A Perfect Ten

  Gamble nudged me again. “What’re you waiting for? Write her back.”

  I scowled at him, not wanting to text her in public like this. But, oh...I would definitely be writing her back.

  “Write who back?” Asher asked, strolling up with his attention on my phone I held in a still trembling hand.

  I scowled at him and shoved it into my back pocket, out of sight. “Nothing,” I said at the same moment Gamble blurted, “Ten’s got a secret admirer.”

  Though I rolled my eyes over the term, it reminded me of what I’d done last semester, leaving little pictures of Caroline on her chair in art class for her. Damn, I was such a loser when it came to her. I’d honestly left her sweet little trinkets...just to make her smile.

  It was impossible to think she might be doing the same thing back to me...with midnight rounds of hot, wild sex instead of stupid drawings.

  “Oh, really?” Hart quirked a curious eyebrow and folded his arms over his chest. “Do tell.”

  I didn’t want to tell him shit. I hated how close of a friendship he had with Caroline. It irritated the piss out of me until I just couldn’t like the guy. But Gamble seemed to think he was just aces. He started blabbing about my entire encounter with Car—I mean, Midnight Visitor. And the more my good buddy spoke, the more intrigued Hart seemed to grow.

  “So when do you think she broke into your phone and slipped you her number?” he asked.

  “How the fuck should I know?” I sent him one last cranky glower and muttered, “I’m taking off.”

  I turned away, and Gamble and Hart laughed after me as if they thought my moodiness was cute. I flipped them the bird over my shoulder and pushed my way out into the warm April night. It was after two in the morning and the streets were quiet and dimly lit. I yanked my phone back out of my pocket and immediately checked my address book as I jogged across the street to the parking lot where my truck was.

  First, I checked Midnight Visitor’s number, then I scrolled up to the C’s and checked out Caroline’s contact link. I was actually expecting the two numbers to be the same. But they weren’t. A strange disappointment funneled through me. I slowed to a stop on the curb and stared at Caroline’s name on my screen with a totally different number than Midnight Visitor’s.

  I shook my head and breathed deeply through my nostrils. Almost tempted to delete the message and then Midnight Visitor’s number completely, I ground my teeth and glanced up at the sky. A billion stars peered down at me, almost mocking me with their delightful twinkling.

  I couldn’t believe I’d been so sure she was Caroline.

  A long, drawn-out sigh eased from my lungs. Well...did I want to see the woman again, or not? It wasn’t like me to say no to free pussy. But knowing that last night really had been a complete stranger made me uneasy. I didn’t like feeling the connection I’d felt with a woman who wasn’t Caroline. I already had enough stupid-ass emotions swirling in me because I was pining after one woman. I didn’t want to add another girl to the list.

  Then I reminded myself I’d only felt close to Midnight Visitor because she’d reminded me so much of Caroline, so...what was wrong with giving her another go? No strings, great sex, so why was I standing here debating with myself? I could just keep pretending she was who I wanted her to be, and everything would be okay. This was probably as close to Caroline as I’d ever get anyway.

  Making up my mind, I drew in a breath and reopened the message I’d been sent.

  Define good, I typed, and then walked the rest of the way to my truck.

  I’d just opened the driver’s side door when my phone buzzed. My dick jerked in response, knowing my correspondence directly involved him.

  The definition of good: You have not had your penis in any other woman since it’s been in me. So...have you been good?

  With a laugh, I shook my head. It’s barely been twenty-four hours since I was in YOU. Just how much do you think I get around?

  “I know exactly how much you get around. Answer the damn question.”

  I knew I was having more fun with this than I should, but I grinned. You have a dirty mouth. I like that.

  For some reason, I thought she’d like that comment. Instead, she wrote, I take your avoidance of my question to mean that you’ve been a very bad boy and dirtied your dick in some other whore. So bye-bye now.

  I sniffed, not liking her ultimatum-type threat. Actually, no, I haven’t been with anyone since you. But if you want a different answer, give me an hour. I’m sure I can find some chick to screw. I growled as I jabbed the send button, wondering who the hell she thought she was to demand monogamy from me.

