Filthy: A Bad Boy Romance (26 page)

I knew he could see the muscles through my tight shirt and open jacket. I'd dressed to impress the ladies, but it also warned the world that I was no push-over.

If this guy thought I'd be an easy mark, he was dead wrong.

Standing taller, I flashed my best smile. “A lovely woman in a skimpy skirt is waiting for me to return, and you just cock-blocked that plan. Someone has to pay for that, might as well be the asshole beating on his girlfriend.”

To my left, Red made a face. “I'm
not
his girlfriend, and neither is she.”

“You're both single? Good to know.” I blessed her with a quick smirk. The way her eyes widened had my heart beating faster.

Unfortunately, I had other priorities.

The big asshole lifted his chin, chest puffed out like a rooster. “Last chance, get lost or get ready to collect your teeth off the grass. Hope you have a good dentist.”

“Holy shit,” I laughed. “Did you really just say that? Like, actually say that out loud?”

Lines crawled across the bridge of his nose, a snarl if I'd ever seen one. Talking this out was a failure. I'd already figured it would be. Any guy that'd attack a woman had to be short-tempered.

Ducking low, he ran right at me.

I'd taken some martial arts classes when I was a teen. Nothing serious, basic body-movement and leverage shit. My mother's idea, of course—she wanted me to know how to protect myself from the 'bad kids.' I don't think it occurred to her that
I
was one of those kids.

If she was still alive, I would have thanked her for those lessons now.

Anticipating his movements, light on my toes, I tensed up. When he got close, I darted to the side. It didn't take much momentum—he was the one rushing me—for my fist to slam into his guts.

The noise he made was awful, like a balloon deflating while it dribbled wetness.

Coughing, my attacker slumped forward. Hugging his stomach, he glared up at me through his hair. Drool slid down his chin, veins criss-crossing the whites of his eyes.

The fucker wanted my blood.

Twisting my torso, I got ready to give him one more hit, something to drop him for a few hours so he'd stop being a threat.
Nighty night,
I thought.

Red's knee came down, catching him in the ear and planting his face firmly in the grass. Green stained his cheek, his shirt ruined from his own spittle.

The other girl gasped, covering her mouth.

Holy shit.
Lifting an eyebrow, I stared at Red appreciatively.

She smoothed her shirt, shrugging. “He deserved it.” Bending over, she helped the blonde woman to her feet. “Are you alright, miss...?”

“Trish,” she said, stepping further away from the unconscious man. “And thanks. Both of you. I don't know what made him think it was okay to corner me like that. I
told
him I didn't want to go home with him. I'd seen him slip something into my drink earlier, knew he was bad news.”

A picture was forming in my mind.
This guy wasn't just violent, he was a fucking rapist. I hadn't felt bad for him before, but now, I fought back the urge to kick him while he was down.

Red pulled out her cellphone. “Let me call the police.”

“Wait,” Trish said quickly. “I'd prefer if you didn't.”

I frowned dubiously. “He tried to drug you. The shit-heel shouldn't get to walk away from that.”

“Nothing really happened, just
almost
. The cops won't help with this.” Trish shrugged defeatedly. “I've been down this road before. Nothing gets resolved and I get dragged through the mud.”

Red looked shocked. “Wait, what?” she asked.

Offering an apologetic smile, Trish slid backwards. “Thanks again.” In seconds, she'd faded into the crowd.

The red-head tightened her eyebrows, glaring down at the guy on the ground. “Now what do we do?”

I understood her anger; this man was trash. But we were in public, it wasn't like I could tear him to pieces with everyone watching. The reality of the situation sucked. I said, “We can't do anything, so we have to do nothing. For now.”

She fixed her wide eyes on me. The centers were flaring, green jade that was engulfed in flames. “What does that mean, 'for now?'”

Nudging the guy roughly with my foot, I took some sick pleasure in his groan. “That girl is right. The world is unfair, it's shit. This guy is going to be walking the streets again, looking for prey. That's the reality.”

“So what, he never has to pay for trying to rape someone?”

Slowly, I moved my eyes to hers. I was sure she sensed the budding fury in me. How could she not? It was making the back of my neck hot as a furnace. “No. I said we'd do nothing—for now. He'll pay someday. This city is smaller than it seems.”

