There’s nothing better than a bad boy…

When feisty break dancer Andrea left for university, she thought she was ready to step into the real world. But she wasn’t prepared for meeting her new neighbour, Hunter. Arrogant, dangerous and a bit too sexy, Hunter’s everything Andrea knows she should resist…and can’t.

But when she gets swept up into Hunter’s dark, mysterious family, it seems that falling for a seductive rebel might not be all it’s cracked up to be. Is this good girl really ready to take on a bad boy?

The Good Girl’s Guide to Bad Boys

Katie Hart

www.CarinaUK.com

KATIE HART

has just left college and currently resides in Cornwall. Since a young girl, she has always had a passion for reading and writing, which led her to write and publish it to an online writing website. 27 million reads later, she has found herself at the very beginning of her writing journey, where she is extremely excited to embark on.

When she isn’t reading or writing, she is consuming the entire contents of her kitchen and compulsively organising her bookshelf into alphabetical order.

She hopes that the incredible support she received on the online writing platform follows through to her publishing venture.

Contents

Cover

Blurb

Title Page

Author Bio

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Endpages

Copyright

Chapter 1

Underwear – check!

New house key – check!

Clothes – check!

Dad’s credit card – check!

I was looking proudly at my organised bag when my mum opened my bedroom door and gave me a sad smile. Apparently, whisking your daughter off to university is one of the hardest jobs as a parent, that’s what she told me when I was packing a few days before. I would miss her, and her amazing skills in ironing, but the excitement of finally leaving home over-ruled every other emotion. The acceptance letter to university was like a one-way ticket to freedom.

‘Have you got everything, love?’ she asked and I nodded, patting my suitcase before putting the list down on my bed.

‘Yep, I’m ready to go.’ I tried to keep the bubbling excitement out of my voice, at least until I was in the car with Kenzi.

‘Good, have you got your underwear?’ she enquired. Typical mother. I smiled and nodded.

‘Yes, I have everything. Check this list,’ I replied as I handed it to her. I watched as her eyes skimmed over the page and a small smile appeared on her face.

‘Good girl.’ She stepped forward, taking my face in her hands and forcing me to look at her as she spoke. The skin on the sides of her eyes creased as she surveyed my features and looked down at my white jumper. ‘You promise to take care of yourself?’ she asked with a stern yet concerned expression.

‘Yes. I’ll eat every meal time, I won’t drink, I won’t take drugs, I won’t blow my money and I promise to do my studies,’ I recited and she grinned, placing a kiss on my forehead.

‘Good.’ There was a pause and I could see that the tears were on their way. ‘I’m going to miss you,’ she said in a hushed tone, looking at me with an expression that would make even the devil’s heart break. One more of her depressing looks and I’d crack.

‘I’ll miss you too.’ I walked over and gave her a hug, wrapping my arms around her fragile form. Guilt gripped my stomach as she tightened her arms and let out a wobbly breath. As soon as I walked out the door, she would be officially on her own. After dad walked out, I was the only thing she had left.

‘I’d better go, Kenzi’s outside,’ I murmured against the woollen fabric of her cardigan before I could lose my nerve.

‘Okay. Make sure that you text your dad when you get there and call me,’ she rambled.

I smiled, grabbing my suitcase. ‘Calm down, I’ll call,’ I replied, listening to the thump that my luggage made on the floor.

Saying goodbye to both my mum and my bedroom was harder than originally expected. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take my bed, or my mother, with me, so I turned off the light and stood in the passage.

I hadn’t lied about Kenzi being outside. When I glanced out of the window, I saw her red bug parked on the other side of the road with Kenzi inside, texting.

My suitcase grunted on each stair as I pulled it down and out of the front door. After another promise to behave and another hug and kiss, I strolled across the road towards Kenzi’s car.

‘At last! I thought she’d tie you up and never let you go!’ Kenzi exclaimed when I’d shoved my suitcase in the boot and slumped into the car.

‘I know, I think she was considering it at one point.’ I sighed inwardly, slipping my seatbelt on and looking at my best friend.

