A PERFECT TEN (Forbidden Men #5)

2. Caroline

2

Caroline

I closed in on my target, a determined woman on a mission. I was going to get my life and my girl power back tonight if it was the last thing I did. f**k Sander Scotini and what he’d turned me into. And f**k Oren Tenning for rejecting me. I wasn’t going to let those assholes get me down.

The stranger’s back was to me as he talked to two other guys. I’m not sure why I’d singled him out. Maybe because he was the antithesis of Oren. Shorter, pale-headed, not at all sporty-looking in a polo shirt and dark gray pleated slacks. I doubted Oren even owned a pair of slacks.

With one last glance back at Zwinn, I sent them a “watch this s**t” grin and plowed ahead until I rammed into my target’s back, making him lurch forward and dump the lager he was holding all over the front of his pretty yellow polo shirt.

“Oh my God. I’m so sorry.” Forcing myself not to snicker in triumph, I grabbed up a handful of napkins from the table next to us. “Are you okay? I can’t believe I did that.” Or that I’d nailed him so perfectly.

He turned to me slowly, his face molted with rage, only for his expression to clear when he saw me. I batted my lashes and cooed out my sympathy as I took in his soaked shirt. “Oh, you poor thing. Let me get that for you.” I dabbed at his chest a few times—not a bad chest, but not the best either—before I bent in front of him to sop up the spilled beer on the floor by his feet. Once I had the floor reasonably dry, I stayed kneeling but lifted my face to meet his gaze.

“Did I get everything?” I’m not sure if it was how close my face was to his junk, the breathiness in my voice, or the complete innocence I tried to blink into my eyes, but the guy fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.

“Uh...” His attention darted from my face, to the front of his pants, and then back to my face as I rose back to my full height.

“Let me buy you another drink.” He didn’t seem to notice I wasn’t wearing a legal-to-drink wristband like he was, meaning I wasn’t able to buy him s**t, unless it was plain soda. If he had, he might’ve known how severely I was tricking my way into a meet-cute.

Instead, he stepped right into my trap. He lifted his hand to stop me from turning toward the bar. “No, that’s okay. How about I get you a drink instead?”

“Really?” Wow, this was almost too easy. “That’d be great. Thanks.” I glanced surreptitiously toward the bar as I tucked a long piece of bangs out of my face.

My stomach swarmed with nerves. Most of the crowd had gathered around the stage as Asher and his band began to set up their instruments, which left the bar area less congested. I could see Noel from where I stood as he served someone a bottled beer. Mason Lowe was behind the bar with him, but neither of them noticed me, so I took a small step to the side to hide myself a little better and kept smiling at Mr. Mission Accomplished.

“I’m Caroline,” I called over the noise as I held out my hand.

“Trey,” he answered, shaking with me and tugging me just a little closer to him before he let go.

Asher chose that moment to interrupt us. He turned on his mike and introduced the band, Non-Castrato. The crowd grew rowdy until the drummer counted off the first song and all the guitars started in. When people realized they were playing an original, something Asher had written called “Slingshot,” the female fans began to scream.

Then Asher leaned in to sing, and the female fans promptly shut up so they could hear him. I grinned at how captivated he could hold an audience.

Trey nudged me in the arm to get my attention. “Have you heard them before?”

I could’ve told him any number of things—how well I knew Asher, that I owned their album and had all their songs memorized, that I came to watch Non-Castrato play just about every Friday. But I kind of wanted to be a little more mysterious and illusive.

“Oh...a couple times,” I answered, smiling evasively.

He smiled back, though his eyes had a hard time staying on mine. They liked to wander and dip, checking out my chest. He definitely wasn’t uninterested. If I wanted him, I could probably snag him. Now, I just had to figure out if I really wanted him.

“What about you?” I asked.

He paused before answering, flagging down a waitress and taking two bottles off her tray before paying for them.

As he turned back to me, offering me one of them, I bit my lip. He hadn’t bothered to ask if I wanted this brand of beer, or even if the drink I preferred was beer. That had to be a mark on the con side of my list. But he did have an awfully pretty smile and very expressive eyes that let me know just how much he liked what he saw when he looked at me. That tallied two checkmarks on the pro side. I decided to give him another chance before I made my final decision.

