Now, We’re Even Read online

  Callie takes Don't Get Mad, Get Even to a whole new level

  College students Callie Read and Haines Bennett rub each other the wrong way. And that’s the way they like it. But there’s an undercurrent of sexual interest that has their mutual friends betting that it’s only a matter of time before they’re doing it the right way.

  But after a typical Friday night partying at the local campus pub, Hainsey takes is upon himself to teach Callie a much needed lesson about teasing the wrong guy. For her own good, of course.

  But tying her up while she’s passed out, he takes things a little too far.

  The next weekend Callie retaliates, getting even and giving Hainsey some overdue instruction of his own. The proverbial tit for tat.

  Can they bury the hatchet and call it even or have they effectively ruined an already precarious relationship with their raunchy one-upmanship?

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  Now, We’re Even

  Copyright © 2013 H K Carlton

  ISBN: 978-1-77111-612-1

  Cover art by Latrisha Waters

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by eXtasy Books

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  www.extasybooks.com

  Now, We’re Even

  By

  H K Carlton

  Dedication

  To higher education

  Chapter One

  Callie Read walked into the dimly lit club to meet her friends. A group of them had been congregating in the same pub every Friday night for a couple of years now, thanks to their shared enrolment in the same post secondary institution.

  “Hey, Callie,” Deb, the pretty petite blonde, called as Callie drew nearer the pool table up on the riser.

  “Hi, Deb,” Callie greeted, giving her classmate a quick hug. “Where is everyone?”

  “Craig just went to visit the little boy’s room. I’m not sure where everyone else is. Oh, there’s Hainsey right now.”

  Callie followed Deb’s gaze and groaned inwardly.

  Haines Bennett thought he was God’s gift to women. Callie couldn’t stand him. Every time he opened his big mouth, she wanted to jam her fist in it. He was loud, rude, crude and disgusting.

  Haines cut in between Callie and Deb, throwing a big arm around each woman.

  “Hey, girls. How are we this fine evening?”

  Callie ducked out from under his hold and moved to the other side of the billiards table. “We’re great, Hainsey. Where are Tag and Kristie?”

  “They’re out in the parking lot arguing about coming here every Friday night, as usual.”

  “I don’t know why they don’t break up already.”

  “‘Cause they enjoy fighting, that’s why,” Haines answered. Taking a handful of peanuts, he tossed one into his mouth.

  “What’s up your tight ass tonight, Callie?” Hainsey asked, narrowing his gaze on her.

  “Don’t start with me, Hainsey, I came here to have a good time.”

  “I could show you a fantastic time, baby. Loosen you up a little.” He grinned cockily.

  Callie rolled her eyes. “Find some new lines, Haines, your material is tired.”

  “Never,” he replied, now smirking at Deb whom he still had his arm draped over. “You’d sleep with me, wouldn’t ya, Deb? Oh, wait, you have.”

  “Shut up! Christ, Hainsey, Craig might hear.”

  “Whoops, sorry, babe, mum’s the word,” he laughed, placing a finger over his mouth.

  Callie shook her head in disgust. The group of them had kind of made the rounds with each other in the beginning, bed hopping, when there were a whole lot more of them than this core of six who remained. Then they started to break off into pairs. Deb and Craig and Tag and Kristie. The new joke among the friends was that Callie and Haines were next. But it would be a cold day in hell before that happened.

  “Jesus, Deb, were you drunk?” Callie asked nastily.

  “As a matter of fact…” Deb began but was quickly interrupted.

  “You weren’t drunk the next fifty times, Deb,” Hainsey taunted. Boldly, he squeezed Deb’s breast, his arm still hanging over her shoulder, his hand right at the prefect height.

  “All that and a gentleman, too,” Callie mumbled, with distaste.

  “Zip it, Hainsey!” Deb swatted his hand away.

  “That’s not what you used to say.”

  “Will you shut the fuck up!” Deb turned on him, eyes blazing.

  Callie looked around the bar and noticed that Craig was heading their way. She didn’t know what Deb was worried about. It wasn’t exactly a big secret. At least Callie didn’t think so, but when Deb shot her a panicked glance, she jumped in. They both knew how unpredictable Haines could be and outing their clandestine relationship to Craig would be just a joke to him. It wouldn’t occur to him that it just might break them up.

  “Aww, Gawd!” Too used to running interference for the awkward situations that cropped up within their little coven, Callie made her way back over just as Craig reached them.

  “Hey, gang, what’s going on?”

  ”Well, Deb and I were just reminisc…” Hainsey began to respond with what he did best—stirring up shit.

  His words faded out when Callie sidled up behind him, pressing her ample bosom into his back.

  “Ohh, hey now,” he responded with interest.

  “Let’s go get a drink, Hainsey,” Callie whispered in his ear.

  “Well, now, honey, I just don’t even want to move right now. You’ve got the finest feeling tits.”