‘Did you tell her that we weren’t living together?’ she asked as she started the car.

I scoffed and shook my head. ‘Hell no, I value my life too much for that.’

Kenzi chuckled and drove out onto the open road with a grin on her face. She turned the radio up and started to sing along at the top of her lungs. I laughed and sat back in my seat, closing my eyes.

My mum was very... protective, and when I told her that I was going to the university in Sheffield, to keep her calm, I said that I was going to be staying in student accommodation flats with Kenzi. That wasn’t exactly the case. Even with the money that my dad sent me every month, I couldn’t afford the steep accommodation prices and neither could Kenzi, so we both decided to go our separate ways and live with other people. It was much cheaper renting out half of a random flat a couple of streets south of the university than it was renting in the student village or halls, where you’d end up living with five other people anyway. I didn’t know much about my roommate and I’d never met him, but I knew his name was Hunter and that he was asking very little for rent. When I asked Kenzi if she’d heard from Seb, her roommate, she shook her head.

‘Nope,’ she replied, popping the ‘p’.

‘Have you told your parents?’ She shook her head, chuckling.

‘They’d have a bigger fit than your mum! Especially since Seb is a guy.’ She winked and I laughed.

‘You have a point.’ Kenzi’s mother was worse than mine. As we were both breakdancers, our hobby was made difficult by the attitudes of our parents, but every weekend we’d sneak out and dance in the local clubs for some money and a bit of freedom. It was difficult, but worth it.

***

Just as I was about to ask Kenzi if I should ring Hunter to let him know I was on the way, she slowed the car down and smiled at me. ‘Right, I’ll drop you off first and then I’ll go and get some supplies,’ she said in a chirpy tone as she pulled up into a car park.

The apartments themselves didn’t look too bad, not for the price that Hunter was asking anyway. As I pushed myself out of the car, I felt the cold air blow against my cheeks and through my hair.

Kenzi got out after me, meeting me around the back. ‘I’ve just got to pop to the shop, I need some new toiletries,’ she told me and tapped my back. We hugged. ‘Make sure that you text me about your roommate!’ she called over her shoulder as she got back into the car.

‘Will do!’ I hollered, hauling my suitcase along the car park and towards the door.

The lobby didn’t seem too bad as I made my way to the lift in the corner. Up until then, I’d been quite happy with living with somebody that I didn’t know, but as soon as the lift arrived on the fourth floor, I felt my stomach churn with dread.

Apart from my dancing, the most rebellious thing I’d ever done was put salt in my mum’s tea as a joke. Living with a stranger and lying to my parents about it was a whole new experience, one that I really wasn’t looking forward to anymore.

My flat was at the end of the corridor. It looked quite daunting as I rolled my suitcase up to the door. Hunter had posted me a key so I could get in if he wasn’t there. My stomach jumped and my heart was hammering. I couldn’t help but panic and think I’d made the wrong decision as I put the key in the door.

The passage was a dark blue and once I was in the front room, it didn’t take me long to realise that it was near enough the same. Wooden flooring stretched out in front of me, holding a couch and an armchair. I had no idea why the rent was so low, but I was far from complaining. Maybe the roommate was a bit of a dud.

‘Wow,’ I mumbled, as I put my suitcase down and made myself at home on the sofa, my heart rate slowing and the worry subsiding.

I’d been sitting there for a while before I decided that I should give my dad a ring to get it over with. There was no way that my mum would call to tell him, which meant that the job fell on my shoulders. Since the divorce, they’d barely spoken.

After the third ring, he picked up.

‘Hello?’

‘Hi, Dad,’ I replied, sitting back on the sofa and feeling it relax beneath me.

‘Hi, sweet, how is everything?’ he asked. I guessed that he’d moved somewhere else as the background noise of his office quietened.

‘Everything’s good; I was just ringing to tell you that I’m at my dorm and am settling in fine.’ Before hanging up, I was greeted with a similar speech to the one that my mum gave me before I left.

I twisted to my right, hearing a noise from the hallway. A guy strolled into the living room, looking extremely shocked to see me. He sighed and held his hands up defensively.

