THIRTY
NIKKI
One Week Later
I wasn’t quite sure how I’d done it, but I’d managed to firmly put Derek into the friendship category. And I’d given up on trying to seduce him. It just hadn’t felt right. I respected him and I liked him too much to try to turn him into my puppy dog. No, I valued our friendship and our working relationship too much for that. So, I’d decided to focus my femme fatale attention on Beau instead. Not because I wanted a relationship with him. Actually, I didn’t want anything from him. I just figured he would be a good candidate based on the fact that he’d already screwed me over once so I wasn’t exactly sympathetic to his cause. And I figured if I could get him to eat out of my hand, that would be a pretty tall order, given our history. Yes, Beau would prove to be a challenge. And a challenge was what I was after. So it was worth a try, at any rate.
“Where are you headed tonight?” Dani asked as I took one last look at my reflection in the mirror to make sure I looked presentable.
“I have a date,” I answered.
“Thanks for that, Captain Obvious,” she answered with a frown as she eyed me from where she was lying on her bed with one leg propped up over the other one. She was busily reading Jane’s handbook, and from what I could tell, she was nearly finished with it. I’d finished reading it about a week or so earlier.
“My date is taking me to The Greek House for dinner,” I answered as I gave her a quick smile.
“And would your date happen to be Beau?” Dani asked with a frown. She hadn’t been silent about her dislike for Beau and the fact that she thought it was a horrible idea that I was “dating” him. I wasn’t sure when it had happened exactly, but Dani was now firmly in Derek’s camp. She’d even gone so far as to take back all the things she’d said about him not being good boyfriend material. I wasn’t sure what had gotten into her, but I was firmly convinced that not only was Derek terrible boyfriend material, but he was a bad bet in general.
“Yes, Beau,” I answered, to which she immediately stuck her tongue out and made a sound deep in her throat that hinted of disapproval.
“Okay, well, have fun,” she said as her phone buzzed and she reached for it where it lay beside her. “Hello, handsome,” she said to the phone with a huge grin as she texted back.
“And who are you so giddy about?”
She glanced up at me, her smile still in full effect. “Luke.”
“Really?” The more I thought about it, the more I decided they would make a great couple. Luke seemed like a very nice guy and the two looked adorable together.
“Yes, really,” she answered as she put the phone down. “I’ve decided to make Luke my target.”
“Okay, that’s a good idea,” I said with a quick nod. “And have you decided what you want from him?”
“A relationship,” she answered, her expression thoughtful. “I’ve decided that Luke pretty much ticks all the boxes on paper.”
“That sounds like you’re taking a very organized approach to your dating life,” I answered with a laugh.
She nodded. “I am, and I’m going about this whole seduction very carefully. Once I finish the handbook, I’m going to read it again, and then I’m going to plan out my attack.”
“Remember to have fun with it,” I said as I started for the door. “And once he waves his white flag of surrender, give the guy a break.”
“Maybe,” she answered with a devilish smile. “Anyway, have fun with jerkface,” she finished as I grabbed my purse from where it was hanging just beside the door. “I hope he chokes on his hummus and dies.”
“Dani!” I said with a surprised laugh. “You know you shouldn’t joke like that!”
“Blah,” she answered as she waved me out the door.
***
Dinner with Beau was enjoyable, but I was relieved when we were on the way back to the ZTS house. Even though I could say I had a good time with him, it wasn’t anywhere near as fun as the time I spent with Derek. Beau didn’t make me laugh the way Derek did. I also found myself struggling to find subjects to talk about during dinner. We just didn’t really have anything in common. It was strange, but I couldn’t understand how in the world I’d ever found Beau interesting in the first place. And there was no way in hell I could imagine being in a relationship with him, so it sort of stunned me that I’d ever wanted one. Furthermore, I couldn’t say my heart was in the idea of seducing him. Why? Because I didn’t really want to spend time with him.
When we pulled up in front of the house, Beau parked up a ways, underneath a tree and away from the glaring light of the overhead streetlamps. He killed the Dodge Ram’s engine as he turned to face me with a big smile.
“I had a great time tonight,” he said.
