Exposing the Bad Boy (4 page)

Sponsorship.

Reaching down, I grabbed my fallen cap. “Your latte is getting cold. Drink it or order a fresh one before you go. Sarah is right, they really
are
the best here.”

Ellie's face fell. “Hold on, I don't understand.”

I walked towards the register, tossing the card in the trash as I passed. “I'm trying to be polite. But I'm saying get the hell out.”

“What—the job...”

“I don't
want
your job,” I growled. My hand was on the supply closet door. I didn't need to look back to know all eyes were on me. “Okay? I'll keep my boring one, thanks.”

“Maybe you don't understand,” she said anxiously. “Sponsorship means money, fame! Who would turn that down?”

Crushing the handle, I grit my teeth. “Me. I'm turning it down.”

I won't be chained.

I slammed the door behind me.

Ellie

––––––––

S
on of a bitch.

God damn fucking—just fuck.

Two years at my job, and not once—not even on my first gig—had someone turned my offer down. I was Ellie Cutter! I'd charmed and swayed and slid my pen into the hand of every athlete Maximal had wanted.

Until now.

Fucking hell.

Sarah had chased me out after Pike had demanded I leave. I'd done as I was asked—the blonde looked ready to knock me down—and retreated to my car. Parked on the street, I sipped my cold latte and watched the coffee shop. If I expected an answer to magically appear, I was an idiot.

Do I call Corbin?
My phone said it was close to eight. I'd been sitting here forever... but what else was there?
Is my plan to just try and talk to him when he comes out?
That could be hours from now. I didn't know what his shift was.

Just tell Corbin you failed.
No. I couldn't handle that.
And it isn't over yet. I still have time. Until he signs with another sponsor, I have a chance.
Why had he freaked out so badly, though?

The memory of his boiling glare made me wipe my neck. Pike had looked ready to spit on me.
All because I offered him a job? He definitely understood what I was offering. He knew who Maximal was.

What was I not getting?

Dropping my forehead onto the steering wheel, I ran through the whole encounter in my brain once more. Pike had been bigger than I'd expected. In my platform boots, I was used to being taller than many men.
But not Pike Moss.

When he'd strolled around the counter, towering over me—even in those silly green clothes, he'd been quite a sight. His chest had tried to rip the cloth in two when he'd leaned back in his chair. I'd fought down the funny desire to free him from the confines, myself.

It's a shame I didn't get to see those tattoos again. Guess his job prefers them hidden and—jeez, stop it, Ellie!
I berated myself. Lifting my head, I peered out through the windshield.
Think of a plan, not about his body. Good lord.

Maybe all those nights partying with amazingly fit sports stars and not getting laid was getting to me.
Focus. You're in this for business, not pleasure.
I knew better than to mess with famous-types. They had the chance to bury their dicks in a pair of thighs every time they turned a corner.

Only fools got hurt by men like that.

I was no fool.

Sliding my fingers through my hair, I huffed and shut my eyes. This situation was salvageable. Pike could be bought, everyone could be bought. I just had to figure him out. Something made him tick, and if it wasn't the temptation of money or fame, what was it?

Noise pulled my attention towards the shop across the street. It was growing blue-black outside, the color of a fresh eggplant. In the yellow glow of the front entrance, I spotted the recognizably broad silhouette of Pike.

My spine straightened; instantly, I ducked back down. He was moving languidly towards a car near the corner of the street. It was clearly his when he popped the door open and slid into the driver's seat.

No chance to talk to him now. Damn.
Anxiousness had my skin tingling. Without a second thought, I clicked my engine over and pulled out into the street.
Great. Now I'm stalking him. Fantastic.

Well, a plan was a plan—and I couldn't handle the idea of calling Corbin until I took another stab at convincing Pike to join Maximal.

Steeling myself, I committed to the pursuit.

****

H
is car turned into the nearly empty parking lot. I kept going, knowing it'd be too obvious if I followed him in. Hidden around the corner of a building, I cut the power and shoved my door open.

