HATE ME AGAIN: a bad boy romance novel Read online

  “And you’re happy with him?”

  There was enough of a hesitation to prove that she wasn’t happy at all. Maybe she was standing in my apartment looking for me to save her. Damn, that was a tough one. As much as I wanted to walk away from her, I couldn’t. It was Violet. I was pissed at her, but I couldn’t leave her in pain.

  “What the fuck are you doing, Violet?” I asked. “This isn’t you.”

  I took one step, and she started to get upset again. “I still don’t get you. You write me that letter and…I feel like I know nothing.”

  “I’m not your victim to fix,” I said.

  “I loved you!” she yelled. “I fucking loved you!”

  “Loved?” I asked. “Meaning…now…”

  Violet bit her lip. She swallowed hard. “You know what? Screw this, Mason. I thought I could come here and get something out of you. That you’d want to explain yourself. Tell me about your wife. Tell me who Kate is. Is Kate your wife? Or is Kate…I just don’t know, Mason. I can take the mystery, but I can’t take you hiding stuff from me. I have to go.”

  She hurried to the door.

  I chased after her.

  Finally.

  Like a switch had gone off in me, and I decided I couldn’t lose her.

  I spun her around, and she let out a little groan sound that shot straight down to my dick. Even upset, hurt, sad, whatever, she made me fucking hard. I wanted to protect her. Hold her. Have her. Savor her.

  I gritted my teeth.

  “You walked out on me,” I said. “Don’t do that again, Violet.”

  “I can’t stay,” she said.

  “I won’t touch you,” I said. “I promise. I won’t compromise your relationship with Davis.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she said. “You want me in bed just to say you did it again. I won’t let it happen.”

  “Bullshit,” I said.

  There was silence. We just stared at each other. I wasn’t the kind of person that did the whole hold back thing but there was a first time for everything.

  I fucking held myself back.

  Not because I was being a gentleman, fuck no. It was because I had a plan forming in my head already.

  “When you want to tell me the truth, I’ll be there,” Violet whispered. “That’s what I want from you, Mason. Just the truth. I’m not trying to invade you. I’m not trying to fix you. I’m not trying to hurt you. I just want to know you.”

  “Then stay,” I said.

  “I can’t. I have a thing tonight.”

  “A thing…a date with your boyfriend?”

  “Yeah,” she said. “Problem?”

  “Not at all. I hope he’s taking you somewhere nice.”

  “We’re just going for drinks.”

  “Classy,” I said.

  “It’s a hotel bar,” Violet said. “Not some shit dive you’re used to picking women up in.”

  I grinned.

  Violet had given me everything I needed.

  I opened the door and let her get out into the hallway before I grabbed her wrist one more time.

  “Just remember, babe, you left me. And you came back. Whatever happens from here on out is on you.”

  I winked and shut the door.

  I felt alive.

  For the first time in six months.

  I grabbed my phone and decided to call in a big favor from Hunter.

  As long as I was right with what Violet had said to me…

  I was going to be taking a job as a bartender.

  10

  Hey, Bartender!

  (Violet)

  I wore a dress I wasn’t comfortable wearing, but Davis begged me to wear it. I felt like the top was too low and the bottom was too high. I was like a toy to him or something for the night. But in a way, the way the outfit made him look at me, I liked it. All the attention was on me. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I begged myself to give Davis an actual chance at everything. I had to shake Mason away—maybe for good—and really move on. I couldn’t play the cat and mouse game with Mason for the rest of my life. I was obsessed with his story, but if he didn’t want to share it, there was nothing I could do.

  Davis drove us to the only fancy hotel outside of our little hometown. It was a place where a lot of businesspeople would meet or stay on trips. There was also a lot of other activity going on there, too. Nothing illegal, but the place was well known to those who needed a night away with a taste of mild luxury.

  At the door, we were greeted by someone who knew Davis.

  “Yo, D,” the man said as he threw his hand out.

  Davis shook his hand and pulled him close, whispering something to him. The guy glanced at me and quickly looked away.

  “Yeah, yeah,” the guy said. “Okay, let’s get this night started for the beautiful couple.”

  He grabbed the large door and held it open for us.

  Davis slipped him a little money.

  “What did you say to him?” I asked.

  “What?”

  “You said something to that guy…”

  “Oh, him? That’s Ricky. He’s worked here for years. I come here a lot for business. He’s been asking about joining the company for a few months. He’ll take a break when I come and want to sit and drink and talk. He’s a good guy, but I don’t do the hiring.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  “Violet,” Davis said with a grin. “I asked Ricky to leave me alone tonight. So I could be with you. Have all your attention. Okay?”

  “Okay,” I said. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. That’s my…”

  “Whatever happened to you in other relationships isn’t going to happen here,” Davis said. “I’m sorry if you were lied to. I really am.”

  I touched Davis’s arm. “Thank you.”

  “Now, let’s get a drink. And don’t hold back because…”

  Davis pulled a card out of his pocket.

  “What is that?” I asked.

  “Room key.” He winked.

  I smiled. “Really?”

  “Really. A night out. You and me. Then we sleep here.”

  I was happy. I was genuinely smiling.

