This story will be different from anything I have ever written. It has been weighing heavily on my mind for a while and so I'm obligated to write it. I will place warnings in chapters that may be offensive to people, but be prepared because this will not be a vanilla story. And Bella will not always be treated the way you think she should. This will be a bully/dark romance! You have been warned. If you proceed to read, enjoy!

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Coconuts and salt permeate the air. I inhale the sweet smell, my lashes fluttering and eyes rolling as the scent teases my senses. There's simply nothing better than being on vacation.

Well, unless you happen to be on vacation right before senior year. Thankfully, I turned eighteen last week, and my parents decided to send me to Cancun for some much-needed R&R before I start my last year grouling of high school. Jasmine slips out of the cab next to me, and together we take in our surroundings.

Jasmine is my best friend. We've done everything together since I was knee-high. From making mudpies to planning Junior prom, we've stuck together through it all. While I'm an introvert at heart and have a hard time expressing myself, my bestie has no such fear. Not only is she fearless, but she's also beautiful, inside and out. Her chocolate brown waves reach the middle of her trim waist. She's not even a hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet, yet her long, long legs make her the perfect choice for the cheer captain. The chick can out flip anyone in our district.

It's really hard to suppress the envy sometimes. Watching her and her quarterback boyfriend parade around town would make a nun jealous. They are simply gorgeous together. Paul is tall, and lean, with toned muscle, and tanned skin as far as the eye can see. His dark brown eyes and sable hair compliment Jas' heart-shaped face and even, white smile, a hundred percent.

I'm just a little jealous.

Who wouldn't want to be gorgeous, talented, and have a perfect boyfriend?

Jas says she doesn't know what their future holds after high school. Hell, none of us do, but I can almost guess. Maybe—maybe, they will go to separate colleges, and wind up drifting apart. I don't think so though. The adoration shining in Paul's eyes whenever he looks at Jas speaks volumes of the lengths he will go to ensure their relationship withstands the struggles of growing pains. And if Jas' loyalty is anything to go by, my best friend isn't going to let him slip through her fingers.

Jasmine clears her throat and tips her chin toward the line. I follow her gaze to find at least a hundred people waiting to get into Palomino. "How do you suggest we get past that herd? It's a little too humid out here to be waiting forever to get inside."

She pulls the spaghetti strap on her floral printed dress, grimacing as the damp fabric sticks to her golden skin. Yep, she even has the perfect tan. Tearing my attention away from the flawless perfection in front of me, I glance at the entrance fifty feet away.

Palomino happens to be the hottest club on this coast, and lucky us, we just happen to be the legal age for drinking. How lucky are we? A thrill shoots through me at the thought. Even though I happen to be a little more reserved than the average person, I decided to leave that imperfection behind in the States. This is my year. I plan on becoming the woman I was always meant to be, and this is the final step.

A week before we were supposed to fly out of Arizona for our vacation, I'd taken several steps to ensure this year would be different. I dyed my hair. My once mousey brown waves are now bleach blonde, and while I didn't cut the waist-length locks, they now hold a bouncy curl they'd lacked before. Not only did I change my hair, but I also abandoned my tomboy jeans and sneakers for more feminine fabrics. That means lace and silk, satin and velvet. Anything that screams New Me, I bought it. Even these damn stilettos on my feet make me feel like Bambi on ice.

I spent all of my hard-earned tips from the local pizza joint for this New Me. I only have a little regret about that. While I wanted to save for college and my future, I also wanted to see where a change would take me. So, I bit the bullet and went fucking shopping. Hell, the trip to change my wardrobe was eye-opening on its own.

Who knew it took so much to look adequate? I mean, I should've realized it. I've lived next to Jas my whole life, and I've seen what she puts herself through to appear the embodiment of perfection. I did not anticipate the pain of my first waxing session, however, and just the memory makes me wince.

My lips pinch together as I study the crowd around us. Seems we weren't the only ones to decide Cancun is the place to be. While I don't recognize anyone around us, high schoolers and college students dot the sidewalk all the way to the door. A guy yells from the back of the line, his excitement evident as he talks to another guy several feet ahead. A chuckle rips from my throat as he grabs his junk suggestively and tells the other to suck it. And the other calls back, "Well bring it up here, Big Boy."

"Well," I start licking my glossed lips that taste like cherries before I continue, "maybe you should go flirt with the bouncer up there."

I nod toward the brick wall made of hard-toned muscle currently blocking the entrance. He stands with a scowl on his face, lines creasing his forehead as he studies the people around him. His shoulders are at least three feet apart and he looks like a human Mack truck. Hair, nearly black from the shadows of the overhang, is sheered close to his head, and scruff lines his jaw. He's quite frankly the hottest guy I've seen this side of the border.

