by Jenika Snow
Chapter Ten
Darcy had been pissed when Mary all but dragged her out of the club, but that was the least of her worries. After they had gotten back home she had lain in bed for a good portion of the night just staring at her ceiling. God, she had been a fool to want anything to do with Alex, and she had certainly paid the price for it. He was an asshole and had made her feel so damn cheap. He was gorgeous and lethal, and everything inside of her had wanted to submit to him. Damn him for being such a good looking prick, and still causing her to want him. For hours all she had done was lie in the dark, cursing her body for still being so wet, so needy for … him.
She had finally fallen asleep at four in the morning, and now it was eight and she was wide awake. She also had no idea what she was going to do. It was clear she would no longer be tutoring Alex, and after only one session she should have been grateful. If that had been his true self back at the club than she didn’t want any part of that, but what if it hadn’t been his real self? It was possible he said those things to push her away. She had certainly thought as much after he said them. Mary thought of that look she had seen in his eyes when they had sat side-by-side on his bed, and when they had been pressed so closely together that there hadn’t been an inch between them. It hadn’t just been her imagination, not when he made her feel things that no other guy had.
The sound of her cell going off had her closing her eyes. She knew who it was, and it was too damn early to talk to her mom, but if she ignored it there would just be another call in ten minutes, and then ten minutes after that. She reached out, blindly grabbed for it, and slid her finger across the screen without looking at it.
“Hi, Mom.” Rubbing her hand across her face she listened for the next five minutes as her mom talked about the wedding plans again, and how it was only a couple of weeks away, and how she couldn’t wait to meet the guy Mary was bringing.
“Mary, are you listening to me?” Her mom sounded annoyed. “I don’t like the way you’ve been acting as of late. I don’t know if it is the people you’ve been spending time with, you’ve grown disrespectful, and I won’t tolerate it, young lady.”
Oh man, she brought out the “young lady”, which always meant she was serious.
“I meant no disrespect, Mom. I’m just tired.” Mary rubbed her eyes and pushed herself up so she was resting her back on the headboard. Her head pounded, but it had nothing to do with having those two cocktails last night, and everything to do with the face she was running on a few hours of sleep and still couldn’t get Alex’s arrogant ass out of her head.
“You feeling all right, honey?” The irritation in her mom’s voice changed to worry. The sound of china clinking together told Mary her mother was probably getting ready for afternoon tea with her socialite friends.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Content with that answer, her mom was once again in wedding mode. “I just called to make sure you and your date will be here on Friday evening after you are finished with your classes. We will have a family dinner with Joe and Margo.” Just hearing Margo’s fiancé’s name had her wrinkling her nose. Joe Barton was not only an attorney, but was renowned in their community as a shark in the courtroom. That wasn’t a surprise to Mary, not when everyone in that circle was always out for blood it seemed. He had a very apathetic and bland personality, but Mary supposed he had to in order to deal with his very strung-tight fiancée.
“Mom, I don’t think my date will be able to come.” There was a beat of silence. Wait for it. Wait for it.
“Mary Sandra Trellis, we have already added the extra head in the order count for the wedding, and your father and I were looking forward to meeting this boy. I’ve already told Marlen to make an extra meal.”
Good grief. He mom was always using her full name when she was trying to be stern and condescending all in the same breath.
“Mom, things come up. I can’t help it if plans change, or if he has a life outside of Margo’s wedding.” The lie came from her easily, although Mary supposed it wasn’t too much of a lie.
“We would really love it if he came, because we would really enjoy meeting the boy that you’re seeing, honey. Besides, you don’t want to be the only one there without a date, right?” God. She should have just said no, that there was no way in hell she was bringing Alex or anyone else, but she pursed her lips and went back to staring at the ceiling. Despite the fact she was royally pissed at Alex, didn’t really want to see him again, and hoped his dick fell off ... okay, maybe not the last part, but still, Mary couldn’t help but image the reaction they would get if she brought the tattooed bad boy with her. It would shut a lot of people up, and bring an immense amount of pleasure to her.