“I did too, thank you,” I answered as I undid my seat belt and started to reach for my purse which was on the floor between my feet. I opened my door and hopped down onto the asphalt, not wanting to wait for him to come around and open the door for me. Truth be told, I was eager to get back to my room so I could crawl into bed and hopefully talk to Dani for a little while if she was still awake. I figured she’d be happy to know I was no longer interested in Beau. Who my target should be from this point on was a complete and total mystery to me, but I hoped I’d find one soon.
“It’s cold out here,” Beau said as he walked around the truck and stopped in front of me, taking a step forward as I took a step back, my butt pressing up against the truck. It was then that I realized just how huge this guy was. He towered over me by more than a head and was easily twice my width.
“Yeah, so I should probably get back to my room so you can get back into the truck so we both don’t freeze out here,” I said with a tremulous laugh as I wrapped my arms around myself. It wasn’t in response to the cold, though—more because I was uncomfortable. There was just something about Beau that made me feel ill-at-ease. I couldn’t put my finger on it, though. Maybe I just didn’t know him that well.
Beau nodded and appeared to be thinking about what I’d just said. “So, are you going to invite me up?” he asked a second or so later, sounding and looking hopeful.
I immediately felt myself frowning as a surge of offended anger began to bubble up inside of me. Who the hell did he think he was? “I hadn’t planned on it,” I answered honestly, no amount of apology in my tone.
“Really?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked completely surprised. “I gotta admit I didn’t expect you to say no.”
“Why?” I demanded incredulously.
He didn’t say anything for a few seconds. When I was about to repeat my question, he simply grabbed me around the waist and pulled me into him as he slammed his lips down on my mouth. I was so shocked, I didn’t have time to react, and before I knew it, his tongue was invading my mouth, seeking out my tongue. I could taste the alcohol on him and it was bitter and pervasive. I thrust my hands against his chest, trying to push him away, but he only held on to me tighter.
He pushed his pelvis into mine at the same time that I felt his hands suddenly moving up my thighs and underneath my skirt. Needing to free myself from his kiss, I slammed my head back, banging it into the truck behind me, but I didn’t care. I needed to extricate myself from him as quickly as possible.
“Stop!” I said once my mouth was free.
“Mmm, you feel so good,” he answered as he smiled down at me and his hands circled my butt while he pulled me against his obvious erection. I felt sick to my stomach.
“I’m serious, Beau, let go of me,” I answered in no uncertain terms.
“Stop playing hard to get, baby,” he said as he continued to grab me and I continued to try to separate myself from him. But because of the fact that he was much bigger than I was, I was basically at his mercy. There was no way I was forcing him away from me. The only way I was going to be able to extricate myself from him was with words.
But my words, so far, weren’t getting me very far.
“I’m not playing hard to get,” I insisted. “I’m just not interested in having sex with you. So that means I want you to let go of me and I want you to do it now or I’m going to start screaming.”
He immediately released me and stepped back, thank God. I took a deep breath and smoothed my skirt down as the sweet feeling of relief flooded me. Now I just had to get away from him and back to my room.
“What’s your fucking deal?” he demanded as he glared at me.
“I have no deal,” I answered as I attempted to sidestep him before this conversation became any uglier. He grabbed me by my upper arm and held me in place as I pulled against him, but it did no good.
“In case you don’t remember, I’ve already had you,” he spat at me. “So you need to stop whatever stupid game you’re playing, because it’s not like this is the first time.”
“Let go of me,” I seethed at him as I forcefully yanked my arm back. He released me at the same time, and I immediately started to wobble in my high heels. It felt like time stood still as I wondered if I could right myself, but I lost my balance and fell. I landed right on my ass on the cold cement as my purse landed beside me, everything inside of it spilling all over the sidewalk. I could feel my cheeks burning with humiliation as Beau looked down at me and laughed.
“You weren’t worth the effort anyway,” he said with a snicker as he shook his head, grabbed his keys from his pocket and started for the driver’s side of his truck.
I forced myself to keep my cool as I pushed myself back up to my feet and, reaching for my purse, began collecting all my things. I heard the sound of Beau turning the engine on, and once he pulled into the street, I turned to watch the taillights glowing red as he turned the corner and disappeared from view.
And that was when I lost it. Tears immediately started as I tried to catch my breath and talk myself down off the ledge. But it didn’t do any good. I had never felt so humiliated before. Actually, I felt more than just humiliation. My emotions were running the gamut from fear that Beau was going to force himself on me to regret that I’d ever even considered going out with him again, to anger that he would talk to me the way he had and finally to intense shame and humiliation based on his parting words.