  Instantly, she answered, No! Please don’t.

  I didn’t immediately respond. I let her sweat. I didn’t want to lose my shot with my Caroline wannabe, but I wasn’t going to let her boss me around either.

  I started the engine of my truck and muted my phone, muttering under my breath about how no one owned me.

  She’d written another message by the time I’d driven home and parked in front of my apartment building. Since I wasn’t the patient type, I opened it before heading up to my apartment.

  I’m just asking you not to fuck anyone else while you’re still fucking me. She sounded much more humble this time around, which made me smug. If that’s acceptable with you, then…Tuesday night. Midnight. Your room. Keep the lights off. I’m doing a sniff test, and if your cock smells like anything but Ivory soap, I’m leaving, and you’re never touching me again.

  Okay, that second part wasn’t quite as meek. My scowl returned, but then I realized something else and pulled back in surprise. “Holy fuck.” How did she know I used that brand of body soap? I could’ve sworn I’d never had her before last night, but this chick had been in my apartment, in my very bathroom. Fuck, she’d figured out my passcode on my phone. She knew my buddies had dubbed her Midnight Visitor. And not only that, she knew my work schedule because Tuesday was the next night I had off.

  Damn, I had a freaking stalker.

  I grinned, because having a stalker was kind of hot. Crazy chicks were so much more interesting than the sane ones.

  See you then, I said.

  To which she immediately responded, No, you won’t. You better not see shit. I said no lights.

  I shook my head and chuckled under my breath. This woman really did have a mouth on her. That was so awesome. Fine. Touch you then? Lick you then? Fuck you then? Which term do you prefer, princess?

  Any of those will do. Thank you.

  Okay, fine. Lick you later then, baby.

  Looking forward to it. Goodnight, Oren.

  A bit of sadness and regret gnawed at my stomach. I stared at her smart-ass, kinky comments and realized I’d actually had fun sparring with her. I didn’t particularly want to have fun doing anything but fucking this woman. My heart already belonged somewhere else. I didn’t want the stupid organ straying on me.

  But it felt wrong not to respond, so I typed, Night, Midnight Visitor.

  I was stress drawing on Monday in the campus’s main courtyard between classes when Gamble and Ham found me. I’d been doing that more and more lately, absently drawing when my mind wouldn’t stop thinking shit it shouldn’t be thinking. And I knew exactly what it was about, but I was in serious denial.

  Four years ago, a part of me had died. The biggest part. The fucking best part. To combat the pain that was left, I’d closed off other parts because I could never picture myself loving any girl, in any capacity, ever again. Hell, I’d never really even planned on making friends with dudes, either. But Noel Gamble had obliterated that plan the day I met him.

  We’d been two complete strangers forced together as freshman dormitory roommates, and he’d just kind of swept me in. After he’d realized I’d played some ball in high school, he’d coaxed me outside for a game of catch, then he’d told me how impressed he was by my skill, and before I knew it, I was a walk-on for the team and we were starting in games by the end of our freshman year.

/>   It never felt as if I’d had a choice in becoming his friend. It just happened without me even noticing. He’d dragged me along with him to my first party, and after I realized how easily I could immerse myself in this place, in this life, that I could forget about all the pain in a much funnier, way more pleasurable way, I was a goner. From that point on, we’d become a team. When he needed work and found a job at Forbidden, he’d told me they were looking for another bartender too, so I shrugged, thinking why the hell not. From there, my friendships with guys spiraled out of control. I’d gotten close to Pick, and Hamilton, even Lowe, and kind-of-sort-of Hart. But I’d always been careful not to get close to the feminine persuasion. Use them for booty calls and move on, that was my motto.

  Women gutted you. They either said shit that tore out your self-confidence, or they got hurt when you should’ve been able to protect them, which left you so broken you wished you were dead. I tried to stay away from all of that “feelings” shit when it came to women. Sometimes I was downright rude to them.

