kiss that I've carried around for three damn years. He doesn't remember a thing."
Bailey's smile fell. "I'm sorry honey, but how does that change the plan of you having some fun in college?"
"Because it's too damn complicated. This is Cage. A part of me is always going to be that fifteen-year-old girl wanting his attention. And that's not a good dynamic. Plus he's Trevor's best friend. And Trevor will flip his lid. In my brother's head I'm still fifteen."
Bailey studied her. "It looks like maybe you're softening a little towards Mr. sexy and tattooed."
She nodded. "I don't know. Maybe I am. I can't seem to help it. Now that I sort of see things better. It's hard not to forgive and let live, you know? It was a long time ago. And while it sucks, knowing he didn't do it deliberately changes the picture."
"Okay. So what now? You clearly want him. He clearly wants you. So you two are just gonna pretend you don't want each other, and it's a whole star-crossed thing? Because I gotta tell you, that did not work out for Romeo and Juliet."
"I promise it's not going to be anything quite that romantic. Maybe he can't be my hookup guy, but we can always give friendship a go. Besides, he's got to have a lot of hot friends. He’s on the rugby team, so he may not be the right guy, but he can definitely introduce me to someone."
Bailey nodded in approval. "I like how you think. Though, mark my words. He has the look of someone who won't give up easily."
"Well he's going to have to. Because I'm not going back to being that girl."
Six
The next night, Talia found her resolve tested. It was the night of the party and Bailey had decided they were going. That’s right, her former friend had made the executive decision that they were going out without consulting her.
Talia smiled. It was impossible to be mad at Bailey for any length of time. She always had her heart in the right place and just wanted everyone to have fun. Truthfully, that was exactly what Talia needed. If left to her own devices, she’d probably spend all year in the dorm watching Netflix and eating pizza. That wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted to get out there and have a life. All through high school she’d studied hard and worried harder. Now it was time for her to let loose a little.
“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Bailey shouted from the bathroom. “Why don’t you just call Cage and ask him to meet us there?”
Talia sighed again. Trying to explain why she was actively avoiding a hot guy to Bailey was an exercise in frustration. Her friend didn’t understand why she wouldn’t just throw herself, naked, at someone as sexy as Cage. The whole it would be weird to date my brother’s friend thing didn’t seem to bother Bailey at all. Then again, Bailey hadn’t grown up with an extremely overprotective brother who’d pound any guy who looked at her sideways.
“Because I don’t want to see him. He’s…annoying. And doesn’t ever listen. And he’s–”
“Insanely hot,” Bailey finished as she stepped out of the bathroom. She looked flawless as usual after styling her blond hair into a mass of curls.
Talia fingered the ends of her long ponytail. She’d always wanted to do something fun with her hair but had been too chicken to try anything. So it was just long, brown and…brown. She sighed. It was too late to do anything drastic, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t take any chances.
“Bailey, can you help me with my hair?”
Her friend’s eyes lit up with glee. “I would love to. I’m so jealous of how dark and dramatic your hair is.”
“Really? I always wished I was a blonde.”
Bailey held out a hand and pulled her up. “You won’t say that after I’m done with you.”
An hour later, Talia followed Bailey as they pushed through the crowd inside a frat house whose name she couldn’t remember. She had to resist the urge to touch her hair again, afraid that the sexy style her friend had created would disappear in the midst of all this sweaty heat. But no, when she reached up her fingers tangled in a large curl and she smiled. She hadn’t been able to believe it when Bailey had turned her to the mirror so she could see. Along with the dramatic eye makeup that she’d done, Bailey had basically fairy-godmothered the hell out of this situation, because Talia felt like a whole new person.
“Let’s get a drink!” Bailey yelled over the noise of the crowd and the music.
Talia followed, trying not to get bumped into the wall by the gyrating bodies that were pretty much everywhere. Even though she’d always wanted to be on
e of the popular crowd and go to parties like this, now that she was here it was a bit overwhelming. She kept her eyes glued to the back of Bailey’s head as they made their way to the kitchen. A crowd of guys looked up when they entered, several of them elbowing each other with happy surprise when they caught sight of Bailey.
“Hi ladies, can we get you a drink?” Their spokesman was a tall, muscular blond with dimples so big they looked like craters.
Bailey nodded. “Yes. Two beers, please. This is my friend’s first party on campus, so give us the good stuff.”
Talia shrunk when all of their eyes swung to her. She waved weakly, wishing that she’d never come up with this stupid plan to be more social.
When Bailey handed her a beer a few minutes later, she took a huge gulp, grimacing at the taste. She’d never been much of a drinker and doubted she’d be starting now. But she took a few more sips and smiled at Bailey, pretending she was enjoying herself.
“Let’s dance!” Bailey screamed a few minutes later and grabbed her by the hand. They left their beers on the edge of a table and before she knew what was happening, she was spinning around in the middle of a sea of bodies.
Bailey was completely unselfconscious as she moved, swaying her hips from side to side, not even caring that she was dancing by herself. When a guy appeared next to her, she glanced over at Talia.
You okay, she mouthed.
Talia gave her a thumbs-up, but then jumped when she felt hands settle at her hips. She looked over her shoulder and then blushed when she saw who was touching her. He had dusky olive skin, intensely dark eyes and the kind of stubble guys wear when they know how hot they look with it.
Wow.
It took a minute before her brain caught up with her hormones but she suddenly realized why the guy looked familiar.
“You’re in my history class!”
The guy frowned and then suddenly smiled. “Mr. Tanner. World History, right? You sit in the front row.”
Talia nodded, surprised a guy like this would have noticed where she sat. Then again, she had tripped over someone’s backpack before she got to her seat so that was probably why. Heat climbed to her face at the thought.
Bad Intentions Page 4