Bad Reputation Read online

  Connor bit down hard on his lip as she finished her story. Ah, shit.

  He had to be grinning like an idiot. That was the only reason he ever chewed on his lip. But he couldn’t help it. There was a glow in Peyton’s cheeks as she spoke about her precious flowers, and a smile he’d never seen before on those perfect fucking lips. Goddammit. Suddenly, he resented every person around them. He wished they were gone so he could be free to pull Peyton into his lap and put his hands all over her body. Christ, he wanted so badly to just suck on that perfect bottom lip of hers.

  But there was no way he was getting away with that tonight - not with everyone around and still wide awake. So shifting in his seat, he returned his attention to her story.

  “Seems like a perfectly happy memory,” he said with a small frown. “Why don’t you like talking about it?”

  Peyton was quiet. The ends of her mouth fell and her eyes clouded over. But just as her lips parted to speak, she was interrupted by a laugh that sounded more like a shriek.

  Not so shockingly, it was Poppy.

  “What now?” Peyton flew off the chair instinctively, immediately looking for Kensie since she sensed that Poppy’s screechy delight was at her cousin’s expense.

  And of course, it was. Standing behind Poppy were the other girls, including Kensie. Despite her beet red cheeks, she tried to laugh with Poppy but Peyton could see her lip quivering. The girl was mortified.

  Quickly, Peyton figured out what was going on. The song ‘Burn The Love’ was playing from Poppy’s phone, probably because she had starred in the music video last year, which went viral for its steamy choreography. Apparently, she’d been teaching the other girls how to do her dance until Kensie “fucked it up royally.”

  “I’m sorry but there was nothing sexy about that! That was… oh God. So embarrassing. Sweetie, watch me - okay? This is how you do it,” Poppy said, repeating the routine’s most famous hip-rolling move. Peyton wanted to roll her eyes out of her head, wishing that the guys wouldn’t encourage Poppy by whistling and hooting. She visibly basked in the attention. “See? That’s why they call it the Man Magnet,” Poppy grinned at Kensie, forcing Kensie to try again – only to laugh at her a second time.

  “Seriously?” Peyton seethed as Poppy resumed her dance. She was getting into character now, putting on bedroom eyes that she directed at Peyton. Um… what? Peyton blinked. But then she realized that Poppy wasn’t looking at her.

  She was looking past her at Connor.

  “Mm-hm… this gets you out of your chair doesn’t it, Mr. Schaffer?” Poppy purred.

  Snapping her head around, Peyton turned to see Connor standing, wearing a crooked, almost lecherous grin on his lips as he gravitated toward Poppy.

  What in the actual the fuck?

  What the hell was he doing? A few days without sex and he was going to let himself get seduced by Poppy Somerville’s stupid, try-hard dance?

  “Oh, yeah. That’s right, come to mama,” Poppy murmured, rolling her hips slow and wide as Connor took his time ambling over, cocky as ever while taking lazy swigs from his beer. Jesus Christ. Peyton couldn’t tell if it was the bonfire reflecting in Poppy’s eyes or the actual manifestation of her incredible lust. Once Connor reached her, she moaned, licked her lips and held her arms out to him.

  “Mm-hm, I know you want it,” she murmured.

  But then Connor walked right past her.

  “Actually,” he started, slipping an arm around Kensie’s waist. Another swig of beer and he grinned. “Kind of liked the way Kensie did it.”

  And as they began to dance, so did the others, eyeing one another and cringing for Poppy as she stood frozen where she was, shock and insult distorting her face. Then finally, with a bratty “uck” sound, she stomped her way back into the house.

  “’Night,” Peyton said as Poppy huffed like a five-year-old and kicked sand past her. Watching her go, Peyton couldn’t help but grin. It was relatively tame karma for a girl as mean as her but it was satisfying nonetheless.

  Turning back to the bonfire, Peyton caught Connor’s quick wink before he went back to dancing Kensie’s embarrassment away, laughing with her as her bubbly voice rambled on about something or another.

  And just like that, crisis averted.

