The Next Contestant Read online

  Not wanting to be blatantly obvious, I walk casually past her then lean against the bar. Finally, she glances up and her eyes connect with mine. I give her a half smile and wink. Her cheeks flush, eyes turn down, then back up, and she gives me a shy smile. I’ll wait a few before I make a move. Flirt with her from afar.

  I get sidetracked by one of the girls I’d been with previously.

  “Jax,” she whines. “Are you avoiding me?”

  “No, sweetheart. I’ve already had your mouth where I wanted it. We had a good time, but you’re not the one for me.” Shit! I block her hand from connecting with my face and then get the hell away from her.

  “Fucking asshole! Pig!” She screams and comes at me but I manage to dodge her and get away. Yeah, she’s right. I’m an ass and that was cruel, but I never promised her anything so she needs to get over it.

  Well shit. I weave through the crowd, request a song, and then watch.

  And wait.

  And locate her in the middle of the dance floor.

  I MAKE SURE my hair is perfectly curled, makeup exceptional, lips coated with cherry lip-gloss, my favorite. Blonde hair with hi-lights, blue eyes, white blouse, which barely covers my belly, low cut faded mini skirt, shiny bling belt, and my favorite pair of Victoria’s Secret silver bling boots. I have them unzipped and rolled down at the back so the fuzzy cheetah print lining shows.

  I glance at myself in the mirror on the back of my door, wondering if I look more mature.

  Twenty is a beautiful number. It screams adult, but I’m not old enough to enter a bar. Yeah, whatever. Good old fake ID’s.

  Though my birthday was five days ago, the girl’s and I are celebrating at Muze after the soccer game. I know there’s some serious eye candy, one guy specifically, and it’s time for me to enjoy life again. Not all guys are bad. I need to keep reminding myself of this, although the guys on Kolby’s team seem to have some sort of god complex. Pu-lease. There’s only one guy I want to notice me. And if he does, I need to figure out a way to keep him from finding out who I am. And it’s all because of the asshole, Devin. Oh that bitter prick deserves to be in jail. I just hope he regrets what he did. Bastard ruined my trust and it’s taken me a while to let it all go.

  I am woman!

  I am strong.

  I am going to have fun tonight.

  Yes, I am. No guy’s necessary. Well, maybe just one. But eye candy totally welcome.

  I DIDN’T COME to the bar to see if Jax is here. No. Totally not. Okay! So I’m lying, but nobody needs to know that. I’m totally praying he’s here. Muze is party central at Blaze and…

  Uh. That Sandy girl is here and she’s giving me dirty looks. Darcy turns and smiles at me but it quickly fades when Sandy catches her by the arm and drags her away.

  “What the hell is her problem? She’s such a bitch to me at practice, then here.” I watch her and… “Oh, no way. Not my brother! Look at her. She’s totally petting my brother. Unbelievable.”

  Tiffany waves her hand in front of my face. “Um, hello? You should totally threaten her, using your brother of course.” She pauses to tap her lips. “Oh! I know, I know. You should totally go up to your brother, grab his arm, whisper in his ear and then smile at her. She will so not know he’s your brother, and think—”

  “Brilliant! I’m going to do it. She’s been punned!”

  I make my way toward Kolby, reach up and wrap my arms around his neck, startling him.

  “What the—”

  I tug Kolby down and whisper in his ear. “Just play along big brother. She’s eyeing you so I’m just making her jealous, which will make her want you more.”

  I know he’s staring at Sandy, obviously fascinated with her. He’s distracted enough to be light with me and let it go. “But you’re not old enough to be here. You need to—”

  “Shut up, Kolby. I deserve to have fun. Don’t worry, I won’t get anywhere near your frat or soccer pals.”

  “Fine,” he says, then hugs and releases me.

  I turn to catch Sandy, her cheeks flush. She slaps her hands on her hips, lips in a straight line, eyes squinting then she smirks as she struts off, Darcy following her.

  My brother follows her and I catch him nodding at Nick. I hate that guy. He’s loud, obnoxious and thinks he’s the shit. He’s not ugly but he’s nothing special either. Nick nods, strolls toward Kolby and then swoops in on that girl, Darcy. I bet she’s a great friend. I hope she’s smart enough to shrug Nick off. Her blonde hair, blue eyes and I imagine her sweet personality, could score any guy she wants.

