Billionaire Bad Boys: A Collection of Contemporary and Paranormal Bad Boys

by Calinda B

  Logan groaned. “Tim, are you serious? You know I don’t go anywhere near that place. Why’d you call me?” Logan pulled on his socks, slipped his feet into his shoes, and quickly tied them. Damn, the son-of-a-bitch knows I won’t leave him hanging.

  “Because everyone else is probably still sleeping off last night. You’re the only one who doesn’t get shitfaced every weekend, that’s why. Are you really gonna leave me here?”

  “Would serve you right,” he mumbled. “You’re going to have to slip out and meet me down the street. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m not taking any heat for you.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I owe you.”

  “You don’t know how much you owe me for this one. Keep your phone close. I’m not going near that place. I’ll call you as soon as I’m close. Just leave the money and run for it.”

  “I pray Lacey doesn’t show up before you get here. Guess I’m gonna have to find a new place after this.”

  “Why don’t you try a nice girl for a change? Here’s a thought for you, how about settling down? Maybe you could ask that nice waitress out from the club last night.”

  Tim snickered. “Right, like that’s gonna happen. You should know better than that.”

  “Well, this is the last time I’m bailing you out. I mean it. If anyone takes any pictures and it hits a newspaper or Internet, I’m going to be pissed. I don’t need the negative publicity.”

  “Get here soon and we should be able to avoid any of that.”

  Logan heard the phone disconnect. Damn it, what the hell was Tim thinking? That was the problem with Tim, he never thought. He just did whatever the hell he wanted, consequences be damned. He snagged a Yankees ball cap and pulled it onto his head. He wasn’t taking his damn car. He’d take his friend’s car, an accountant that nobody knew. He’d left the car keys with Logan when he went on vacation, in case Logan had to haul his big ass dog to the vet. Logan figured this was an emergency.

  Twenty minutes later, he called Tim’s cell. “I’m five minutes away, driving a dark blue, Chevy van. You better be around the corner, ready to go when I roll up, or I’m leaving your ass right where you are.”

  “Got it. I’m leaving in two minutes,” Tim whispered.

  As soon as the van rolled to a stop, Tim came barreling around the corner, shoes in hand. He ripped the door open and jumped in. “Drive! Someone said Lacey was on her way in the back door.”

  Throwing the van into drive, Logan took off down the road as fast as he could safely go. Glancing over at Tim, he growled, “I’m not getting pulled over, just get the hell down.” As soon as Logan turned the corner and shot away from the street, he breathed a sigh of relief. “I sure hope no one saw us.”

  “What the hell, Logan? Where’d you get this piece of shit? What’s with the getup? A Yankee’s hat?” Tim started laughing.

  “First, how about ‘thanks for coming to rescue me, Logan.’ Second, this van belongs to a nice guy, who is a friend of mine. Third, you better pray no one saw us. And forth, I didn’t want anyone to know who the hell I was.” His eyes narrowed as gripped the steering wheel so tight, his knuckles were white. “Don’t call me for something like this again, Tim, I mean it.” He was so pissed. If Tim wanted to jeopardize his career fine, but he sure as shit wasn’t willing to jeopardize his own.

  “Come on, Logan, you know you get off on my escapades and stories.”

  “No, I don’t. I’m done with your shit. Next time, find someone else to call because I won’t be doing this again.”

  After leaving Tim standing in front of his condo, Logan dropped the van off at his friend’s house, fed, and walked the dog before replacing the keys on their holder. He made a note in his phone to remind him to get gas to replace what he used. He wasn’t taking the chance today, just in case some random reporter had seen anything. Logan may have been paranoid, but he didn’t want any crap or negative publicity to surround his career. He had worked too hard to pull himself up in the world.

  He thought about his last few years of high school. Growing up with a mother who worked long hours to keep them in food and clothes had left his grandmother in charge. His father was long gone before he’d even been born. Thankfully, he’d had her. If not, he may have ended up like a lot of the other boys who tanked their lives stealing, using drugs, and getting in trouble. His grandmother had encouraged him to play sports and follow his dreams.