Jasmine nudges me with her pointed elbow. Yep, even that's perfect. Don't ask me how an elbow is perfect, but trust me when I say hers are.

I know what you're thinking. I must be gay or at least bi. Well, I'm not, but I can appreciate another woman looking good without having an ulterior motive. My best friend just has it going on, and I'm not going to lie and pretend otherwise.

When she remains silent, I risk a glance up at her straight white teeth as she grins back at me. Her eyebrow lifts and a wicked gleam enters her hazel eyes. "Weren't you just saying you want to step out of that shell you've been hiding in forever? I think —"

"Oh, no. No, nope." My recently dyed locks bounce around my shoulders as I shake my head, glaring through mascara-covered lashes at Jas. I know that twinkle in her eye. She gets the same look whenever she dares me to do something I've never done before.

While I'm all about stepping out of my comfort zone, I'm not eager to look like a fool. And that's exactly what I will be if I go try to flirt our way into that club. "Jas, remember that time I tried to climb the chainlink fence in the backyard, and my shorts got caught on the spikey thing at the top? I fell head first over the other side. I wound up dangling there a foot off the ground while everyone laughed at me. That's exactly what will happen if I try to flirt with that guy."

Her lashes drop a fraction as the twinkle starts to flicker.

Okay. Now she's about to get bossy.

That's the same look shining in her eyes that she had when she made me kiss Jasper Whitlock in sixth grade after a horrid spin-the-bottle incident. Even though Jasper is cute and I've known him just as long as I've known Jas, he's so not my type. He wound up with a crush on me for two solid years. I don't like breaking people's hearts. Hell, I don't go out of my way to hurt anyone in any way. But at the start of seventh grade, I'd been forced to put the fire in his eyes out.

I mean he went around telling everyone we were dating. I've never been so embarrassed in my whole life. Not only was I not ready for a boyfriend, but I definitely didn't envision Jasper filling the role.

She gives my shoulder a gentle shove, urging me forward. I tip slightly as I stumble trying to keep my balance in the new stilettos on my feet I'm still not accustomed to. "You're the one that said you wanted to test your boundaries. This is the perfect opportunity. It's not like it's a trial. The fucking guy is smoking. At least you won't have to lie when you flirt."

She's right. The guy could be on the cover of any magazine with the smolder in those dark eyes. The fact that his biceps are the size of coconuts sure doesn't hurt either. His thighs flex, pressed against the navy, frayed denim jeans he wears like a second skin. A funny anticipation zips through me, and I have to stifle the urge to fan myself. Just looking at him makes an anxious jig start in my belly. The hard-won confidence I'd achieved through new hair and clothes starts to wane, and my throat goes dry.

"Yeah, well," I clutch my throat feeling parch all of a sudden. "Is there water around here? I'm in need of–."

"There's no water, Bel," she states dryly. Her lips curl at the corners as the wicked light reappears in her eyes. "There is tequila in Palomino though. We can have a shot as soon as you go flirt our way inside."

She isn't going to let me off the hook.

She isn't going to let me off the hook, which means I'm going to have to pull up my big girl panties and figure out how to flirt.

I'm pathetic. What eighteen-year-old woman doesn't know how to flirt?

Me. That's who.

Now I'm starting to sweat. I can feel the prickle in my armpits as my blood pressure spikes. Most days it's all I can do to nod at a random guy and mumble a high. Fanning nervous fingers at my face hoping to move a little air in this stifling heat, my gaze shoots from my peers to the stud in front of the door. Jas' voice sounds like it comes from a distance as she pep-talks me.

"Bel, just go up there. Smile and wink like he's the first hot guy you've ever seen. As soon as he sees you in that dress he'll open the double doors and usher us right inside." I feel the pressure of her fingertips on my waist as she once again tries to make me move. This time I'm braced for the movement and I don't wobble like new born foal. "I believe you, chica. Take the world by the balls and take what you want."

It's funny that she mentions balls at time like this. My gaze jumps down the man's body. My cheeks flame as I involuntarily inspect the bulge pressed against the denim. The music of my friend's laugh fills my ear as she notices where my eyes have roamed. Her tone turns jovial as she nods.

"Pretty impressive. If it weren't for Paul, I'd be all over that." Finally, I manage to pull my attention away from the Greek god several feet away to focus on Jas. Her lips are pinched as she returns my heated stare. Her patience is running low, and the twinkle in her eyes has been replaced with determination. "No time like the present, Bel. You can do this, I believe in you."

