“I know, but I didn’t mean it.”
“I think I’ll listen to drunk you, since she claims to like me more.”
I threw my hands in the air, giving up, standing up, and walking inside.
“I’m going to bed,” I told him.
I felt him directly at my back all the way to my room.
“Me too, pudding.”
I shut the bathroom door in his face, or I’d swear he would have followed me in there, too.
I made sure he got his own set of covers, and set a pillow pointedly between us on the queen sized bed. He didn’t try to stop me, thank God.
“Goodnight, boo,” he said quietly, as we lay in the dark, backs facing each other.
“Goodnight, Tristan,” I said just as quietly, closing my eyes.
I felt a hand on my belly, and stiffened.
Oh no, I thought, caught somewhere between a dream and waking thoughts.
Please no, not again.
The hand began to inch down, and I whimpered, instantly feeling terrorized, because this had happened too many times to count, and I’d thought it was over forever now.
The hand disappeared at my whimper.
“Fuck. I’m so sorry, boo,” Tristan said sleepily, kissing the top of my head, before he rolled over on his other side, facing away from me.
The instant I realized it was Tristan, I felt a wave of nearly overwhelming relief. That relief made me realize how profoundly I already trusted this man. We’d known each other for so short a time, but already I knew with certainty that he would never hurt me.
I rolled over, pressing my face into his back, happy to have him there—a comfort to me, rather than a terror.
CHAPTER TWELVE
We were hitting the club again the next night. We were out the door nearly the second after I’d put the boys to bed.
Tristan’s friend Cory was pulling a shift at the Cavendish resort, and so we got decked out again.
We drank too much, and danced for hours, before changing into swimsuits and taking a swim in the warm pool beside the bar Cory was working.
Some brunette with huge fake boobs brushed against Tristan in the water, giving him a very bold look as we passed her.
I rolled my eyes. “So you’re hot. That doesn’t give her the right to act like a cat in heat about it.”
“So you think I’m hot?” Tristan asked, letting those infuriating dimples do their worst.
I shrugged, giving him my steadiest eye contact. I could hide my drunk with the best of them. “You aren’t much to look at,” I said with a straight face.
He threw his head back and laughed, enjoying my sarcastic sense of humor, as always. It was one of my favorite things about him.
“You aren’t much to look at,” I said again, when he was done laughing, and just back to giving me a dangerously fond smile. “But your personality makes up for it, mostly.”
He tugged on my hair, still grinning. “You are so damned cute.”
I gave a heavy sigh. “Yes, I’m very cute. Adorable, really. I’m sorry you’ll only ever know what it’s like to have a cute personality.”
He was laughing so hard by the time I’d finished that he was doubled over. I thought that I’d never wanted to kiss anyone so badly in my life. I restrained myself, just smiling affectionately at him as he straightened.
“Where have you been all my life, Danika?”
“Not skanking it up in enough bars to find you, apparently. Silly me, spending all my time working or at school.”
“Silly you,” he said softly, touching my chin. “Didn’t you know I was out here, just waiting for a friend like you?”
My heart did a slow, painful turn in my chest. It was pathetic how easily he had me wrapped around his little finger. “Of course I didn’t know. I’d have been dancing on top of every bar in town, instead of studying, if I’d known that.”
He didn’t laugh, as I’d intended, but leaned in close. “Tell me not to kiss you,” he said, when his lips were a breath away from mine.
“Don’t kiss me,” I told him, my voice a breathless rasp.
“Mean it,” he said, crowding me into the corner of the pool.
He tilted my chin up with his finger.
“I can’t,” I gasped.
The words had barely left my lips before he was kissing me.
I’d have been lying if I didn’t admit that I’d spent a lot of time wondering what it would be like to kiss him, and even with all of the fantasizing, he didn’t disappoint.
His kisses were drugging, his mouth hot and demanding, but his hands were gentle as he buried them in my hair.
I was lost. It didn’t even occur to me to push him away. This was a bad idea, but God, I wanted him. I couldn’t remember wanting to touch anyone so badly in my life.
Every touch showed me that he could barely restrain himself, and I loved it, his breath coming in hard little pants between kisses.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my breasts hard into his chest.
He pulled back briefly, gasping at that contact, before moving his mouth over mine again. The pleasure thickened, my blood beating in tune to the waves of need rocking into me.
One of his hands left my hair, stroking down my back. He gripped the back of my thigh, pulling it high on his hip as he moved against me.
I moaned as I felt his hardness pushing against me. It was only as we were grinding mindlessly against each other that I realized how fast things had gotten out of hand.
I wrenched free of him, and he let me.
“What are we doing?” I gasped.
“I don’t know,” he answered, looking stunned.
“That was stupid,” I told him.
“That was stupid,” he agreed, his rapt attention on my mouth.
“We need to get away from each other until we sober up some,” I said slowly. “I think we’re both feeling way too pretty right now.”
He didn’t say a word, but he got away fast enough.
We avoided each other for a solid hour.
I dried off, got dressed, and took a seat at Cory’s bar. It wasn’t smart, but I had another drink. I spotted Tristan on the other side of the room. He was smoking a cigarette, and talking to the brazen woman that had brushed up against him earlier.