  Thank you, she mouthed to Connor before sinking with a smile into his king’s throne. It had to be the first time the whole trip that she felt actually calm, peaceful. Poppy had been vanquished, Kensie was now in good hands, and everyone was flying home tomorrow.

  Bringing her knees up to her chest, Peyton exhaled and relaxed. A placid smile drifted onto her lips as she watched them.

  Or rather, just him.

  14

  The 8AM sun spilled through the warehouse windows of the Brooklyn studio, wrapping around Peyton like a toasty blanket. Barely looking at her canvas, she felt her brush stroking away. For the first time, she wasn’t over-thinking her floral piece. She was just going with the flow.

  “Someone’s in a crazy good mood,” Hailey remarked, peering over from her watercolor canvas. “Are you sure you didn’t see Kyle Laurie’s naked ass in the Bahamas? I really can’t imagine why else you’d be like, glowing today.”

  “I did not see Kyle Laurie’s ass. Like I said, the most I saw was him in really wet swim trunks that were kind of too short for him.”

  “Ugh, that sounds glorious. He was beautiful, wasn’t he?”

  “I think so,” Peyton said, unsure. She was only just realizing that she hadn’t thought about Kyle Laurie at all. In fact, she didn’t think much about anything during the trip besides Connor.

  “Yeah. Okay.” Throwing her brush down, Hailey flashed a suspicious look. “Something’s up. You’ve been acting weird and distracted since before you left and I thought I might be imagining it, but if you just came back from the Bahamas and can’t remember what Kyle Laurie looked like, then there is definitely something wrong with you. And you’re going to tell me what it is now.”

  Heaving a sigh, Peyton stared at her canvas. She knew that if she wanted to stop Hailey’s nagging, she’d have to give her some sort of gossipy tidbit.

  “Okay,” she relented.

  “Omigod, what?” Hailey gasped immediately.

  “Something… did happen during the trip. I can’t tell you all the details though, and you have to promise not to tell Kensie.”

  “Yes!” Hailey clapped. “Yes, yes, yes! Talk, talk, talk!”

  “Okay,” Peyton sighed again, looking over at her friend. “So, I found out that Blake is planning on proposing to her soon.”

  “No. Oh my God.”

  “Maybe this week. That’s at least what he said. I have no idea what I’m going to do but I’m taking comfort in the fact that Kensie’s going to be in Ireland by tonight and for some reason, the media’s reporting that they’re filming in LA right now. So Blake doesn’t know where she is and if he texts her, I can also take comfort in the fact that she told me during the ride home that she’d never go back to him because he’s not the type to commit.”

  “Except he’s about to ask her to spend the rest of her life with him,” Hailey pointed out. “Don’t you think that’ll change her mind?”

  “Yes. But only if she finds out that he plans on proposing and from what I know about Blake, he’s not going to tell her. He’ll want it to be a massive surprise so he can tape her reaction and put it on Instagram like the attention whore that he is.”

  Hailey cackled. “True. So at least you have like, eight days to figure out how to kill Blake Rittenhouse.”

  “Exactly.”

  Coming down from her giggles, Hailey sighed. “Damn, that’s crazy. Blake Rittenhouse is a mess. I think he’s a sex addict. That’s probably why he used to hit on you so often.”

  “Maybe,” Peyton twitched, trying not to think about Blake at all. And for once, it was easy. She’d briefly thought about his groping hands on her at The Green Room but then that made her think of how Connor saved her. And slowly, as she swirl
ed her brush against her palette, Peyton recalled Connor’s lips, his tongue and every part of her writhing body that his mouth had touched.

  “Girl!”

  “What?” Paranoid, Peyton blinked at Hailey, whose gave her a shocked but knowing look. “What’s that face? I didn’t say anything.”

  “Um, you didn’t have to. I just caught you looking so hot and bothered I might actually have to vom. That felt way intimate just now.”

  “Seriously? You gathered all that from the way I looked for two seconds just now?”

  “Trust me, I didn’t think it was possible for you to ooze sexuality but you did and now you have to tell me the real gossip. Because I’m pretty sure you hooked up with someone on the trip. Are you wearing makeup right now?”

  “No.”