  Okay, fine. Most of the time I was rude...and offensive...and overall annoying. But a guy had to protect himself somehow, because women fucking gutted you.

  I wasn’t expecting what happened to me to happen when Gamble carried Caroline into my life. I didn’t welcome it either. And I wasn’t very happy about the fact that Hamilton’s woman managed to crawl under my defenses and make me feel things, either. But Midnight Visitor? No. No fucking way. This shit had to stop. Except it was already happening. Texting my hot little bed companion had been fun. And that made me damn nervous.

  I was getting too happy and sappy around too many women.

  I’d seen Caroline earlier today, walking with Lowe and Lowe’s woman toward the science department. I’d been heading toward them, but I’d ducked out of sight before they could see me. I’d worked with Lowe just last night, and I always loved to say something to piss off his woman—whom I’d dubbed Buttercup. But I couldn’t go anywhere near them just then. Not with Caroline around.

  After making my plans with Midnight Visitor two nights ago, I’d been worried about seeing Caroline again. It was as if I was too guilty to face her or something, which was whack. I’d had numerous women since meeting her almost a year ago. I’d never had a problem facing her after a night of debauchery before. But this just felt...different, which is probably what prompted another session of stress drawing.

  I was trying to scribble my stupid feelings away when someone jumped me from behind, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me.

  “What up, loser,” Gamble called, making me leap out of my fucking skin. “Doodling again, as usual?”

  I looked up and tried to cover my drawing pad before he could see what I was making, because I honestly wasn’t all that sure what I’d been drawing; I hoped to God it wasn’t another picture of Caroline. But his eyes were already widening.

  I gritted my teeth and hesitantly glanced down. It wasn’t a perfect depiction of his sister’s face, however. Thank God. But to me, it was something so much worse. A sick dread pitched in my stomach as I stared at the four letters I’d drawn and decorated with flames.

  Gamble glanced at Ham, who was with him and seeing my notepad, too. Then he turned back to me. “Why are you drawing the name Zoey?”

  All warmth and sensation drained from my face. I didn’t know what to tell him. I glanced at Ham, but instead of anger or confusion, a sad kind of sympathy filled his face. I gritted my teeth. “I...I’m designing a tattoo for Ham here.”

  There. Yeah. Shit, that actually sounded good.

  Gamble lifted his eyebrows to Ham. “You’re getting another tattoo?”

  Ham blinked, but returned his attention to the page where his woman’s name was stenciled. Temptation flickered in his gaze. “Yeah,” he murmured. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it.”

  I almost groaned, certain he hadn’t thought about it until just now. But now that I’d put the idea in his head, he was actually considering it. Stupid ass. Didn’t he know you didn’t tattoo a woman’s name on you? Even if I did have a feeling he and Blondie would be the lasting kind who stayed together forever, it was just dumb to tempt fate that way. What if Blondie died on him? Where the fuck would he be then?

  I slapped the notepad closed. It was about time for me to start toward my next class, plus Gam was sending me the oddest look, giving me the willies, so I stood up and tucked the notebook away.

  I was about to bid these two losers farewell when Gamble glanced past me and shook his head. “Great. Here comes trouble.”

  I looked over to see Caroline and Blondie headed our way. “Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, knowing I couldn’t escape unnoticed, except Gam heard me.

  He sent me a startled glance before a knowing gleam entered his eyes. The blood drained from my face. Shit, what the hell had he just figured out?

  Instead of letting me in on his little revelation, he turned to his sister as soon as they were within speaking distance. “Hey, shorty. Have you been behaving?”

  She smirked back and fluttered her lashes. “Never.”

  Damn, I loved the snarky little responses she gave. They always made me want to kiss the fuck out of her.

  But today, it kind of hurt to look at her. I mean, glimpses of her wispy corn silk hair, her sparkling blue eyes and stubborn chin always left an ache in my chest. But today felt worse than usual. Damn females making me feel way too damn much.