The hand that was fanning non-existent air in my face comes to rest on my abdomen as a series of fireflies erupts in my gut. The little bastards start zapping me all over my body, and I feel like I'm stepping out of my own skin. Maybe it's Jas' pep-talk or the fifty-dollar dress I bought on clearance at Macy's, but a calm comes over me that I've never experienced before. My chin lifts a notch and my spine straightens. Without so much of a glance back at Jas, I waltz toward the entrance of Palomino.

I'm a foot away from the bouncer when his gaze darts from the surrounding crowd to me. The intensity in those dark eyes sends an electric current through my limbs, and a rush of heat flashes through my blood. There's an intricate tat on his neck–vines or barbed wire–climbing from the collar of his tank, and I can't help but trace the ink until it disappears beneath his shirt. His pecs flex beneath the fabric of his T-shirt as my gaze skates down the length of his chest.

Damn!

My tongue is literally stuck to the roof of my mouth. He should be on the covers of romance novels, I swear. My pulse thunders to life, and my body tingles for an entirely different reason than the nerves threatening to fray. The combination of heat and coolness battling in those navy irises sends a message to my lady parts that I can't ignore.

The moment is perfect. Something I've dreamed about my whole life. I, Bella Swan, have the attention of the hottest guy in Mexico. Not only is appreciation clear in his eyes, but a flash of unabashed desire enters their depths. He licks his full bottom lip as if he can get a taste of me in the air. Normally, I would clamp my jaw closed to keep from mimicking his actions. Currently, however, I lick my own, and I can almost taste his presence.

How that's possible, I have no idea. I do know that my tastebuds do a happy dance.

I'm locked in this moment longer than I anticipated because Jas' hand once again pushes against my lower back. The sounds around me that had faded into the background come screeching back to reality. A knowing smirk plays over full lips, and dimples make an appearance as he lifts his eyebrows in expectation.

Word vomit spews from my lips before I can stop it. My brain completely detaches from my mouth, and I say the first thing that comes to mind. The same thing I originally thought when I exited the cab and saw him standing there tumbles off my tongue, "What's a girl gotta do to bypass this line and get in the door?"

Heat flashes in his eyes and a part of me melts as a flirty smile transforms his serious expression into features made for wet dreams. My blood simmers, and the gooey feeling slides through my body, puddling at my feet. If I take a step in either direction I will slip and fall on my ass. Somehow, I manage to stand erect even with this bonelessness taking over my body. The smile aimed in my direction gives me a renewed sense of confidence.

His chest puffs out, pressing against the thin material of his tank. If he were a peacock, his feathers would be totally splayed out, luring chicks in with beautiful colors. The muscles in his biceps ripple, and his cheeks wink at me. A teasing glint enters his darkening eyes as his gaze runs the length of me. His pupils grow in size when they return to mine. "What's a girl willing to do?"

Amusement tinges his tone, his shoulders automatically squaring, making him appear bigger than he did a minute ago. His response to my comment has the remaining tension I feel draining from me, and my nervous smile becomes easy. Blown away by his question, I peer up at him through my lashes, suddenly shy, the word vomit continuing. "Anything within reason."

I don't know who I am right now. I'm not this girl. I don't make suggestions to men I've never met. My cheeks are on fire, and the heat spreads throughout my body, pulsing low in my belly.

His massive frame leans closer to me and I catch a hint of his cologne. The spicy cinnamon scent teases my senses and I nearly forget why I approached him when he says, "Save me a dance."

Tingles jog down my spine causing goosebumps to scatter over my arms and shoulders. I have the distinct impression his statement holds a lot more meaning than a simple dance. A thrill, or maybe anticipation, burns through me. I have this insane urge to close the remaining distance between us, which is only an inch. He's standing so close I can feel his warm breath on my cheek.

"Just a dance?" Curiosity is laced in the question. A dance seemed pretty simple to gain me entrance to the hottest club in Cancun. Especially considering there are a dozen or so hot girls that would gladly dance with him in this line.

The amusement in his expression turns downright wicked as he gives a single nod, his gaze burning intently into mine. I follow the movement of his lips as he says, "Just a dance, beautiful."

I know his answer has a double meaning, but I can't quite place it. The heat swirling through my limbs begs me to ignore the alarm demanding the truth. Instead of listening to my instincts, my smile widens. "You got it, handsome. What's your name, stranger?"

"Diablo."

Obviously, his name is not devil. Still, I shiver. He looks like the devil. Handsome, built, charismatic and dangerous. Everything the devil is said to be represents this guy to T.

His predatory stare never wavers from my gaze as he reaches behind him to grab the brass handle. As soon as the door cracks, the beat of music blasts through the opening. And I know my life will never be the same. There's a change in the air, and as soon as I step through those doors nothing will be the same.


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