Poison Me Sweetly (Long Beach Series Book 1) Read online

  With great reluctance, I walk to the apartment door just several feet down the hall from my own. Ace and Jeremy live right next door to me. When I'd moved in last year, the guys had quickly introduced themselves, and within a month, they'd honored me with their 'open-door' policy. I could come and go as I please. The only time they lock the door is when both of them are out. The only privilege I've allotted them is my spare key in case I ever lose mine. I've affectionately named them my non-friends. I don't do friendship. I don't get close to anyone. But Ace and Jeremy are the kind of guys that don't take no for an answer. They'd wiggled their way into my life, and I kind of find myself stuck with them. I've made it clear they mean nothing to me. That they're fun and all, but that's where it ends. They always give me these knowing grins when I point it out to them. They think it's bullshit.

  Hell, I know it's bullshit.

  I care about them. Though, I'll never admit it. I know this probably sounds harsh, but it’s how I survive in this world these days. When you care about someone, it leaves you vulnerable to the pain and agony their leaving can cause. Because face it, people leave on a daily basis. Either in death or simply because they don’t care about you anymore. I can’t handle that kind of rejection again. I’ve dealt with it too much in the past, and it’s made me the irrational, cynical person I am today.

  After a long pause outside their apartment door, I reluctantly brace myself and open it. I'm figuring Jeremy will still be passed out in his bedroom. Ace will probably be in his room with whoever he'd seduced into playing his bedroom games with for the night.

  I quietly shut the door behind me before glancing up. I'm startled to see that Ace is in the living room, and a tall, pretty brunette, is making her way towards the door I'm standing in front of. Her brown hair is tousled, her lips swollen. The look in her eyes screams of sexual satisfaction.

  I step aside, and the brunette ignores me completely as she saunters out the door in a whiff of sensual perfume mixed with Ace's cologne. I fight the urge to shake my head as I turn and shut the door behind her. I will never understand why a woman would willingly give up all control to a man. As if a man needs more of an ego boost.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure of this early morning visit? It's not even nine, and as I recall, you've threatened both mine and Jeremy's manhood if we ever knock on your door before noon on the weekends,” Ace muses.

  I turn and look at him. He's bare chested, and a pair of jeans ride low on his hips, the top button undone. I try to ignore all that tanned skin and solid muscle. Ace is a total stud. I’d call him perfect if it weren’t for the fact that he’d broken his nose during a fight last year, and now it’s slightly crooked. That little imperfection doesn’t hinder his looks, though. I meet his wicked dark gray eyes, and they gleam, letting me know that he can tell I'm trying not to appraise his body. I give him a droll look. “Been there, done that, remember?”

  His mouth twitches. “Yeah. You're the worst lay I've ever had, Z.”

  “Back at you,” I retort while a smile tugs at my lips over the running joke that we have yet to tire of.

  “So, why are you up so early?” His eyes run over my shirt, noting my braless breasts, then they slide down to my wrinkled jeans and bare feet. “You look like you literally just rolled out of bed,” he comments as he runs a hand through his slightly mussed jaw length blond hair.

  “I left something in your bathroom. I just have to grab it, and I'll be out of your way,” I say as I walk past him and make a bee-line for the bathroom down the hall before he can comment. As soon as I enter the bathroom, I shut the door in hopes that he'll go mess around in the kitchen. When Ace isn't in class or having sex, he's likely working out or feeding his face. Since he's not at the gym, I'm assuming he'll be wanting to fill his stomach. After a second, I silently crack the door and listen intently. I can hear cupboards opening in the kitchen.