‘Look, I don’t remember your name, hell, I don’t even remember getting with you. So please, just get out,’ he replied, stepping to the side of the door and gesturing for me to leave. My eyebrows shot up into my hairline and I stared at him in shock.

His broad shoulders in his t-shirt were pretty much covering the doorway, but I wasn’t planning on leaving any time soon.

‘Um, I’m not some stalker ex-girlfriend or hook up or whatever, I’m your new roommate,’ I said as calmly as I could. He hadn’t made a good first impression and the fact that his dark eyes were searching my body head to toe wasn’t making it any better.

‘But you’re a girl,’ he choked out with a confused expression clouding his face.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, looking down at myself and then back at him. ‘It would appear so.’

He frowned. ‘But you said in the email that your name is Andy?’ I nodded in response.

‘Yeah, Andy, short for Andrea.’

He shook his head, running his hand down his face. ‘Look, Andy, I don’t live with girls,’ he explained, glaring.

‘Well, you’re going to have to because I paid rent and I’m not leaving,’ I retorted, my heart hammering. He smirked, moving closer until we were almost flush with each other. It took everything in me not take another step back; he wasn’t going to scare me off. His eyes travelled down the length of my body and then back up to my eyes.

‘Especially not girls like you.’

Chapter 2

I frowned, narrowing my eyes at the attractive jackass in front of me. Who the hell did he think he was?

‘What do you mean, girls like me?’ I crossed my arms over my chest again in irritation.

He looked down at my oversized jumper, baggy jeans and ponytail before rolling his eyes. ‘Polite chicks. Daddy’s girls,’ he muttered and I raised my eyebrows.

‘Do you immediately think that you know everybody, or just me?’ I retorted, glaring into his calm eyes.

‘Don’t flatter yourself, love,’ he said through a chuckle, stepping back so that he could lean on the wall behind him.

Sticking up for myself was a bit of a rarity, but he had sparked my temper and his attitude was beyond irritating. ‘If it’s any consolation, I don’t live with obnoxious arseholes that have egos to match,’ I all but spat and turned on my heel to grab my suitcase.

‘The good girl always falls for the bad boy,’ he sneered and I smirked.

‘You’re in luck because I’m not a good girl,’ I hissed and a small smile appeared on his face.

‘Prove it.’

I narrowed my eyes and raised a quizzical eyebrow. ‘How am I meant to prove something like that?’ I asked and he grinned, showing me straight, white teeth.

‘Show me just how bad you are,’ he purred and I shoved his chest, picking up my bag and storming down the hall in the apartment. Amongst all the annoyance and anger, I’d completely forgotten to ask him which room was mine, so was now faced with a dilemma. Should I guess, or should I suck it up and ask him?

He watched me with interest, not moving from his spot on the wall. ‘You hit like a girl,’ he informed me and I huffed.

‘This may come as a shock to you, but I am a girl!’

He chuckled softly, nodding to the right to gesture which door was mine. ‘I can clearly see that,’ he replied as I pushed the door open.

Deciding to ignore him, I went inside and slammed the door behind me. I was surprised that the whole apartment didn’t shake.

The room itself was quite nice, complete with cream walls, a single bed and laminate flooring. I shoved my bag on the bed and sighed, running my hands down my face. I could hear Hunter moving around in the front room, but I wasn’t going out there again for a while, at least not until I’d unpacked. That was when my phone went off and I saw Kenzi’s number on caller ID.

‘Hi,’ I answered, carefully balancing the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I started to put my underwear away.

‘Hey, how is everything?’ she asked and I could hear the TV in the background. She was probably in her room having the time of her life with her roommate. Kenzi was pretty much the opposite of me. She was blonde, whereas I was a brunette; she was confident and totally bonkers. Every weekend when we worked at the club, she’d find someone different to go home with and would have the time of her life bumping and grinding beforehand. Kenzi was the type of girl that Hunter would be interested in.

‘Crap. My roommate is a jerk,’ I muttered, shutting the drawer and laying back on my bed with my feet on the headboard. Unpacking was the easy part; facing Hunter later that evening wasn’t something that I was looking forward to doing. I explained what had happened with Hunter so far.