  “Well your face has that post-sex glow and it’s not just the tan. Now tell me. Who. Did. You. Hook. Up. With.”

  Kicking her feet, Peyton groaned.

  “Omigod, I’m totally right! You hooked up with someone!”

  Peyton chewed her lip. Since coming home yesterday, she hadn’t stopped thinking about Connor. She’d dreamt about him. While brushing her teeth, showering, eating, shopping for groceries, she relived every moment of that day on the yacht, when he had her practically ripping the sheets off the bed. She was actually desperate to tell someone about him but at the same time, she didn’t want anything getting back to Kensie.

  Looking at Hailey’s giddy face, Peyton reasoned with herself that Hailey would never tell Kensie – she was entirely too intimidated to so much as talk to her anyway.

  Just say it.

  “What if I told you that I had a thing with Connor Schaffer?” she finally blurted, a thrill coursing through her veins the second the words left her mouth. She felt a girlish grin curl her lips as Hailey’s eyebrows shot up dramatically.

  “Omigod,” Hailey said. “Holy shit, I don’t know. I think I would… laugh my ass off and call you a liar?” she replied, proceeding to do just that. When Peyton stared blankly at her, she snorted loudly. “Peyton. Girl, even if he did want you, you wouldn’t have the guts to hook up with him anyway. It’s been ages for you and he’s like, got massively high bedroom standards. And let’s be real, this would never happen so let’s just move along and talk about who you really made out with,” Hailey said, bouncing excitedly in her seat. “Was it one of the assistants? Omigod. You know Greg? He works for your uncle. If he were there, I’d totally hook up with him. He’s super cute in that teddy bear kind of way.”

  Peyton stared at Hailey, unsure of what to say and whether or not she should be offended. Blinking, she put down her palette. “Hailey, I hooked up with Connor,” she repeated flatly. It compelled yet another burst of laughter from Hailey again but when Peyton didn’t join her, the smile quickly fell from her lips.

  “Wait – are you being serious right now?”

  “I… yes. I hooked up with him… and more than once,” Peyton added quietly, waiting for Hailey to smile again now that she knew she was serious. She needed this girls’ moment. She rarely had them and she kind of wanted them. She wanted her friend to just gasp and squeal and jump around with her for a couple seconds. But Hailey didn’t.

  “Oh my God, this is horrible,” she finally exhaled.

  “What?”

  Hailey covered her mouth. “He used you. Oh my God, Peyton…” She cringed. “He used you for sex. Are you okay?”

  Peyton’s eyes fluttered with total confusion. “Hailey. What are you talking about? I’m okay. I’m better than okay. And I didn’t get used. I wanted everything as much as he did. And I honestly can’t even describe how much he… made me… realize. How much I’ve been missing and how much I do want this kind of – ”

  “Peyton.” Hailey stood up dramatically. “Why are you not seeing what I’m seeing?”

  “I don’t understand – what are you seeing?”

  “He. Used. You. Oh my God, have you suddenly lost it? You were the one who told me this. He goes after models. Actresses. Girls like Kensie. Not girls like us. If he did, then he was either drunk or being an asshole because guess what? He’s not going to call you again and you’re going to get hurt.”

  Peyton stared at Hailey in utter shock. This was not the response she was expecting. “He…” She wondered if it’d sound foolish for her to say that Connor had invited her to spend the week at his duplex. It was such a passing comment though. It was possible that he didn’t really mean it. Highly possible now that she thought about it. As her mouth snapped shut, Hailey plopped back down on her chair, looking oddly distraught.

  “I can’t believe you did this,” she muttered. Peyton couldn’t stop looking at her as if she’d grown two heads.

  “I don’t understand why you’re so offended.”

  “Because it was stupid on your part. You never hook up and now that you hooked up with Connor Schaffer, you’re going to get all attached and cry your eyes out when you realize he doesn’t actually want you because he’s back now. He’s in New York, he’s not on a secluded island, and he’s got about a hundred hot chicks who are lining up to blow him at this very second,” Hailey laughed bitterly, picking at the blotches of paint on her hands. She looked up at Peyton and shook her head. “I mean… do what you want, girl. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Peyton stared at the tiles on the bathroom wall, her mind completely preoccupied as she let her shower go on for too long.

