Page 1 of One Bad Idea

Chapter 1

I stared up at the stranger. "Excuse me?"

Standing in the mansion's open doorway, he gave me another annoyed look and repeated, "She's not here."

I gave him a look right back. I didn't care that he looked dangerous – and not only because of the tattoos. Ialsodidn't care that he was looking at me like I was some kind of annoying bug, to be flicked off the sleeve of his faded red hoodie.

Hell, I didn't even care that the guy wore no shirt, that his hoodie was fully unzipped –orthat his abs looked like something out of my deepest, darkest fantasies.

Really, I didn't.

The guy was a total ass, and he was standing between me and my best friend, wherever she was.

Already, I'd given my name – Allie Brewster.AndI'd told why I was here – to pick up the friend who'd called me for a ride.

And what had the guy givenme?

Jack squat.

I tried again. "But she told me she was here." I glanced around. "At this address."

"Yeah? Well maybe she told you wrong."

I bit my lip and tried to think. She'd also mentioned a public beach, but that was crazy. I'd gotten Cassidy's desperate call late last night.She wouldn't've seriously slept outside? Alone? Would've she?

Fearing the worst, I asked, "What about the beach?"

"What about it?"

I made a sound of frustration. "Where is it?"

He looked at me like I was the biggest idiot on the planet and then flicked his head toward the side of the house, as if Ihadn'tnoticed that the whole street – with its glorious mansions and manicured lawns – was sitting on some of the finest beach-front property I'd ever seen.

Through gritted teeth, I said, "I meant thepublicbeach."

"There isn't one."

"But therehasto be."

"Sure, if you drive maybe ten miles."

I shook my head. "I meant nearby, like within walking distance." When his only reply was a bored look, I added, "She said therewasone."

"Yeah? Then she gave you a load of crap."

I was glaring now. "She's not a liar."

He crossed his arms, making his ab muscles shift annoyingly fine above the waistband of his tattered jeans. "I never said she was."

My teeth were grinding now.Where the hell was his shirt?He should've been wearing one. After all,Inever answered the door shirtless. Okay, maybe it wasn't exactly the same thing, but I didn't care. My friend was in trouble, and this guy was no help at all.

I yanked my gaze upward and shot back. "Yes, you did."

"I did what?"

"You implied that she was a liar."

"I don’t deal in implications," he said.