“I don’t know, Mom, but I’ll see if he can rearrange his schedule.” She should have kept her mouth shut, but it was too late for that. The excitement and hopefulness in her mom’s voice were evident, and even after they hung up she knew she had made a huge mistake. Alex had made it perfectly clear what he thought about her, and what he thought she was only good for, but here she was, actually contemplating still taking him with her. And all because she wanted to piss some people off and say, without actually saying it, that she didn’t give a fuck what they thought? Well, clearly she didn’t care about what she thought either because she was actually thinking about going back over and speaking with him.
Yeah, that pretty much summed it up, but in reality bringing arrogant Alex with her was a hell of a lot better than going to the damn wedding alone, or trying to talk someone else into going with her. It wasn’t like she had a lot of guy friends, none really, and the ones she did know were from tutoring, and they were in relationships. Dammit, she honestly didn’t know what to do, because her pride demanded she never speak or look at Alex Sheppard again, but another part of her wanted to take him because he was such a prick he would scandalize all of the people that ever made her feel like shit while growing up. But even if she was mad at him, and especially hurt for the way he treated her at the club, like she was nothing but another piece of meat he could thrust into, her body didn’t give a damn and still warmed at the thought of him. She needed to get Darcy’s opinion and maybe work out until she couldn’t walk anymore.
After taking a shower and getting dressed she headed downstairs. Darcy was up, but barely, and that was clear by the way she was draped over the couch, one arm and leg hanging over it, a blanket thrown haphazardly on her body, and the television muted but playing some black and white movie.
“You feeling okay?” It was a stupid question given the bags under her eyes and the almost green hue to her face. Darcy had far more to drink then Mary had last night, and clearly she was feeling it this morning. Darcy cut her eyes to Mary, but other than that didn’t move or speak for several long seconds.
“I feel like shit.” Her voice sounded like shit, gravelly, and like she had been smoking for the last twenty years. She moved marginally, but winced and flopped back in place. “I feel like an elephant chewed me up and shit me out.”
“Nice analogy.” Mary stared at the TV for a moment then turned back to Darcy who was watching her. “Why don’t you go back to bed?”
“I can’t. My head is pounding. I feel like throwing up, and every part of me hurts.” She groaned and threw an arm over her eyes. “Why did you let me drink so much?” Mary snorted, and Darcy lifted her hand and glared at her. “All right, I guess I probably wouldn’t have listened, but still.” That was an understatement. “Mind telling me why we had to haul ass out of there so soon? Aside from you saying something about a guy, I don’t remember shit.”
“You really don’t remember anything I said last night?” Mary had told her about some douche-bag in the club, had even let Alex’s name slip, but was surprised Darcy really didn’t remember any of that.
“Everything is a bit hazy after that third A Piece of Ass.”
“Piece of Ass?” Mary had just seen Darcy grab a few shots, declining when her friend offered her some, but hadn’t known w
hat they were called. The fact that was the name of the drinks had her laughing.
“Ugh, I shouldn’t be talking about alcohol right now.”
“Sorry.”
Darcy waved her apology off, and they sat in silence for a moment. Mary saw Darcy swallow several times, and hoped she didn’t throw up this early.
Darcy knew she tutored, but didn’t know she was helping Alex, or that she wanted him bad enough that she would have let him take her right there in the club for anyone to see. That realization had her cheeks heating in humiliation. Maybe she was no better than the girls he was with? There had never been a time when she wanted to do something so daring, but it seemed being with Alex brought out a lot of emotions in her that were foreign. She stared at Darcy and knew if anyone could give her advice on guys it was her friend. She slouched down in her chair and took a deep breath.
“I needed to get out of there because of Alex Sheppard.” Darcy put her arm down and scooted up on the couch.
