Hollywood Hearts (A Bad Boy Love Triangle Romance): (Hollywood Hearts Book 1) (3 page)

“No,” I told him honestly, shaking my head.
 

“Yes, you are.” He wrapped my ponytail around one of his fists, yanking it back until my neck was completely exposed and vulnerable which left me aching and desperate for what he planned to do to me. He planted more pecks over my now-shirted breasts, biting through the fabric.
 

“You’re going to be screaming my name by the end of this.” I trembled and his bulge grew larger…

“Hunter, I…”

There was a tap on the window. I immediately leaped back over to the passenger seat, bruising my thigh on the handbrake. I folded my arms in front of me as I watched big Gunner standing there.

“Hey, Hunter,” he rapped on the window again. Hunter let out a deep, husky sigh of frustration and opened the window.

“Yep?”

Gunner knelt down and saw me sitting there coyly, my arms wrapped around my body, staring blankly out the windscreen with embarrassment.

“Just seeing if Ellie was okay. Seems she is though, so—” His voice sounded defeated. “I’ll catch you later brother. Ellie, you be safe.” I had hurt him though I shouldn’t be made to feel guilty for it.

“I should go.” I opened the door and Hunter captured my hand tightly in his sweaty palm.

“No. Wait, what the fuck? It was just getting good.” I snatched my hand out of his grasp.

“Sorry. I got stuff to do tomorrow morning.”
 

The moment after releasing my hand, he revved the car, reversed it aggressively and skidded out of the parking lot. I stumbled a little bit, now drunk with both alcohol and intense sexual frustration.
 

“Gunner!” He was just getting entering his car in the parking lot and glanced back at me. “Can I please get a ride? I’m way too drunk right now.” With his head down, he gestured me over.

“Those guys are no good for you, ya know. They’ll wear you down soon enough. They’re my friends but I’d never date the mutha-fuckas.”

“Sorry if I…hurt you.”

He scoffed and sat in the car. “Hurt me? Riles, I’ve been through a lot worse than an outta my league young lady not wantin’ me, trust me on that. Where’s Astrid at by the way?” Oh shit. I opened my phone to find a million missed text messages.

‘Girl, where’d u go?’

‘Helloooo?’

A missed call.

‘
Call me when u get this. Just want to know ur safe.’

‘Holy shit, call me right now. Life’s a trip. You’ll never guess who the fuck we’re here with!!’

‘Just hung out with your man-crush. No biggie. Why’d you leave??????’

By man-crush, did she mean Rafe? I punched the dashboard. Did I really just sacrifice a chance to hang out with Rafe to have sleazy car sex with some random nobody?

“Everything okay?” Gunner rested his hand on mine.

“Yeah, sorry. Astrid’s fine.”

III

Astrid called in sick to work the next day. She woke up at four o’clock this afternoon on a marble floor in a mansion in the hills, her nose powdered in coke, scratches on her arm and used condoms all around her. She still described it as an amazing night even if she didn’t remember most of it.

“Alright. Drink loads of water and try eat something alright?” I said over the phone. “I’ll see you later tonight. Love you.”

“You gonna be okay on your own?” Beside me the club owner, Mike, counted the till for the evening shift. “That stupid girl. Some people really can’t cut it out here, huh? Temptation’s a funny thing. But not calling me until a half hour before your shift, fucking idiot.” He talked violently but meant everything out of love. He’d never fire me or Astrid. We were too good of a team. “I’ll help you out when I can but shouldn’t get too crazy.”
 

The bright afternoon sun beat in through the opening front door. I glanced up to see Hunter’s foreboding figure walking through it and right over to me. I had a light panic attack of shame. Hangovers had a way of raising my anxiety levels especially when I did questionable things with questionable people the night prior.

“We’re not open yet, asshole,” shouted Mike.

“Mike!” I scolded then walked over to Hunter who held out his hand to me and I swear I saw him trace his eyes over my entire body then lick his lips.

“You left this in my car last night,” he said, revealing one of my tiny earrings in his palm.
 

“Oh, th—Thanks.”

“No problem.” An awkward silence ensued as he stared aimlessly around the empty bar.

“That’s all you came here for? For an earring.” What else could I say? It seemed so strange for him to return for something so small though I guess I should be more thankful.