I ordered another drink.
“Drinking alone tonight?” a familiar voice asked me from behind.
I turned, giving Jared a very big smile. “Not anymore,” I told him with a vigorous toast.
He laughed, glancing behind me to nod at Cory. “I’ll have what she’s having,” he called to the other man. “So where’s my brother?” he asked as he sat beside me. “This is the first time since I met you that you two weren’t attached at the hip.”
I nodded across the room, sneering when I saw what’s her name laughing at something and touching his chest. “Unless I miss my guess, he’s about to get lucky.” I tried hard not to sound as upset about that as I actually was.
“He thinks I need to loosen up,” I continued to Jared. “And I think he’s a little too loose. It makes for an interesting friendship.”
Jared flashed a stunning smile at me that was a close second to his brother’s. “Dance with me.”
I agreed readily enough, though I was more than a little disappointed when Tristan never even spared us a glance as we headed from the bar and into the next room.
Jared was a good dancer, but he was no Tristan, and he had even less trouble than his brother did getting right into my personal space.
I went with it, dancing close.
His hands gripped my hips. When he moved a thigh between mine, I angled out of his range, finding a safer position as I moved close again. He was determined, though, and we were dancing close, his face an inch from mine, within short minutes.
He leaned in to kiss me, his breath minty, and his lips half-tempting.
But hell, I thought, if I could resist full-on tempting, it was a breeze to turn down half. I turned my fac
e away, and he moved his face into my neck, undeterred.
I giggled, his lips tickling me, before I pushed him back.
I shook a finger at him. “I don’t know you that well,” I chided.
He grinned a wicked grin. “Well, then, let’s get to know each other better.”
I rolled my eyes. “You and your brother are too much alike. Being man-whores must run in the family.”
He laughed, un-offended. “We aren’t that much alike,” he said into my ear. “Tristan is strictly into hooking up. I’m the relationship type. In fact, I’m not all that crazy about being single.”
“Well, I’m trying to be single for a while, though I’m not that crazy about it, either.”
“Just let me know when that phase is over. I’d love to take you out.”
“I’m not sure what your brother would think about that.”
“It’s not his business. You two are still just friends, right?”
I nodded.
“Well, friends don’t get to tell each other who to date.”
“What about brothers?” I asked pointedly.
“Brothers don’t either, when they’re being completely reasonable about it.”
My mouth twisted ruefully.
“Just one date. At least give me that much. Let me take you out one night, whenever your dating ban is up. You don’t have to decide right now, but at least tell me you’ll think about it.”
“I’ll think about it.”
We’d had our mouths at each other’s ears for the entire conversation, and Jared took full advantage of that, nuzzling into the sensitive spot just behind my ear.
I pulled away, shivering.
I was certainly attracted to him, if not in the crazy, irresistible way I was to Tristan. But Tristan was a lost cause, and when I was ready to start dating again, Jared was dating material. I didn’t know him well, but he was hot, in a skinny rocker kind of way, and he seemed nice and charming, if a touch forward.
“That’s all I ask,” he said, tugging me back into the bar, since we’d both stopped dancing several minutes before.
I didn’t spot Tristan as we made our way back to the bar, and my gut twisted sickly. I shouldn’t have been upset by the fact that he’d likely gone off somewhere to hook up with that skank. I knew the score. He’d never been mine to lose. Not even close.
Still, I felt forlorn as the minutes passed, and he didn’t show.
I wound up drowning my sorrows with another drink, and on a dare from the irrepressible Jared, I found myself dancing on one of the small tables that ran beside the pools.
I didn’t notice that there was some guy sitting on the couch by the table until Jared was yelling at him.
I turned, my head notably fuzzy after that last drink, to find some creep crouched low, probably getting a pretty good look up my skirt.
I opened my mouth to tell the jerk off, but I was quickly distracted by the sight of Tristan descending on the man, murder in his eyes.
I stumbled back, shocked, as Tristan grabbed the man by the throat, nearly lifting him with just one hand.
A soft hand at my back had me turning to see Jared at my side. He held a hand up to help me down, and I accepted it gratefully.
“I’m sorry,” he said into my ear. “I didn’t see that piece of shit until after you’d started dancing.”
I just nodded, accepting the apology, much more concerned with what Tristan was doing.
Security had become involved, separating the two men, who were both shouting obscenities at each other. I’d never seen Tristan like that, so angry and violent, and the sight was hard to look away from.
Jared tugged me away to my seat by the bar.
I searched out Cory, who was watching the altercation with wide eyes. I couldn’t imagine he was happy to have his friend brawling at his job.
I was shocked when Tristan took a seat beside me within a few short minutes. He didn’t look at me as he ordered a drink.
“What was that?” I asked him.
He shot me an annoyed look out of the corner of his eye. “That’s what I’d like to know. What was that?”
“I was dancing. I didn’t realize there was some creep on the couch. And I can’t believe they didn’t kick you out for attacking him.”
Tristan opened his mouth to reply, but Cory distracted us both.
