Giving It to the Bad Boy

by Jenika Snow

  “What’s the problem?” Reese kept his voice pitched low, but didn’t hide the fact that if Chris wanted to go there, then so be it. The asshole had been giving him fucked up looks all night.

  Chris sneered and cracked his knuckles. “The problem, brother, is that you take all my fucking money with your shitty card playing, and then you fuck with my girlfriend.”

  That had Reese lifting his eyebrows in surprise. He looked at the redhead. She clearly didn’t care her boyfriend was a few feet away since she kept giving Reese a sultry look. He looked at Chris again. “First off, I am not your brother. Not that I owe you any kind of explanation, but maybe you should keep a shorter leash on your girlfriend since she came looking for me.”

  And just like that the air changed. The outraged gasp that came from the redhead was ignored by both of them. A muscle ticked beneath Chris’s jaw.

  “And lastly, it isn’t my fault you can’t play poker.” A crowd was starting to grow in a circle around them from their raised voices. “You don’t want to do this.” It was a subtle warning to Chris. It was his decision if he decided to take the suggestion. A few murmurs surrounded them, but Reese only focused on the meathead in front of him. Chris hadn’t backed down, and didn’t appear to be either, so it looked like things were about to get real. Despite the fact Reese wanted to just move on and not get things dirty, he was no stranger to throwing a few punches. Despite the rumors that had been spread around school, Reese wasn’t the type of guy to start shit. He didn’t go around looking for trouble and throwing random punches, but when a threat presented itself he didn’t back done. Ever.

  “Fight Music” by Eminem started playing, and Reese thought it was fitting for what was about to go down. Chris rolled his neck on his shoulders. Yeah, clearly he wanted to do this, and Reese wasn’t about to stop him, not with the anger he felt for his parents. He had warned him, but it was clear Chris had just as much fury to burn off as he did. Well, so-fucking-be-it. “You sure you want to do this?” It was a courtesy question, one he knew Chris was scoff at, but still, Reese threw it out there.

  “Man, I’ve been waiting years to beat your ass. You walk in acting all tough and shit, and it pisses me off every damn time. Someone needs to knock you down a few steps, and I plan on doing that right now.” Chris threw off his jacket and tossed it to the redhead still behind Reese. “Melanie, get the fuck over here.” The girl scurried over to stand with the crowd, waiting to see a fight. “You’re a big motherfucker, but I can still take you,” Chris said and cracked his knuckles once more. He started bouncing on the balls of his feet, like he was some kind of boxer in the ring. “You strut around like some kind of God, fucking all the chicks and starting all kinds of shit. I’m about to put an end to that shit.”

  “If you were smart you’d take your chick and get back in the fucking house.”

  Chris started laughing. “What are you, a fucking pussy now? Or maybe you’ve gone soft now that you’re fucking Alex’s little sister?”

  Reese clenched his fists together at the mention of Kiera. No way in hell this punk thought he was going to get away with bringing her up. And how in the fuck did he even know about Kiera to begin with?

  “If you know what’s good for you, then shut the fuck up.” Reese felt his muscles tighten and bunch, a familiar feeling when the fight mode clicked on inside of him. This situation was all too real for him, and times like this he relished a good beat-down.

  “Man, I’m not afraid. You want to fuck geeky little girls, that’s your own business, but when you start messing with my woman, it’s on.”

  Reese gritted his teeth. “I don’t give two-shits about your chick, but don’t you ever fucking talk about her.” By the look on Chris’s face he didn’t need to elaborate that he was referring to Kiera.

  “Reese-Motherfucking-Trenton.” Chris started laughing again and turned in a circle to address the audience. “I want each and every one of you to see the downfall of this asshole.” Camera phones snapped picture after picture, and there was no doubt that videos were being recorded as well. Chris turned back to him and snarled. “Bring your white trash ass on over here and let’s start this.”

  Well, here we go.

