Exposing the Bad Boy (19 page)

Corbin was talking, but my mind was elsewhere. His fingers snapped under my nose. “Focus, Ellie! He
does
know how much he'll pay if he cuts out early, right?”

Whether or not he knew the cost, I did.

Not that I would ever talk him out of his decision, but there was no way he had the five hundred thousand he needed to break cleanly from Maximal. Pike had done a number of commercials, but his checks totaled no where near that. Leaving now would ruin him financially.

“I'm guessing,” I said softly, looking at the floor, “That he doesn't care about the money.”

Huffing, Corbin rocked in his chair, facing the window. “He should care. You'll talk him out of it, won't you?” My silence went on too long. “Ellie...
won't you?
”

“How can I? Corbin, he was wrecked by this news.”

“He'll be wrecked by the contract, too.” Massaging the bridge of his nose, he glanced at me, poised in a moment of quietness. “You've changed, Ellie Cutter.”

His use of my full name was like a slap to the face. Cold ice roiled in my belly, my feet crossing nervously under the desk. “How have I changed?”

“The woman I hired would never let someone walk away so easily.” Lowering his eyebrows, he appraised me. “You used to be so determined. A god damn shark. I don't know what happened, but I don't like it.”

His words shredded me, left me raw.
Have I stopped caring about my job?
Somehow, with time, I'd begun to see the rotten strings holding Maximal Energy Inc. together. My passion for success had crumbled. What I wanted out of life... it was something far more intangible.

A future with Pike.

The thought had me on the verge of laughing.
I don't care about landing clients or making big plays or rolling in money.
All I wanted was to be wrapped in those strong, ink covered arms as we fell through life together.

How could that happen if Pike was bankrupt?
I could try and pay his debt.
Fuck, would he let me do that for him?
It doesn't matter. I don't have that much money.
I'd done well for myself, but I wasn't rich. Still, even if I would come up short... what was the harm in trying?

Bending forward, my palms dug into the tops of my thighs. “What would you say if... maybe if I offered to pay his fee.”

Wide-eyed, Corbin snorted in disdain. “You and I both know you couldn't.” Smoothing his voice, he said gently, “Why would you bother? Don't tell me... you and him...”

Defeated, I sank back in my chair. “No, no. It was just an idea I had.”

“Didn't know you were in the habit of charity these days.”

Peering off to the side, I ignored his accusations and jostled my brain for another solution.
Why does this all feel so hopeless?

Corbin's voice cut through like a saw blade. “If I offer him a deal, will you take it to him?”

Sitting up, my fog started to clear. “What do you mean?”

“Here's the thing... Maximal really needs him to do one more jump. It's a big one, I booked it forever ago. It could make people forget about this grim news, help our publicity. And Pike—well.” Shrugging, he spread his hands. “He can pay his debt
and
walk away with money in his pocket.”

Will Pike go for it?
It was hard to imagine him taking the offer. Last I'd seen, he'd been strictly focused on ending his engagement with my company. “How much will you pay him? It'll have to be a lot, he was set on quitting. Pike isn't the sort to change his mind easily.”

The wafting smoke of long-dead cigarettes curled between us. Corbin linked his fingers on the table and smiled. “There's my shark.”

One upon a time, that compliment meant everything.

Now, it only left me cold.

****

K
nocking on the door for the fifth time, I frowned. “Pike? Are you home?” On reflex I checked my phone, dialed him again. I wasn't surprised when it went to voicemail—it had been doing that since we'd last seen each other.

On a whim, I tried the knob.
No dice.
Of course it was locked. Turning in place, I stared up at the edge of the roof. An idea struck me, making me want to slap myself. It was so obvious.

Inching along the walkway, my sneakers carried me up the rusted staircase. Pike had taken me to the roof before. It was clearly special, a place for deep thinking.

Last time we were together... it was up here.

It had been so special.

Then, everything had dissolved into sand.

Cresting the edge of the stairs, I scanned the cement flat-top. Pike was facing away from me, his back a great mountain of muscles that never rested. I saw the tension that haunted him, even without seeing his face.

