Giving It to the Bad Boy (3 page)

rising and falling. Suddenly he turned to her, his eyes hard and fierce. Fire seemed to flash behind the blue depths, and Kiera found herself swallowing hard and taking a step back. He walked toward her

slowly, and after everything that had happened with Josh, then watching Reese kick the shit out of

him, she should have been hauling ass out of there, but she couldn’t move. Kiera was forced to crane her neck to look in his face. He was big and muscular, and she didn’t think an eighteen-year-old

should be so intimidating. She flinched when he lifted his hand. Her reaction gave him pause, and his jaw clenched hard, but he slowly grabbed the strap of her tank and slid it back up to her shoulder.

“Are you okay?” His voice was deep and harsh, but filled with concern.

Kiera swallowed, still feeling lightheaded. She started to shake, and her teeth chattered. All of

a sudden she was so cold. A crowd gathered behind Reese. A few of the guys were laughing, calling

Josh a “pussy” and other derogatory names, and some of the girls had wide eyes and covered their

mouths with their hands. A few people lifted Josh off the ground and carried him in the house. Talk

about getting Josh to the hospital could be heard, but after what had just happened he was the last

thing on her mind.

“I—” She looked into his face and felt something cracking inside of her. She shook harder, and

tears fell in an uncontrollable torrent down her cheeks.

“Fuck.” In the next instant he wrapped his arms around her and brought her body flush with his.

She stiffened, but the clean, spicy scent of his cologne, or maybe it was just his natural smell, washed through her. “You’re in shock. Come on. Let’s get you inside and away from the fucking gawkers.” He

turned, but kept his arm around her waist. Fortunately, she had thought to adjust her clothing before people saw too much flesh. Reese pushed through the crowd. “Get the fuck back.” His voice was

harsh, and his words were a rough growl. His presence commanded attention, and everyone obeyed.

It was a mixture of respect, awe, and fear, she realized.

He took her in the house and steered her down a long, unbelievably deserted hallway and into a

bathroom. He left the door cracked open.

“I’m okay.” It was a lie, because even as she said the words she still shook and her voice

wavered. The buzz from the alcohol had since left, but the high from the weed still went strong and

made her feel groggy.

“No, you’re not.” He grabbed a washcloth and ran some water over it. “Sit on the toilet.” When

she didn’t make a move to do as he said he frowned. “Listen, I’m only trying to help.” He breathed

out and glanced down at his feet. He lifted his head and pierced her with his blue gaze. He seemed so damn big in the bathroom. “Please. I only want to help, okay?” His voice softened, and she found

herself sitting on the closed lid of the toilet. He offered her a smile, and she was amazed that the small gesture could change his whole appearance. Had she ever seen him smile? She couldn’t recall.

The touch of the warm washcloth touching the corner of her mouth had a sting of pain moving through

her, and she gasped out. She lifted her hand to her lip. She hadn’t even realized she had a cut.

“I didn’t know I hurt my lip.” Kiera was so rattled she didn’t even know if she was talking to

herself or to him.

He was so close, just inches from her face. It was hard to breathe, and not because her lungs

still burned.

“It’s small. Looks like you might have bitten your lip.” After he said the words his jaw locked

up tight, and a muscle ticked beneath his cheek. He averted his eyes from hers and focused on the task of tending to her lip. He stood and tossed the washrag into a hamper then sat on the edge of the tub.

Their knees touched, and she forced herself not to move away. He had saved her from an unthinkable

act, but her nerves were still on edge and she couldn’t think clearly. For several long moments neither said anything. The sound of Jack White singing “Icky Thump” came through the door. Kiera kept her

gaze on her entwined hands resting on her lap, but she could feel his stare. It was so strong and

tangible, like flames licking across her body.

“Do you want to talk about it? Tell me what happened?” His voice was low, and she swore she

sensed a coaxing quality to it, but it still sounded strained. Why was he doing this, talking to her, or caring what had happened? He never gave her the time of day before, and his attitude had always

leaned toward the “I don’t give a fuck” side.

