Текст книги "Take Me for Granted"

Автор книги: K. A. Linde

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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

Chapter 5: Grant

When I woke up, my head felt like it had been split open. What the fuck had I drunk last night? I couldn’t even fucking remember, and I always did. I might not have a knack for names or faces, but alcohol and I were old friends. I must have gone way over my personal limit.

Then, I something came back to me—a flash of blonde hair…a pair of dark blue eyes…a giggle.

I reached over to check out who was in bed next to me. I didn’t think I’d taken someone home, but if all I could remember when waking up was a chick, it was a pretty safe bet that she was in my bed.

The girl rolled over and smiled at me, and I had absolutely no recollection of who she was.

Brown hair, brown eyes. No, this couldn’t be the same person. Then, who is the girl from last night? I’d kissed her. I’d tasted her. She’d been mine for the taking. And if I remembered her so vividly, then why the fuck hadn’t I fucked her last night?

I swung my legs over the bed and stood. I was going to fucking find out.

“Hey, where are you going?” the chick asked. “Aren’t you interested in round three?”

Round three? Shit, had I fucked that girl twice?

“Not interested. Find your own way out,” I said, throwing on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.

“Grant! We had such a great time last night.”

“I don’t even remember fucking you.” My dog tags swung around my neck as I surged out of my room.

I probably shouldn’t have left a crazy bitch unattended in my bedroom, but the only things of value I had in there were my half ounce of weed and a 9mm.

I barreled down the stairs and banged on Vin’s door until he answered. Sweat pooled on his brow. He must have already started his morning workout.

“What the fuck, bro?”

“What the fuck happened last night?”

Vin scratched his head and looked at me like I was out of my mind. “We played a show at the League. What do you mean, what happened?”

“I know that, dipshit. I remember the show, but then everything else is fuzzy. I have some chick in my bed, but all I remember is another girl.”

“Whoa! Is my main man, G-man, G-money, G-dog, the one and only man in this house who cares to hit the G-spot, pining over a girl?”

“I don’t even know who the fuck the girl is, Vin. You can’t pine after someone you don’t know. I just want to know what the hell happened. I remember one blonde chick, but I have another dumb brunette in my bed.”

Vin laughed in my face. “Blonde chick, huh? That’s real specific.”

“Fuck you, man. I’m going next door to see if Miller or McAvoy will be more helpful than your ass.”

I slammed my palm down on the doorframe, then turned and walked toward the front door just as the chick from upstairs stopped on the landing.

“Why aren’t you out of my house yet?” I demanded.

The girl glared at me. “Aren’t you at least going to give me a ride back to campus?”

“Fucking walk home for all I care.”

“You know, I didn’t believe my friend when she said you treated girls like dirt after sleeping with them, but damn, she was right.”

I shrugged, and she started to walk out.

Then, I had an idea. “Hey!”

“Yeah?” She turned and batted her eyelashes at me.

Even after I had just been a total dick to her, she was still interested. Why would I act any other way?

“Do you remember me talking to a blonde chick last night?”

“Oh my fucking God, Grant,” she cried, throwing her hands in the air. “You are at an all-time low. If you weren’t amazing in bed—”

“Yeah, but I am. So, do you remember?”

“There were a ton of blonde girls at the bar last night, and even if I cared to remember, I don’t.” She started typing on her phone as she stormed away.

Useless.

“Bro, you’re acting crazy,” Vin said. He was standing in the living room with his arms crossed over his bare chest.

“I don’t remember anything but this girl.”

Vin looked at me like he thought I was losing it, but he filled me in nonetheless. “We walked offstage and drank some beers. You started making out with these two chicks, but I interrupted. I spiked some girl’s drink, and you were going to find out if she had a boyfriend. Since you’re fucking piece of shit, you decided to snag her from me after I’d done all the dirty work. But don’t worry, bro. I found another chick who did want my dick last night.”

I didn’t care about Vin’s conquest. I just wanted to know about the girl. “So, what happened with the blonde chick?”

“I think she bailed with her friends, and then you left with that other chick.”

It hit me like a two-by-four to the chest—blonde, dark blue eyes, mouthy spitfire. Aribel—that was her name. She’d been playing hard to get. I’d known off the bat that she hadn’t taken a sip of Vin’s drink. And she had been fucking hot under that prim-and-proper attitude. Then, after I’d kissed her, she must have given me the drink Vin had dosed.

What the fuck?

“Do you remember now?”

“Yeah.” I felt like an idiot, and it was an emotion I wasn’t used to. No way was I going to let Vin know that chick had gotten the better of me. I’d never fucking hear the end of it.

“Maybe try a new kind of weed or lay off the heavy liquor. You’re freaking me out.” Vin started walking back to his room, probably to do another hundred push-ups or something.