  I gaze up at the ceiling briefly, mouthing a silent “thank you” before I sneak out of the bathroom and enter the hall. Jeremy's door is closed, just like I'd anticipated. I rush through Ace's open bedroom doorway and cross the room. The curtains are still pulled, and the room is in shadows. It smells of sex, and I see that Ace has yet to remove the silken restraints from his four poster bed. I shake my head and stride to the nightstand on the other side of the bed. I have no idea why Ace demands so much control in the bedroom. I'm sure there's a story there, but Ace isn't one to talk about anything personal. He barely even talks about his parents or his life before college. All I really know is that he comes from wealth, and that he doesn’t have to worry about paying tuition or for this apartment. Otherwise, he’d have a job like the rest of us, which he doesn’t. Ace is pretty tight lipped about his past and the money that never seems to run out, though he doesn’t flaunt it. I think the only thing he’s ever splurged on is the Hummer he drives. Quite honestly, he's the perfect non-friend. We don't dredge up stupid shit. We live in the here and now, having fun and enjoying life. Well, I enjoy it as much as I can nowadays, but it's not the same as it used to be back when...

  My heart clenches in my chest, and I push the ache aside, shutting down that last thought. I can't go there.

  I won't.

  I drop to my knees and wonder if the man cuffed to my bed has pissed my mattress yet. He damn well better not have now that I risk the chance of being caught, because he's insisting I get the stupid key. If Ace catches me... I shudder.

  As quietly as I can, I pull open the bottom nightstand drawer and dig around the different types of restraints. There's a few other toys, and I grimace as I try not to touch them. My fingers brush against the bottom of the drawer anxiously. It's too dark to actually see anything. My fingertip nudges something small and cool in the corner. The key! I grab it with relief.

  “What are you doing?”

  A startled yelp escapes me. I instinctively slam the drawer shut, my hand fisting around the tiny key as I jump to my feet. My heart drops as I find Ace leaning against his door frame, looking lazy as his shoulder rests against the frame, his arms crossed over his bare chest. I can't see his expression, because the light in the hallway is brighter behind him, and his bedroom is in shadows.

  Fucking A.

  When Ace realizes I'm not going to willingly answer, he straightens slightly and reaches for the light switch on his wall. Light floods the room, and his gray eyes pry at mine. I watch as his eyes shift from the nightstand I am standing in front of before lifting back to my fisted hand. Of course, I stupidly hide it behind my back, as if just looking at my fist is enough for him to know what's in it. Nothing like giving the proverbial green light that says, 'Hey, looky here, I'm hiding something!'

  His eyes widen slightly, then they gleam with speculation. “What's in your hand, Z?”

  “Nothing. Just got a little lost coming out of the bathroom. You need to air out your room,” I say flippantly as I walk toward him, hoping he'll just drop it.

  Ace pulls himself to his full six-foot-three height and crosses his arms again, taking up the entire doorway so that it's impossible for me to walk past. “There's only four rooms in this apartment. Kind of hard to get lost,” he says with a grin.

  I look up at him and glare, because he's enjoying this. “Drop it, Ace.”

  Quick as lightening, he reaches out and grabs my wrist. My fist clenches tightly around the key with the expectation that he's going to pry it open. Instead, he keeps a firm hand on my wrist as he steps into his room, pulling me with him while he walks towards his nightstand.

  Damn, damn, damn. I'm going to kill the stranger in my bed. At least I have him right where I want him, and he can't escape me. Ace's hand is firm but gentle on my wrist, and I have no choice but to stand there and watch as he bends down and opens his nightstand drawer. He digs around until his whole body abruptly stills.

  I bite my lip.

  Ace straightens up and stares at me with a look of dismay. “You took the pink cuffs? The pink cuffs you wouldn't let me near you with?”


  My lips press together tightly as my mind scrambles for some sort of logical explanation.

  His expression turns conflicted. “You were adamant that you'd never allow... Was it just me you didn't trust?” he asks quietly.

  Shit.

  I sober up real fast, because the last thing I want is to hurt Ace. I sigh with resignation and meet his gaze. “I was absolutely hammered last night, and some dumbass dared me to steal the cuffs. Not for me but...for me to use on him. I forgot the key,” I grumble in a rush.

  Ace stares at me, then dawning realization flickers in his gaze before he begins to laugh loudly. “You've got a man handcuffed to your bed?”

  I yank my wrist out of his grip and stalk towards the door. “Unfortunately, yes,” I retort as I enter the hallway.

  “Wait! It's not Preston is it? You've got to be fucking kidding me,” Ace barks out as his laughter booms into the hallway as he follows me.