  “Come on,” Callie cajoled, as if bribing a child with candy. When he didn’t move, she shimmied her boobs against his back. “Buy me a drink and I’ll let you touch one.”

  He spun around so quickly, almost knocking her over, Callie had to latch onto his arm to keep from toppling off the slightly raised floor.

  “And another one falls for the Bennett charm,” Haines said loudly, steadying Callie, but then immediately swallowing her up in a bear hug.

  Inside, she was shuddering with revulsion.

  “Mmm and they feel even better from the front side,” he said, smiling arrogantly down at her.

  “Stop it, you fucktard,” she retorted, struggling to make room between them. “Drink?” she reminded.

  “Nope. I know you. You’ll promise me the world until you get what you want and then renege as soon as you get me away from here. I get to touch it now or I’m not moving.”

  Callie was fuming.

  “Besides, I want to feel it while I’m stone cold sober. No drink until I get a nice warm handful of sweet Callie tit.”

  Placing her hands on her hips, Callie held open the sides of her denim jacket and thrust her generous bosom forward, looking at the ceiling above as if bored by the whole situation, while on the inside she just wanted to get it over with so she could seriously get into some heavy drinking.

&n
bsp; “Look at me, Callie. I want to see the desire flare in your eyes as I caress you.”

  Out of patience, she grabbed his wrist and fitted his hand around her boob.

  “There ya go. Done. You’re a dog. Drink.” She was about to turn away when his grip tightened almost painfully while his other arm snaked around her back, holding her, staying her progress.

  A shiver of fear worked its way up her spine. “You’re hurting me,” she whispered, looking up at him.

  To her shock, his grip softened and his smarmy expression switched to concern. Callie might hate his guts, but she was well aware of how handsome the guy was. Dark hair a girl could get her fingers in. Dark eyes that smouldered unknown secrets. A tall and muscular frame that had all the girls at school drooling. Until, of course, he opened his male chauvinist mouth, and then all that attractiveness didn’t seem to matter.

  “I’m sorry, Cal,” he said as if sincere, then kneaded her soft flesh so gently. To Callie’s horror, her nipple hardened in his palm and unfortunately, he noticed the change, too.

  Callie was about to pull away in outrage when his touch gentled yet again and he ran his thumb under her breast, where the under wire would rest if she’d been wearing a bra, before plucking softly at the protruding bud. Callie was pissed by her body’s betrayal. Her nipple began to tingle as if she wanted his attention to continue. Which she didn’t.

  It wasn’t until Haines angled his head as if he intended to kiss her that Callie came to her senses, slowly raising her knee until it was snug between his legs. “Remove your hand, Hainsey, or your big plan to take one of these poor misguided bar flies home tonight is over.”

  The bastard strummed her taut nipple expertly. The cocky grin reappeared, complete with the devastating dimple. “You really don’t want me to stop,” he said, circling the nub, sending a jolt of electricity much lower.

  Callie lowered her knee. Fuck, if he kept it up she might just be putty in his hands. The thought spurred her into action. She grabbed his balls tightly, exerting pressure.

  “Let. Me. Go.” Callie enunciated each word succinctly while tightening the vice-like grip.

  “Ow! Shit! Ouch! Okay! Okay.” He released her, raising his palms in surrender.

  Callie took the opportunity to make a clean getaway. Heading for the bar, she used the rapidly filling club to put much needed distance between herself and Hainsey.

  “Hey, Callie, what can I get you tonight?” Phil, the barkeeper, asked.

  “Double shot of Jack and Coke.”

  “You got it, lovely lady. Haines.” Phil nodded, looking over the top of Callie’s head.

  Shit! He’d followed.

  “Make it two, Philsy.”

  Callie braced herself when she realised how close he was, armed with the knowledge that Haines didn’t possess the strength of mind not to keep this going.

  As predicted, he trapped her between the bar and his body, his hands resting on the leather bumper pads around the countertop, boxing her in.

  “Quit fighting it, Callie. You want me and we both know it.”

  “I know it’s hard for you to believe this, but not every female in this club wants you.”

  “I’m not talking about anyone else, I mean you.” He crowded her even more, his chest grazing her back while he thrust his hips forward, his erection pushing into her backside.

  Callie swallowed hard, shuddered in what she tried to convince herself was revulsion, and wondered how he could possibly still be turned on. Wiggling, she made room for herself and he stepped back. She turned to face him, but he was still closer than she’d like.

  ”God you’re an easy e.”

  “An easy e? What the hell’s that?”

  “An easy erection,” she said looking back at him with amusement.

  “It’s why the ladies love me.”

  “No, I don’t think so. Women don’t want to think their date has a constant boner for whatever slinks by.”

  “No, not that, silly. I have incredible recovery time.”

  Callie shook her head and snapped, “What?”

  “You know, it takes the average man what, twenty minutes to achieve another hard on after they’ve, you know, well, how can I put this delicately, found their release. It only takes me half the time, so I can get right back to business.