‘Ouch. Mine’s alright. He’s hot,’ she added and I rolled my eyes with a smile pulling at my lips.

‘I thought he might be.’ I could practically hear the grin in her voice when she explained that Seb had an uncanny resemblance to Alex Pettyfer. We were mid-way through conversation when the door burst open and Hunter stood in the doorway. He raised an eyebrow at my position before I cut him off.

‘You can’t come in without knocking,’ I said, taking my legs down and moving to sit cross-legged.

‘It’s my flat, I can do what I like. I was going to say that I’m ordering pizza, want any?’ he asked and I sighed, letting my shoulders slump as Kenzi squawked at me down the phone.

‘Yes, please,’ I answered, holding the phone to my chest to stop Hunter from hearing my friend’s rambling.

‘Ham and pineapple. Also if you weren’t so sheltered, you wouldn’t be bothered about me barging in without knocking.’ He shrugged afterwards to exaggerate his point.

‘Stop acting like you know me,’ I stated, which only caused his grin to widen.

‘Don’t stay up too late, you wouldn’t want to miss church tomorrow,’ he cooed. I lobbed my pillow at his face, but his reflexes were quicker and he shut the door before I hit my target. I groaned into my hands and then put the phone back to my ear. Kenzi was still talking.

‘I need your help,’ I replied. This definitely got her attention and surprisingly enough, shut the girl up.

‘What with?’ she asked.

‘You know what I said about my roommate?’ I didn’t even bother waiting for her to answer me. I’d told her about Hunter and his annoying ways. I’d known the guy less than an hour and I already hated him. ‘Well, I want to throw his pathetic comments back in his face,’ I paused.

‘Sure, just flirt with him or something, make him eat his words.’ That was her grand idea.

‘Definitely not,’ I retorted and she sighed.

‘Tease him,’ she offered but I shook my head, flumping back on my bed.

‘I can’t! I don’t know how!’

‘You did it with Marco.’ Her voice had a mocking tone to it and I stifled my laugh.

‘Marco was different,’ I insisted, practically hearing her eyes roll.

‘Andy, get out there and make him want you, make him chase you and then let him see you dance. After that, dump his arse like last week’s socks.’

I rolled my eyes and stretched. That was her way of dealing with things, not mine. I was just going to have to tolerate him for the time being and work something out later. ‘Right, Kenzi, I’ve got to go, but I’ll speak to you tomorrow.’

‘Sure, meet me at the coffee shop around the corner tomorrow at three.’ There wasn’t a goodbye before I was left listening to the dial tone. I hauled my sorry backside to the door and out into the open with the lion.

Hunter was sitting on the couch with his long legs spread out. He tapped his lap teasingly but I shook my head and retreated to the arm chair.

‘Scared?’ he mocked and I narrowed my eyes at him, curling one of my legs underneath me.

‘No, I just like having my dignity,’ I grumbled as I took my phone out from my pocket and started to text Kenzi. It was something that I tended to do in awkward situations.

‘Sure,’ he replied under his breath and the TV blared into life onto the music channel. As soon as I heard the tune, I missed my dance crew. I tapped my foot to the beat of the song and Hunter glanced over at me.

‘You look like you need the toilet,’ he said, earning him yet another scowl.

‘I’m tapping my foot to the rhythm,’ I corrected, but didn’t look over at him.

‘Can I ask you a question?’ I heard him shift on the sofa and when I looked over at him, he was sitting with his forearms resting on his knees and his dark eyes were trained on me.

‘Even if I say no, you’re going to ask me anyway, aren’t you?’ I asked, moving so that I was looking at him.

He grinned. ‘You got that right. I was just wondering why you’re so hostile.’

I closed my eyes and breathed through my nose. I wasn’t normally this hostile or unfriendly or whatever vibes I was giving off, he just knew exactly what buttons to press and was getting under my skin. ‘You didn’t exactly make a good first impression, did you?’

He shrugged, not denying it, but not accepting it either. ‘Guess not, but you’re still a bit unsociable.’

