"Wait... Seriously?" I gape at him.

Bailey closes my mouth, grinning. I notice his hands remain on my legs or my arm, but he stays silent. I twist back around and stare at Zane, who purses his lips thoughtfully. He catches me looking to him expectantly and straightens off the wall.

"So, like you two work out the particulars," Zane jabs his thumb towards the stairs, "I have some ladies I need to chat up."

"Particulars?"

"You know..." Zane rolls his eyes, "you'll both need a good nickname for each other or something and you'll have to convince everyone you're together."

He swivels on his heel and dashes up the stairs like he'd rather not be here for this part of the planning. After letting him delete the files, I figure that means he is definitely in charge. It was his idea for us to fake date, so shouldn't he sit with us and decide what that looks like? I'm not even sure if I should go along with this.

"Well, I don't want to do this if you're going to keep secrets from me," Bailey declares immediately.

"Huh?" I return my gaze to him.

"You and Mallory."

"Oh..." I sigh, realizing he's right, "I'll tell you whatever we're doing. It never seems like much until she's working out something. I really didn't even know what she had planned for the party..."

"She must have invited Reynold there," Bailey shrugs, clearly unaffected, "Cassie's ex-boyfriend."

"The guy she was kissing?"

"Dry humping," Bailey corrects.

"Oh, right. I was pretty drunk..." I try not to let my mind wander down that path.

"So, Zane is right, though. We'll need everyone at school to buy this thing. Fake dating, you called it?"

"Yeah..." I glance around us apprehensively, "what exactly are you thinking we need to do?"

"He said pet names."

"Oh, sure..."

"My boys call me Bay, so you should probably start calling me Bay instead of Bailey," he relaxes into the back of the couch and kicks a foot on the coffee table, completely relaxed, "and I can call you baby."

"Baby?" My cheeks heat up.

He's called me baby a few different times already.

"I'll start now just to get used to it," he winks at me.

My heart hammers in my chest anxiously, talking about pretend dating Bailey Locke. The dark prince of the Ghost Riders. I'll have his protection and supposedly theirs, too. I don't know what will happen at school.

"Umm, so I should go home, right?" I try to stand up.

"What?" Bailey snags my hand to keep me from getting up, "we aren't finished here, baby."

My stomach flips and a blush claws its way up my neck and into my face. It feels like a million degrees in this house and Bailey can tell I enjoy the way it makes me feel when he calls me that. He nuzzles my back against his chest and wraps around me.

"We'll have to get used to holding hands and touching each other," Bailey clarifies as if I need a reason to let him touch me, "and we'll have to kiss in front of everyone."

"Geez," I let out a breathy laugh.

"Does that make you nervous?"

"Not like we've ever kissed before..." I feel him tense briefly, but he relaxes just as smoothly, "I mean it's been... A while."

It's been a long time since I kissed anyone.

Bailey chuckles, "we can practice if you want."

"Oh, sure, let's just practice kissing," I roll my eyes.

Bailey doesn't hesitate to pivot and dip my back into the cushions of the couch, crawling over me. My breath hitches as I feel his dick harden against my thigh and he relaxes his hard chest against my soft stomach. He's careful not to bump my left knee, shoved into the back of the couch for safe keeping. He props one arm around my lower back and the other strokes the side of my face.

"Jesus..." I mutter fretfully.

"I knew you wanted me to kiss you," Bailey stares at my mouth, "especially that day outside the diner."

I whack his shoulder, "you're such an asshole."

He laughs, pressing his forehead into mine, "that's not all you want, though. You want me."

"Damn it, Bailey... Bay. Just fucking kiss me already," I flush at the words tumbling out of my mouth.

He snickers softly, lowering more of his weight against me as if testing how much I can take. I'll take it all if he'll just kiss me! His lips are cool and soft as he brushes them feather light over mine. I whimper hungrily and our mouths crash together.

Fingers digging into my body, he pulls my right leg up and hooks my ankle around his back. A groan rumbles in his chest as he grinds against the cradle of my pelvis and presses my lips a part. His tongue runs against mine, sticky and hot. He tastes of Skittles and when he hums it sends a flitter of tingles across my face and down into my chest.

A volcano erupts, swarming my stomach and prickling behind my navel. I'm hot and needy to feel his skin, so I let one hand find the hem of his shirt and draw it up. I selfishly devour his abs with my fingertips, admiring the ridges and planes. The ache in my pelvis pools down into my thighs, making every part of me tremble inside and out.