  Phil set their drinks down in front of Callie and thankfully Haines backed off even more. Callie took a huge gulp from one tumbler, then turned to face Haines. But he was looking at the couple down the bar.

  Two great looking guys in matching tight white t-shirts were having an intimate conversation. They were clearly together. One leaned in and kissed the other softly. Callie sighed.

  “Fuckin’ pickle biters.”

  “Why, Hainsey, are you a homophobe?”

  “No, not at all. I don’t care what they do in the privacy of their own home, I just don’t want to see it.”

  “Maybe they don’t want to see you making out with every girl in this bar at one time or another either, but I’ve seen you do a whole lot more than they’re doing and watching them doesn’t make me want to gag.”

  “Jealous, Cal?”

  She snorted. “Of you? No. But I’d like to go get in between those two. They have every right to exhibit their feelings just as much as you do. And I’d rather watch the two of them any day, than have to endure the way you devour your dates.”

  He chuckled. “Then why do you watch me and my dates at all?”

  The remark just pissed her off all the more. Softening her gaze, she ran her palms over his chest. “Haines,” she breathed. He neared her in an attempt to hear her over the music. “You know how you’re always telling us all about how well you do with the ladies?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And how well-endowed you are and all about your sexual escapades?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, I’ve found that people who feel the need to broadcast these things are usually the ones who don’t really have the goods to back up their claims. All talk and no action.” Ducking quickly, Callie made her escape, leaving him to pay for their drinks and avoiding yet another long and detailed diatribe about his manhood. Unfortunately, he followed with her drink, until she luckily ran into an ally.

  “Callie! You are here.” Her friend Brad stepped into her path.

  “Brad!” Callie greeted him loudly. When he bent to give her a kiss on the cheek, Callie turned into his kiss and planted a good one on him. Fortunately, Brad was used to it and went along with it.

  “Wow!” Brad exclaimed as Callie ended the smooch. “Nice to see you, too,” he added, looking dazed. “Hook up later?” he asked looking hopeful.

  “You bet,” she agreed as he bellied up to the bar.

  “Who the hell is that?” Hainsey demanded.

  “Who, Brad?” Callie said innocently. “He’s my sex buddy.”

  “You have a fuck buddy?”

  “Yeah, you think guys are the only ones who have casual sex? Who do you think they’re doing it with?”

  “How long has this been going on?”

  “None of your business. Thanks for the drink!” She gave him a mocking salute with her glass and walked away.

  Chapter Two

  Hainsey watched Callie from across the bar. There was no one on this earth that drove him nuts like Callie Read could. She could piss a guy off with just that snotty look she got on her face when she didn’t like what you were saying. Then in the next minute she’d do something so fuckin’ sexy that you were hard for a week.

  She was something to look at, alright. Blonde, blue-eyed and with what he thought was the perfect little body, trim but full in all the right places.

  Of the women in their little Friday night group, Callie was the one they all wanted but not one of them had been lucky enough to have. And tonight, for just that one second of heaven when he’d held her sweet tit in his hand, he thought she’d thawed. His cock jerked even at the memory, and his palm still itched to have her stiff nippl
e in it once more.

  “Phil! Another!” Haines slammed the glass onto the bar top.

  “Don’t you think you should pace yourself, Hainsey?” Phil commented as he picked up the empty tumbler.

  Hainsey tossed a hundred dollar bill onto the flat surface. “Keep ‘em coming.”

  When Phil placed a fresh beverage down, Haines asked him, “What do you know about that Brad guy?”

  “Pre-med. Good guy. Comes from a well-to-do family. I think his dad’s a doc, too.”

  “How long has he been seeing Callie?” And why was this the first Haines was hearing about him? He thought he knew all the guys who took her home.

  “Don’t worry about him. They just hook up every once in a while, when neither of them is seeing anyone else.”

  “Callie doesn’t see people.”

  “True. She doesn’t seem to have much use for relationships. It’s too bad.”

  Haines turned his attention back to the bartender, belatedly detecting his unconcealed interest in Callie as well.

  Fuck! What the hell was going on in this club that every single male in the place seemed to have picked up Callie’s scent tonight? Including him.

  The thing with Callie and him was they rubbed each other the wrong way—always had. From the first moment they’d met they’d clashed. He loved sparring with her though, actually looked forward to it. Not only was she a worthy opponent, she was smart.

  He glanced at the dance floor and saw her smiling and having a good time as she danced with a group of other girls. Her moves were sexy and playful. Every once in a while she’d brush up against whatever guy was in the vicinity as they gyrated around the dance floor. One guy got a little too handsy and she not only escaped his clutches easily, but never missed a beat, as if the whole thing were choreographed. She could take care of herself—he wasn’t the only guy she stood up to.

  The song ended. Callie bopped across the pub over to the pool table where their own little gang liked to hang out, Most often they were there all night unless other patrons wanted to use it.