“Thanks,” I said and reached for the bottle. But before I could gain possession, another hand swooped in and took it from him.

My stomach sank into my knees.

Busted.

I looked up, expecting to find a furious Noel, but was shocked to see Oren instead. Ignoring me, he glared down my prospective one-night stand as if he wanted to kick Trey’s ass.

A bubble of excitement bounced around in my chest. Was he jealous? He kind of looked jealous. A mad jealous. I hoped he was jealous and swept me away, forgetting about his four skanks, and took me home with him instead.

“Are you f*****g blind, asshole?” Grabbing my elbow, he lifted my arm and waved my bare wrist in Trey’s face. “Do you want to go to jail tonight for giving alcohol to a minor?”

My mouth fell open as hypocrite Tenning continued to glower at Trey, because Oren just happened to be one of Noel’s coworkers who gave me free alcohol whenever he was working the bar and Noel was not.

“I...I...” Face flooding a bright, embarrassed red, Trey glanced at me, his eyes wide with alarm. I could tell by the look on his face he’d just realized I’d played him. “I didn’t know she was a minor. I’m sorry.”

“Well, maybe you would’ve gotten the clue if you’d been able to stop staring at her t**s long enough to see that she wasn’t wearing a wristband, fuckwad.”

I tried to jerk my arm out of Oren’s grip, but he refused to let go. Taking a step closer to Trey, he asked, “Do you even know who her brother is?”

Oh God. He just had to go there, didn’t he?

Even more worry lit Trey’s face as he gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing quickly. “N-no.” He darted a glance toward me. “Who’s her brother?”

Oren grinned. “The name Noel Gamble ring a bell?”

“s**t,” Trey croaked. “You mean the football quarterback?”

“Mmm hmm.” Oren hitched his face to the side, motioning toward the bar. “And he’s right over there, behind the bar.”

We all looked—Trey, his two friends, me, even Oren—and yep, there was Noel watching us, his expression pissed and his arms crossed stonily over his chest in his signature disappointed big brother stance.

The three guys Oren was intimidating whimpered, “Oh s**t,” together.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Trey turned to me to offer his apologies, but I guess he was too worried about talking directly to me because he hesitated and promptly turned back to Oren. “I’ll never talk to her again. I swear.”

“You better not, scumbag. Now get lost.” When he made a dismissive motion with his chin, Trey and his friends cleared out, tripping over each other in their haste.

My face flooded with heat. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever felt so humiliated in my life, like a little girl who’d just been reprimanded for misbehaving.

Oren puffed out his chest in self-congratulations. “Damn that was easy.” He grinned at me. “But what a bunch of p*****s, huh?” Then he took a big, long swig of the beer that had been meant for me.

As I watched him laugh and wipe his mouth with the back of his hand, my humiliation morphed into red, hot rage.

“What...the...hell?” I shoved him right in the chest, using both hands and trying not to notice how defined his pecs felt under my palms. So much better than Trey’s had been—even though that was so not the point.

My beer he had confiscated sloshed onto him, in his face and down his shirt.

He leapt back, jerking the bottle upright. “Easy, woman! This is my favorite shirt.”

Of course it was. It said, “I support single moms,” and showcased the silhouette of a curvy, naked woman swinging from a stripper pole.

“Do I look like I care?”

He glanced up at my dry tone and lifted an eyebrow. “Let me guess. You’re not going to offer to wipe me dry like you did that dipshit, are you?”

I shoved him again for being a total jerk and for buying such an offensive shirt. “Why did you do that?”

He snorted and glanced after Trey. “Because the dude looked like a douche.”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, I obviously don’t have a problem with douches. I’m talking to you, aren’t I?”

He frowned. “Harsh, Caroline. I was just looking out for you.”

“No.” I set my hands on my hips and sent him the laser-beam depth of my glare. “You were c**k-blocking me.”

Lifting his hands in completely unrepentant negligence, he said, “Fine, whatever you want to call it. He’s not going to bother you again. You’re welcome.”

“I wasn’t thanking you.” I made a face after him as he turned away and sauntered off. “You ass.”