“Okay. And what does the star quarterback have to do with you?” She glanced up at the ceiling as if in deep thought, and then a light bulb went off over her head. “Wait, I think I remember you mentioning a guy named Alex. You were talking about that Alex?” Gone was her hung-over friend, and in her place was a very curious roommate.
“Yeah. I agreed to tutor him, and we had our first session last night. We made a deal that if I tutor him he’d come with me to my sister’s wedding in a few weeks.” Darcy stared at her like she was lost.
“I’m confused as to why we had to leave because Alex was there and you tutor him. Did you not see the hottie with the body I was grinding with last night? He threw Dane right out of the damn water.”
Mary took another deep breath. “I had to leave because I have a major thing for him, and I know he does, too.” Darcy still stared at her.
“Okay, so?”
“Because we were all but having sex right against the wall for everyone to see, and then he turned into this major asshole, made me feel like some kind cheap girl, and that is why I had to get out of there.” Darcy made an O face immediately after she spoke.
“He told you this? I mean called you cheap?” Darcy was far more interested in the conversation now. When Mary didn’t speak fast enough Darcy said, “Just spit it out, girl.” Darcy smiled broadly.
“He didn’t actually call me that, but he made me feel like that. I mean he kept going on about how he’s slept with all these people, and how he doesn’t do relationships and stuff. He made it seem like I was trying to get with him, like marry him or something.”
Darcy’s eyes got as big as saucers. Before Darcy could start shooting off more questions Mary continued to talk.
“I’m sure alcohol had a lot to do with the lowered inhibitions, because I was coming onto him just as strongly as he was to me, but then everything became shitty and awkward.”
“Well, shit, Mary, I mean you do know who Alex Sheppard is, right?”
Mary clenched her teeth and gave Darcy a look that she hoped meant that was a dumbass question. “Yeah, I know who he is, but what does that have to do with anything?”
Darcy sighed dramatically and threw her legs over the side of the couch. “He does sleep around, Mary, like a lot. I mean, no girl that goes after him thinks he is going to give them more than that.” She moaned and clenched her head. “My head hurts so badly.”
Good. Served her right for pointing out what Mary already knew. “I never said I wanted anything more than sex with him. His ego is just so damn big he clearly thought I was in love with him or something.”
Darcy dropped her hand and looked at Mary again. “I’m not saying this to piss you off or make you feel worse than I’m sure you already do. I can only imagine all of the stuff he said to you that you’re not telling me. I’m only saying this because I care about you, and I know you’re too smart and too good to let a guy like Alex Sheppard make you feel like this. Don’t think about him, don’t worry about him, and move onto the next.” Darcy flopped back on the couch and closed her eyes. “I feel like a steaming pile of poo.” She cracked one eye open. “You’re not mad that I said that, right?”
“No.” Mary leaned back in the chair and sighed. “It isn’t like I haven’t already thought about everything you said, but I felt something different with him, ya know.” She cut her eyes over to Darcy. “I mean, in the extremely ridiculous short time we spent together, and the way he looked at me, I felt like I wasn’t just another piece of ass for him.”
“Yeah, honey, I know. I think the female population knows what you mean. He is gorgeous, built, talented, and can have girls dropping their panties within a five mile radius with just a smile. But unless your heart is made of stone and you are prepared to only have one night, or hell, a few hours with him, it would be suicide to think you’ll get anything else from him. He is no different from a lot of the pricks that walk around thinking they own the world, and like they are God’s gift to women. Guys like Alex Sheppard are only after one thing, and that’s sticking their dicks in a warm hole.”
“You’re crude.”
“But honest,” Darcy shot back and offered her a weak smile. “I may like having sex, Mary, but I know that if I wanted anything to do with Alex, or guys like him, he’d just chew me up and spit me out.” They sat there for several silent moments before Darcy started talking again. “Why did you even offer to tutor him?”