  But I didn’t have that wild fire on the inside.

  That would come with time, though. That’s what I told myself. Maybe it would start tonight.

  Davis and I settled up to the bar. He ordered a glass of scotch (shocker), and I ordered a mixed drink. The bartender was a woman and she opened a tab that would charge right to the room. The bar was fancy. The lighting was low and dim. The large wall of booze behind the bar was lit up with gold. There was soft piano music playing from somewhere. Behind me, there was an open room, a restaurant setting, some of the tables full.

  But in a matter of ten minutes, the bar got a little bit busier. The crowd and scene seemed to change. Anything business and upscale melted away to a more casual type crowd. Lots of dates were happening.

  And that’s when I realized I was focused on everyone else instead of myself. Instead of Davis.

  I looked at him. “Tell me about work.”

  “What about?” he asked.

  “You closed that deal?”

  “Yeah. That was a while ago.”

  “What’s next?”

  “Not sure. I have a few people I’m in contact with. The business is all about ebb and flow. Have you spoken with Victoria lately?”

  “Yeah. She’s sketching. I’m talking with the finance guys. Things are moving slow but sure.”

  “Don’t let them get too slow. That’s when problems pop up.”

  “I know, Davis.”

  “Hey, I’m just trying to help. You know me. Competitive in nature. I’ve been that way since I was a kid. It’s paid off, too.” He touched my hand. “I got you in high school, right?”

  I snorted. “High school. I don’t like thinking about high school.”

  “Why not?”

  “Not my best days, Davis. I wasn’t a star athlete like you.”

  “Ah, true,” he s
aid. “You know, I wonder what would have happened if my knee hadn’t blown out.”

  “I thought you were in a car accident…”

  Davis raised an eyebrow. “Which blew out my knee.”

  I laughed, but it was a dry laugh.

  “Well, you can’t go back, right?” I asked. “Only forward.”

  “That’s a good plan in life. Speaking of going forward…tell me something you want right now.”

  I was going to say another drink. I was going to say something little, dumb, maybe flirty.

  But then everything changed.

  Our bartender disappeared without a word and out came a new bartender.

  Tall. Wide shoulders. Hair pulled back and tied back in some kind of little bun. I fucking hated that man-bun stuff, but not this one. This one was…

  Fuck.

  His arms spilled out of the sleeves of his black t-shirt, full of ink.

  He turned, looked right at me, and grinned.

  Those dimples…

  My mouth fell open.

  It was Mason…Mason was the new bartender.

  “Violet?”

  The voice echoed in my head.

  I watched as Mason put his large hands to the bar and leaned forward. He was talking to two women. One reached right out and touched his arm, her fingertips sliding along the tattoos on his arms.

  I wanted to fight that bitch.

  The jealousy came quick and fierce, and I had to swallow it down.

  My brain was screaming…what the fuck is he doing here?

  “Violet, hello?”

  I blinked and came back to reality. And reality was sitting at the bar with Davis. My boyfriend. Davis was my boyfriend. Yes. That was the reality.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I said to tell me something you want right now.”

  Then I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Kiss me.”

  “Yeah?” Davis asked.

  Why did he have to ask? Why didn’t he just fucking do it? I was probably one of the least experienced people when it came to these things, but was it so hard to just kiss me? Just fucking do it?

  Davis took a few seconds like it was the first time he was ever going to kiss me.

  I watched as Mason gave me a side glance, then started to move down my way.

  I grabbed the front of Davis’s shirt and pulled him into me.

  Our lips locked tight just as Mason stood there to watch.

  My heart pounded like I was doing something wrong, but I wasn’t doing a thing wrong. I was kissing my boyfriend. Sure, maybe my intentions weren’t the greatest, but whatever. That didn’t matter at all.

  I kissed Davis like the world was ending outside.

  I tasted his scotch, that nasty, bitter-ass scotch.

  Davis broke the kiss and cleared his throat, his eyes almost rolling in his head.

  I exhaled and looked right at Mason.

  “That’s no good,” he said.

  “Excuse me?”

  “It’s no good. It’s not what you really want.”

  I gritted my teeth.

  Was Mason really going to start shit right now?

  There was a second of terror in my body when I realized that Mason and Davis had met before. Davis’s grandmother had passed and Mason had shown up with flowers for me, but Davis thought Mason was a flower delivery person. But that moment of fear passed quick when I realized how much Mason had done to change himself. He could fool the world. He could fool Davis. But he couldn’t fool me.

  Mason then looked at Davis and grinned. He grabbed my empty glass and gave it a shake. “It’s no good to see a beautiful woman’s glass empty, now is it?”

  “No it is not,” Davis said with a laugh.

  “And what’s she drinking?”

  “Uh…” Davis looked at me.

  Christ, he didn’t even remember what I ordered?

  “How about a whiskey,” I said. “No ice. Three fingers.”

  “You like three fingers, huh?” Mason asked with a sly grin.

  My face started to burn. Between my legs I started to burn.

  “Better refill me too, my good man,” Davis said.

  “That I can do, friend,” Mason said.