Red's lips parted so that the center was a beautiful little 'o' shape. The genuine threat in my voice, my not so subtle promise, had made her reevaluate me.

Seeing the way her eyes lit up, I did her the same favor.

I'd lost my chances with Skirt, perhaps it was time for Plan B.

She said, “You'd hurt him? You'd go that far for justice?”

Grinning, I offered her my hand. “Don't know what you're talking about, I don't give a shit about justice. Name's Abell, and you?”

Looking from my palm to my face, she hesitated... then reached out for the handshake. “Nix. And you're wrong.”

I blinked. “Huh?”

She motioned at the guy in the grass who still hadn't moved. “You have to care about justice a little, you jumped in to try and help a pair of strangers.”

My jaw tightened from Nix's scrutiny. Having my actions picked apart made me uncomfortable. “What can I say? I heard a beautiful woman in trouble and had to step in to help.”

Her lips curled up at the edges. “Too bad she didn't hang around, she could have heard you flattering her.”

Bending closer, I lowered my voice. “I didn't mean Trish.”

Nix froze, staring at me like I might bite her. The longer I stood near her, the more I wanted to.

She wasn't the type I was searching for while prowling for pussy this evening. Don't get me wrong, I love strong women—and she was obviously strong—but I was suffering a dry spell. Nix wouldn't be easy.

Or would she?

It's worth finding out.
The more we talked, the more I wanted to hear how she'd sound in... other situations. There was a soft indent on her bottom lip. How would that feel under my roaming tongue? Would she moan or whimper when I gently scraped my teeth over her nipples?

Fuck. This is happening.

I'd decided.

Nix was going to be mine.

I nodded towards the drink stand. “Let me buy you something. After what just happened, we could both use a little refresher.”

“But what about...?”

Glancing over her head, I pointed. “The cavalry is coming.”

Turning, she peered at the men in security shirts who were being guided our way by bystanders. They'd become helpful now that the action was over.

“Security can handle it from here,” I said, reaching for her wrist. Her hand twitched in my grip; it was warm and smooth. “Everyone saw what happened. Maybe the guy will get charged with causing a nuisance, at least. Come on, take a breather, enjoy a reward for your good Samaritan actions.”

Pursing her lips at me, Nix said, “I'm going to talk to them.”

“What?”

She broke away, hurrying towards the guards. Stunned, I stood there, watching as she spoke to the group. Her hands moved, gesturing sharply from herself to the guy in the grass.

A small buzz of pride burned through me.
It was laugh worthy; I didn't know this woman, why did I care that she was bothering to take the time to speak to Security?

She didn't leave me to stew for long. Writing something down, she handed a notebook back to the guard, then ran my way. The night air brushed the hair off of her neck, her lips were redder than the skin of a fresh apple. I knew I was staring, but thank goodness, she didn't notice.

“Okay!” she said, smoothing her hair back, taming it as if she was ashamed it would dare fly free. “I told them what happened, and they have my information if they need me for anything else.”

I shook my disorienting mood away. “Then it's time for that reward drink.”

Nix wrapped her arms around herself, adjusting her coat. The frown on her decadent lips warned me she was considering saying no. Everything in her body language was closed off.

But she wasn't done surprising me.

“Alright,” she said with a coy smile. “I've had a rough week, and tonight hasn't helped. I could use a 'reward.' Just one drink, though. I have an important meeting early tomorrow.”

Beaming, I spread my arms. “What a coincidence! I've got a meeting, too, so you can't keep me out all night, no matter how much you beg me.”

“Sure,” she laughed, eyeballing my torn jeans. Her furrowed brow said she doubted I had to be anywhere tomorrow. “One drink. That's it.”

It's funny how many of my nights started this way; alcohol at the beginning, and my bedroom at the end. Tonight would be no different.

Nix was just like every other girl I'd met. But that was good.

I didn't
need
different.

****

December had turned the air  into a metallic blanket. It crackled with static energy, my nose burning red the longer we stumbled through the streets.

One drink had quickly become two.

Then three.

I'd stopped counting after five.