  Chris charged forward and slammed his body into Reese’s, but he was prepared. He took the force and steadied himself. Chris stumbled back and swung. His actions were fast and sloppy, a result of him drinking all night and his anger. Reese ducked and brought his fist up, clipping Chris under the chin. He stumbled back, blood immediately spilling from his mouth. He turned his head and spit out a mouthful of blood. They grappled before Chris got the upper hand and slammed Reese against the side of the house. The brick scrapped against the back of his arms, but his blood was pumping within his veins, and adrenalin coursed through him. Reese was pumped, and he was too far gone to feel any kind of pain. Reese grinned as Chris tried to get a punch in. The struggle was half the fun, half the rush of the fight. Chris swung again, and Reese ducked right before he was hit. The sound of flesh slamming into brick made a sickening noise. Chris howled in pain and stumbled back, cradling his wounded hand to his chest. Everyone started chanting, something loud and rhythmic. It was meant to get them worked up, and it was doing the fucking job. Chris came at him again, and Reese pushed him back. The fury on Chris’s voice was tangible, and he pushed his pain back and rushed Reese again, swinging in a blind rage. The little bastard was fast even injured, and Reese moved out of the way again before Chris could punch him. In the next move Chris’s fist connected with the side of his face. The punch kicked Reese’s head back, and blood instantly filled his mouth. His vision blurred momentarily. Reese shook his head and spit out the blood. Chris had a crazed expression in his eyes, and Reese knew it wasn’t just anger and alcohol that fueled him. The guy was higher than hell. Whatever he had done clearly made him irrational and had him thinking he was invincible.

  “I want to tell you what I’m going to do once I’m done with you.” Chris moved back and forth, his fists raised and his eyes wild. Blood oozed out of the nasty looking cuts that littered the knuckles on his busted-up hand. Reese ran his forearm over his split lip. “I’m going to find that sweet piece of ass you’ve been hanging with and show her how a real man fucks.” Lowering his voice so there was no doubt only Reese could hear, Chris said, “I bet she’s a virgin, and I can already feel how it’ll be popping that sweet cherry.”

  A blind rage filled Reese. He wasn’t such a fool that he didn’t know exactly what Chris was doing. The asshole was goading him, and it worked. Reese charged after him, took his body to the ground, and slammed his fist into the side of Chris’s face. The wrestler started to put some moves on him, ones that were meant to put Reese in submission, but there was no fucking way. His muscles were filled with blood, and his heart slammed fast and hard in his chest. He was in fight mode, and Chris had said the wrong fucking thing.

  Slamming his fist into Chris’s face over and over again, Reese could only see Kiera on the ground with Josh on top of her. His vision turned red, and a low hum surrounded him. It was then he realized the low, deep noise was coming from him. Several sets of arms locked around his upper body, but Reese wasn’t going to let anyone stop him from this. He swung out, connected with a body, and heard the grunt and curse come from behind him. He went after Chris again, but more arms wrapped around him again and this time managed to haul him off Chris. Reese started swinging at the people taking him away from his outlet of violence, but it was when he heard Marcus’s and Christian’s voices that he realized he needed to calm down before he really did some damage that was irreversible.

  He turned toward Marcus and Christian and saw his friends’ stunned expressions. Marcus had wide eyes and stared between him and Chris. “Shit, dude. This is number two in a week’s time.” He ran his hand over his short hair and blew out a breath. “Everyone get the fuck out of here. Show’s over.” Marcus addressed the crowd in a loud, pissed off voice and glared at them until they started to head back ins
ide. He turned back to Reese and shook his head. “Reese, man, what the fuck’s going on?” Marcus was a close friend, one he didn’t hide shit from, but it had been a long time since he had spoken about what went down in his life. He wasn’t about to start now, though, and he certainly wasn’t about to talk about Kiera, not when he was so pissed.

  “I’m out of here.” Chris’s groans came from behind him, and he was thankful Marcus and Christian had pulled him off, again. What the fuck was happening to him?

