Beware of Bad Boy(14)

He burst out laughing. “Who said anything about sex?” Looking disdainful now, he explained, “Baby, I’ve never had to force or blackmail a girl to have sex with me. I’m not exactly hard up when it comes to getting laid.”

“Pig,” I muttered. The unwelcome image of him in a towel popped into my head and I scowled.

“You got that right,” he agreed unrepentantly. He seemed thoughtful as he continued, “But since you suggested it.”

Before I had time to process what he’d just said, he pulled me into his arms and his lips came crashing down on mine. At first I just stood there, not moving. I was about to push him away when he started nibbling on my lower lip and sucking it. It felt so good I couldn’t help myself. With a groan, I put my hands in his hair and met his enthusiasm.

After a dazed minute, he pulled back. “Like I said, never had to force or blackmail a girl.”

I was pissed off by his trick and belatedly pushed him away. “You jerk! I would die before I ever had sex with you! And that kiss sucked!” I slapped him on the chest as a final insult and walked back inside. His mocking laughter followed me into the house.



CALEB



I thought I was lucky before. Now, I not only got to live in the same house as the hottest chick ever, but she had to do whatever I said. My own personal pretty little slave. Life was good and so was that kiss. It promised to be one of the more enjoyable kisses I’d experienced. This new game would at least alleviate the boredom of suburbia.





CHAPTER SIX



“Beauty awakens the soul to act.”

-Dante Alighieri



CALEB



I spent the next hour of the party observing Gianna in what I now liked to call her natural habitat. I relished the power I possessed over her. I just needed to figure out what precisely to do with it.

I noticed how Jared took every opportunity possible to touch Gianna in some way, or he’d find ways for her to touch him. An arm slung over her shoulder in a friendly manner seemed not to faze her. Maybe he meant it only as a friend, but either way, it bothered me. I was starting to think of Gianna as belonging in some way to me. Not in a relationship sort of way, of course, because I didn’t do relationships. I just felt protective of her. It was completely natural, given our relationship as stepsiblings. It was also clear that the girl was mixed up and needed to get her life together. This double life business, where she was one way during the week at school and something else altogether on the weekends couldn’t be healthy.

It amazed me that at home she clearly did what her mom and everyone expected of her. It was almost as if she wasn’t a real person at home, but some alternative universe version of Gianna. Here, with people she was comfortable being around, I watched her and she seemed to be a more likable person. It was like Gianna and Gigi were two different people. Which one was the real Gianna? I was guessing Gigi. Why was Gianna the way she was at home? Why didn’t Gigi exist at home and school? I’d definitely be finding out.

Dante was still hitting it off with Nina, but I’d lost interest in Skylar even though she’d suggested we go out to my car to be alone. The air of desperation in her eagerness was a turn off tonight. Normally, I’d be all over that.

I weaved through the crowd of people until I spotted Taye. Needing to get rid of her, I asked him to do me the favor of taking Skylar off my hands. He was more than happy to oblige and within seconds was sitting on the couch next to her.

I located Cece and asked her if I could talk to her privately. She nodded with a serious look on her face and I followed her to what must’ve been her bedroom, unless it was Jared with the purple walls and bedspread.

“What’s up?” she asked, plopping down on the bed. I pushed from my mind the memories of other girls’ bedrooms I’d been in. Gianna would have my balls if I put the moves on her cute little friend.

Figuring out the best way to play this out, I started by saying, “I’m worried about Gianna.”

She immediately became alert and I didn’t even have to say anything else, because damn did the girl like to talk. Her wild hand gestures combined with long curly black hair whipping around made it all the more animated.

“I know exactly what you mean, Caleb. We all worry about her, especially me and Jared. She’s like a sister to us. I first met her when we started ballet together when we were little. She was always really quiet and the other girls thought she was stuck up because even then she looked like a mini supermodel. You should’ve seen her mom, though, she was so overbearing. Wanted everything to be perfect, especially Gianna, and always talking about how beautiful Gianna was. No wonder the girl was shy, with a mother like that. When we got to middle school, her mom started letting her spend the night on some Saturday nights. That’s when Jared was really getting into breaking. We used to watch him and his friends and eventually we learned the moves and became part of the crew a few years ago. Now, Gianna is with us almost every Saturday night!” She ended the last sentence with a pleased smile.