  Mason walked away to get our drinks. My eyes locked onto his ass in those jeans. The sheer shape and size of him was totally unfair. No man should look hot both naked and clothed the way Mason did.

  “So…that kiss…”

  I forced myself to look back at Davis. “What?”

  “That was good. That was…”

  “Don’t ruin the moment, Davis,” I said. I had this fire inside me. Because of Mason’s presence. That’s what it did to me.

  Mason returned with our drinks.

  I had no clue he could bartend and had no idea how he figured out where I was coming, much less how he managed to get a job for the night.

  Was this his way of apologizing to me? His way of chasing me down? Maybe he wanted to make everything right again.

  The thoughts spun.

  Mason put his hands to the bar. “Do you two need anything else?”

  “No,” I said.

  “I don’t quite believe that,” Mason said. “I’m good at reading people. Maybe I could interest you in something more, Violet.”

  I gasped.

  I thought I was going to pass out.

  “Hey, how do you know her name?” Davis asked.

  Mason, as cool and sexy as could be, raised an eyebrow. “I heard you saying it. Honestly, part of this job is to snoop in on conversations. Pick up little hints here and there. It’s not noble, but it helps with the tips.”

  Davis chuckled. “So you’re the new guy, huh?”

  “How’d you guess?”

  “I come here quite a bit.”

  “With the same date I hope,” Mason said with a wink.

  “You know it,” Davis shot back. “I’m actually in sales. Used to be in the legal field. I bring clients here. Low-key. Nicer than most of the shitty bars in town, right?”

  “Amen to that,” Mason said. He looked at me and grinned. “How’s your three fingers of whiskey feeling on the inside?”

  “I…uh…good.”

  Mason knocked at the bar. “Excellent. I’ll be here all night if you need anything.”

  His words were smooth and vicious. He was cutting through me in front of my boyfriend.

  I stared at Mason and slowly put my hand on top of Davis’s.

  “Hey, let me ask you something,” Davis said.

  No, no, no, no…

  “Anything, my friend,” Mason said.

  “Your tattoos. What’s with that? I don’t get it.”

  “Davis,” I said. “That’s rather rude.”

  “Nah,” Mason said. He waved a hand. “After all, I’m here to serve you, right? Any needs. Questions. That’s why I’m here.”

  Then tell me about Kate, asshole. Tell me about your wife, douchebag.

  Mason pulled up his sleeve to his massive shoulder and turned his arm, flexing. Even with all the ink, his muscles were still well defined. I had visions of my hands clinging to that shoulder, biting into it.

  I had to look away for a second to calm myself.

  “They’re all just art,” Mason said. “See, I’m just covering up old scars and wounds with some ink. There’s really nothing special here. I thought what I used to have was special, but that didn’t work out.”

  “Damn,” Davis said. “Does it hurt?”

  “Like a motherfucker,” Mason said.

  Davis burst into laughter, slapping the bar.

  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Mason was winning over Davis. And in the process, he was fucking with me. Really fucking with me.

  Mason grinned and smiled.

  Then he walked away.

  Back to the two blondes.

  They were fast to grab at him.

  I felt my anger rising and thought about kissing Davis again. But that wouldn’t do.

  I
f Mason wanted to play this dirty…I’d have to step up my game.

  11

  Little Kisses

  (Mason)

  I really had no idea what I was doing behind the bar. But a good smile and a flirty glance went a long way. Lucky for me that Hunter was able to get me the job for the night. And I couldn’t believe that Violet was at the bar with Davis. That fucking point-nose prick. That arrogance of I-used-to-play-baseball-so-kiss-my-ass poured off him. I wanted to smash his head with a beer mug so bad.

  I poured two more pink drinks for the two blondes at the bar.

  They were Megan and Amy. Both were in town on business. They had one room with two beds but wanted to push those two beds together and invite me up.

  Temptation was a beautiful thing, if you played it right.

  I glanced at the clock. There was someone coming to help around ten. Then I could sneak off and do whatever I wanted. I just had to be there to see Violet. Truth of it was that I wanted to see if she was happy. To see whether this thing with Davis was real or just a comfort.

  Goddammit, if I had to admit to hurting her, then so be it. But I needed to make sure she was managing that hurt before she came back to me. I still couldn’t wrap my head around her. All she wanted was my story. To know about everything that hurt me in my life. Then again, when it got a little bumpy, she ran back to her high school sweetheart that crushed her.

  “Mason,” Megan purred. “Tell me about this one.”

  She touched my arm at a red rose with petals falling all around.

  I leaned forward and grinned, sucking her into my gaze.

  “Tell me too,” Amy said.

  “It’s a real sad story,” I said.

  “Aw, no. What happened?”

  “I don’t talk about it.”

  “Maybe…” Megan ran her hand up my arm. “Maybe I can get close enough?”

  “Maybe, babe,” I whispered.

  I winked and broke away from them.

  I went down to the two lovebirds as they paid more attention to their drinks than each other. I swallowed my anger, knowing damn well if I had Violet out at a bar, my hands would be protecting her and knowing that not even the most top-shelf whiskey could taste better than sneaking little kisses from her in front of everyone.

  “How’s your night?” I asked, lathering up the sarcasm.