We were a blur of laughter, heated stares, and progressively more bold touches. As we climbed into the empty subway car, Nix caught her heel on the floor's rough edge. Bending low, I meant to just help her stand.

That was when she kissed me.

She tasted like beer, and a little bit of whiskey—the shots we'd swallowed had been a surprise. Her hands were in my hair, nails digging into my scalp like I was going to vanish. “Your place,” she mumbled, talking between tangling her tongue with mine. “Now. Right fucking now.”

I'd pegged Nix as standoffish. Clearly, I'd been way off the mark.

Holding her close, loving how her body warmed us both against the winter's chill, I guided her out of the metro station.

“How drunk are you?” I asked, curling her against my hip as we climbed the stairs of my building. I wanted this woman, but if she was too wasted to know what was about to happen...

Unlike that scumbag from earlier, I was no rapist.

“I know what I'm doing.” She bit the words off, the first hint of the attitude I'd seen in her when we'd met mere hours ago.

Through my whirl of alcohol and lust, I studied her. What was going on that I'd missed? She'd been brisk in the beginning.
And now she's begging you to take her inside your place. Stop analyzing it.

“Kiss me again,” she demanded, shoving me against the wall beside my apartment door.

Fuck analyzing.

Clutching my keys in one hand, I curled the other into her hair. It was thick, soft as velvet. “Yes Ma'am.” I forced her lower, arching her spine as I buried my mouth onto hers.

Nix's lips were as pillowy as whipped cream, her hips yielding under my seeking fingers. When I crushed her to me, her breasts plumped over my chest. If she'd had on a low-cut top, they would have spilled out.

Without breaking our kiss, I shoved the key into the door, kicking it open. Finally I pulled away, sucking in air. “The bed,” I growled, giving her a shove. “Now.”

Nix landed there, rolling to her back and yanking her jacket off. The look in her eyes lured me. Pink tinged her cheeks, a mix from the cold and her obvious desire.

Approaching her, ripping my own jacket away, I threw it to the floor. Bending down, I slammed my hands onto the bed on either side of her knees. “Shirt. Off.”

She shivered visibly, nails hooking under her top so she could pull it over her head. The result mussed up her long hair, ruining what was left of the precise, pulled-back style. Nix went to fix it, but I grabbed her wrist. “No,” I whispered, “I like it messy like that.”

Her eyes flashed, as if she were trying to recover something in her brain—a deep thought. “You do? Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” I chuckled, pulling myself on top of her. “Plus, it's only going to get worse. Believe me.”

Nix squirmed, lying back in my shadow. Her bra was gorgeous, an expensive, silky thing in pale lavender. This woman had money—that, or a sugar daddy.

What if she does?

That shouldn't have bothered me, but somehow... the idea of another man spoiling her had me bristling.
It's the alcohol,
I told myself.
It's fucking with my mind. Shouldn't have mixed so many things.

Yeah. It had to be the foggy drunkeness. Why would I give a shit about who someone else belonged to?

I'm a bad person, I knew that to my core. All I wanted was to dominate this woman, leave her panting and broken so that my
cock was the only dick that could ever satisfy her again.

I love the sound of that.
Sliding towards the edge of my bed, I unhooked the button of her pants. Nix was ahead of me, kicking her heels off. “Eager?” I asked, grinning up at her where she was lying.

I saw the dip of her throat flex. “Maybe. Is that weird?”

“What?”

Her mouth moved like a fish, then she looked away. “Nothing, forget it.”

Watching her for a long moment, I said, “I
want
you to be eager.” My teeth slid over the inside of her pants; she twitched, gasping. “Everything I do is meant to drive you so fucking wild that you forget what planet we're on, baby girl.”

She shifted her body, pushing her hip against my cheek. “Then hurry up, get to that. That's where I want to be.”

A flutter of doubt flew through my mind.
Is this girl using me?
That would be new; my motif was to fuck people, then forget about them. No attachments. Nothing long term. I wanted to hear women scream my name, but I always forgot theirs.

Was Nix thinking the same thing?

I was intrigued, but it didn't matter. If she wanted pleasure so she could numb her woes, then fine. She'd get that.