‘I’m not unsociable, I just don’t want to talk to you,’ I replied and he chuckled, sitting back against the sofa. He touched his chest in mock hurt.

‘So many rejections in so little time, you’re breaking my heart here,’ he teased.

It took everything in me not to smile and keep my mouth in a neutral line. ‘That’s a shame,’ I murmured, turning back to my phone. It didn’t work because he kept talking.

‘It is. Look, sorry for the introduction, but you were honestly a surprise,’ he said, turning the charm on again.

‘It’s fine,’ I answered in a bright tone and he smirked, leaning on his elbow.

‘So, does Daddy know you’re living with a boy?’ he asked and I narrowed my eyes.

‘Back to this again, are we?’ He nodded, lacing his fingers together and putting his hands behind his head. ‘Where do you even get that impression anyway?’ I asked.

‘You’re wearing white granny clothes, you hold yourself like you’re scared of everything that moves and you’re far too polite,’ he replied with a shrug. Before I could answer, the doorbell went. Hunter got up and strolled to the door to collect the pizza.

Living at home like the good little girl that my mum expected suddenly sounded like an amazing idea.

Chapter 3

The pizza was good, the chat with Hunter, not so much.

‘So, are you a virgin?’ he asked and I nearly choked on the piece of pizza that I’d been eating.

‘Excuse me?’ I coughed out and he smirked, resting his ankle on the opposite knee.

‘Please don’t tell me that you’re a sexphobe.’

I glanced over at him and put my piece of pizza on a plate. ‘Don’t you have any normal questions? Like, what’s your favourite colour?’ I asked and he chuckled softly.

‘Let me guess, princess pink?’ he retorted and I clenched my jaw.

‘Do you have a problem with me or something?’ I seethed and he shook his head.

‘Not at all, I just think that if we’re going to live together, then we should get to know each other.’ He shrugged as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

‘No, I’m not a sexphobe. I’m not a virgin and my favourite colour is lime green,’ I listed.

A grin broke out on his handsome face as he took another bite of his pizza. ‘Good to know.’

Instead of groaning in frustration, I finished off my pizza slice and made my way to the kitchen to clean up.

‘Do you have a boyfriend?’ he asked when I came back in.

I raised a quizzical eyebrow. ‘You’re nosy, you know that?’ I sat down, with his eyes still trained on me.

He merely shrugged. ‘And you never answer my questions without some kind of smartass remark first,’ he pointed out. I sighed and stood up, brushing imaginary dirt from my jeans, drawing his attention to my legs. Although completely accidental, it made him forget about his question.

‘Goodnight,’ I mumbled, turning on my heels and making my way to my bedroom.

I had no idea how long he stayed up for because after I got changed, I brushed my teeth and pretty much fell straight to sleep.

***

‘Andrea!’ I felt someone shake my shoulders and I woke up with a start, staring straight at Hunter’s smirking face. He was in low-hanging jeans and no shirt. Trying not to gawp at his toned chest was difficult, but the urge was soon completely gone when I realised that he was in my room. In the morning. While I was in a tank top and boxers.

‘What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing in here?!’ I exclaimed, sitting up. I grabbed my duvet to cover myself in haste. He stood back and crossed his arms over his chest, bringing my attention to the small tattoo on his upper chest.

‘There’s a girl in my living room that claims to know you.’ His answer left me confused until I realised that it must’ve been Kenzi.

‘Thanks, bye,’ I grumbled, stretching. I wasn’t about to get up until he’d gone. ‘Um, can you get out, please?’ I asked as politely as I could and he chuckled to himself.

‘Happily, if you’re done checking me out,’ he said.

I glared up at him. ‘Your head is stuck firmly up your arse,’ I ground out and he chuckled, walking to the door.

‘A body part of mine that you will also be gawping at,’ he remarked over his shoulder as he left. I was going to say that I wasn’t, but I didn’t fancy eating my words as I glanced at his backside while he was leaving.

‘Andy!’ Kenzi shouted and I grimaced at the high-pitched tone of her voice. I answered with a ‘coming’ and quickly got dressed, tying my hair back behind my head.

