Bet Me (Finding My Way)

  BetMe

  R.S. BURNETT

  BET ME (Finding My Way #2)

  Copyright © 2013 by R.S Burnett

  All rights reserved.

  Cover designed by R.S Burnett/ Image courtesy of photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  R.S Burnett

  DEDICATION

  To anyone who has ever said ‘I bet you can’t’ to me.

  - Well, I bet you I can.

  CONTENTS

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Epilogue

  .

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I’d say thanks to Dave again here, but, well since I’ve made a batch of cupcakes at least once a week for the last three months so I figure you owe me ;).

  I will however, say thanks to my mum, once again, you are my biggest fan. Even thought you haven’t read this book (or the one before it).

  Thanks again to Kim, all your suggestions and emails about this book helped a million! And to Tracy – You’re help goes beyond that of a miracle worker.

  But the biggest thanks, as always, goes to you, the reader. Thank you for reading Trust Me and loving it so much that you have demanded to know when this book came out. I hope you enjoy the continuation of Brookes story and I promise it’s not as depressing as the first one, well, not much anyway.

  PROLOGUE

  TUCKER

  “Because I fucking loved you”

  My eyes snap open at once.

  Without moving my head I do a quick scan of my surroundings, bare white walls, no shades at the window, black sheets cover me and blonde hair splayed across my chest.

  I let out the breath that I didn’t realise I was holding.

  It was just a dream. Again.

  Bang, Bang, Bang.

  I slide out from under the blonde in my bed and slip into a pair of boxers that I swiped from the floor and head to the door, that’s what woke me up.

  “Did we wake you?”

  I glare at Matt, he knows damn well he woke me.

  “Well?” Sophie doesn’t bother to hide her own glare, “Are you going to let us in?”

  I briefly consider slamming the door on them but the last time I did that, they just kept banging on it.

  “Be my guest” I turn my back on them and head straight to the kitchen, ignoring the coffee machine and reaching for the milk instead.

  Matt cocks an eyebrow at me but I ignore it and focus on Sophie “Is there a reason why you’re visiting?”

  “Nope. Matt wanted to stop in on our way through” she smiles at me.

  I narrow my eyes at her “On your way through?”

  She shrugs “We visited Brooke this week”

  “Oh yeah? How is she?” I try not to wince at the eagerness in voice.

  “She’s . . . .” She looks to Matt.

  I hold my cousins eyes, it works.

  He scrubs his hands over his face. “She’s different,”

  “Different how?” I tilt my head at them both but lift it back up just as fast. Brooke used to think that was cute. I shake my head to clear the thought and focus back on Matt.

  “Just . . . different. She’s happy now,”

  “Good,”

  “No. I mean like really happy, I don’t think you’d recognise her if she was stood right in front of you,” he shakes his head at me.

  “Good, I’m happy too”

  Sophie snorts at me “You’re not fooling anyone, not even yourself . . . but it’s your own fault,”

  “Soph,”

  I cut off Matt’s warning, “No. She’s right. It is my fault. But I am glad she’s happy and I’m happy too,”

  “Right, keep telling yourself that,” Sophie rolls her eyes at me.

  “So where is she?” I try for nonchalant. I fail.

  “You must be crazy of you think I’m telling you,”

  “Why?” I glare at her. I swear, if she wasn’t Matts girlfriend and she wasn’t the best thing to happen to Brooke, I’d never put up with her.

  “Let me see, because I don’t want you to break her again.”

  “I didn’t break her”

  She laughs but it holds no humor, “Please, you ruined her life. She loved you and you called her a whore for it. She was the best thing that happened to you and you ripped her heart out and stomped on it, in front of about fifty people.”

  My fist clenches on the milk carton as my jaw clenches and the memoried flash through my mind.

  “What are you doing?”

  I turn to look at her, she’s got her face in a pillow to try and hide her giggling. Christ she’s beautiful.

  “I’m making chocolate milk,” I grin as I take the glass and walk over to the bed.

  “You’re doing it wrong,”

  “No I’m not, look,”

  I stand over the bed and wait while she flips over, showing me all that flawless skin and perfectness.

  She raisers herself up onto her elbows and cocks an eyebrow at me.

  With a grin that I know she can’t resist, I empty the contents of the glass over her.

  She doesn’t say anything, only looks down at the milk that’s now flowing down her chest. I shake the glass and the chunks of chocolate land on her with soft splashes.

  “See, chocolate milk,” I laugh at her expression.

  “This isn’t chocolate milk,Tucker,” She says seriously.

  “Sure it is, there’s chocolate and milk. Chocolate milk,” I grab on of the squares of chocolate, dip it in the milk that’s pooled in her belly button and drop it into my mouth to prove my point.