  After he showered, he called a cab. On days like this, he wished he had a gym in his house like some of the other players. The wind made it feel cooler than it actually was. He waved when the cab pulled up to the curb, climbed inside, and gave the driver the address. His cell pinged, alerting him to an incoming text.

  Diamond Club tonight at 7:00? Thanks for this morning. Sorry I was such a douche.

  Logan smiled. Tim was a douche, but this was classic—an apology and admitting it in writing. Fist punching the air, he looked up when he heard a snicker. The driver’s eyes met his briefly, an unseen smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.

  “Sorry.” He laughed. “Must have been pretty good from the look on your face. I wasn’t trying to intrude on your moment.”

  “One of my friends just admitted to something in a text. Sometimes it’s nice to be vindicated, don’t you think? He really pissed me off this morning.”

  “I do.”

  Logan sat back, the smile plastered on his face.

  “I’d keep that if I were you. Never know when it might come in handy for a little payback.” He snickered again and whipped the cab to the curb in front of the gym. “By the way,” he said over his shoulder. “You’re one hell of a wide receiver, and you sure aren’t stuck up like most of those guys. Name is Gus, by the way.”

  The corners of Logan’s mouth turned up. “Thanks Gus. You got tickets to the game?”

  “Nah, can’t afford it. But I don’t miss a game when it’s on TV.”

  “I can have tickets for you, if you want to give me your name and address. I’d love to get you into a home game.”

  “Thanks, but no thanks. I spend every day stuck in traffic and crowds. I’d rather watch the game from my recliner in the quiet of my own home.”

  “You’re welcome. I’ll think about you during the next game.” He handed Gus the fare plus tip. He didn’t give him a huge tip, being afraid it might offend him. Just enough that Gus would know he meant it as a nice gesture. As he turned toward the building, he caught a glimpse of a woman with dark hair in a cab, and the image of Drew came to his mind. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he hit reply to Tim’s text. I’ll be there tonight. Save the same table?

  4

  Drew opened her eyes as she felt Scott begin to stir. She rolled over, snuggling close, and placing her arm over his chest. “Good morning. Did you sleep as good as I did?”

  She felt him tense for just a few seconds before he planted a kiss on top of her head and tightened his arms around her. “I guess I did. Wow, last night was amazing, right?”

  She heard the hesitation in his voice and smiled as she traced a circle over his chest. “It was. You’ll have to let me up, though. I need to use the ladies’ room.”

  “Sure. Are you hungry?”

  “I’m starving.” She gave him her sweetest smile as she slipped out of bed and moved toward his bathroom. “Do you have a robe I can slip on before I join you in the kitchen?”

  “Sure, I’ll put it on the bed for you. Oh, if you come down the stairs and make a right down the long hall, the last room on the left will bring you to the kitchen. I’ll get some coffee going.”

  “Thank you. Do you have any fresh fruit?” She waited to see him nod before she closed the bathroom door over. She sighed. There had to be something that could add some excitement to her life.

  A bit later, she joined him in the kitchen. He had prepared a lovely array of fresh fruits, and from the smell, he even had biscuits baking in the oven. She was pleasantly surprised he knew how to turn the oven on.

  “How nice, someth
ing smells wonderful.” She glided over and placed a demur kiss on his cheek.

  To her surprise, he actually blushed. “I must confess, I didn’t do all this. My chef showed up this morning. I forgot to give him the weekend off.” He shrugged his shoulders.

  “Guess that’s good for us. So, you can’t cook?” She beamed at the look on his face. Inside, she cringed. “You did send him away right?”

  “Not at all. Not even toast, I’m afraid. Wait until you taste his homemade biscuits and peach preserves. I think you just may forgive me this one flaw. And yes, I sent him on his way.”

  Her eyes twinkled as she forced a smile on her face. His arrogance was back. Was there anyone who wasn’t phony anymore? When the irony of her own question hit her, she giggled. Until the whole situation hit her, and she was laughing outright. She herself had to be the phoniest person she knew, yet had the audacity to judge everyone else.