“I didn’t. He actually got my number from another guy I tutor, which happens to be his roommate.” Darcy nodded. “I just thought I could use him for a little shock value at Margo’s wedding.”
“So you were using Alex?” Darcy started laughing and immediately closed her eyes and clutched her head.
“I didn’t keep it a secret. I told him exactly why I wanted him to come with me. I didn’t lie.”
“You actually going to BitchTron’s wedding?” Darcy yawned and stretched out her arms at the same time. She had heard enough about Margo when Mary bitched about her to know her sister was a pain in the ass.
“I kind of have to go to my sister’s wedding. Besides, I’m in the damn thing.”
“I can tag along, you know, cause a scene, maybe wear my transparent shirt and daisy dukes.” Darcy wagged her brows, and Mary started laughing. It was nice to feel happy instead of that dreaded gloom that had lingered the whole night.
“That’s tempting, but I wouldn’t want to subject you to that crowd.” It was Darcy’s turn to start laughing.
“Thanks, I don’t know if I could restrain myself from slapping a bitch anyway. But what are you going to do about the whole Alex thing?”
“What do you mean?”
Darcy threw the blanket off her lap. “I mean, are you going to still tutor him and take him, or has that ship sailed?”
Last night Mary would have said hell no, but after talking to her mom and really thinking about it she was not so sure anymore. She could always keep her end of the deal and help him pass his course, and he in turn could go with her to the wedding. They didn’t have to think or even talk about the night at the club, and Mary could certainly keep the distance that was necessary. He was an asshole, only thought about sex, and didn’t care who he hurt in the process. But he was also the guy she couldn’t stop thinking about, not since the first time she saw him. Yeah, she really was a masochist. Could she actually still go through with this, pretend that what they had was absolutely nothing, and still keep her heart intact?
Ugh, she was an idiot for even contemplating wanting to help him, but in return he would also be helping her. She could do it, could get through the next couple of weeks and then just a few days for the wedding. After that she didn’t ever need to see him again. Feeling resolved that she would push through her anger and hurt and just go over there as planned, do this tutoring, and then be gone, Mary hoped shit didn’t hit the fan because of it.
Chapter Eleven
Someone had to be slamming a sledgehammer down on his skull, because no way in hell could
it hurt this fucking bad unless that was the case. Alex cracked an eye open and immediately slammed it shut when the piercing, bright light that came through his window assaulted him. He took inventory of where he was, and what the fuck had happened.
His head fucking hurt, that was for damn sure, but nothing else seemed particularly painful. Trying for the whole eye-opening thing again, he shielded himself from the horrendous glare. Okay, so he was in the spare room in his house since all he could see was the nasty old floral wallpaper. This was the room he always took the girls he screwed, if he brought them back to his place at all. But how in the hell did he get back here? All he remembered was being a royal prick to Mary, finding Vince, and the two of them throwing back the shots like they were water.
“Fuck.” He was on his stomach, so he pushed up on his forearms and hung his head for a moment, willing the damn room to stop spinning. He was also butt fucking naked, which wasn’t his thing when he went to bed. Shit, how in the hell did he get naked? A low moan had everything in him stilling. Looking to his left, he first saw an ass covered by a thin sheet, and followed that up to the nude back with a pair of angel wings tattooed between the shoulder blades. He continued lifting his eyes until he finally stopped at the mop of wild red hair spread across the pillow.
It took him a moment, but then everything came rushing back like a bad fucking nightmare. He’d gotten totally shitfaced with Vince, that redhead he had been dancing with before he saw Mary found him again, and then he had taken her home and fucked her. Shit, he knew they had sex, but he didn’t remember it. Dread and horror settled in him because he couldn’t recall if he had put a condom on.
Oh hell no. He shot up in bed which only added to the massive pounding in his skull. Looking at his cock he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the condom still on. With a curl of his lip he pulled the fucking thing off, tossed it in the trash by the nightstand, and looked over his shoulder.