“Looks to me like you were trying to sneak out on me,” she said matter-of-factly.
This had happened many times before, and yes, I was a bastard, but most girls knew what they were getting for the night. I didn’t do relationships. “I didn’t want to wake you,” I said, lying through my teeth.
She slid out of bed, fully naked, and sashayed up to me, rubbing her bare tits across my chest. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay a little longer?”
“I can’t, I’m sorry. I really have to go or I’ll get fined.” Reaching behind me, she grabbed a notepad and pen off her desk. She scribbled her name and number on a sheet of paper and handed it to me.
“Here’s my number. Call me tonight so we can get together.”
Fuck that. “Sure,” I said, shoving her number in my back pocket. I opened her bedroom door and rushed out. “Talk to ya later,” I shouted.
Hurrying home, I took off my clothes and took a really long, hot shower to wash her scent off me. Once I was dressed and ready to go, I picked up my dirty jeans off the floor and reached into the back pocket. I grabbed Sadie’s number and threw it in the trash; however, there was something else that fell out of my pocket. Grinning from ear to ear, I picked up the card. As hot as last night was, I was starting to get tired of the meaningless hookups. They were beginning to become more of a headache than anything. Maybe it was time I met someone normal, someone who didn’t want to fuck me just so she could tell her friends.
“Ms. Bristol Thomas. I think it’s time I gave you a call.” She not only wanted me, but she was connected to Delaney. If I played my cards right, I’d have her all to myself. It’d be a win-win. I’d have her and Delaney would be up shit’s creek. That would surely fuck with his mind.
—
The whole way to practice, I knew what I was going to do with Bristol. I didn’t need help decorating my house, but she didn’t know that. Once I got an appointment with her, I’d make it to where she couldn’t resist me.
I had ten minutes left to get to the training facility and when I finally got there, Delaney’s car was in my space. “Motherfucker,” I growled. Whipping my car around, I parked a few spaces down and marched into the building. I had no doubt dumbass McCarthy told Delaney where I parked so he could fuck with me. That was the petty shit McCarthy liked to do. I was known for doing some fucked-up things, but I was scandalous, not petty. I liked the shock factor.
Delaney could park in my spot all he wanted. Because what I was about to take away from him would be so much sweeter.
When I got inside, most of the guys had already gone out to the field, but Derek and Aaron were still changing.
“What’s up?” I said, tossing my bag on the bench.
Yawning, Derek hooked a finger at Aaron. “Hating this one for keeping me up so late.”
“Do I even want to know?” I asked with a laugh.
Aaron finished tying his shoes and chuckled. “Michael and I hung out with him and Hayden last night and we lost track of time. We had fun, though.”
Derek snorted. “You took all my money, fuckhead.”
“Hey, I can’t help it you don’t know how to play poker,” he said, lifting his hands in the air.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Ah, so you had fun without me? That’s fucked up.”
“You were the one who left with that chick,” Derek pointed out.
“How did you know?”
A slow smile spread across his face. “I saw you talking to a girl in the parking lot and then leave. It wasn’t hard to figure out where you were going.”
Opening my bag, I ripped out my clothes. “And I wish I hadn’t. It’s a mistake that won’t happen again.”
Aaron snorted. “Yeah, right. You wouldn’t be able to stop fucking around if you tried.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m getting tired of that shit, man. That girl last night was borderline psycho.”
They both laughed and started for the door. “It’s because you’re so sexy,” Derek teased. “She wanted more of Reed’s seeds.”
Chuckling, I flipped him off and finished putting on my gear. Now that I was alone, I pulled out Bristol’s card from my wallet and called the number. An elderly lady with a high-pitched, bubbly voice answered the phone.
“M&M Architectural Design, this is Rebecca. How may I help you?”
“Good morning, Rebecca, my name is J. Reed. I wanted to see about scheduling an appointment with one of your interior designers. Her name is Bristol Thomas,” I said in my most respectable tone.
“Of course, Mr. Reed. Would you like a morning or afternoon appointment?”
“Afternoon, please. Preferably after four o’clock.”
“She has a five o’clock opening tomorrow. Shall I put you down for that?” she asked sweetly.
“Sounds great. I’ll be there.”
“Perfect, Mr. Reed. We’ll see you tomorrow. Have a great day.”
“You too.” We hung up and I decided to call my mother. I’d always made a point to call her every day, but now it was more important than ever. The phone rang several times before she picked up.
“Well, if it isn’t my baby boy. You’re calling awfully early this morning.”
“I just wanted to check on you,” I said, hoping to keep the pain out of my voice.
The phone grew quiet and then she released a heavy sigh. “You know, don’t you?”
“Know what?” I asked.
“What the doctors said. Brent told you, didn’t he?”
When I didn’t answer, she huffed. That woman could read me like a book. I was never able to lie to her as a kid. “What if he did? Someone needed to tell me. How could you not let me know what’s going on?”
“Because I didn’t want you running home when you have more important things to do,” she answered.
“You are important to me. I’ll be out there next weekend to see you. I’m going to see about getting some extra days off so I can stay there.”
“Honey, don’t get yourself into any trouble trying to take time off.”
I shook my head. She didn’t realize I would gladly take the punishment just to be able to spend some extra days with her. “I won’t, Ma. Just keep hanging on until I can get there.”