Lifting her eyes to his, she thought about his question. Did she want to talk about it, especially

with Reese Trenton? Closing her eyes, all she could think about was Josh’s hands on her, touching,

kissing, and licking her flesh. A shiver worked through her. What she wanted was a shower, one hot

enough to scald her skin and tear away the first layer.

“I don’t think so.” She looked away and stared at the sterile white tile. Her voice was barely a

whisper, and when she lifted her head and looked at Reese again, she was struck by the raw emotion

reflected on his face. He gave a sharp nod, and Kiera was so very thankful he didn’t press her.

“Thank you. If you hadn’t come when you did…” Kiera’s voice hitched at the vile image her words

invoked.

“Yeah, let’s not go there, or I’m liable to hunt him down and break his fucking neck.” The rage

in Reese’s voice had her eyes widening. He must have seen her reaction because he schooled his

features. “I’m sorry.” He ran his hand over the back of his neck and exhaled loudly.

“How did you know where I was?” Not that it mattered, because in the end he had saved her

life. She was curious, though, and she wanted to talk about something to get the images from her mind.

Shifting slightly, he cleared his throat and said, “I came outside for a smoke and saw Josh

heading toward the garden. I didn’t think anything of it, but then I saw movement and he fall to the ground through the break in the trees.”

His words caused fresh tears to fall. “You know him?” Kiera grabbed some toilet paper and

wiped her tears away.

“Hey, how about we stop talking about this? I can take you home, or back to where your friends

are?” She shook her head because right now she didn’t want to see anyone. Being enclosed in the

bathroom made her feel safe, in a strange sort of way. “Do you need to go to the hospital, get checked out?”

She shook her head again. “No, no, I’m fine, really. Just shook up and a little confused is all.”

Sniffing, she smiled at him and hoped the forced gesture had him believing her. From the look on his face it was clear he didn’t buy it, but he gave her this round.

“Your earlier question, about if I knew Josh … yeah, I know him from my freshman year. He’s

a real asshole, and doesn’t take kindly to girls saying no. I know Haden didn’t invite him, so not sure who did. But hell, knowing Josh he probably just showed up.” Reese took his hat off and set it on his knee. He ran his hand over his short dark hair, causing the strands to stick up in every direction.

“He’s lucky the guys came when they did and pulled me off. I would have made sure he couldn’t have

walked out of here.” His dark words calmed her, for some fucked up reason.

“Well, thank you again.” She looked away and wished she should have gone with her instincts

and stayed home.

“You’re Alex’s little sister, Kiera, right?” His question had her lifting her head and looking at

him. She knew Alex had been popular in school, but hadn’t known people still talked about him three

years after he graduated. She supposed him being on the Varsity football team had a lot to do with his reputation.

“Yeah.” He nodded and looked at the bathroom door then back at her. “I didn’t even know you

knew my name.”
Why would you say that?
Kiera could have slapped a hand over her mouth if she wasn’t humiliated by her question. He didn’t answer right away, and the awkwardness in the room

grew. Kiera stood and was about to leave when someone called out from the other side of the door.

“Reese?”

Kiera closed her eyes and breathed out when she heard Andrea’s voice growing closer to the

bathroom door.

“Has anyone seen Reese?”

“Think I saw him go into the bathroom with some chick.” A guy answered Andrea’s random

question.

Her clicking heels came closer and closer, and right before she was sure to push the door open

Reese said, “Don’t open the fucking door, Andrea.” His words were clipped and demanded

obedience.

“What? What the hell, Reese?” Andrea sounded surprised at first, but then morphed to

irritation.

“Go the fuck away,” he said.

Kiera could practically hear the smoke billowing out of the other girl’s ears. “
Reese
,” her

whiny voice had Kiera looking at the door then at Reese. His attention was solely on Kiera. “You

said you’d take me back to your place tonight.”