It's been so long since I've kissed anyone that even if he was a crappy kisser, it would stir some embers. However, Bailey is not just anyone and he is most definitely not a crappy kisser. He doesn't just stoke the embers, but a fire roars through my body, so that every inch of me scorches. I brush my other hand from his jaw and enjoy the silkiness of his black hair. I clutch it in my fingers and give it a soft, playful jerk.

"Fuck," he groans into my mouth.

I hum in agreement as he loosens his hand from under me to grasp at my hip.

He supports himself on one knee, but rubs his muscles and dick against me where he can. Then his hand on my hip ventures down my left thigh, barely caressing the brace and moves up the inseam of my jeans. As he reaches my pelvis, a memory flashes through my mind.

The guy shambles off the bed and shoves Mallory down. I don't see what happens, but Mallory ends up on the floor, unconscious. Then the guy looms over me, husking pants and boxers all at once.

"No... No...Please, no." I pant.

My limbs are like lead as a cry leaks out when he locks the door and falls across me so fast, my body jostles. I groan, needing to throw up, but my stomach settles again.

"Please! No!" My throat blisters with the screams.

"No, stop!" I thrust on Bailey's chest and he disappears.

"Max?" Bailey is on the floor as I struggle upright, "what happened?"

Tears dribble down my face and fingers tremble. My entire body is quivering as my head clears and the memory disappears. I was ready to let Bailey take it all the way and my mind had to open up. I cover my face with my hands and sob loudly.

"Shit... Did I hurt you?" Bailey strokes my left knee.

"N-no..." I manage to squeak, "y-you... It-it's not y-your f-fault."

Bailey snuggles into my right side, cradling me into him and I turn into his chest, soaking his shirt. He kisses the top of my head, holding me as I continue to weep. It's worse than losing my mom. That day was hard, but learning to live without her, with a terrible dad, was harder. And this is almost as bad as that.

"I'm sorry, Max," Bailey whispers, "I'm so sorry..."

"S-stop," my voice is wet, though the tears have stopped, "it was... I don't know why I thought about it."

"About what?"

"The party..."

"Fuck..." Bailey's arms tighten around me, "I get the sense that Mallory didn't give me the full story."

"I-I don't know if she knows."

"H-how bad was it?"

I shake my head, "not right now. Please?"

"Okay, okay," he kisses the top of my head.

Bailey holds onto me even after I stop crying, grazing fingers up and down my arm. I grasp at the collar of his shirt and stare out into the room blankly. All I can think about is that this house has been nothing but painful for me. I do not want to be here.

"I can't be here," I finally mutter, and let my eyes drift toward the stairs, "I need to... Leave."

"Are you okay to drive?" Bailey constricts his grip on me.

"I-I'll be alright..." My throat is dry and raspy.

"Let's go to my place and work on homework, or watch something."

"Y-yeah, okay..." I sigh and nod.

I trail Bailey to his house, driving way too slow for a dark prince like him. He's worried about me, which tugs at my heartstrings. I know he has a heart and a soul because he protected me from Cassie exposing my sex-capades to the entire school.

It's really sweet and only makes me like the boy even more, but he's just continuing to help me. He wants me to avoid any more trouble with Cassie by pretending to be my boyfriend and he clearly is getting something out of this. Not only does he get back at Cassie, but he gets to make out with a girl.

I shouldn't let it happen in private that's for sure. I need to keep that to a minimum or else he'll end up screwing me like we almost just did back there on Zane's couch. I could have gone without the memory of the party, but it's the only thing that would have stopped me in that particular moment.

"My mom is home," Bailey opens my door for me in the driveway.

I hesitate, "do you not want me to come in?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Max," Bailey holds out his hand and I take it as he locks up the BMW for me, "we can order a pizza or something and get homework done till she goes to work."

"Max, hi dear," June moves around the kitchen, packing a lunch and slurping coffee, "it's good to see you. I haven't seen you around for a while."

"I was sick last week," I mutter as Bailey carries our bags to the table in the other room.

"Are you feeling okay now?"

I clear my throat, "much better, thank you."

"How is the school project going?"

"We might be a little behind."

"We're right on schedule," Bailey's hand locates my hip when he returns, "she likes to be ahead, so that means we're behind."

June's eyes flick to his hand briefly, "your dad was moving around today, but he's conked out now. I think he was looking for you."

"Really?" Bailey is quiet and won't meet my eyes.

"I'm not sure," June shrugs and sighs, "can I make you two something for dinner?"

"I was going to order a pizza."

"Oh, good idea. Order some extra for leftovers through the week, Bay. I haven't had pizza in so long."

"Canadian bacon and mushroom?" Bailey digs out his phone.