  She flops back on the bed trying to look defeated but I don’t miss the sparkle in her eye, “I think you better clean this up,”

  I drop the milk carton in the sink and push past Matt and the She-Devil. “You need to leave”

  I don’t bother seeing them out or even waiting to make sure they do leave. I walk into the bedroom just in time for the blonde from last night to sit up and look around confused.

  Her eyes land on me and and wander down my body, I let her look and listed to the sound of her tongue bar clicking against her teeth as her eyes go lower.

  “You were gone,” she pouts at me.

  I strip my boxers off and climb on to the bed until I’m hovering over her. “Now I’m back, so give me a reason to stay.”

  “First tell me who Brooke is,” she pushed against my chest.

  “What?”

  “You called me Brooke last night but I think you were sleeping,” When I don’t sa anything she huffs, “She’s not your girlfriend, right?”

  “I don’t even know a Brooke, babe. Now, where were we?” I lower my mouth to hers, ending the conversation and blocking memories. Now I just need to find out how to block it out permanently.

  ONE

  I try to make a run for it when the taxi pulls up outside the club, but Andrew just throws me over his shoulders, making me shriek and giggle at the same time.

  “Put me down!�
�� I yell laughing.

  “Not until you follow through on the bet!” he shouts back at me.

  I lift my head to glare at Jess and Mel who are laughing hysterically at us.

  I’m still kicking and screaming when he opens the door to the club. Everyone cheers as we make our way through the club to the bar. I kick and call for help but everyone just laughs and cheers louder when Andrew slaps my backside.

  “Hey!” I shout at him making him laugh even more.

  He stops and turns, so I’m facing the bar. Lucy is stood there laughing at me “What happened this time?” She asks not phased by our bickering and struggles.

  “I lost a bet,” I pout at her with pleading eyes making her laugh harder. “I lost my top and he has to do a body shot off me” I groan when she clears a space for me on the bar.

  The cheers around us get louder as Andrew lays me down on the bar and Lucy gets the shot ready. I try to stay still and ignore all the whistles and shouts around me, pouting pathetically to the ceiling.

  I look down and watch as the salt is sprinkled from the hem of my shorts around my belly button and up to the bottom of my bikini top. Lucy tries her best to stop the shot from spilling out of the glass as she places it in between my breasts and then, lastly puts the lime in my mouth while I try my best to glare at her.

  Chants of “Do it. Do it!” go up around us and Andrew tries to contain his laughter long enough to well … do it.

  Deliberately slowly he licks the salt from my skin and grins up at me as he wraps his lips around the shot glass, he lifts his head and takes the shot, returning it to its place in my bikini top, he winks at me and then bends down to suck the lime while I still hold it in my mouth. As soon as he pulls back, the crowd roars with cheers and applause. I shake my head at them all, remove the shot glass and lime then jump down from the bar and start taking orders for drinks.

  “Increasing business as always” Will smirks at me as he walks past and eyes my lack of clothing.

  “I will not lose another bet” I promise myself out loud. He just chuckles and heads into the office just as I catch a hopeful “I sure hope you do”

  “Tell me again, why you aren’t sleeping with him” Lucy asks wistfully running her gaze over Andrew, who’s talking to a pretty blonde girl on the other side of the bar.

  I can’t deny that Andrew is still one of the best looking men I have ever seen, with his blonde hair and green eyes he is classically good looking, he’s tall and his body is well taken care of. He’s also charming, too charming. And since I moved up here when I left uni, two years ago, he’s helped me a lot. He’s really more of a brother to me than anything else.

  “Because that man charms his way through beds like we pour drinks” I answer the same way I always do, making her roll her eyes.

  “Bet it’s worth it though” she sighs happily.

  “I’m not taking anymore bets” I snap at her, changing the subject much to her amusement.

  “You will. You will by the end of the night” she argues back.

  “I know,” I mutter “I can’t help it. He’s just so arrogant, and I can’t help but at least try to prove him wrong sometimes”

  “What bet did you lose this time by the way?” she asks cocking her head to the side.

  “First of all, he bet me that I wouldn’t be able to not make a sarcastic comment for a full ten minutes”

  “Why the hell would you take that bet?”

  “I was doing fine for a whole eight minutes until he told me sex with him could be fun”

  “To which you replied …” she prompts smirking making me grimaces.

  “That I’m sure the sex is fun but the trip to health clinic the morning after isn’t so much,” I mutter as she bursts out laughing. “Then he bet me that I couldn’t go to the bar and get a round of drinks without getting hit on by at least three people”

  “And I take it you did?” she laughs at my expression.

  “Two guys and one girl,” I admit “I bet it was a set up!” I say a bit too loudly when the thought occurs.

  “Just don’t bet anymore clothing tonight” she smirks at me and then moves away to serve a few people.

  “Hey, I got another bet” Andrew shouts over the music to me after about an hour of serving men who just stare at my chest the whole time. I shake my head at him.

  “Forget it, I’m not taking anymore bets, I’m giving them up” I shout back.