I couldn’t get Aribel out of my mind. Why had she given me that beer? What kind of girl would go to such extremes to get rid of me? I wanted to find out.

“Hey, Vin. That girl you dosed—you said you knew her friend, right?”

“Her roommate Cheyenne,” Vin offered. “Yeah, I know her. Why?”

“You got her number?”

Vin shrugged. “Yeah.”

“I need it.”

“You want to fuck her? Because I’m already moving in on that,” Vin told me.

“Keep her. I want the roommate.”

Chapter 6: Aribel

Gabi rubbed her eyes as she walked into the kitchen. Her blonde pixie cut was slightly askew, and as always, she looked a bit like she was up in the clouds. “What are you doing up so early?” she asked softly.

“Going over my calculus assignment.” I’d completed it two days ago, but I’d woken up in the middle of the night, realizing I’d done something wrong.

She nodded and then went about pouring herself some cereal before collapsing into a chair. A minute later, Cheyenne appeared with plenty of makeup and her curly red hair managed. She sank into the chair next to me and fixed me with a direct stare.

“Do you need something?” I asked, glancing up from my homework.

“Will you please tell me what happened last night? I have to know. I’m literally dying on the inside. I could hardly sleep,” she said dramatically. “Imagine failing a chemistry test.”

“I can’t imagine that.”

“Exactly. That’s how terrible I feel because you’re keeping this from me. I have to know.” Her green eyes were wide as she reached out and grabbed my hands in hers. She was acting like this really was life or death.

I just rolled my eyes.

“Leave her alone, Cheyenne,” Gabi peeped. “Her boyfriend just broke up with her, and she had to deal with whatever happened with Grant. Can’t you cut her some slack?”

“But it’s Grant McDermott!” Cheyenne cried.

Gabi shrugged her petite shoulders and returned her gaze to her cereal.

“So spill,” Cheyenne said.

I set my pencil down on my paper with a thwack. “If you want to find out what happened, ask Grant…if he even remembers this morning.”

“What does that mean?”

I cracked up laughing and then immediately covered my mouth with my hand. I shouldn’t have taken so much enjoyment from watching Grant drink that beer, but I had. Let the asshole get a dose of his own medicine for a change.

“Oh no, I know that look,” Cheyenne groaned. “What did you do?”

“Some guy slipped something in my drink last night. I saw him do it.”

“What?” Cheyenne asked in shock. “You saw him? What did he look like?”

“Yeah, I did. I don’t know who he was. He was beefy with a shaved head, and his shirt was too tight. I think you were talking to him at some point.”

“You mean Vin? The guitar player in ContraBand?” she asked in disbelief.

“Sure.”

“Bastard!”

“Anyway, Grant propositioned me, and then when I said no, he wouldn’t leave me alone. So, I gave him my glass instead of his. He probably doesn’t remember any of it.”

Her friends’ mouths dropped open. Maybe I should have felt remorse for what I’d done, but I didn’t.

“You drugged Grant McDermott?” Gabi asked in a soft tone.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you correctly,” Cheyenne said.

“Yeah. He deserved it.”

“Okay, that’s pretty ridiculous,” Cheyenne said. “Grant propositioned you, and you said no?”

Oh, of course. That’s why she’s freaking out. Typical Cheyenne. “What did you think I would say, Cheyenne?”

“Still processing here. You could have lost your virginity to Grant McDermott, and you didn’t? I kind of want my virginity back, so I can lose it to him.”

I couldn’t resist laughing at Cheyenne. I loved her to pieces, but she was totally outrageous.

“Why did you say no? I mean, we all saw you kiss him. I just figured he changed his mind after he found out how blunt you were or maybe he thought you sucked at kissing.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Cheyenne.”

“You don’t need to know why,” Gabi said, smacking Cheyenne’s arm.

“Yes, I do.” Her phone started buzzing in her purse. She held up a finger to me and then answered it. “Hey, Vin.”

That sounded like my cue to leave. I packed up the rest of my homework and started carefully placing it into my messenger bag.

“Sure, I don’t mind talking to Grant at all.”

I slung my bag over my shoulder to leave, and Cheyenne just shook her head. She pointed her finger at the chair.

Yeah, that is going to keep me in the room.

“Hey, Grant.”

Cheyenne listened into the phone for a few seconds. A smile grew on her face. I could only guess the sweet nothings he was whispering into her ear.

“Oh, Aribel?” Cheyenne said into the phone.

I had only made it halfway across the room when I stopped dead in my tracks.

“Yes, she’s right here.”

I turned around and fiercely shook my head. “I’m not here.” My hands were out in front of me, gesturing wildly, signaling for her to tell Grant that I was away or incapacitated or dead. Anything.

“Yeah, let me get her for you.” Cheyenne stormed across the room and grabbed my wrist as I tried to retreat. “Just talk to him.”