Ugh.
Andrea’s words had a disgusting image form in Kiera’s mind. For a moment Kiera had

forgotten Reese’s reputation, but that was the least of her worries right now.

“Go wait in the damn car, Andrea.”

Yeah, Kiera needed to just go. Rubbing her hand over her eyes she felt herself start to calm

slightly, but she still didn’t feel one-hundred percent.

“About your earlier statement.” His words had her dropping her hand and looking at him. The

sound of Andrea’s heels fading away pierced the silence. “I’ve known who you are since you got out

of Alex’s car that first day freshman year.”

His words had everything around her fading.
What? He did?
He never talked to her, barely

even glanced at her, but he spoke like he knew more than just her name. Before she could delve a

little deeper into his statement the sound of Molly’s panicked voice came down the hallway and

straight for the bathroom. She threw it open and with wide eyes looked at Kiera then Reese.

“What the fuck happened? I’m hearing all this talk about some guy getting his ass kicked by

Reese because of you?” She continued to look back and forth, and the action and her expression

would have been humorous if not for the seriousness of the situation. Molly gasped and slapped her

hand over her mouth. “Oh my God, Kiera. Your lip.” Her words were muffled, but Kiera heard them

nonetheless. Molly dropped her hand. “What happened?” Kiera so didn’t want to get into this again.

All she wanted was a shower and her bed.

“Can you just take me home? I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

Molly looked as if she wanted to argue, but she kept her mouth shut. “Of course, come on,”

Molly said from the doorway.

Kiera stood, and Reese did the same. He gripped his hat in his hand so tight she saw the whites

of his knuckles. Dragging her eyes to his, she was struck by the vulnerable expression on his face.

“Thank you again. You’ll never know how thankful I am you showed up when you did.”

Molly took her hand and led her out of the bathroom, but Reese calling out to her stopped her.

“You sure you’re okay?”

She stopped and looked over her shoulder. No, she wasn’t but she would be. At least she

hoped.

“Yeah.” She smiled at him. His brows were furrowed down over his eyes, and she knew he

saw right through her lie.

“Okay…” A beat of silence passed between them. “I’ll see yah Monday at school.”

He would? This time it was her turn to furrow her brow. “Yeah, okay.” Smiling again, she let

Molly lead her through the house and out to the car. Kiera was very aware of the whispers and stares as they left. She could only imagine how Monday would play out at school. Once in the car Molly

turned and looked at her.

“You going to tell me what the hell happened? I heard a few things, but you can’t believe

anything those assholes say, or at least I hope they aren’t true.” The worry was thick in Molly’s voice.

Kiera rested her head back on the seat and closed her eyes. “Can we talk about it later,

please?” Kiera was exhausted mentally and physically.

Molly took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

“If that’s what you want.” They drove to Kiera’s house in silence, but she preferred it that way.

She was tired of talking and just wanted to close her eyes and put this entire night behind her.

The scent of beer was thick when Reese entered his house after dropping off Andrea. The fact

she constantly tried grabbing his dick the entire ride put him in an even fouler mood. He walked

farther in the house and pushed his keys into the front pocket of his jeans. If he hadn’t been used to the stench he might have gagged, but nowadays it was just a second thought in passing. The sound of the

television blaring in the background was loud in their small, rundown house. He knew what he would

find if he went into the living room: either one or both of his parents passed out on the couch. They’d either have a cigarette hanging from their mouths, or from the tips of their fingers, just waiting to fall and start a fire. There had been too many times when that had almost been his reality growing up.

Reese passed the entryway to the living room and saw his mother sprawled on the ratty, brown tweed

recliner. Numerous burn holes from their cigarettes littered the upholstery. A bottle of cheap gas

station bought vodka sat between her thighs. His father sat on the equally disgusting couch, his back to Reese. Just as he turned to head down the hall to the only safe haven he had in their shitty little house, his father’s slurred voice stopped him.

“Kind of late for you to be coming in, boy.” Smoke from the cigar his father puffed on billowed