I didn’t bother with any makeup as I strolled into the front room. Kenzi was sitting on the sofa and looking at Hunter with adoring eyes. He clearly loved it as he hadn’t bothered to put a top on, nor had he looked up at my entrance.

‘Do you even own any clothes?’ I asked as I sat down and Kenzi hit my thigh, causing me to wince and send her a glare.

‘Your friend didn’t seem to want to see them,’ he retorted with a shrug. I was left gaping at him while Kenzi chuckled.

‘Wear less if you like, see if I care,’ she drawled with a sly smile. Note to self: Don’t let the two of them converse, ever again.

‘I might do just that,’ he winked, sauntering into the kitchen. I glared at her. She snapped out of her Hunter-induced haze and raised her eyebrows at me.

‘What?’ she asked incredulously.

‘You know what! I told you last night, he’s an arse!’ I whisper-yelled and she shrugged.

‘But he’s good looking and charming,’ she tried to justify and I cut her off by holding my hand up.

‘I know that, but don’t fall for the charm,’ I hissed, just as he entered the room again, looking at us both as if we were crazy.

‘So, what’s your name?’ he asked Kenzi and she smiled immediately. I rolled my eyes, getting up to leave the new ‘lovebirds’ to it.

I made myself some toast and checked my phone, only to receive a message from my mum, already giving me a lecture on alcohol.

‘Andy!’ Kenzi hollered. I took a deep breath before leaving the comfort of the kitchen to enter the front room. Kenzi was pretty much positioned on Hunter’s lap and he was giving me a smug grin.

‘Yes?’ I asked, leaning on the doorframe to the kitchen.

‘You’ll never guess what!’ she exclaimed, getting up from Hunter. She didn’t normally get that excited so it didn’t take long for me to take the bait.

‘What?’ I asked.

‘Well, Hunter says that there’s a dance troop downtown looking for new recruits!’

I raised both of my eyebrows. That wasn’t what I’d been expecting. ‘Really? Breakers?’

She nodded quickly, grinning from ear to ear. ‘So go and get ready. Hunter has their number!’ she squealed and jumped on him in a hug, causing me to raise my eyebrows again.

‘Right, I’m going,’ I replied. I ended up speaking to myself because Hunter and Kenzi were talking between themselves.

I grabbed my vans and jogging bottoms, matching them with my tank top and mascara before reappearing in the front room. Despite expecting them to be sucking face with each other, Hunter was gone and Kenzi was smiling with a dreamy look on her face.

‘Hunter’s waiting outside for us,’ she informed me and I smirked.

‘In a shirt, I hope,’ I muttered. She glanced over her shoulder at me, allowing me to lock the door.

‘I don’t,’ she scoffed and I laughed, patting her back.

‘Stop being so perverted and get down those stairs.’

‘I can’t believe he’s doing this for us!’ she exclaimed when we reached the lobby.

‘He wants to get in your pants,’ I answered bluntly, causing her to gasp, faking shock.

‘To hell if he does, he’s hot.’ She shrugged.

‘Kenzi, he’s a walking STD,’ I muttered. Kenzi laughed.

Hunter was nowhere in sight by the time we’d left the block of flats.

‘Where is he?’ Kenzi’s voice was soon drowned out by the roar of an engine, and a black jeep pulled up with a very hot guy in a leather jacket behind the wheel gesturing towards the door.

‘Climb aboard,’ he invited, patting the passenger seat. As my friend clambered inside, I narrowed my eyes. If getting with Kenzi was his idea of playing games, he was not going to win.

Chapter 4

It was safe to say that I’d found two more things that I hated about Hunter. His car and his music.

‘So, you guys are full on dancers?’ he asked, glancing over at Kenzi. One of his hands was on her knee and the other was on the wheel, driving along lazily. I didn’t exactly trust his driving skills, either, making me all the more nervous.

‘Yeah, breakdancers,’ she chimed, looking over at him adoringly with a smile.

‘Can you guys tone it down? I feel like a spare part,’ I said, leaning back on the hard leather seat.