When he heard my steps and turned around, I wasn't prepared for the exhaustion that had dug deep lines into his features. “Pike,” I breathed out in reflex. “God, are you okay?”

He considered me, the grooves under his eyes shiny and purple. “No. I don't think I am.”

“You look like you haven't slept.”

“Same goes to you.”

I rubbed my arm self-consciously. My next movement sent my shoe into contact with something hard. The bottle clinked, rolling over the roof. Pike's attention flicked to it, then downwards.

Following his stare, I noticed the empty containers of alcohol that littered everywhere. “Holy shit. Pike, did you drink
all
of these?”

With a bitter laugh, he turned away. “I wish I could give you an answer. I think I must have, but I don't even know for sure.”

Tip-toeing around the mess, I moved to his side. When I reached for his hand, he flinched—then squeezed my fingers so hard they hurt. I wanted that hurt. I needed to know that even if he wasn't okay,
we
were okay.

If I could get that much... I could fix the rest.

“Everything is messed up,” I said, staring at the horizon of his jaw. “But you aren't helping anyone by drowning in the bottom of a bottle.”

He was looking far away... beyond the city itself. “If I'm blacked-out, I won't be tempting kids to kill themselves. That counts for something.”

“That wasn't your fault!” Tighter and tighter, I wound myself around his arm. I wanted to root Pike to the Earth, make sure he wouldn't fly away from me. I had the terrible premonition he was about to vanish. “Niko wasn't your fault.”

Dropping his eyes to me, Pike was as still as a grave. There was more stubble coating his skin than I remembered him ever having. In just two days, the man had aged so much. “He
was
my fault. But I know how to fix it.”

Leaning into his ribs, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “You still plan to quit Maximal, then.”

“Jumping for that company feels as good as stomping on Niko's memory.”

My spine crawled, the visual giving me prickles. “I understand.”

“Beyond leaving Maximal... I have one more thing I want to do.”

Wrinkles crossed my brow. “What?”

Spreading his fingers over my lower back, Pike set his chin on top of my head. His words vibrated through my skull. “I'm going to give all the money I made to his parents. It's  not much, but it's the least I could do.”

My knees locked up, my lungs squeezing. “You did forget, then.”

He held me at a distance, trying to read the concern I wore so openly. “Forget what?”

“The contract... Pike, if you give your money to Niko's family, you won't even have a dent for Maximal's quitting fee.”

The disgust that rolled through his ocean-blue eyes left me devastated. “So I'm screwed over if I want to walk away?” Palming his forehead, he ran his fingers over his scalp. “Fine. I don't give a fuck if I owe them anything. I never had much before, I'll manage without again.”

Touching his shoulder, I smiled warily. “While I like your martyr side, how about this. Maximal wants you to do one more jump. If you do, they'll let you go cleanly
and
pay you another three hundred thousand on top of it.” Though I knew this was our only option—at least if we wanted a life where we weren't living in a cardboard box—I still felt like I was the go between on a deal with the devil.

His lips twisted, unsure what shape to make. “You're joking. They sent you here to talk me into this?
You
of all people want me to jump for them again?”

Stuttering, I gripped his shoulders harder. “I want you to do whatever
you
want! I just know how miserable you'd be if you had this debt hanging over your head!”

The doubt in his tone stretched further, turning hard as diamond. “So you're siding with them.”

“No! I'm on
your
side! This isn't—”

“Sounds like you'd rather they get
their
way, Ellie.”

“No, I—”

“What changed your mind? Did they promise you more money? More power?”

“I tried to pay your debt off myself!
”

My shout echoed across the rooftop. Pike's mouth hung open, useless and slack. It would have been funny if I wasn't so stressed. So much had gone wrong, most of it I had no say in, but I would NOT allow Pike to think I would choose anyone... anything... over him.

“Corbin wants you to do this stunt, not me,” I said quickly. “More than that, I know what Maximal is capable of. It isn't just money, Pike. They know too much about you.” Swallowing, I eased my grip, hands sliding from his arms. “This isn't something to take lightly. The day I was called in, instructed to get you as a client, Corbin had already figured out who you were... where you lived.” Shivering, I leveled my eyes on his. “If they want to, they can ruin your life.”