"Yes please," she continues moving around the kitchen busily.

Bailey steers me to the table, ordering a few pizzas and even ordering a regular Hawaiian pizza for me. Maybe he likes that kind. I don't know for sure, but it's my favorite. I'll eat any pizza. I haven't had it in ages and apparently Dad orders them all the time without me.

We work through our homework until the pizza arrives and then get distracted for an hour, demolishing them. June has a couple pieces, but takes off for work around eight o'clock. Bailey tries to help me with geometry, but it's futile.

"Do you want to watch something?" Bailey waits for me to pack up the schoolwork.

"Sure." I follow him into the living room.

He scrolls through the channels, finally putting a comedy movie in the Blu-ray player. I don't know the movie, not that I know all that many. Bailey drapes an arm around my shoulders and strokes his fingers up and down my arm. Selfishly, I indulge his attention and rest my head on his shoulder.

"Baby?" Bailey whispers, stilling his hand.

My cheeks flare, "yeah?"

"Can we practice kissing some more?"

"Oh, is that what this is?" I tease, turning my face up to him.

Bailey smirks at me smugly, and frames my jaw in his hands before I can turn away. His lips are hot on mine and somehow, he still tastes like Skittles.

How does he do that?

Parting my lips, I draw him into my mouth and he swathes the insides of my cheeks with his sticky tongue. A moan seeps from me without permission, and Bailey tangles fingers in my hair hungrily working his lips fervently.

Slowly, he slopes me down into the couch and I drop my left leg off the edge of the couch. Bailey uses his knee to prop up, one hand threaded in my hair. The other slides down my waist and he explores my hip, splaying his fingers and discovering my ass. He groans, squeezing experimentally and I squeak with approval.

"Fuck..." Bailey lowers his lips to my chin and brushes them along my jaw, "you taste amazing, baby."

"Is this really just for practice?" I pant as my heart thrashes in my chest frantically.

"It's whatever you want it to be," Bailey hesitates at my neck, fanning his breath over my skin, "do you want me to stop?"

"N-no..." I can't believe I am doing this.

"Thank fuck," he traces his tongue down my jugular and suctions on my collarbone, peeling my shirt down for better access.

"Is this just because you and Cassie never had sex?"

Don't ask stupid questions now!

You need answers!

"Excuse me?" He pops up to my head and stares at me blankly.

I shake my head, humiliated, "I'm sorry... Nothing."

"Are you worried about Cassie? Still?" He sounds accusatory, but doesn't move off me.

"What? No... I, uh... Shit," I am scorching hot and feel fucking stupid, "I don't know why I asked that."

"I'm not using you as a warm body, Max," he growls.

"Okay," I think that's what I was trying to ask.

"When you and I are alone, it's got nothing the fuck to do with Cassie. You got that, Max?"

"Okay."

Bailey fixes my shirt around my collar and presses himself between me and the back of the couch. He snuggles my back into him and we finish watching the movie. I don't know why he wants to hold me or keep me here if we aren't making out or talking about how to throw this in Cassie's face.

💀

Around midnight, Bailey walks me out to my car. I head home after kissing him for several minutes. It's not so bad when we're standing outside my car instead of lying down. He doesn't grope me and I think that helps me relax.

Dad is waiting up for me when I make it through the door. I drop my bag at the door and hang up my keys. I am not prepared as he charges, backing me into the front door.

"W-what?"

"You're late! Again!"

"I-I know..." I can't lie.

"Where the fuck have you been?"

"Working on my project with Bailey," not completely false, "we made lots of progress and lost track of time. I'm sorry."

"You're grounded, young lady. No goings on this weekend. Do you fucking hear me, missy!" He slams his palm against the door at my head making me flinch. He cackles proudly, "get to your room before I come up with something else to do to you!"

I squeak and weasel around him. I wish I could run or move more freely. I get to my room without him changing his mind and storming after me. I lock the door and change into pajamas, relaxing in bed. I plug in my phone to find texts from Mallory and Bailey. I open hers first.

I don't know how much I can trust her, so I don't want to dish all the details. She could be working with Cassie and this is what they want. I can keep Bailey in the loop like he asked and let things play out. At least, we might end up with a hint of what is really going on.

Why wouldn't he think I'm okay? Maybe he is worried after what happened at Zane's house.

That message gives me pause.

It's not a lie that he's mine...?

We are fake dating to throw it in Cassie's face, and he wants me to dish on what Mallory and I are up to. I can trust him after knowing what Cassie had over him all this time, but I might be a little confused what he wants from me.