“Yeah, well I wasn’t sure if you might need it.” He pinched and played nervously with his stubble. “Anyway, you have my number if you want to hang out again.” With a pitiful wave, he turned on his heel and left.

“What the fuck was he doing in here? I hate that little shit,” said Mike once he’d left.
 

“Why?” I laughed.

“Fucking arrogant bastard, that’s why. Thinks he’s hot shit. Came one day to ask me to up his pay because he was worth more than our fucking headliner apparently.
 
You hear his set the other night though?” I shook my head.

“Bombed. Fucking. Bombed. Crowd hated his little bad boy persona he had going on. He acted like some wounded Jeff Buckley type and the audience was visibly gagging. And I relished
every
second of it.”

I watched Hunter exit out the door, allowing myself to come to terms with the fact that perhaps this guy might actually like me.

Later that night, Astrid’s head lay on my lap as we sat on our sofa watching a marathon of some reality show she likes. I’d brought her home some takeaway to eat but she wasn’t having any of it.
 

“It hurts,” she groaned.
 

“I told you to stay away from the hard stuff, didn’t I? You know you don’t come down off it well.” I stroked her hair.

“Yeah, whatever. I can’t believe you missed out on hanging out with Rafe, Riles. I felt bad cos I don’t even give a shit about the guy. All I could think was why won’t you answer your goddamn phone.”

“Did he do drugs with you?” I said.

“Oh, don’t clutch your pearls too hard honey. No, I met him at that other bar we went to. That mansion was just me and that…dude, whoever his name was. I did something for you though that means Rafe will
definitely
be coming back to see us.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“I told him he gets unlimited free drinks if he comes in next week.” I slapped her forehead and she moaned. “Ouch, what? It means he’ll come back.”

“You can’t do that. Mike will freak if he catches you.”

“Worth it if it means getting lover boy drunk enough so he goes home with you instead of Red Head.” She laughed at my facial expression. “Plus he knows you
like
him,” she taunted.

“You think the only way he’ll like me is for him to get drunk?” I push her up off my lap and sidle into the armrest of the sofa. Of course she thinks that’s the only way I’ll get him? How else is a curvy girl like me meant to score any guy above a seven on the hotness scale.

“Hey, Riles. What the fuck? You know that’s not what I mean?” The look on her face let’s me know I’ve misjudged her but she continues anyway. “Now, I
may
have told him you have a crush on him…in front of Red Head too, it was pretty intense and he did smile a little bit.”

“You bitch. Why would you do that?” I slapped my hands to my face to cool an oncoming blush of horror. “Oh my God, I’m beyond mortified.”

“Shut up. It’s cute and he’ll be back, trust me. There was nil chemistry between those two. She was as exciting as talking to a wet fart and they definitely aren’t a couple.”

“Okay, well whatever. I’m gonna go have a shower. Try eat something.” She shook her head at me. “Yes, do it.”

The sweat and smell of the past two nights drained off my skin while I soaked and philosophized beneath the warm stream of the shower. My mind reflected on Hunter. Why did he come back to the bar for a stupid tiny earring? After the other night, I thought he’d never want to see me again out of the sheer shame of being rejected. But, my God!
 

His lips…

His touch…

His leg between me as we danced…

Sucking my nipples…

That rough hand tugging my head back, keeping him in full control of what he wanted to do to me…

I never thought I liked aggression but the fact my hand was now rubbing gently on my clit meant that maybe I did.

I laid down in the bath and brought the shower head down with me, thinking about the warmth of Hunter’s hands on me, feeling me up. His bites and suckles to my neck….

I lowered the angle of the water to stimulate me deeper. It vibrated across my stimulated pussy and I arched my back while my blood levels rose. If I could have just released his dick from his pants, he could have been in me.

I tweaked on my nipple and pulsated my hips up and down. A small whimper escaped me and I tried to keep quiet. I thought of him asking if I was a bad girl. I thought I despised dirty talk but then when he
told
me I was a bad girl, my mind lost it. I danced the shower head up and down rapidly to stimulate every part of my throbbing organ, even letting it blast around my asshole occasionally. Blood was rushing down and my face felt warm. I gyrated, up and down, up and down until I was on the edge.