  Chapter Seven

  The rest of Saturday and Sunday dragged with only texts between her and Reese. He had sent her a text asking her if she wanted to go to a party with him, but it had been late and she had been sleeping. By the time she saw the text it was morning. Aside from talking to him on the phone and texting back and forth, she had stayed home and vegged out in front of the TV. Ian and Molly came over a few times, and it was nice just visiting with them. Kiera hadn’t realized how isolated she had been from everyone around her, especially her two friends.. When she had talked to Reese she could tell something was wrong with him, but she could also tell by the tone of his voice that he would talk about it when he was ready.

  Molly picked her up for school Monday, and she sat in the back of the car while Ian and Molly held hands and did other sappy relationship type things. It seemed now that they were no longer hiding their new found love they decided PDA was definitely in order. It was nauseating, but cute nonetheless. They arrived early enough that they got a parking spot close to the front building of the school. It was then, as Molly and Ian were arguing over him wanting to carry her bag, that Kiera saw Reese in his Trans-Am just a few spots down. The end of the cigarette that was held loosely between his lips became bright as he inhaled. Kiera had never been one to find smoking attractive, but watching Reese do it seemed so sexy in a devil-may-care kind of way. As if he felt her stare—because frankly she was staring pretty hard—he turned and caught her eyes with his. The smile that spread across his face was slow and heated, and Kiera’s whole body lit up like the damn Fourth of July. Grabbing her bag and getting out of the car, she told Molly and Ian she’d meet up with them later. Her friends glanced over at Reese, shared a knowing smile, and nodded to her before heading into school. Reese climbed out of his Trans-Am, his long limbs unfolding like some kind of powerful beast getting ready for battle. He wore his standard get-up: distressed jeans and t-shit with a splash of design on the chest. He took one more drag off his cigarette, making the otherwise nasty habit seem goddamn sexy, grabbed his backpack and strode toward her. Kiera felt like a damn girly-girl as she watched him approach. She could feel people’s eyes on them, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away from his. He stopped right in front of her, and she wondered if he could hear her heart beating. It sounded so loud in her ears, like a drum beating a wild beat. It was then that she took note of his bruised cheek and healing split lip.

  “Oh my God, Reese.” She lifted her hand to touch his face, but he stopped her with a gentle hold on her wrist. “What happened?”

  “Hey, pretty girl.” He grinned down at her. “It’s all good.” She could tell he didn’t want to elaborate, so she didn’t push, although Kiera couldn’t help but wonder who he had gotten into a fight with. God, she hoped his father hadn’t done that to him.

  Pushing those thoughts away until she could properly ask him she said, “Hi.” Kiera looked away from him and noticed several people watching them. They weren’t even doing anything intimate, yet her face heated at their clear interest. She had never been noticed so blatantly before. It was a bit unnerving. When she looked back at Reese his smile had grown wide.

  “I still make you nervous, after everything?” The way he said the last word had warmth spreading anew through her. She remembered his lips on hers, his hands on her body, and his erection pressed against her pussy. Heat flashed behind his eyes, and he took a step closer. “Does it bother you that we have an audience?”

  It should, and she did feel a bit exposed, but standing so close to him, smelling him, feeling his warmth, had everything else fading in the background. She shook her head.

  “Good.”

  Before she could blink and process what he was doing he slipped his hand behind her neck and brought his mouth down on hers. They were no longer standing in the school parking lot, but swept away somewhere private and intimate. His kiss took her there, pushed everything else away, and had her floating high above everyone else. He tasted like mint, and she wondered when he had put a piece of gum in—most likely when she was too worried about everyone else, or gawking at how gorgeous he was. That first swipe of his tongue against the seam of her lips had her mouth parting and accepting what he wanted to give her. They may have stood there and kissed for hours, or maybe it was only seconds, but either way it scrambled her mind. When he did pull away she leaned toward him, seeking him out and not ready to relinquish the pleasure he so readily gave her. She opened her eyes, feeling embarrassed that she hadn’t even realized they were still closed, and looked up at him. His eyes were half-lidded, and a look of arousal covered his face. His lips were red and slightly swollen, and Kiera knew hers must have looked the same way. They sure as hell felt like it. The hazy fog she was surrounded in was popped like a needle in a balloon when a few catcalls and whistles sounded off to the side. Kiera looked over to see Marcus clapping and grinning. Christian placed two fingers in his mouth and let out a huge ear-piercing whistle.