I was halfway out, purse in hand—before I shoved it under my seat. I wouldn't need it. I didn't know
what
I would need, I was acting on impulse, but my wallet wouldn't cut it.

Keeping my phone on silent, I stuck it in my jacket and hurried down the dark street. The area opened up quickly, lamps shining to prevent me from being completely invisible. In LA, pure darkness was incredibly rare.

Inching towards the chain link fence that circled the parking lot, I moved in contrast to the frantic thumping of my heart. Pike's car—a simple black Taurus—was alone. He was already gone, and my mood fractured.

Fuck!
Where had he run off to so quickly? Scanning the area, I eyed the big, boarded up building in the distance that was being worked on. Machinery sat like dinosaur bones in a museum around it. I didn't know what it had been before, but signs proclaiming 'Keep Out' everywhere made it obvious I shouldn't be here.

Then it clicked—and seconds later, I spotted his shadowy figure.
Of course!
Hurrying across the concrete, I followed the fading shape of Pike as he slipped into the building. The clarity about what was going on was pushing adrenaline into my veins.

He's here to jump.

The building entrance was a wide doorway, the edges covered in tape to protect it from fresh paint. Scooting into the dim hall, I begged my eyes to adjust faster. Stalking Pike would become harder if he got too far ahead of me.

But then, I did know where he was going. It had to be the top of this structure, didn't it?

My mind flickered with the memory of that video. How proudly Pike had stood, how he'd rocketed head first towards the asphalt without a glimmer of hesitation.

Shivering, I tip-toed around a corner, picking up the sound of movement. In the new area, a wide stairwell was obvious.

This was it. Pike was going up, I had him cornered, and I...

What was I
doing
?

Chewing the inside of my cheek, I flexed my hands.
Follow him.
Fuck, what if I got caught? Wasn't this breaking the law? It had to be, why else was Pike sneaking around like this? Corbin's words rang in my skull.
Arrested for trespessing.

I could still turn around. If I backed out, I'd wait for him by his car. That would make more sense; I didn't need to catch him in the act. I just needed another chance to speak with him and make my case.

Leaning inside the stairwell, I peered up into the inky black and thought to myself,
Okay. New, better, safer idea. I'll just sit by his car and when he comes back, I'll talk to him there and—

“Is someone in here?”

The voice came from behind me, melting the muscles in my knees. It was coarse and decidedly male, but
not
Pike Moss. Shit!

“Come out if you're in here! This is private property!”

My synapses exploded. On reaction, I ran up the stairs. Fear erased my logic. I had to flee, the animal part of me demanding I just run and run and run.

Huffing, I jumped the steps and tried to make a plan. Exertion wasn't aiding me. Dammit, why was
I
running? I could turn around, explain—explain what?

That I'm here stalking someone?

Getting caught by a security guard wasn't in my plan!

My skin was soaked in perspiration, more from my panic than anything else. Groaning inwardly, I broke across the threshold of the staircase. I was moving so fast, I didn't see the man in front of me until I slammed into his chest.

“Ah!” Gasping, I stumbled backwards. For a moment, I teetered on the precipice of crashing down the entire flight of stairs. And I thought—as I balanced there—
I'm going to have a lot to explain to Corbin when he visits me in the hospital.

Hands snatched me by my front, ripping me forward and throwing me off balance in the opposite direction. Light bounced behind my eyes, I was too dazed to make sense of what was going on.

Warmth curled around me, gripping my shoulders and holding me steady. Something else—much harder and cool—was against my spine. A concrete wall?

“Are you alright?”

That voice, I recognized it.

“Pike?” Blinking, I focused until I could tell I was staring right into the unfairly handsome face of my target. It was him that I'd run into... and it was him who'd saved me.

He was so close to me.

Much too close.

Shaking my head gingerly, testing if my brains would pour out, I winced. “Thanks for catching me, did I hit you hard?” I asked.

“Not too hard, no.” Narrowing those river-blue eyes, he studied me with slowly building disdain. “You're that woman from earlier. Ellie Cutter, right? Why the hell are you following me?”

Opening my mouth, all words failed me. Below us, the security guard called out again. “Hello? I know you're in here! Stop running and come out!”