  I’d gone through I-don’t-know-how-many girls to flush my want for her out of my system, and it’d never bothered me to look her in the eye the next morning before. But something about my encounters with Midnight Visitor was making me feel guilty as shit. It felt as if I’d betrayed her, when she wasn’t even mine...and she never would be.

  That didn’t feel wonderful to think about either, so I turned my attention to Zoey and Ham as they came together for a heated little greeting. Tongue and everything.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Gamble wrap his arm around his sister’s shoulder and say something into her ear. She laughed and jabbed him in the side with her pointer finger before saying something back. The curiosity killed me, wondering what the fuck they were discussing. It was times like these I hated how close they were. Freaking messed with my head.

  Brother and sister getting along, hanging out, just shooting the shit.

  God, I missed that.

  Gam kissed the side of Caroline’s head and pulled away, relieving some of the pressure that had been building in my chest. “Well, I’m headed to class. See you later. Ham. Zoey,” he called in farewell.

  I was technically still watching the lovebirds grope, so I saw them break apart to wave at Gamble. And then Gamble said, “Ten.”

  Risking my sanity, I turned my attention to him. He had that look again, like he knew something about me that no one else knew. I didn’t like that look. I tipped my chin at him and mumbled, “Later,” and promptly ripped my gaze away again.

  As he strolled away and Ham went back to kissing his girl, I decided to take off too.

  But Caroline’s voice just had to go and waylay me. “What’s wrong with you?”

  I frowned her way, and shit. What was it about her that always reeled me in? Just because her eyes were a pale, compelling shade of cornflower blue, her cute, pert little nose turned up at the end in the most adorable way, and a handful of barely discernible freckles dotted her cheeks, didn’t mean she was movie-star hot. And yet I could look at her all day and still want more, because she was the most beautiful thing I’d ever wanted.

  “What’re you talking about?” I asked with a confused shrug at her accusing stare. “I didn’t say anything.”

  “I know. And it’s suspicious as hell.” She set her hands on her hips. Hips I wanted to put my hands on. “Why’re you being so quiet?”

  Unable to look her in the eye, I lowered my gaze, only to be met with an eyeful of perfect breasts. And I mean perfect. Perfect shape, perfect size, perfect lift. I just wanted to stick my fac
e in between them and die a happy man in motorboating heaven.

  Shaking my head slightly, I opened my mouth to tell her I didn’t know what the hell she was talking about. But instead, I said, “I gotta go.”

  Turning, I half sprinted, half walked away.

  Maybe agreeing to meet with Midnight Visitor again wasn’t such a great idea after all. It’d been hot the first night because I’d let myself pretend she was Caroline, but now that I knew they weren’t one and the same, I just felt shitty, because I wasn’t sure if I could let go of my fixation on either woman now.

  God, I was so fucked up.

  I gazed after Oren as he fled the courtyard, and yes, fleeing was exactly what it looked like he was doing. He’d just lit out of here as if his ass were on fire.

  Glancing at Zwinn, I pointed after him. “Seriously, what’s wrong with him?” He’d seemed...moody, distant, quiet: all adjectives I had never associated with Oren before. Concern flickered inside me.

  “Maybe he figured out your trickery,” Quinn said, arching a censorious eyebrow as he wrapped an arm around Zoey’s waist and tugged her close.

  Damn, he really didn’t approve of what I’d done, did he?

  I gulped and glanced away. “Did you tell him?”

  “No. But he’s not stupid, Caroline. If you keep this up, he will figure it out.”

  Not sure how to answer that, I drew in a deep breath.

  “What you’re doing can’t lead anywhere good.” Quinn sent me a steady look that shot a shiver up my spine and made me feel worse about what I’d already done.

  But even as Zoey softly admonished, “Quinn. You didn’t have to tell her that,” I nodded, agreeing with him. I knew he was right. I really should stop the insanity. It was already affecting Oren, and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him. I couldn’t think of anything else that might be bothering him, and Zwinn, hadn’t come up with alternate reasons for why he might be moody, distant or quiet. Maybe this was about Midnight Visitor.

  I moved away from them, waving a goodbye as my mind stayed on Oren.