For a long while, he did nothing but watch me. No blinking, no speaking... I had to wonder if he was even alive.

He curled his fingers around my middle, tracing upwards until he cupped my cheeks in that possessive way of his. “You tried to pay my debt off?”

Turning pink, I attempted to look away, but he forced me right back. “Yes.”

“Ellie, you... dammit.” He was torn, and the emotions that warred inside of him were plain as day. “My burden isn't yours!”

Gripping his wrists, I whispered, “It is. Taking on your problems is the only way to get what I want.” My lips tugged up at the corners. “I'm used to getting what I want.”

Heat flashed through his pupils, drawing me deeper. “And what do you want?”

Speaking was pointless. Standing on tip-toe, I went to kiss him. His hands held me down, jostled me and kept me away. I was baffled, but the wickedness in his smirk shifted the vibe around us. “Pike...”

“I want to hear you say it. Tell me what you want.”

Freedom,
I thought, trapped by his gorgeous gaze.
Passion. Love. Life. Everything... everything I'd denied wanting. The things my mother made me believe didn't matter.

Now I knew the truth.

“You.” The word flitted free, a single note in the music of our world. It wasn't the beginning of our song, but neither was it the end. For us, there was so much left to weave together.

If I had my way, we'd create an endless symphony.

He pressed his lips to the corner of my left eye. “Don't cry. I hate seeing you cry.”

“I'm not,” I said, wiping at my face roughly.

Pike brought me to him; his chest was solid, warm and welcoming. Here in his arms, with the gentle breeze and the buzzing hum of the city in the distance, I forgot—just for a moment—the problem in our midst.

He inhaled sharply, nose in my hair. “You really believe they'll try to ruin my life?”

Hugging him fiercely, I said, “They can. I don't know if they will. We could always be lucky.”

“My father told me luck gets men killed.” Brushing hair from my forehead, he held me like it was the last time he ever would. “Routine. Practice. It comes down to what you can control... and what you know.” His shirt rustled on my cheek as he released me. The night had traveled into his irises, turned them black as his tattoos. “I know how to jump. So that's what I'll do.”

His determination inspired me. The way he stood there, sure of himself, it reminded me why I'd felt so attracted to him in the first place.

The lines of his defined arms pulled me along, took me from his wrist, to his shoulder, to the vein in his throat that pumped with masculinity. If I kissed it, I knew it would quicken.

Pike tilted his head, picking up on my body language. Had I been too obvious? Clearing my throat, I nodded. “Right. You should do the thing you know.”

With a husky edge, he said, “I actually know a few things.” Pushing his thigh against mine, he ground the bulge of his cock on my hip. “For example, I know that when you realize how hard you've made me, it makes your heart race.”

On command, my blood began rushing through my body. Pike was too observant, it intimidated me...

And it drove me wild.

“There it is,” he chuckled darkly. “I can feel you getting turned on. I really get to you, don't I?”

My head was swimming. Pushing the warm cotton aside, I glanced up through my dark fringe of lashes. “No more than I get to you.”

Smirking like a half-moon, he gripped the back of my shirt. Knotting the fabric, he pulled it tight, stretching the material over my chest so that the shape of my hard nipples stood out easier. “Is that so? What happens if we drive each other equally crazy?”

Unsticking my tongue from the roof of my mouth, I said, “I think we already know.”

Judging me for a long second, he dropped to the ground, pulling me down with him. I gasped, yanked by my shirt, hearing the stitches tear.

My open mouth was an easy target, his tongue sliding inside, lips sealing roughly. He used the tip to tickle my roof, encouraging me to tangle my tongue with his. It was a desperate, needy kiss that consumed us both.

I didn't want to think beyond this moment. Our future was too uncertain, and this... this twisting of our bodies and our desire...

This was enough. For now, it was enough.

Pike shifted backwards, stretching out and pulling me on top of him. Between us, his fingers unsnapped my pants with ease. I admit, I wriggled my hips eagerly to help him slide my jeans off.