Page 49 of Blackmailing the Bad Girl

Chapter Twelve

“What happened when you were fourteen?” Nik asked.

They’d been walking in almost companionable silence, not touching. She’d been thinking about the evening. Okay, she’d been thinking about the kiss. He’d been trying to convince Danny and Sherry, that was all. He wanted to be friends. He’d told her so.

Now she cast him a sideways glance. “Sorry?” she said to give herself time to think how much to reveal. She didn’t want to lie. But she also didn’t want him to think she was looking for sympathy.

“You said you met Danny when you were fourteen, and he helped you through a rough time. What happened?”

She could say it was none of his business, but instead she shrugged. “I was put into foster care.”

“Why?”

“My mother was involved in an accident at work. She was in the hospital for a long time and wasn’t able to look after me.”

“What about your father?”

She shrugged again. “He was never part of my life. He and my mom weren’t married. They had an affair when she worked for him—he was a big company CEO, rich, good-looking. She was bowled over. But he wasn’t interested in anything more.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s no big deal. I never even met him, and he’s dead now. He had a heart attack when I was little more than a baby.”

Her mother had never gotten over it, though. She’d been bitter even before the accident. And she’d tried to pass that bitterness on to Summer. She’d grown up to warnings of never letting a man get close enough to betray you. Certainly not rich men who thought they could buy anything and anyone they wanted. Men like Summer had believed Nik to be. Now she wasn’t so sure.

“Anyway, I was put into foster care and I just didn’t fit in. They were all so…hard—the system will do that to you. And I was shy and didn’t make friends easily. Plus, I was plump and self-conscious and—”

He came to a halt and turned to stare at her. “I don’t believe you.”

“Hah, believe it.” They started walking again. “Danny had been in the system for a while. He knew his way around, and for some reason he befriended me. I wouldn’t have gotten through that time without him. We found we had a lot in common.”

“I’m glad you had a friend.”

They walked on in silence. Five minutes later, she was home. Only she didn’t want the night to end. And she didn’t want to think about that too much.

It was after eleven and the gym was all locked up and in darkness. Above, the lights were on in the apartment. Either Darcy or Regan was home. Summer led the way into the alley that ran alongside the building and came to a halt at the door. “This is me.”

He stood opposite her, his hands shoved in his pockets, head cocked to one side. “I had a good time. I kind of liked being your boyfriend,” he murmured. “Perhaps we can do it again sometime. I’d hate for you to have to tell Sherry we’d broken up. She might think it’s because of Danny.”

“She might.”

He pulled his hands out of his pockets, took a step closer so they were almost touching. He leaned in so his breath feathered her cheek and whispered in her ear, “I should kiss you good-night. In case anyone is watching.”

She glanced around the empty alley. All was quiet. But his nearness was making her head swim. This time, she couldn’t blame it on alcohol. She’d only had a couple of beers all night, wanting to keep her wits about her.

One big hand came up and curled around the back of her neck. He tipped her head so she stared up into his dark eyes. Then his mouth came down on hers, soft at first, then, when she didn’t pull back, he deepened the kiss, slanting his lips over hers. His tongue pushed inside her mouth while his other hand slid down her back, to settle on her waist and urge her closer.

Where the hell had that come from?

He was already hard, the bulge of his groin pressing against the softness of her belly, and he groaned into the kiss. Heat washed through her, settling at her breasts, between her thighs.

She was panting as he raised his head. Looking around him, he wrapped a hand around her wrist and dragged her deeper into the shadows at the back of the alley, gently pushed her back against the brick wall, lowered his head, and kissed her again.

And she did absolutely nothing to stop him. In fact, her lips parted beneath his and her tongue slipped inside, tasting the heat of him.

His hand cupped her breast through the thin cotton of her dress. Her nipples were already hard little peaks, so sensitive that her back arched, pushing her against his palm. Needing more.

He broke the kiss, lowered his head, and bit down on her nipple. Pleasure shot through her, starting an insistent pulse between her thighs. Her hips pushed against him, her sex hot and swollen and needy.

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