  “What’s so funny?” He gave her the once over. “Are you making fun of me? No one makes fun of me.” His voice deepened with anger. He stepped back, something dark flashing over his features, giving him a whole new and dangerous look.

  “Not at all.” She raised a brow. “I was laughing at something that someone had said to me yesterday, and it just popped in my head again. I’m sorry.” Seeing her perfect out, she let the tears begin to swim in her eyes, the look of a wounded woman coming to light. I should have been an actress.

  “I’m sorry, honey. Don’t cry. I’m not mad at you.” He took her in his arms, pulling her against him. He slowly rubbed her back, and she felt his body responding to her being so close.

  She gently pushed him away. “I’m sorry I made you mad.” She turned and ran from the room, up the stairs and away from him as quickly as she could. She couldn’t keep the smirk off her face as she grabbed her clothes and locked herself in the bathroom. Dressing quickly, she was just pulling the zipper up on her dress, when he knocked softly on the door.

  “What are you doing? Please, come out. Let’s go on downstairs and have our breakfast.”

  Sighing, she opened the door and pouted, her arms protectively crossed over her breasts. “I’m not hungry. I’m just going to go.”

  “You can’t leave,” his voice sounded menacing, sending a chill down her spine. There was something more threatening to this man than she realized.

  He reached for her as she dodged his hands. “I’ll see my way out. I already called a limo to pick me up.” She pushed past him, glancing back to see an ugly and dark look on his face as she made her way down the stairs, leaving him standing in his room. She knew he was a man women didn’t walk out on. What he didn’t know was she wasn’t like any woman he’d ever known. As she slid into the back of her limo, she sat back and smiled, the thoughts of that look pushed far back into her mind for the time.

  Once home, Drew showered, changed, and ate some breakfast. This was so much easier than I thought. Her plan had come together perfectly. She’d meet the buyer in a couple of days at the club, and the whole thing would be done.

  As she closed her curtains to darken the room, her cell rang. Strolling quickly to the nightstand, she glanced at the screen. Scott. She silenced the phone and climbed into bed.

  Drew woke at seven and stretched, rolled on her side then slid her finger over the phone to wake her cell screen. She snickered when she saw Scott had called thirteen times. That was a new record. If he dared show up tonight, she would give him the cold shoulder. If he attempted to speak, he would get tears. Anyone sitting near her would hear how horrible he treated her this morning.

  She showered and, after putting on her lotion, fixed her hair and makeup so she looked flawless before she slipped into a lovely smoke gray dress. The back was low and revealing, just enough to turn heads, but not enough to make her look slutty. She added diamond earrings, a bracelet, and gray heels. Turning once, she checked her hair, smiled, and headed for the club. Tonight, she would relax.

  The limo glided to a stop; the driver exited quickly to open the door and help her out. She noted a group of three men just entering the building before her and wondered if they were headed upstairs. She almost held back to wait on the next elevator and changed her mind, hurrying her pace to step in just before the doors started to close. Stepping to her left, she placed herself in a position so her back was at the wall, and she was facing them.

  Glancing up, she raised a brow when she noticed the blonde give her a once-over. When his eyes reached hers, recognition dawned on her. He was the man sitting at the table last night who had met her eyes as she left with Scott. He drew his bottom lip between his teeth and gave her a slight nod of his head. He was hot, she would give him that much. She’d never seen him at the club before last night. She looked away, feeling the heat of a blush spread over her face. Well, what the hell is this? No one had ever caused that reaction before just by looking at her.

  When the doors slid open, she stepped out and sauntered to the table that was always reserved for her. She knew he was right behind her, could feel the heat of his stare on her back. Don’t glance back, don’t you do it! She slid into a chair facing the table where he’d sat at last night. Sure enough, he sat down where he could watch her without turning his head. He was looking directly at her, those damn stormy blue eyes piercing hers. She lowered her lashes as the corners of her mouth turned up ever so slightly. She would make it her business to find out everything she could about him.