“Fuck. Holy fuck. Jesus, Tristan, here comes my boss. I hope to hell you didn’t just get me fired.”
I turned to see what he was talking about, and as a tall man with dark golden hair approached; my jaw went a little slack. I’d never seen a man so beautiful in my life.
He was slender, but not thin by any means. He was tan, with turquoise eyes that stood out like jewels even with the dim bar lighting. I’d seen pictures of the famous hotel chain owner, but Jesus, pictures did not do the man justice.
James Cavendish flashed white teeth at me in a charming smile, holding out his hand. I reached out my own automatically, still stunned that he was so…pretty? Stunning.
His warm hand enveloped mine in a comforting gesture. “I just wanted to offer my profuse apologies about what happened back there. That man has been escorted off the premises, and banned from the club. I happened to be visiting the club on business when I heard what had happened. Are you okay, Miss…?”
I swallowed hard, unnerved. “I’m, uh, Danika. And let me just say that I’m sorry. I was dancing on that table, and I probably shouldn’t—“
“Now, now, Danika, I shudder to think that you’d be discouraged from dancing on tables after that. Don’t let it be said that Decadence isn’t the best spot in town to dance on a table.”
I laughed nervously, not certain if he was joking or not.
The stunning man turned to address Tristan, who was glowering at him. James Cavendish didn’t seem to notice, holding his hand out to shake.
“I’m James Cavendish, the club’s owner.”
They shook hands, Tristan looking confused.
“May I just say,” James continued. “On behalf of my security, thank you for reacting so quickly. Please, let me know if we can do anything for you two, anything at all. Your drinks will be free for the evening, and I’ll be sure to have the manager give you a voucher for a future visit. I’d hate to think that this unfortunate incident might discourage you from visiting the club again.”
The charming, intimidating man continued on, graciously offering us comps, and making sure that we were well-settled, before moving on.
Tristan and I stared at each other with wide eyes after he’d gone. I was the first to start laughing, but Tristan joined in soon after.
I ordered shots, and Tristan gave me a searching glance.
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough? You don’t usually dance on tables…”
I stuck my tongue out at him. “At least I didn’t choke anybody. I can’t believe you didn’t get in trouble for that…”
“I can’t believe it, either.”
“Were you trying to get arrested?” I asked him in my best drunk/lecturing tone.
He shrugged, which was infuriating. “I wasn’t trying to get arrested, but I was willing to. No one gets to treat you like that.”
I didn’t know if I wanted to shake him, or hug him, the sweet bastard.
He reached over, snagging my hand. He linked our fingers, watching my face. “Are you okay? Was that…upsetting?”
That threw me. “I’m fine. I was mostly upset when I thought that you were going to get arrested, you crazy man.”
He smiled. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat, even if they did arrest me. You remember that, boo. I’ve got your back. Always.”
I squeezed his hand, blinking back uncharacteristic tears, touched by his words.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I was in rough shape the next morning, to say the least.
I barely made it to the bathroom in time to throw my guts up into the toilet.
I felt my hair being messed with, but I couldn’t summon
up the will to turn and see what was going on.
“What the hell are you doing?” I bit out, before another wave of nausea hit me.
“Braiding your hair, boo,” Tristan said, his big hand stroking my back comfortingly.
Even sick as a dog, I thought that was sweet. “I don’t want you to see me like this. I’m disgusting.” I punctuated that statement by further emptying out the contents of my stomach.
“Don’t worry about me. You just let me know what I can do for you. You poor thing.”
“Why don’t you ever get sick?” I whined at him between bouts of throwing up.
“I weigh two twenty-five buck naked, sweetheart. I can handle a lot of alcohol.”
Even nauseous and feeling disgusting, I took a moment to linger on an image of him naked. I wouldn’t be human if I wasn’t at least curious.
“That’s not fair,” I moaned.
“It’s not. Can I get you anything?”
I shook my head. I thought my stomach might finally be empty, but I was afraid to hope for it.
“Why don’t you try to sleep it off for a bit? I’ve got the boys and breakfast covered. Just go lie down.”
I did. I was in no shape to refuse.
When I woke up again, I felt human, if only barely. I showered, and pulled on the first clean clothes I found.
The house was almost eerily quiet when I left my room. The only sign of life in the whole place was coming from the kitchen.
My stomach rumbled in a good way when I smelled what Tristan was cooking.
“I need one of those today,” I told him, pointing at the hangover sandwich in his hand as I took my usual seat on the counter.
He brought it to me with a sympathetic smile. “Fresh coffee is brewing. I’ll fix a cup for you when it’s finished.”
I thanked him, taking a huge bite, closing my eyes and chewing it slowly, enjoying every second of it, before swallowing.
I opened my eyes to find him watching me, his face carefully blank. “Where is everybody?”
“Bev and Jerry took the boys to the mall. It’s Saturday, you know, not that we’ve been keeping track.”
I devoured the sandwich, and then a cup of coffee, followed by two bottles of water. I felt like a different person when I’d finished it all.
Bad Things (Tristan & Danika #1) Page 10