  “No, don’t do it,” I say.

  “Do what?” Tiffany asks.

  “That poor girl. She’s getting hounded by Nick and she’s following him on the dance floor.”

  “He’s such a pig. Oh well. She’s friends with snotty Sandy who’s now dancing with your brother.” Tiffany sniggers.

  I can’t keep the smile from dressing my lips when I catch a glimpse of him. He doesn’t see me and I plan to keep it that way. For now. “Yeah, well, Sandy’s a great distraction. As long as she keeps Kolby occupied, his attention won’t be on me, or who’s hitting on me.”

  Tiffany and I weave through the crowd and push our way up to the bar. We order our favorite, dirty martinis. The waiter sets our drinks down and I throw down some cash, but he pushes it back at me. “It’s on them boys down the way,” he says and points toward our right. There’s a couple of guys eyeing us. I give a slight nod of thanks and look away, disinterested.

  We flirt a little, move around from one end of the bar to another, drinks coming our way from this boy or that. I notice Nick leading Darcy toward the back of the stage, then whip out a key and enter through the door marked PRIVATE. Then I see Kolby, with a different girl, heading the same way, unlocking the same door Nick and Darcy just went through. Huh. Kolby once told me there were pass-out rooms here at Blaze. I think he meant make-out rooms because none of them appear drunk enough to pass out. I’ll have to check that out, maybe steal his key.

  A few times I’ve noticed him watching me from afar. I haven’t disregarded the attention he seems to draw with the females, all sluts of course, and how he’s been shrugging them off. His eyes always connect with mine and he smirks as if he’s waiting for me. It’s stalker-ish and makes me a little nervous. I break the stare without a smile, feign no interest, and turn back toward the bar.

  An hour later, I drag Tiffany away from the bar before we get totally trashed. I’m in search of him but fear he’s already left.

  And then I see him. Only a few bodies away from me, I get a close up view.

  He’s the epitome of men. His striking good looks turn heads. Lots of them. Then he walks past me in a cloud of sex and arrogance, and he’s slowly luring me in to his perimeters with sly eyes, hooded and sexy, then a player’s smile, the kind that gives a slight rise to his now obvious dimple, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes and that’s what tells me it’s a player’s smile. I’ve seen my damn brother do it to girls often enough to know.

  This isn’t a part of my strategy—I hadn’t planned on him. Yes, I’d been curious about him, and dammit if I haven’t stopped wondering about him after our brief encounter on the soccer field. Okay, so I’m a liar. I did plan on him, hoped he’d be here, that I’d run into him again.

  But this feels like a game of command and docility.

  He’s gaining control.

  I’m falling prey.

  I lean in and try to speak over the music. “I want him, Tiffany.”

  “You haven’t even met him yet. You’re basing everything off his looks alone. He kind of looks like a prick if you ask me,” Tiffany huffs.

  “He’s been eyeing me all night. I’ve done my best to avoid him, but I don’t want to avoid him any longer.” Bastard is luring me in.

  “And how do you plan on doing this? You gonna lie and give a fake name? ’Cause you know Kolby will ruin it all for you… or him… the minute he finds out. That is unless you plan on makin
g this a one nighter?”

  “No! And… Brilliant! You’re brilliant, Tiff.”

  “Um… I know, but… why?”

  “Because. You just gave me the answer. I’m not going to tell him who I am. I’m… hmm. Timber! Not Kimber or Kimmi, just Timber.”

  “Uh, wasn’t that Kolby’s exes name, the bitch, Timberly? As in, ‘It’s Timberly, T-I-M-berly!’” Tiffany mocks my brother’s ex.

  “Yes, and… Oh my god! That’s it! You’re such a fucking genius, Tiffany.” I grab her shoulders and shake her. “You gave me the perfect idea. I’m going to be… her. Timberly, Timber for short, the bitch.”

  “Why does my gut tell me this is a bad idea?”

  “Because it is. Okay, never mind. I can’t be near him, or with him. I can’t. We should leave, like now. Yeah, before my brother decides to come up for air and tells me to leave.”