“Love you, too,” he called back, blowing me a kiss over his shoulder. Then he took another swig of my damn beer.

I ground my teeth, frustrated with myself for letting him get to me so much that I had such a childish response and had to add to it by sticking my tongue out at him. But he could just make me so...mad.

As he strolled to the bar where Noel was watching us and sat on a stool, I glared after him. He and my brother spoke, and Noel glanced my way. Pointing at his own eyes, he then turned his fingers to tell me he was always watching me.

I sent him my own sign language and flipped him off. And the entire time, Oren sat facing the bar with his back to me as he finished off my drink.

Jerks. The both of them.

I guess that showed me for trying to get some action while they were around. But I’d come here to see Asher play; the action had been a spur of the moment thing.

I had a bad habit of running with spur of the moment ideas. And a year ago, I’d paid big time for it. It should’ve taught me my lesson. But like every other Gamble I knew, I had a hard head about learning lessons.

Needing to cool off and gather my self-control, I spun away and stalked toward the bathrooms. I waited until I was safely inside the ladies’ room before I breathed again. Pressing my back to the door, I closed my eyes, glad for a moment free from Oren.

Sucking in a nice, refreshing...eww! Who the hell was spraying such rank perfume?

I opened my eyes and immediately frowned at the three ladies gathered in front of the mirrors. They just happened to be three of the very four whores—I mean, fine, upstanding young women—who’d been huddled around Oren mere minutes ago.

Awesome.

Maybe we could all get together sometime and just have us a slumber party.

“I still can’t believe he picked you, you lucky b***h,” the girl teasing her hair complained as she puckered her mouth and studied her lipstick job.

“I know,” the one leaning in to examine the blackheads on her nose added before she tried to pop one. “I was totally feeling this vibe between us too. I was so sure he’d pick me tonight.”

“You just...suck,” muttered the third one who was, yes, still applying that awful perfume. “I’ve never had him before. It should’ve been my turn.”

Behind one stall door, a toilet flushed, and the fourth w***e appeared as she opened the door. “Face it, ladies. I simply rule. Ten’s always preferred me.”

At the mention of Oren—or rather his stupid nickname everyone called him—I froze and focused on her a little harder. So, she was the chosen one for this evening, huh?

I hated her.

I really, really hated her.

“I heard he only does it in the dark,” perfume girl said, her eyes wide with wonder.

My mouth fell open. Say what? I should not be listening to this crap. So, I edged in a little closer, hungry for more.

“Mmm hmm,” the winner, I guess we were calling her, said. “He’s almost weird about it. But it’s so kinky you can’t really care, because, oh my God, he makes up for the lack of sight by using all his other senses.”

I almost whimpered as I imagine it. Oren learning me by touch, by taste, by scent. I shivered, growing a little warm under my clothes until the winner ruined the moment by speaking again.

“If you know what I mean.” She smirked and wiggled her eyebrows.

Yes, honey, we all knew what you meant. But...hell. Listening to them talk about Oren’s s****l preferences was...probably really forbidden, but even as it chipped off pieces of my heart to think of him doing those things with them, it still made my stomach tighten and my entire body tingle embarrassingly.

Stupid body.

“And it’s always from behind. I’ve never talked to anyone who hasn’t gotten it from him doggie style.”

I clamped my legs together, because hello, they were talking about my Oren...in different positions. Yes, it was disheartening to hear he had such a following that they all knew his...proclivities. I couldn’t believe I was half a second from being in love with such a freaking man-w***e. But damn, I still wanted him to take me from behind like that.

“I’m supposed to meet him at his place at midnight tonight,” the chosen one announced as she began to check herself in the mirror right along with the other three, fluffing her boobs up into her cleavage. “It’s always so mysterious and thrilling when I go there.”

“He leaves his apartment unlocked,” pimple pincher explained to perfume girl, “and you’re supposed to just walk right in and down a dark hall to his dark bedroom. You never know if someone’s going to jump out and grab you.”

The chosen one fanned herself. “And then he does jump out and grab you.”

All four of them giggled and then sighed. I rolled my eyes, deciding I’d had enough.