Hunter looked at me in the rearview mirror with one side of his mouth quirked. ‘Is there a problem, princess?’ he mocked, only causing me to narrow my eyes so much that I couldn’t see his face properly. I didn’t need to see his mouth to know that it was already contorted into that irritating smirk.

‘Yeah, you are the problem. Stop flirting with my best friend and drive,’ I said, folding my arms over my chest. I could feel my heart hammering against my bare forearm.

We didn’t know this new crew, nor did we know how well they danced, so this could’ve been a load of crap. Not to mention that they were friends of Hunter’s.

‘I’m not flirting. I’m enquiring,’ he retorted, feigning innocence. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to the window.

The area that I had moved to really wasn’t that bad. Despite what my flat looked like from the outside, it was amazing on the inside. The brown and cream colouring of the buildings gave them a vintage look, mixed in with modern office buildings as we weaved through the main streets. The backstreets were a completely different story. The people there frightened me, but I wasn’t about to tell Hunter that.

‘We’re here,’ Hunter cooed when he’d pulled up outside what looked like an old factory warehouse. It didn’t look all that bad and I could hear the beat of the music pumping from the inside, but I still wasn’t convinced. Kenzi, however, was a completely different story and was bouncing with excitement in her seat.

‘Are you sure that you didn’t just bring us out here to rape and kill us?’ I asked. ‘Because I have pepper spray with me,’ I finished lamely, leaving him smirking. His shoulders shook with his laughter and it didn’t take me long to realise that I liked his laugh. It was friendly and welcoming. Everything that Hunter wasn’t.

‘Andy, if I was going to rape and kill you both, do you really think that it was a good idea telling me that you have pepper spray on you?’ He raised a quizzical eyebrow when I huffed. ‘Thought not. Now c’mon, you two,’ he drawled, slipping his keys into his back pocket.

‘You know, maybe we should wait until we can find a troop at uni, I have some reading to do anyway...’ I trailed off, keeping my distance behind them.

Hunter looked over his shoulder at me. ‘Live a little,’ he hollered and I frowned, shoving my bag over my shoulder as we walked to the door. The beat began to get louder, going straight through my chest and matching my heartbeat.

‘Hunt!’ I heard a guy call and when I had stopped looking around at the surprisingly homey interior, I noticed a dark-haired guy strolling over to us. He wasn’t wearing a shirt and he had a dancer’s body: toned chest but not bulky and a slim waist where his jeans were hanging. There was another girl in the troop; she was standing in the corner, doing some simple break moves to the music.

‘Kyle, man,’ Hunter answered. Kenzi joined my side and nudged me with her elbow, gesturing to Kyle, who had made his way over. He looked at us, skimming over our bodies with his piercing blue eyes.

‘So, you guys can dance, then?’ Kyle asked, side-stepping Hunter to speak to us.

‘Yep,’ Kenzi answered, confidence wound through her voice. She altered her posture so that she was standing straight. I rubbed my arm nervously, doing a quick spot check for the exits in case something went wrong.

Kyle smiled and stood aside, gesturing for us to walk in front of him.

‘Right, we’ll shove some music on and we’ll give you both a dance off,’ he replied, glancing over at the girl by the CD player, who was coming over to meet us.

‘Hey,’ the girl said cautiously. She scrutinised me and then glanced at Kyle as he introduced us. I’d already dumped my bag on the floor so was quickly stretching my muscles before starting.

Now that I was sure I was safe, I wasn’t nervous. Both Kenzi and I were confident in our dancing abilities and knew we would be able to match them. I just wasn’t keen on Hunter and how he seemed to be lingering, watching my every move. The longer Kyle spoke, the easier it was to ignore him.

It wasn’t long before Kenzi and I were set by the music player and Kyle’s crew were standing opposite. I closed my eyes and took in the beat of the song, letting it guide my mind to the dance moves. I gave Kenzi a quick look and got an idea.

‘Haze routine,’ I whispered and her eyes widened before she nodded at me with a grin.

