Dirty Bad Boys Box Set: Forbidden Romance Collection

Moving through the crowd, I notice Kate sitting out on the big deck staring across the ocean. She’s wearing the same clothes as this morning, but her expression looks bleak. Nothing at all like the fun-loving Kate I saw earlier today or the one that Haden had described.

Same look.

Same story.

Someone has broken her.

That guy. The one with the big balls.

Ugh.

Charlie warned me—not once, but twice—to be on my best behavior. Focus on my career and not on women. Especially ones in her circle of friends.

I try not to come across as a stalker, though I’m half covered by a large bush, watching her from afar. Not at all stalker-like, you idiot.

I observe the way she quietly sits at the table with her cell in front of her, it appears to be a distraction. As if on autopilot, she picks it up, stares at the screen, places it down, then repeats minutes later. Her foot taps impatiently under the table, causing her skirt to ride up. She doesn’t appear bothered, allowing it to do so, then on second thought, she pulls it slightly down again.

I amble toward her until I’m by her side.

“Hello, stranger.”

“‘Bout time you got here, Mr. Mason,” she says with an upbeat cheer. “Time to have some fun.”

“What do you have in mind?”

She grabs my hand and a large purse, pulling me through the not-so-crowded bar until we find ourselves on the footpath leading to the sand. As if in a mad rush, her heels click against the concrete until we reach the end of the path where the sand leads to the ocean. Bending down while holding onto my shoulder, she removes her shoes, her bare feet now touching the soft sand.

The sun has set, the sky darkening with a hint of pink. With her hand pulling me near the shore, she settles on a spot beside a metal lifeguard chair. My body jerks toward the ground as she pulls me down with her and removes a bottle of tequila from her purse.

Opening the lid, she takes a drink, letting out a roar as the tequila makes its way down her throat. “Goodbye,” she shouts, holding the bottle up to the sky. “To bad decisions, and wankers that need to get a fucking life!” She takes another drink. I warn her to slow down, attempting to pull the bottle from her hand.

“You know what your problem is?”

It didn’t take long, the tequila already running through her veins resulting in a drunken slur.

“What?”

“You’re too uptight.”

I let out a chuckle, followed by a triumphant smirk. “Oh, Kate, you honestly don’t know me.”

“Yes, I do.” She stands up in a rush, swaying slightly. “You like

to fuck women. Lots of women. You don’t care about their feelings. You think with your dick and your dick has all the fun.”

“And what’s wrong with that? I don’t need to settle down... yet.”

“Exactly,” she points out. “I was just like you. Doing my thing. Having fun. I didn’t want a relationship. Now look at me,” she cries loudly. “I’m a goddamn mess.”

“You’re not a mess, Kate. Sit, and slow down on the tequila.”

She listens, plonking herself on the sand while letting out a huge sigh. “I need to let loose again. Have fun. Find a way to forget the last six months ever happened. I want to have sex. I want to fuck like I’m alive. You get me?”

I get her all too much. I let out a sigh myself. I’m not supposed to be back here. This here is everything that got me into trouble in the first place. There’s plenty of people who’ll have my face on a target if I touch her. Charlie, Lex, Haden... fuck! There could be more. We could just have fun, we could chat. I don’t need to fuck her.

Be strong. She’s messed up, big time. Don’t succumb to your old ways.

“C’mon, Noah.” She hands me the tequila, waiting for me to take a drink.