  It had been three days since she’d left the Bahamas. The last time she had spoken to Connor was on the tarmac, before she boarded her charter. Just a simple goodbye. So it had been three whole days since he’d last made contact. No texts, no calls, nothing. It was irritating. And as bothersome as that was, Peyton found it almost more disturbing that she cared so damned much.

  The last time she had been this upset over a boy was high school. It was after crushing on Josh Roberson for a year and then dating him for another, only to realize that he’d been hooking up with some freshman for half their relationship – not that their relationship was anything all that deep but it still stung. Then in college, Peyton had had one boyfriend. He wound up breaking up with her because of how often she needed to run for Kensie-related reasons. Peyton wasn’t really heartbroken over that one. She was too annoyed by the way he dumped her and decided he’d been too needy anyway, so it was for the better. And since then, she’d dated a few, kissed a few, had one safe but regretful one-night stand, and that was pretty much it. Boys were never a reason for her stress or anxiety.

  But now, for the first time since she was fifteen, boys were driving her insane.

  Rather, one specific boy. There was no denying it either. Despite the outward calm she kept up for the sake of her pride, Peyton knew she was exhibiting some strange behavior. For example, she was frequenting gossip sites. She kept the TV on all day, waiting for one of those celebrity news programs to come on. She ran errands without her cell phone, hoping to come back to texts. She even brainstormed reasons for why she’d have to text Kensie and ask if Connor had gone to Ireland after all. But in the end, she couldn’t come up with anything that didn’t sound suspicious.

  By Thursday night, she resigned to the fact that Hailey was right – which fucking sucked – but it was a fact, and in several ways. Connor wasn’t calling and she was indeed hurt.

  God, woman, Peyton rolled her eyes at herself, trudging downstairs from her shower to go get her phone. It was time to compose an apology text. After Hailey’s little tirade that morning at the art studio, Peyton had gone quiet, packed her brushes and started for the door.

  “I said I wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings, Peyton, I was just making a point. You don’t have to be immature about it,” Hailey said. Peyton bit back quickly.

  “Well there was probably a better way to present your point. If I ever came close to speaking to you like that, you’d break down crying and call me a bitch because, wait, you’ve done exactly that before. So whatever, Hailey, bye.”
r />   She’d stormed out but the second she got on the train, Peyton felt guilty. Mostly about referencing the time Hailey did break down and call her a bitch. It had been after a year of “dating” Caine, a Marine lieutenant whom she’d met on the Internet. Peyton kept insisting that Hailey try to see Caine in person or at least have some sort of video chat, but Hailey insisted that they shared deep and meaningful connections via Facebook chat and text, and that she was in no way being catfished. Of course, when Caine eventually admitted to being Jeff, a grad school dropout living with his parents, Peyton said “I told you” and was subsequently called a bitch. However, a week later, Hailey texted to say that she was sorry so now, it was time for Peyton to do the same.

  But the second she grabbed her phone from the coffee table, she was distracted. After an entire day of inactivity, a fresh text message was lighting her screen.

  From Connor.

  Peyton held her breath as her eyes scanned the words.

  CONNOR: Hey. Can I see you tonight?

  “Yes,” Peyton breathed as her fingers replied with lightning speed. Then, without even waiting for his reply, she tossed her phone aside and ran upstairs, ripping off her towel and flinging it somewhere or another.

  In her underwear, she went straight to the back of her closet, picking through the sleek little pieces that she’d bought but never once cared to wear. Tonight, she wanted them. Needed them. Reading Connor’s text had instantly electrified her. The mere thought of going out to see him made her skin tingle and crave the touch of something slinky, stretchy – a fabric that would wrap tight around her figure and put the thinnest barrier between his hands and her body.

  Tonight was all about her, and it was an unfamiliar feeling.

  But she kind of loved it.

  For the first time in ages, she couldn’t wait to get ready – to pamper her skin, and her hair, and to put actual love into her makeup instead of brushing uneven coats of mascara onto her lashes and dashing out the door. So with a little smile twisting her lips, Peyton took a seat at her vanity.