“I’m sorry.” I waved my hand to get their attention. “But are you guys talking about...Oren Tenning?”

Four faces turned my way. I’m sure they found me lacking in my comfy blue jeans and V-neck T-shirt. I never dolled myself up. In fact, I purposely dressed down to avoid attention from the opposite s*x. I hadn’t really fixed myself up since the school dance last year where Sander had invited me to be his date, way back when he’d still been kind and sweet. But it turned out he hadn’t ever planned on taking me to that stupid dance. I’d spent all the money I’d scrimped together and saved over the years to buy the dress, and after two hours of beautifying myself for him, he’d taken me straight to the infamous make-out spot to get lucky in the backseat of his Dodge Challenger. Not since then had I used clothes, makeup, or perfume to impress anyone.

“We sure are, honey. Do you know him?” Perfume girl sniffed and tipped up her face in a haughty kind of way, as if she couldn’t believe I was good enough to even associate with him.

“Oh...” I gave her a brief, tight smile. “Barely.” I bet I knew him a hell of a lot better than she did.

I doubt she had any idea that his favorite food was chocolate mints, or that he preferred a bottle of Sunny Delight over coffee every morning to drink with his breakfast. Or that he hated spiders and loved cats. I bet she had no clue that every extra dollar he made at the nightclub where he worked went into a savings account from which he someday wanted to build his own dream home...that he’d already designed himself. I bet she would never know what an extremely talented artist he was or what lengths he went to just to help his friends.

The b***h probably knew nothing about him at all...except how he felt inside her, which, okay, was more than I knew. Damn it.

“But one of my friends...,” I went on, lifting my eye-brows so they’d think my friend had all the carnal know-ledge of him that I did not, “...is still taking treatments to get over...whatever he gave her.”

All four women gasped. “No,” one said, her eyes wide.

“Oh my God. I was with him only two weeks ago.”

“Oh, sweetie,” I said with all the fake sympathy I could muster as I reached out as if to pat her arm. “You really need to go get yourself checked.” And she probably needed to anyway, so I didn’t feel bad about suggesting that at all.

“Is it herpes?”

“s******s?”

“AIDs?”

I almost rolled my eyes. How the hell did I know which disease to choose? “I don’t know, but it was nasty, whatever it was. She was all red, bumpy, and itchy and...” I leaned in closer, lowering my voice dramatically. “Yellow stuff was dripping...if you know what I mean.”

My four little puppets pulled back in horror. “Eww,” they chorused, making me want to throw my head back and cackle.

I nodded, getting into character a little bit too enthusiastically. But hey, if Oren was going to c**k-block me, I was going to v****a-block him. “I know,” I cooed to his band of skanks. “The doctor told her she couldn’t safely have s*x again for a whole year.”

More horrified gasps followed. “A year?”

Damn, was I good or what?

“Well, I can’t meet him now,” the chosen one squawk-ed, looking panicked. “What do I tell him if he’s still out there whenever we leave the bathroom? I can’t even look him in the eye without seeing...” She shuddered. “No. Just, no.”

Pimple popper slid her arm around her friend in comfort. “It’s okay, Kelly. We’ll sneak you out of here. He’ll never see you.”

“Ohmigod, thank you.” Kelly stepped toward me for a hug. “I don’t know how I could ever repay you for this.” She looked really grateful too. I probably should’ve felt my first twinge of remorse right about then. But nope. I didn’t.

I hugged her back, glad Oren wouldn’t be feeling those really big boobs pressing against his chest later on. “I’m just glad I warned you before it was too late.”

After getting a round of hugs from the other three girls—all with overly huge boobs that put my C-cups to shame when they embraced me—they hunched their shoulders together, formed a tight circle around Kelly, and hurried from the bathroom.

I had to watch this, so I followed them out and propped myself against the back wall of the bar.

Folding my arms over my chest, I snickered at how obvious they were about making Kelly duck down within their group and hide from him.

But Oren was absolutely clueless to their pathetic attempts as he stood way on the other side of the room, talking to Quinn. He didn’t even notice their hasty exit. But he would eventually, and that made me smirk.

Things were about to get interesting.