  I spin around and glare. “You say one word to anyone about this, and I'll kill you. Slowly. Brutally. Starting with that dick of yours and its ever present erection.”

  Jeremy's door opens, and he steps into the hall in a pair of boxers. His eyes flicker between me and Ace as he scratches his head while fighting a yawn. “What's going on?”

  Ace snickers. “Z's got Preston handcuffed to her bed.”

  Jeremy blinks, his sleepy brown eyes focusing on Ace first before turning back to me with confusion. “It's too early for metaphorical shit. Just tell me already. I have a fucking hangover so speak slow.”

  “Go back to bed,” I order.

  He scowls. “You're a bitch this morning.”

  “When am I not a bitch?”

  “Jeremy, she's got Preston handcuffed to her bed with those fuzzy, pink handcuffs of mine. She stole them last night but forgot the key, which is why Little Miss Sunshine here is in our apartment at nine in the morning instead of snoring away in her own bed,” Ace says, swallowing back more laughter.

  “I don't snore,” I snap at him.

  “You're serious?” Jeremy asks Ace, as his brown eyes blink away the sleep that had been clinging to them.

  “She's got the key in her fist,” Ace replies.

  This is getting out of hand, and I roll my eyes at him. “You tie women to your bed on a nightly basis, because you're a total man-whore. I cuff a man to my bed once, and it's a big deal?”

  He gives me a knowing look. “It is a big deal. You don't do mornings. You don't do kink. You fuck ‘em and leave 'em like a pro, honey. You're a bigger player than some of my boys.”

  “I have some castrating to do,” I mutter under my breath as I spin around and make for the door. I had known that if I got caught, I'd never live it down. Damn the man...er, Preston. I'm assuming that's his name since Ace keeps mentioning it. If Ace knows who's in my bed, I'm assuming I'd been all over him during the majority of the party the guys had thrown here last night.

  I stalk out of Ace's apartment, and I'm halfway to mine when I hear running footsteps behind me. Son of a bitch! I race for my door, yank it open, and I'm in the process of slamming it shut when Ace's bare shoulder rams into it, causing me to bounce back from the force. I stumble backwards, just barely catching myself as Ace calmly opens the door the rest of the way. He saunters in with Jeremy on his heels.

  “Really?! You can't be serious!” I burst out.

  Ace's teeth flash white with his wide grin. “I wouldn't miss this for anything,” he says before he ambles off towards my bedroom. Jeremy smirks at me and he takes off after Ace.

  I stare after the two nosy men, and then my feet finally start moving, and I trail after them. I'm ready to kill them all, but then I realize this is going to be humiliating for Preston as well. I guess that makes it worth it. My lip tilts up in the corner as I hurry after them, because I can hear Preston cursing as I near the bedroom.

  Ace is standing several feet inside my room, and he's doubled over, laughing hysterically while Jeremy snickers.

  Preston is still cuffed to the bed, wearing absolutely nothing. I hadn't considered offering him the sheet—which happens to be in a tangled mess on the floor. His jaw is set as he glares at Ace and Jeremy before his blue eyes shift to mine. “Really?” he asks sarcastically.

  I shrug helplessly. “I told you it'd be impossible to sneak the key out.”

  He gives me a look of irritation before resignation seeps into them, and then he turns his attention on Ace. “Alright, Wellington. You've had your fun. Get out,” he says through gritted teeth.

  Ace's shoulders shake silently as he fights back more laughter. He walks over and slaps Preston on the shoulder good-naturedly. “You should feel lucky. I think you're the second guy to make it to morning. Usually, she kicks them out or takes off from their place before the condom is even off their dick,” he says with a chuckle.

  Preston growls out, “Shove off.”

  This causes Ace to shrug. “Just thought you should celebrate, that's all,” he teases before he turns and strolls out of the room.

  I stare briefly at the ceiling with exasperation, then I glance at Jeremy, who looks just as entertained as Ace had moments ago. “Don't,” I warn.

  He clamps his lips together, fighting back a grin. “Only you, Zo...” He shakes his head and disappears out the door.

  “About damn time,” Preston mutters.

