Page 12

ELEVEN

ONE WEEK AGO

Bug gripped the hem of her skintight skirt and pulled, trying to cover up more of her thighs. It was no use. The stupid thing snapped right back up, leaving little to the imagination. Even though the point was to show off her legs and her ass, she hated wearing anything this short. With a sigh, she stared at the rickety wooden steps that led up to the second-floor apartment. If anyone walked past while she was climbing them, they’d know the exact color of her lace underwear. Not ideal.

But she’d put too much time into this plan to back off now. In fact, she needed to speed things up. She was exhausted and her anxiety was so bad that her hair was falling out. Absently, she patted it as she climbed the steps. As always, the fifth and the eleventh one creaked and bowed beneath her weight. This place was one paint chip away from collapsing. Bug had lived in some real shitholes growing up, but nothing like this. Every time she spent the night, it took three showers at her own place to feel properly cleansed.

Soon, she’d never have to come here again.

Once she reached the top, she glanced down. Immediately, her stomach clenched. Holden’s disgusting old-man neighbor grinned at her from below, one hand shading his eyes. When he licked his lips, Bug almost threw up in her mouth.

Don’t pull at the skirt. Don’t pull at the skirt. If she tried to cover up, he’d know that he made her uncomfortable. He seemed to enjoy that even more than he enjoyed leering at her. Bug drew her shoulders back, sneered at him, and flipped him off. His hand dropped, giving her a better view of his lined face, now red with anger.

“Don’t you have a sex offender registration to complete?” she called, just to twist the knife. She hated old pervs.

He called her a bunch of sexist names which were so predictable, she had to roll her eyes. It was always the same with lecherous pricks. Of all ages, really.

Finished with him, she pounded against the door. “Holden, let me in!”

She would have just walked inside but he had this rule about always knocking “in case I’m in the shower.” He really thought she was so stupid. They’d already seen one another naked so who gave a crap if she saw him coming out of the shower? Plus, she already knew about the redhead and the single mom he was messing around with. Holden thought he was smart, but he was about as dumb as a pile of bricks. As much as it annoyed Bug, it worked to her advantage. Him thinking she was a naive little airhead also worked to her advantage.

“Holden!”

The door finally swung open. Holden leaned against the frame like he was oozing sex appeal or something—shirtless with his sweatpants hanging low on his hips. “Hey, college girl,” he said in the voice he used when he was trying to be sexy.

She suppressed her eye-roll, forcing a sweet, innocent smile onto her face before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Holden wasn’t the worst. In fact, he was pretty hot, but he was a lying, cheating sack of shit with a bit of a temper. As his hand drifted down toward her ass, she reminded herself this was only temporary. Once she got what she needed, she wouldn’t have to see him anymore.

“Wow,” he said, dragging her inside. “You look hotter than usual. Trying out a new look?”

He let go of her and she twirled, pretending to be nervous while trying to avoid kicking any piles of trash. Wouldn’t want to dislodge the resident roaches. Apparently, Holden had never been acquainted with a garbage bin. The place reeked of stale beer, spoiled food, and some cheap dollar-store body spray he passed off as cologne.

“I’m trying to branch out,” Bug told him, fingers twisting her necklace. “You like it?”

One corner of his mouth tipped up in an appreciative smile. “I do. A lot.”

She stopped and gazed down at herself, making sure to furrow her brow and pucker her lips like she wasn’t convinced. “Do you think it’s too much for tonight?”

“Tonight?”

When she looked back up at him, she could see the panic in his eyes. Had he forgotten that he’d invited her? Asked one of his other girls to go with him instead?

No. No way. He wasn’t taking anyone else. She’d worked too hard for this. Tonight was the payoff for all her months of hard work. He was not screwing her out of this opportunity.

Bug took a calming breath and concentrated on not flexing her fists. First, she pouted. Then she widened her eyes. So much dewy innocence. Combined with her skimpy clothes, Holden wouldn’t be able to resist. With that in mind, she crossed her arms, making sure to push up her boobs enough that he’d be distracted.

Right… there.

It was difficult to hold back her satisfied grin. “You promised!” she said, pitching her voice an octave higher. “You said you would take me! Holden, you won’t introduce me to your family. If you’re not willing to let me meet your friends then?—”

He held a hand up to silence her. “I never said I wouldn’t introduce you to my family. They’re a bunch of assholes but if you want to meet them, that’s fine. But the people at this party tonight…they’re not like my buddies from the bar, you know?”

“Is that your way of saying I’m not good enough to meet them?” Bug demanded, giving a cute little lip quiver. She already knew who they were and exactly why he didn’t want her in their company. It was the same reason she needed to meet them.

“Oh no, baby,” he cooed, closing the distance between them and rubbing her arms. “That’s not it at all. It’s just that I want you to be prepared. These people aren’t like your college friends, okay?”

She put her hands on his chest. “Holden, I’m tired of being sheltered, okay? I’m tired of being this good little college girl who always does what she’s told and only hangs out with people the same as her. You told me you’d show me the world.”

It was one of the cheesiest lines she’d ever heard. Bug had used every ounce of self-control she possessed not to burst into laughter when he pulled that one on her. Instead, she’d tucked it away for later—for a moment like this. Holden loved the idea of corrupting her somehow, of feeling like the big, sophisticated man who could rock her safe little world. He was painfully easy to manipulate.

“Oh baby, I didn’t say you couldn’t go with me. Let me make some calls, okay?”

There was only one call Bug wanted him to make and that was to the redhead he was sneaking around with to tell her to stay home.

Bug smiled, doing her best to look starry-eyed and eager. “I’m so excited!”

Holden’s smooth, confident smile faltered for just a heartbeat. One of his hands brushed through his curly brown hair as he appraised her again. “Just, um, tonight when we get there, I need you to stay close to me the whole time, okay?”

Bug gave him another sweet, trusting smile. “Of course,” she lied.