  “Aww come on Brooke, one more won’t hurt” Mel calls to me laughing. I shake my head at her. “I suppose you’re right. It’s pointless, he always wins anyway” she relents giving up.

  “That’s right, it’s because I’m amazing, awesome and the best at everything” Andrew winks at me.

  “Fine” I grit my teeth at him, determined to prove him wrong on at least one thing by the end of the night.

  “You’ll never learn” Lucy laughs as she comes over to us.

  “Make it good” Jess shouts between barks of laughter.

  “What’s going on now?” Will asks walking over to us looking excited at the sight of us all huddled together over the bar.

  “Brooke just took another bet” Lucy tells him amused.

  “What’s the bet?” He asks rubbing his hands together.

  “I don’t know yet, but I’m not going to lose” I snap at him making everyone howl with laughter again.

  “Hmmm … got a jar or a box over there?” Andrew asks him with a smirk.

  “Uh ... yeah, hold on” We all watch as Will walks into the office. When he comes back, he’s holding a flat square box about ten inches in diameter and three deep.

  “Okay, you have to dance on the bar to a song of my choice.”

  “What’s the bet?” I ask leaning my elbows on the bar.

  “I bet that you can’t pull in five hundred from drinks in twenty minutes, time starting from when you get up there”

  I start to protest but Will cuts me off. “That’s a damn good bet”

  “What happens either way?” I ask warily.

  “If you win, you can pick anything you want and I’ll make sure you get it. If you lose, then you have to dance on the bar at least twice a week for a month”

  “A fucking damn good bet” Will claps, deciding for me that I’m taking the bet.

  “I’ll ask the band to play something interesting” Andrew smirks at me.

  “This should be good it’s a new band. Not sure what they will make of this but I’m sure you’ll have them eating out of the palm of your hand by the end of the night” Lucy informs me.

  “What are they like?” I ask curious now that I notice I haven’t heard them before.

  “A bunch of hotties” she sighs happily making me laugh.

  “You got two minutes” Andrew shouts over to me when he returns.

  I quickly throw back the shot of tequila that Lucy hands me just as the song finishes.Will’s voice comes over the speakers above and around us, I look around but he’s no longer at the bar.

  “As the majority of you are already aware our favourite – no offence Luce – lady has taken another bet. Now we all know she will probably lose, judging from the ones she’s already lost tonight, by her lack of clothing – not that we mind,” A loud cheer goes up in the club “Get ready ladies and gentlemen for the clubs very first – and not last if she loses – bar dance!” A loud cheer goes up around the club and I’m lifted off the ground onto the bar. I turn and glare down at Andrew who just shakes his head and laughs at me.

  When I hear the first few beats of the song that he’s chosen, I can’t contain my grin. The band is doing a cover of Bad Girlfriend, one of my favourite songs.

  I start slowly by rotating my hips and walking across the bar, smiling down at everyone that’s gathered around the bar to watch. As the chorus comes on, I grin down at Andrew and shake my ass just like the song says and laugh when his jaw drops open. I run my hand through my hair as I pull it out of my face and lower myself to the bar slowly, coming up rear point
ed out, rotating my hips again. I keep in tune with the drums and smile when I see Lucy and Will quickly pouring drinks, trying to keep up with the orders that are flying in. As the song comes to an end I flip my head back and smirk down at Andrew.

  “Want me to do that again?” I ask sweetly.

  He just stares dumbfounded. No one here is aware of how I can dance; they all just know me as the sarcastic self possessed girl who stays away from men in a sexual way. The band has stopped playing and the DJ puts on a dance song.

  I look up just as two men step forward and grab my arms, to help me down off the bar when I catch sight of the band. They’re all watching me; four of them grinning at me as I watch them take in my body hungrily but the fifth one, who has just put the microphone down is just staring at me blinking. I feel myself do the same as I lock gazes with Tucker Lloyd.

  Before I can react I’m back down on the floor and being pulled into a hug by Mel and Jess.

  “You killed it!”

  “We had no idea you could dance like that”

  They both exclaim in my ears. I frown and shake my head, forcing a smile and trying to relax through the shock of seeing him again.

  “Were you a stripper?” Jess asks laughing.

  “Umm, no I did dancing when I was younger and took a few pole dancing lessons for fitness” I reply automatically.

  I feel two arms wrap around my hips and I’m spun around. “You cheated!” Andrew shouts down at me.

  “It was your bet,” I smirk “besides, I can still lose” we both turn to look at the bar that is overflowing with people trying to get a drink.

  “I think you might have won this one, everyone needs a drink after seeing that. I’m sure even the women’s mouths dried up after watching you shake your ass like that” He lifts me up and puts me over his shoulder. I screech out in surprise as he pushes through the crowd. Once we’re on the now empty stage, he takes the mic and the DJ stops the music. Everyone turns to look at us and I shift uncomfortably.