  I walk over and climb on the bed to lean over his cuffed hands. “Yeah, well, I warned you, didn't I? We're never going to live this down,” I mutter as I insert the key into the lock. After a twist of my wrist, the cuffs unlock.

  I move back as Preston yanks his hands out of the cuffs, then in one swift motion rises to his feet. I watch his tanned ass disappear out the door as he goes straight for the bathroom. “Ugh,” I grumble into my hands as I rub my face. This has got to be the weirdest morning I've ever had.

  My eyes shift to my alarm clock, and I see I have about an hour before I have to be at Grendal's, the restaurant where I work. I need to get my ass in gear.

  After rising from the bed, I leave the room and walk back down the hall, past the small living room, and straight to the kitchen. It's pretty small with all the appliances on the left side, and a small island counter on the right, dividing the kitchen from the living room. My gaze flickers around the apartment. It looks like I've just moved in, even though I've been living here for over a year and so many months. The walls are still bare of any décor, and the carpet is your average apartment brown. I have one couch, and it matches the carpet. A simple coffee table sits before it, and that is all I've done to spruce up the place. Nothing decorative sits out on the island counter or on the cream counter tops. The refrigerator is a bare white, the only thing posted to it is my class schedule for this semester. The bedroom is the same. There is nothing in there that shows off my personality but for the clothes strewn around the room. The only real burst of character is the ugly-ass black and red sheets Ace bought me. I don't know why I use them. I should have just tossed them in the garbage since it was intended as a gag gift, but instead, I'd washed them up and put them on the bed.

  I try to shake off my weird mood as I turn to the refrigerator and inspect the contents. I'm not much of a cook. Most of the time, I buy take-out, and I practically live off of Grendal's menu. It's easy to put in an order for myself after my shift and bring it home. Maybe one day I'll learn to cook, but for now, the microwave works just fine.

  I pull out a container of yogurt and check the expiration date. It's good for two more days, so I pull back the tab and grab a spoon from the utensil drawer. I'm just digging into my yogurt as I lean a hip against the edge of the counter when Preston ambles out from the hall. He's fully dressed, and I try not to show much interest. It's hard, though. The guy is taller than I thought, probably as tall as Ace, and his body is long and lean. I definitely like how his jeans fit those narrow hips and long legs. His short sleeve shirt rests against his upper body, hugging his broad shoulders and giving just a hint of the hard muscles th
at I know lie beneath. He's running a hand through his dark hair, his attention fixed on the apartment door on the left side of the room. When his blue eyes happen to flicker my way, he pauses when he catches sight of me.

  An uncomfortable silence fills the room.

  I shrug. “See you around.”

  His brow creases as he studies me. “That's it?”

  “Was I supposed to say more?”

  He looks oddly perplexed. “No. That about sums it up. Later,” he says before he turns for the door and leaves.

  For a long moment, I stare after him once the door closes firmly behind him. I feel oddly disappointed that he's gone, and I try to shrug it off. After polishing off my yogurt, I head to the bathroom and start the shower before turning back to the small vanity mirror.

  When I glance at my reflection, I pause. My brownish-red hair—auburn, I guess you could call it, is a bit disheveled this morning. It usually rests about mid-back in layered waves, but this morning, it's tousled from the wild night before. Black eyeliner still rims my dark brown eyes—'fuck me' eyes as Ace calls them. And my naturally pouty lips are swollen this morning and reddened from kissing Preston last night. My teeth sink into my bottom lip as I remember his naked body stretched out on my bed.

  “Yeah, I don't think so,” I mutter to myself as I shake the image from my mind. That is one man I have to stay far, far away from. He got me to steal handcuffs. Handcuffs. Imagine what he could get me to do if I actually allowed him access to my body. I shudder. I've seen guys like him. Gorgeous but only looking for a good time. They are the kind that'll rip out your heart before you're aware of it. By the time you realize parts of it are missing, he's moved on to his next conquest.

  I snort at the irony as I yank my shirt off. I'm the same exact way. I take what I want and walk away without a backward glance. I'd bruised some male egos last year until my reputation developed. Now most guys know the deal, and there are no expectations.