A flicker of panic crossed Pike's face. Then, he turned to me with new, silently burning anger. “You led that guard right to me.”

Grimacing, my ears pricked at the sound of footsteps echoing up the stairs. I whispered, “Well, to both of us, actually.”

He knotted his brow. For a long minute, in which I tried to gather my thoughts over my still ringing ears, he didn't move. Soon, I spotted a glimmer of mischief in Pike's face. Unlike his anger, this emotion was comfortable on his full lips, matching his heated eyes.

It was my only warning of what was to come.

Pike's sideways smile appeared in the darkness. “That's right. Both of us. How much do you want to avoid a breaking and entering charge, Miss Cutter?”

I palmed my forehead; I was gradually feeling better. “I'd love to avoid it, sure. Unless he's willing to be bribed, I don't see how we can manage it.”

Pike was still; thoughtful. I had a moment of unease, my intuition screaming for me to run away. Here was someone who could have been a coiled tiger, ready to spring up and devour me until my bones were picked clean.
Escape,
I thought desperately.
Run. He's going to do something!

I was too slow.

His solid chest, clad in only a tightly fitted black tank top, shoved me against the wall. Hands that had held me still and saved my life, now slid over my jaw until they trapped the back of my head.

We were locked together.

As he bent in, I flinched, thrown off by his sultry scent. I couldn't begin to describe it. Pine? Musk? A breath of ocean air on a sunny day? Crap, I was getting poetic. Not good!

“What the hell are you doing?” I hissed around my numb tongue.

In the darkness, his eyes were wet silk. “Saving our asses.”

It was the least romantic line I'd ever heard before someone kissed me. So why was my heart doing its best to pulse like lightning?

Through the thickness of my jacket, his heat permeated me. I was sure he couldn't feel my chest thumping, but there was no way he didn't notice my body going limp.

I was kissing a stranger in an abandoned building.

I didn't—when was the last time I'd kissed
anyone?

Pike's mouth moved with precision. Just like his base jumps, he did this fearlessly.

Perfectly.

Teeth rubbed over my bottom lip, his breath merging with mine. Well, it would have, if I'd remembered to breathe. My lungs were raging to burst. It rivaled the curling fire in my belly.

Pushing my knees together, I shuddered, noticing my damp inner thighs—and that snapped my brain back into working order.
What the hell am I doing?
Grunting, my hands braced against his chest, working to create space between us.

Around his seeking mouth, his lips that I
swear
were grinning, I tried to say—something.
Anything
. I managed a small moan.

Pike didn't reply.

The security guard did. “What the hell?”

My spontaneous lover let me go, leaving me to slump on the rough wall. He was looking at me dead on, judging my unfocused pupils; my flushed skin. I didn't imagine his smirk.

I wish I had.

Then he twisted away, eyeing the guard in the stairwell with forced surprise. “Oh, shit! Sorry man, my girl and I were just looking for a place to—well, you know.”

The older man shined a flashlight on us. Wincing, I shielded my eyes. He grumbled, “Dumb kids. This place is dangerous.”

“I know,” Pike said. “But she couldn't wait until we got back to my place.”

I wanted to shrink right there and just erase myself.

Standing taller, I started to speak, but Pike slid his arm around my waist and ruined my returning composure.

His forwardness was making the guard fidget, too. He rubbed his chin, his neck, looking away from us deliberately. Grunting, the guard said, “Get out of here before I call the cops. Find a hotel next time or something.” His disapproving mutters echoed in the stairs as he hurried away.

Pike released me, bending down to grab something. I wavered a moment, then gathered myself with renewed offense. “What the hell were you
thinking?
” I hissed.

Rolling his shoulders, he adjusted the large backpack he'd recovered. Coolness met me, his stare even and unmoved. “I told you. I was saving our asses.”

“By kissing me out of the blue!?”

His grin went crooked. “It worked. That's what counts.”

I itched to argue, but he wasn't wrong. Closing my eyes, I inhaled—exhaled—and sighed. “So you really were going to jump from here.”