At Haze, a nightclub at home, we managed to do a huge routine, the one that made us known among the troops and clubs. It was our first official gig and one of our best ever routines. It was also the start of our dancing career and included a few hip moves that would probably make my mother cry if she saw them.

Kyle’s crew started the dance first. They both moved well and I had to admit, I was beginning to get nervous about facing them. The standard that they set was that of our old crew, if not better.

Kenzi and I completed a series of body rolls, side steps and twists before the other team took their go. We must’ve danced for about half an hour before both teams ran out of moves and everyone was breathing heavily. Kyle smiled and wiped his forehead with a towel before holding his hand out to me.

‘You girls are good, you’re welcome to dance with us,’ he said inbetween pants and I smiled. Before I could answer, Kenzi cut in, leaving me listening to my racing heart and deep breathing.

‘Thanks, can I take your number?’ she asked. I tuned out of the rest of their conversation and pulled the bottom of my top up, allowing the cool air to soothe my skin.

I left Kenzi to talk to the others as I went outside with my bag to clean myself up. The breeze hit my forehead, blowing my fringe out of the way. I decided to cool down, stretching the toned muscles in my stomach and back.

‘I didn’t expect that.’ Hunter’s voice came from behind me and I sighed.

‘Why are you still here?’ I asked, still stretching. It wasn’t until I saw his eyes move down my back that I realised I was pushing my backside out in front of him. Instantly, I straightened.

‘You guys need a lift home,’ he replied easily, leaning against the cool stone wall behind me.

‘Can you do me a favour?’ I asked, glancing over at his handsome face and he smirked.

‘For a price.’

‘You’re impossible,’ I huffed. I reached down to grab my bag but felt a large hand on my forearm. Before I could register what was happening, I was flush with Hunter’s muscled chest, his warm hand still tight on arm. My eyes searched his face quickly, my blood racing through my veins.

‘You keep walking away from me,’ he said, still wearing that stupid smirk. If I could have, I’d have smacked it right from his face.

‘That’s because you’re irritating,’ I ground out, trying to pull myself away, but failing.

‘You know, you’re one of the first girls to ever reject me,’ he whispered.

I narrowed my eyes and scoffed. ‘Wow. Just when I thought that your head couldn’t get any bigger.’

He didn’t answer me, just brushed his thumb along the bare skin of my arms, causing tingles to break out. ‘I’m not big headed, just... confident.’ He shrugged, letting my arm go.

I yanked it back and took two steps away from him, distancing us. He didn’t need to know that he’d just made my heart race. ‘Kenzi’s confident, you cross the line,’ I corrected, bending down to pick up my bag and went to meet Kenzi back inside. I was strongly considering asking her to switch roommates.

Hunter was by my side in minutes, grinning at me. ‘You’ve got a really short temper, you know,’ he noted and I bit my lip to prevent myself letting another sarcastic comment out, stalking back over to Kenzi and Kyle.

‘Only with you,’ I shot back over my shoulder, earning me a mock salute from my roommate. I was going to have to try to get along with him, I had another twelve months living in the same house as him and we weren’t going to be having any fun at all the way we were at the moment. Plus, if I didn’t get along with him, I didn’t know where I’d go or what I’d do, all the student flats would be full.

‘Andy!’ Kenzi called and I smiled, meeting her over by Kyle. He told us that they practised at the same warehouse every Wednesday, Saturday and Monday.

‘Right, ladies, we’ve got to go,’ Hunter called from the door.

I slowly made my way over to him and Kenzi held her hand up to signal that she’d be a couple of minutes. Kyle was handing her some leaflets and was talking to her about where we’d be dancing and what type of clothes we’d need.

Just as Hunter was about to get in the car, there was the sound of someone clearing their throat and he stiffened. I was positioned behind him but I could see every single muscle in his back go taut.

‘Well, if it isn’t my dear brother,’ cooed an unfamiliar voice. I was about to peer over Hunter’s shoulder to look at the guy addressing us but his arm shot back. He gave me one quick glance over his shoulder and then looked back in front of him, a sneer painted on his face.

‘Hello Seb.’

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