  Tiffany stares over my shoulder and then she grabs me. “No!” she says abruptly, her eyes meeting mine, and I see the sudden desperation. “Well, just be careful. Play with him if you must, but don’t let him get to you. Keep telling yourself he’s a player, a user, and not a commitment kind of guy, as rumor has it.”

  She’s not fooling me. Yes, she’s right, but I know why she wants to stay. Her eye candy just walked in.

  I’VE SKIRTED AROUND him long enough. He’s gaining on me and I’m caving. It’s the way he watches me, those eyes promising to do sinful and dirty things I’ve only imagined. The thought makes me nervous.

  I struggle to pull back, away from his striking distance, the kiss of death, but he’s closing in.

  I slip off the stool and rush into the crowd on the dance floor. I breathe a sigh of relief when I don’t see him. I curse Tiffany, and hope she gets something out of this night. Preferably Vincenzo—her eye candy.

  Music pulses through the speakers and I fall into rhythm, ignoring the bodies bouncing around me. Dancing is my escape and I forget I’m alone in thick of the crowd.

  I’m lost in the songs, in dancing, until the music shifts and ‘Closer’ by Nine Inch Nails drones through the speakers. Such a filthy song but so good to dance dirty to.

  Oh god. Oh crap! I don’t have to look to know he’s behind me. A tremble runs through me and I pray he doesn’t see it. There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. I’m trapped in the sea of people packed like sardines on the dance floor. My hands are above my head, frozen. I pretend not to know he’s behind me and sway my hips… until my ass slams against a solid form. My breath hitches when his hands grasp my hips and he lines himself up against me. He doesn’t say a word, but he speaks with his body, dominating the dance, and damn if he doesn’t feel good. I can’t stop him, can’t run away from him, can’t control the way I fall into him.

  He breathes against my ear, and slowly, his hips tilt forward. I roll with him, pushing back against him.

  “That’s sexy as hell,” he whispers, and nips my earlobe, sending shivers down my spine. He splays his hands over my stomach.

  “Mm,” he mumbles and then roughly sings the lyrics about wanting to fuck, me specifically.

  I can’t believe he—

  He traces the lining of my skirt, sings the line about wanting to feel me from the inside, and pulls me into him as he rotates his hips.

  I’m speechless… and breathless, and I feel my temperature rise in the already sweltering room. The music thrums, and he continues to roll his hips in a mixture of soft and hard, depending on the beat of the music. I know I shouldn’t but I reach back and tangle my fingers in his hair. He moans his approval, drags his hands slowly up my abdomen, over my breasts, and then trails his fingertips along my arms.

  Jax grasps my hands and I unfurl my fingers from his hair as he slowly brings them down and then flips me around. He cups my butt and presses into me. His eyes, oh those eyes! He watches me with the precision of a hawk, gaging my reaction to his ever-wandering hands and shifting of his hips. He knows I feel it, how hard he is for me. It’s firmly pressed against my stomach and I feel dirty for liking it. Planting his hands on each side of my face, he leans down and tilts my head. My lips tingle with how close his mouth is to mine. My head spins as I imagine him inside of me—the thought is inebriating and so wrong. I should get the hell away from him, but then he shocks me.

  His lips, the warmth of his breath greet my neck and then my ear where he whispers, “I’ve been watching you all night and I know you know it. You’ve been dodging me for a while now.” A low chuckle erupts from his chest. “I’ve seen you at the games, but then you’d disappear before the game ends, when you know I’d be able to catch up to you. Did you think I’d forget your beautiful face?” He doesn’t bother waiting for a response. “Tell me, sweetheart, what’s your name?”

  He’s so fucking close, so intoxicatingly beautiful, and he’s totally pegged me. “T-Timberly. Timber. I go by Timber, not Kimber with a K, but Timber with a T.” The lie slips from my lips so easily.

  He closes in, but his lips barely touch mine. “Timber with a T,” he whispers against my lips, then drags his mouth across my cheek and nips my earlobe. His hot breath wraps around me and I melt into him. His fingers slide down the center of my back. “Let’s escape this place. Let me take you to a place where we can be alone,” he says, his voice rugged and seductive. I shiver.

  His scent fills me, tempting me to close my eyes, but I know if I do, he’ll know I’m weak.