“No. I talked to him last night. I’m not doing it again.”

She thrust the phone into my hand. “He’s a nice guy, Aribel, and he’s gorgeous, plays guitar, fucks like a god. Talk to him on the fucking phone, or we’re no longer friends.”

“What a threat,” I said sarcastically. “Plus, nice guy? Really?”

Cheyenne fixed me with a death glare.

“Fine,” I groaned, taking the phone. I took a breath before speaking. “Hello?”

“Hey, darlin’,” Grant drawled.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. “I really thought we covered this whole darlin’ thing last night. It’s not going to work.”

“Work on what?”

“I assume it works on the other women you attempt to seduce.”

“Attempt?” he asked with a chuckle. “Baby, give me some credit.”

Ugh, baby. Seriously get over yourself. “Were you calling for a reason?”

“Several.”

“Care to share? I have to get to calculus, and I’d really like to get this conversation moving.”

“I guess I’ll start with, why you drugged me?”

Grant just laid it out there. Who calls the girl who drugged you the night before? This isn’t Cinderella. I didn’t lose my glass slipper.

“Because you deserved it,” I answered.

“What did I do to deserve it?”

“Besides treating me like a whore?”

Grant laughed at my comment, but I wasn’t sure why it was funny. He had treated me like a whore, which was basically the opposite of the kind of person I was.

“What are you doing tonight?”

I narrowed my eyes. I wasn’t going to play this game. “Curing cancer. What about you?”

“Taking you out,” he answered, not missing a beat.

“That’s strange because I just said I was busy.”

“Busy out with me,” he said smoothly.

“I appreciate the offer, Grant, but no.” I hoped that I’d sounded firm, but this guy was so persistent. Good Lord!

Cheyenne smacked me on the arm. I’d completely forgotten that she was standing there.

“Are you out of your mind?” she hissed.

I shrugged my shoulders and turned away. I didn’t want to hear her nonsense right now. I just wanted off the phone.

“Come on, princess. What do you have to lose?” Grant asked.

“My self-respect?” I said dryly.

“From one date?”

“My answer is no. Good-bye, Grant,” I said and then ended the call.

As I handed the phone back to a shell-shocked Cheyenne, it started ringing again.

“Don’t answer that.”

“What just happened?” she asked.

“Grant asked me out, and I told him no.”

This probably killed her, but it didn’t kill me. I had no interest in someone like Grant. I’d grown up in a wealthy suburb of Boston. My father was the CEO of a prominent bank in the city. My entire family were Princeton alums. That was the kind of person I was supposed to bring home to my parents—not Grant McDermott. Not even one date.

He didn’t care about me or respect me. He just wanted to sleep with me.

It was Gabi’s turn to look astonished. “He asked you out?”

“Grant McDermott does not ask people out!” Cheyenne cried.

“Well, he just did.”

Chapter 7: Grant

I crossed my arms and leaned back against the pillar in front of the math building, which I’d tracked down after Aribel had hung up on me. Fuck, I’d even called her back. I didn’t know if I was more pissed or intrigued. The combination was making me crazy.

When had I ever staked out a chick’s class to see her?

Never.

But I wasn’t fucking leaving now. How much longer could she possibly be?

Just as the thought crossed my mind, a stream of people exited the building, and at the back of the group was my target. She was as hot as I remembered—short with stick-straight natural blonde hair. Her nose was buried in a book, and her lips moved as she read the words while she absentmindedly picked at the top button of her cardigan.

I took a step toward her right when some other guy walked up to her. Who the fuck is that? Her boyfriend? Well, that wasn’t the biggest obstacle, but I thought I’d gotten that one out of the way when I’d kissed her last night.

When he spoke to Aribel, her head popped up, and she snapped her book closed. They exchanged a few tense words, and she shook her head a lot, but he kept speaking and gesturing in short, sharp motions. Her frown deepened.

All right, enough is enough.

I strolled across the small courtyard to the front doors where Aribel was standing. “This guy bothering you?” I asked.

They both turned to look at me. Aribel pursed her thin lips and hugged her textbook to her chest. The guy just looked irritated that they had been disturbed.

“What are you doing here?” Aribel asked.

“You know this guy?”

“Benjamin, just leave it alone.”

“Yeah, Benny, leave her alone,” I said with a chipper smile.

“Benny?” he retorted, clearly offended.

“Good Lord,” Aribel said.

“Who is this guy, Aribel?”

I stuck my hand out to Benny. “Grant McDermott. Nice to meet you.”

Benjamin stared down at my hand, but he apparently had the manners to shake my hand anyway. “Benjamin Curtis. How exactly do you know Aribel?”

“Oh, recent acquaintance.” I winked at him because I couldn’t resist poking at his jealousy.