I switched the nozzle over to the ‘Massage’ setting so it could blast me more furiously. I was so close.
 

I thought of him slamming his cock up my passage…

Of him looking at me with those hooded eyes that hungered for me…

That made me too hot. I convulsed, coming hard, climaxing and squeezing my thighs tightly around the shower head, moving the water flow down and away from my sensitive clit. I cupped my breasts firmly as the orgasm faded. God, I wished he had fucked me so this could be over with. Overcome with a newly found arousal after that night, having him inside of me had become somewhat of an obsession.

I stood up slowly and locked the shower head back up on the wall. This boy was danger. One night and he had me wrapped around his finger. I really couldn’t tell if it was the fact it was attention from a guy or that I was really into him but it didn’t matter. He was delicious…A completely dick…But delicious and I needed more.

As I lay there in bed later that night, I began to move my mind from my obsession with Hunter ramming me back to Rafe.

What if he was to came back to the club again? God, what I wouldn’t give to have had him be beneath me instead of some dick-head songwriter. The night’s I’d spent thinking of Rafe, re-watching his TV episodes over and over, having girlish fantasies about what would ever happen should we meet. In them, he’d always fall in love with me obvious.

No. This was ridiculous.

I needed a boyfriend ASAP— A normal one. One who I could take out this sexual frustration on instead of resorting to assholes and fantasies.

IV

The next day was my day off so I joined my friend Jen to attend the monthly sing-along of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Being the committed theatre geeks that we were, I was dressed as Janet in a tank top, petticoat and blonde wig and Jen came as Eddie, which wasn’t too far off her usual sexy dike attired consisting jeans, boots, a baggy tank top and leather vest.

As we waited patiently at the back of the long line, my phone vibrated from my bra and it sent shivers down my spine. My general arousal had yet to dissipate.

It was a text from Astrid:

‘Queen of Worst Timing. Guess who’s already back for his free drinks?’

‘Already? Did he just get there?’

‘Yep, with no Red Head to be seen. Just a few guy friends and I totally get why you like him now. He’s kinda adorable. You should come.’

‘I can’t, I’m at Rocky Horror.’

‘Oh, screw that. You’ve seen it like a thousand times. Get. Over. Here.’

Jen peeked over my shoulder to read what we were typing. I couldn’t help but feel bad bailing. I just needed a way to tell her.

“Go, you moron,” she said, slapping me in the back of the head. Well, that made life a whole lot easier.

“What?”

“Go, I’m not alone. Yumi and the others up there anyway. I’ll go watch it with them. Who the hell is it though?” She nudged me and I felt nervous.

“It’s Rafe Williams, he came in the other day and I almost died.”

“No fucking way, like from that Landmark show and shit? He’s at your club? That dude seems so chill. Go. I’m fine, I love you.” She shook my shoulders then gave me a big hug. “Oh, wait, wait, wait.” She pushed me back behind a corner and started removing her vest and tank top.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re gonna go pull a dude in 50s undergarments?” I shook my head while she removed my wig and replaced her costume on me. Her tank top sat just long enough on me to pass as a dress and the vest gave it a bit more of an edge. “Shoes,” she said. I slipped off my kitten heels and swapped them with her motorcycle boots.

“Some costume, JJ,” I laughed to her, feeling guilty about what she was left wearing. But she had balls. I know she wouldn’t care.

“Fuck off. I look amaze. Now, go have fun.” God, I love my friends.

I found Astrid showing off her bartender flair by spinning bottles and glasses behind the bar with Mike and the other barmaid, Ree. Pulling up a stool, I surveyed the room trying to find Rafe while my fingers busied themselves by ripping a napkin into little pieces. I heard a glass pound down on the bar in front of me.

“Liquid courage, babe,” said Astrid and I swigged it back quickly. The whiskey burned my throat and I gagged a little bit. “Nice outfit. You’ve gone full Hollywood on us, hey Kentucky?”

“Fuck off,” I told her, gesturing me to fill another small shot for me that I necked back too. My face warmed almost instantly, not from the alcohol, but rather from the site of Rafe coming out of the bathroom hallway.

“One sec,” Astrid said, noticing my attention was elsewhere.. She jogged over and from the other end of the bar and shouted, “Rafe!”