  “There you are,” Tiffany shouts. “Oh, hey, I’m Tiffany and you are?” She reaches out her hand, forcing Jax to release me.

  I want to hug her and punch her at the same time for choosing this moment to butt in.

  “I’m Jax. Nice to meet you, Tiffany.” He shakes her hand.

  “Sorry.” Tiffany grabs me. “We have to go. Now.” She tugs my arm, but before she can drag me forward, Jax dips his hand into the breast pocket of my shirt. I feel my jaw drop.

  A smile stretches across his beautiful lips as he grips my phone. He swipes the screen and then his fingers glide across it. He hands it back to me and digs his vibrating phone from the front pocket of his faded jeans.

  “Timber with a T, expect my call later.” He winks and then weaves through the crowd. I watch him and wish I could safely follow him. Tiffany drags me out of Muze, and toward the exit, but before we escape, I glance over my shoulder. I feel all warm and fuzzy when I see Jax has stepped out of the club, and he’s watching me.

  I whisper ‘Bye’ and he responds by nodding and licking his lips.

  I’M CERTAIN I was racking up the points faster than the other three. The scorekeepers can’t give away the stats. That’s the fun part; well it was until she entered the fucking game. Why the fuck now? Why does this beautiful fucking girl have to catch me off guard? Fuck! I wish I knew the scores. FML.

  I can’t look at another chick. Not after that sweet girl. The way she felt with her ass against me, then the perfectly round and tight way it felt in my palms… I can’t get her out of my head. Fuck this place and the game. Now that she’s left, I no longer want to stay. I step outside Muze and then exit Blaze.

  The entire ride back to the frat house is a blur. She is the blur.

  I step inside the house… Shit.

  There are wall-to-wall people here. I’ve already stepped over several drunken bodies. After pushing people aside, shrugging drunken bitches off me, I make it to my room and shut, lock, and barricade myself inside.

  After stripping down to my sliders, I slip in bed and close my eyes, but I can’t sleep. My head is full of her. Can I use her? And if I did, would I still want her? I get the distinct feeling I would.

  Well shit. It’s been a long time since I felt this way for a girl. The last girl was Ellery, my ex. Nothing like getting dick punched when the girl you thought loved you, sleeps with your enemy. Adam was my nemesis. Always battling to top me on the soccer field. The thing is, I didn’t have to try to top anyone. I love soccer and I’m good at it. I don’t need to spend extra time practicing outside of pra
ctice, but Adam did.

  I think he was crushing on Ellery when I hooked up with her. Not my fault he didn’t win her over. Not like I knew who that jackass had his eyes on. I think his beef with me wasn’t just about soccer, but more about Ellery.

  I’d catch him flirting with her when he thought I wasn’t around. Fucker would smirk at me as he walked away and then proceed to tell Ellery how fucking sexy she was. I let it slide every time, knowing it didn’t matter because she was my girl and he was jealous as fuck.

  Later, after we won one of our biggest games, Adam was Adam extraordinaire. Bragging about how he got his girl, never mentioning her name, and that he was taking her to his cabin to have his way with her.

  When I couldn’t get ahold of Ellery, I thought about Adam’s remark and how he seemed to be shoving it in my face about how he got his girl.

  I went to his cabin to find his red Dodge Ram in the driveway. Soft music played inside. I could hear it through the door. Then I heard her voice, and soft fucking cries of pleasure.

  “Don’t stop… oh god, Adam, right there.”

  “Fuck yeah, baby. Keep that ass up.”

  Ready to break the door down, I find it unlocked as I twist the handle. What a fucking coincidence. I kick it with enough force that it slams against the wall and swings back. I slam it harder and stare at the fucking whore who’s head is down, ass up. And the fuck-wad slamming his dick inside her.

  The rest is pretty much a given. Ellery flipping out, crying and swearing how Adam lied to her. How he said I had another girl and how I was with other girls on nights I’d said I was studying at the library. Yeah, fuck her. She could have come to the library if she suspected I was lying.

  I ignored her texts, her calls, her pleading with me in the hall to give her another chance. How sorry she was. Part of me wanted to take her back but knowing she let that sick fuck inside of her had me revolted and I knew I’d never be able to look at her the same way I had before.