  Stawcee, the leggy blonde waitress who always covered her table, was suddenly beside her. “What can I get you tonight, Ms. Taylor?”

  Glancing over at the bar, she saw Rex Truman was working tonight. “Just let Rex know that I’ll take the usual, please. Oh, and Stawcee?” Lowering her voice, she motioned the waitress to move closer.

  “Yes ma’am?”

  “What do you know about the blonde sitting at that table?” she whispered as she gave a slight nod towards the three men.

  Stawcee lowered her voice discreetly. “That’s Logan James. He’s the new wide receiver for the Knights. From what we hear, he’s very good. No one can touch him on the field.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Let me get your drink for you. Oh, will you be dining with us as well?” Stawcee paused, waiting for Drew to answer.

  “Yes, I will. What are the specials tonight?” She listened, almost not hearing as she saw Logan looking at her again. “I’ll have the steamed lobster, please.” She felt the heat of another blush spread over her cheeks.

  “Wonderful, I’ll put your order in and be right back with your drink.” She hurried to the bar, leaned in, and spoke to Rex. When he nodded, she scurried around the corner to the kitchen.

  Lowering her lashes, she pulled her phone out of her purse and checked her missed calls. Shaking her head, she couldn’t believe Scott had called three more times in the last fifteen minutes.

  5

  Logan couldn’t help but stare at this beautiful woman. Who could? When her eyes had met his, she had blushed in the sweetest way. It had been a long time since he had seen such an innocent blush on a woman’s face. It seemed as if all the ones who approached him anymore were only after one thing—his money and fame. She didn’t seem to know who he was, and he rather liked that.

  He wanted to approach her but didn’t want to intrude. He leaned over to Tim. “Hey, is that Scott guy her boyfriend?”

  “What?” He glanced over his shoulder. “Oh. I’ve seen them together a few times now, so he might be. Why are you asking?” Awe transformed his face. “You want to ask her out, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I do. She’s the most stunning woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.” Logan leaned back and nodded his head at her when she glanced his way again.

  “Are you going to really do it?”

  “Yep, I think I am. If he doesn’t show up in ten minutes, I’m going over there and talk to her.” His entire face lit up from the expression on Tim’s face. “Look, I’m always teasing you to ask out Brianna. I can’t expect you to
take my advice, if I don’t take it myself.”

  Tim, Eric, and Logan checked the time on their phones then sat nursing their drinks. The minutes ticked by and Scott didn’t magically appear. As soon as the ten minutes passed, Logan slid his chair back, walked over to Drew’s table, smiled, and sat down. “Hello, my name is Logan James. I saw you last night and wanted to introduce myself.” He held his hand out to her.

  Drew raised one perfectly arched brow. “Hello Mr. James. I’m Drew Taylor.” She held up a delicate hand. Her eyes locked onto his. “Are you always so forward as to assume it is all right for you to sit at a ladies’ table without permission?” Sarcasm laced through her words.

  “I’m sorry if I’ve offended you in any way. Where I come from, it isn’t polite to stand over someone. We’ve always been friendly enough to sit at each other’s tables and speak as equals.” He put on his best smile. “I’ll go back to my table, if you want me to.”

  She glanced up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. “No, it’s fine. You can stay. I’m not used to people just assuming it’s okay to sit with me. Do you want to invite your friends over as well?” She nodded toward the table where the other two were sitting with their mouths hanging open, staring at Logan.

  “Nope, they’ll be perfectly fine. Are you eating dinner tonight and would you mind if I join you?” He hoped she would say yes to both, as it would give him more time with her.

  “Yes, I am. You’re more than welcome to join me, though I’ve already ordered.” She shrugged.

  “I did as well. I’m sure the waitress won’t mind bringing mine to this table. Did you order the lobster by chance?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did.” The corner of her mouth quirked up. “How did you know?”

  “It sounded like the best deal out of the specials tonight. Who wouldn’t order the lobster?” He laughed and was rewarded with a light pink flushing her cheeks again.

  “I guess you’re correct, Mr. James.” She lifted her glass and took a small sip of her wine.