At the thought that I would have to go upstairs and face Dani and tell her everything that just happened, I cried even harder. I couldn’t stomach the idea of facing anyone at the moment, not when I was so mortified. Instead, I took a seat on the curb, relishing the fact that I was surrounded by darkness and no one could see me. Yes, it was cold outside, but I couldn’t say I cared.
No sooner did the thought cross my mind than my phone started buzzing with an incoming call. I reached for it, wondering if it might be Beau and all the while hoping that it was so I could give him a piece of my mind. But the caller ID revealed that it was Derek. Why he was calling me at eleven at night I didn’t know, but I also didn’t want to find out. So I didn’t answer it. Instead, I watched the screen as the phone vibrated in my hand two times, then three. On the fourth vibration, I clicked to answer although I wasn’t sure why.
“Hello?” I said, doing my best to sound like I wasn’t crying.
“Why’d it take you so long to answer?” Derek demanded, sounding perturbed.
“Um,” I started before taking a deep breath as I tried to keep control of myself.
“Nik?”
“I, uh,” I started before taking another deep breath as I begged myself not to lose control. “I just was … dealing with a bad situation,” I finished, forcing the words out as my voice cracked and the tears came doubly strong.
“Nikki, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Derek asked, sounding concerned, the former annoyance in his tone now completely missing.
“I don’t know,” I responded honestly as I closed my eyes and tried to convince myself to stop crying. I hated the thought that I sounded completely pathetic.
“Where are you?”
“Sitting outside the sorority house,” I answered between sobs.
“Are you alone?”
“Yeah,” I answered.
“Go inside! It’s not safe to be outside by yourself in the middle of the night!”
“It’s not the middle of the night,” I answered.
“That’s not the point. You shouldn’t be outside, alone in the dark.”
“I don’t want to see anyone.”
“Well, you’re going to see me because I’m on my way.” I could already hear the clinking of his keys as he walked with them.
“I’m okay, Derek, you don’t have to come,” I started, feeling stupid that I was sitting in the dark crying by myself and now Derek was getting involved. The last thing in the world I wanted to see was the expression in his eyes when I told him what had just happened. “I don’t want you to come, Derek,” I said with more force this time.
“Well, get used to disappointment,” he answered sternly. “Because I don’t give a shit what you want. I’m on the way.”
“I’m okay, really,” I insisted.
“And that’s why you’re crying by yourself outside and in the dark?” I didn’t respond, so he continued. “Stay where you are. I’ll be there in two minutes.”
He hung up the phone, probably because he didn’t want me to try to argue with him. I put my phone back in my purse as I dropped my head into my hands and wished I hadn’t answered it. I just didn’t want Derek to be involved in such a personal and stupid situation. This whole mess was my fault because Dani was right—I never should have considered having anything to do with Beau again. Maybe all of this served me right.
How can you even think that? I yelled at myself. This is not your fault! Beau is an asshole and you’re lucky he didn’t try to take further advantage of you!
I was spared the opportunity to continue to lambaste myself because headlights in the distance arrested my attention. Seconds later, Derek pulled up in front of me and killed the engine. I swallowed hard as I tried to figure out just how much I wanted to tell him.
“Nik,” he said as he walked around the Bronco and, seeing me, gathered me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around him as he held me, suddenly feeling as if I were safe. I exploded into a new mess of tears, partially because I knew I couldn’t think of Derek the way I was thinking about him, and that realization hurt.
“What happened?”
He asked, so I told him everything. Well, almost everything. I left out the part about the fact that I’d planned on using Beau as my target for my femme fatale training. In fact, I left The Femme Fatale Handbook out completely. I figured that was a little tidbit that no one, aside from Dani and me, ever needed to know about, especially since this whole Beau-seduction-attempt would go down as my worst decision to date.
After I’d managed to spit it all out in between sobs, I collapsed back against Derek’s chest and I took a deep breath.
“It’s okay,” he crooned into my ear. “I’ve got you, Nik. It’s okay.”
“Thank you,” I whispered as I held him and closed my eyes, feeling like I was exactly where I belonged. Being in Derek’s arms felt so right, so good. It felt like home.