  “Damn, Reese, you work fast, dude.” Marcus smiled at Kiera, and she knew that his teasing words weren’t meant to be crude. Ducking her head, her hair fell over the side of her face like a curtain.

  Reese took her hand and led her right toward the gawking bystanders. Just before they passed Marcus Reese slugged him hard enough in the arm to send Marcus stumbling back and gripping his bicep.

  “Damn, man. What the hell was that for?” Marcus rubbed his arm and glared at Reese.

  “I don’t care if you were joking or not. I better not hear you saying that fucking shit concerning Kiera again.” The anger in Reese’s voice was tangible, and Marcus gave a tight jerk of his chin to show he understood. Reese continued to lead them to the front doors, and Kiera spotted Ian and Molly standing off to the side, both of their mouths hanging open in shock. Molly regained her composure faster than Ian and gave her two thumbs up. Lord, could her personal life be put on display any more than it had in the last ten minutes? No one said anything else, most likely in fear of Reese punching them as he did Marcus, but that didn’t stop Andrea or her little cheerleading posse from giving her the nastiest looks they could muster. Kiera knew this was how it would be if she allowed herself to be with Reese in any way, but was she really ready for this kind of attention?

  The first half of school went fairly quickly, and when lunch rolled around Kiera was a nervous wreck. She met Molly and Ian in the lunch room and scanned around for Reese. She spotted him sitting at his table, a scowl on his face as Andrea sat across from him. The look on Andrea’s face was sultry, as if she were trying to seduce Reese in the school cafeteria, which wasn’t all that surprising. Andrea’s mouth was moving slowly and deliberately, and Kiera wondered what she said. Most likely something of a sexual nature. Jealousy reared its head, and Kiera straightened her back. After the little display they had given everyone in the parking lot, Kiera would have assumed Andrea would have backed off. Clearly Kiera had been wrong.

  “We’re heading off campus to eat. Wanna come?” asked Ian.

  Kiera still stared at Reese and shook her head.

  “No, I think I might stay here.” What Kiera planned to do was still a mystery even to her, but she wasn’t going to just stand back and let Andrea walk all over her, especially when Reese was something she wasn’t going to give up on, at least not without a fight. She may have kept in the background, stayed out of people’s way, and always thinking less of herself, but Reese Trenton made her feel something … more. Watching him not care about what others said, and living by his own rul
es, made her want to push all her preconceived notions of herself away. He had a crummy home life, yet he still kept his head up and went through life with a purpose. She was standing up for what she believed in, one step at a time.

  She looked over at her friends and saw their attention was on Reese.

  “Well, go get ‘em, girl.” Molly said, and Kiera could hear the encouragement and smile in her friend’s voice.

  “Careful, that one has some claws on her.” Ian sounded a bit hesitant, but she couldn’t blame him. All of her life Kiera took the backseat in everything. She was tired of it, and wanted to stand up for herself. She may not be popular, but she was no one’s doormat, least of all a girl who looked down on everyone else. She had a week left at this shitty high school, and the only good thing to ever come out of it was Molly, Ian, and now Reese. Kiera was not going to let anything take that away.

  After Molly and Ian left, Kiera grabbed an apple, a bottle of water, and a small salad. Andrea was still at the table and staring at Reese, who was otherwise engrossed in a conversation with Marcus. Taking a deep, strengthening breath Kiera moved toward Reese. When she was close enough that the others at the table took notice of her they stopped talking and stared at her. Yeah, Kiera could hear what Andrea and her friends were thinking.

  Does she actually think she is going to sit here?

  Who invited the geek over?

  Reese stopped talking to Marcus and looked up at her. The smile that spread across his face gave her the extra strength she needed to take those extra steps forward.