“I don’t have time for this. I’m going home,” Aribel said.

She turned to go, but Benjamin stopped her. “Aribel, wait, I really want to talk about last night.”

“And I think I’m done talking about it.”

“Last night?” I asked.

She didn’t seem like the type to bed-hop. She was clearly a bit uptight. I needed to shrug her out of that cardigan because there was only one thing I liked tight about my women.

“I don’t want to talk about last night with either of you,” she snapped and started storming across the courtyard I’d just crossed.

“Aribel, were you with this guy last night?” Benjamin asked, grabbing on to her wrist.

“Yes,” she spat, snatching her hand back. “And why should it matter to you, Benjamin? You broke up with me. I told you I didn’t want to be friends, but you did. I don’t think any of my friends would act like a jealous ex-boyfriend if they found out I’d been with someone else last night. In fact, all of my friends are encouraging me.”

I cracked up, and Aribel sent me another stern glare. Her eyes dropped to my mouth for a fraction of a second, and something in her softened.

Benjamin drew her attention again. “Fine. I thought I’d made a mistake, but if you’re already hanging out with someone else, then I guess I didn’t.”

Her eyes turned stony dark blue, like the sky in the middle of a hurricane. She looked fucking fierce, and it was turning me on.

“I guess you didn’t,” she agreed.

I jogged lightly alongside her as we left Benny behind. “Ex problems?”

She held her book tighter against her chest and blatantly ignored me.

“So, after your phone died earlier today, you didn’t call me back.”

Aribel rolled her eyes and picked up her pace, carrying us out across an open field.

“Do you need my number for next time?”

She humphed and kept walking.

Jesus, what is with this chick? “You don’t take jokes very well, do you?”

“Excuse me, but did I lose a glass slipper or something?” she asked.

“What?”

“A glass slipper. Do I look like Cinderella to you? Are you some kind of prince trying to sweep me off my feet? What is this whole charade, Grant?”

“No charade, babe. I just wanted to see you and take you out.”

“Uh-huh. Where exactly are you taking me?”

I smirked at her. “Dinner.” My bed.

“Why do I have a feeling that we’re not talking about eating the same thing?”

I chuckled to myself. She had me there.

“Oh, come on. I didn’t even say that.” Though, if I had it my way, I’d be doing more than that tonight.

“You didn’t have to,” she called over her shoulder.

I caught up to her again and started walking backward in front of her. I was probably making a spectacle of myself, but I didn’t really care. She didn’t even seem to notice that people were staring at us.

“Look, I really do want to take you out. I’m not one to deny myself the things I want, but I was talking about eating food with you.”

“No. And anyway, how did you know to find me? Are you stalking me or something now? Should I invest in a rape whistle?”

“No, but you can blow my whistle, baby.”

“Oh, dear Lord.”

She tried to push me aside to continue walking, but I circled her wrist and pulled her back toward me. Her hand landed on my chest, and she lightly tugged on the dog tags there as she tried to regain her balance.

“All joking aside, I want to go out with you. Why won’t you go out with me?”

“Because I don’t want to,” she snapped defiantly, taking a step back.

“What can I do to change your mind?”

“Enroll at Princeton, get a higher IQ, stop having sex with the entire school,” she ticked off on her fingers. “Oh, and be someone else—someone who cares about his future, his career, and not just some stupid band.”

I leaned forward into her until our noses were almost touching. “For someone who doesn’t even know me, you’re incredibly judgmental.”

The hiccup in her breathing was the only thing that gave away her racing heart. Her eyes were fiery as if my words only fueled her, and saying no was her challenge as much as getting her to say yes was mine.

“It’s hardly judgmental when everything I said was true.”

“Just give me a chance,” I whispered, releasing her wrist and snaking my hand down to her waist.

She was skinny but soft everywhere I was touching her. She had smooth skin with just enough extra padding, and she wasn’t too muscular. I trailed my hand down lower and knew that her hips would fill out something beautiful in the next couple years. I wanted to grip them as I slammed into her. I wanted to see her pale skin flush as I fucked her.

Fuck, I’m getting turned-on again.

Her pupils were dilated as she stepped away from my touch. Whatever had just torn through me, she was feeling it, too. If she said she wasn’t, then she was a fucking liar. She wanted me, and I was going to fucking give her what she wanted.

“You have a million other girls dying to fall into your bed. Give that chance to someone else.”

“I’m giving it to you.”

“Then, you’re only going to be disappointed, so just leave me alone.”

She scurried away, and this time, I let her. I glanced around and saw just how many people had been staring at us.

“Nothing to see here people,” I called out to the crowd.

Everyone’s eyes shot back to whatever they had been doing before and left me to stand in the middle of the field, looking out after Aribel.

What the hell am I going to do now?