by L. P. Dover
“He must’ve left. He had mentioned making an appointment with me to decorate his house, but then he got a phone call that looked pretty urgent. I never even got to ask him his name.”
His gaze narrowed. “Be careful when you go out to meet your clients, especially men. You don’t know if they’re luring you into a trap or not.”
I burst out laughing. “You worry too much. All of my clients are elite members of society. It costs a lot of money to meet with me.”
He held up his hands. “I’m just saying, sis. Be careful.”
“I will. And now that you’re here, you can be my big brother and protect me.”
Chuckling, he shook his head and guzzled down the last of his beer. “Knowing you, you’ll need it.”
Chapter 5
Jaxon
I never intended to stay the entire night, but Sadie was like the fucking Energizer bunny; she was all over me. Don’t get me wrong—it was hot and I’d never been with a woman as into sex as she was, but damn…enough was enough. My head pounded, but I had no choice but to get up and get the hell out of Sadie’s house. I had to be at practice in an hour and the last thing I wanted to do was go there smelling like her pussy.
The thought of sneaking out crossed my mind, but it wasn’t going to be easy with her arm around my waist. I slowly eased out of her hold and quietly picked up my clothes off the floor. Sadie was still asleep in her bed, covered in dark purple sheets that matched the color of her walls. I spent a long time searching for my shoes, but I finally found them under her bed. When I got up, she was right there staring at me, her mouth set in a firm line.
“Leaving so soon?”
I quickly slid on my shoes and started for the door. “I have practice. Gotta get there before I’m late.”
“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 t
here.”
She sniffled. “Anything for you, my sweet boy.”
We hung up and I bowed my head, hating the fact that within the next couple of months I’d never hear her voice again. All I’d have left was my brother and a few aunts and uncles I never spoke to. It fucking sucked.
Chapter 6
Bristol
Never had I been so busy in all my life. My day had been slammed and I still had one more appointment to go. The weekend was approaching, but that didn’t mean anything for me. I worked weekends, nights, you name it; I enjoyed it. It helped take my mind off being halfway across the country from my family. At least Ryan was with me now. He was my half brother, but that didn’t matter to me. Growing up, kids would always ask us why we had different last names and Ryan would always say because I was special. We shared the same mother, and she was still with my dad in Texas. My mother had Ryan just out of college and his father was too involved with partying to take responsibility. She couldn’t handle that, so she left and took Ryan with her. When she met my dad, he fell instantly for her, not caring that she was a single mother.
When Ryan’s father wanted my mother back, it was too late. She married my dad and a couple of years later, they had me. The good thing was that Ryan and his father remained close. Even though my mother didn’t want him back, he still made an effort to spend time with my brother. As far as broken families went, we were pretty lucky. My father got along great with Ryan’s and my mother adored Ryan’s dad’s wife. I’d never met anyone else in the same situation who could say the same for their families.
“Ms. Thomas, your five o’clock is here,” Mrs. Blanton called out over the speaker.
I pressed the blinking intercom light. “Thank you. Can you please send him back?”
“Of course.”
Grabbing my pen, I quickly scribbled down some notes for my last client before I forgot. Her favorite colors were sage and gold, not green and yellow. She did not want any of her furnishings to be considered those colors. Now I had to be on the lookout for sage and gold furniture. I haven’t disappointed a client yet, but when I got people like her, it really put my talents to the test. I just hoped my next one wasn’t going to be difficult. There were only so many people I could handle like that at one time.
A soft knock sounded on my door and it opened slightly. Rebecca stuck her head in and then opened the door wide. She leaned against it and presented my new client with a flourish. “Here you are, Mr. Reed. She’s all ready for you.”
The first thing I noticed was his shoes as he walked from the hallway to inside my office. They were shiny and expensive, Armani from the looks of them. Obviously, to go with the Armani suit he wore. The dark gray pants fit his body perfectly and so did the jacket. His stance was relaxed and confident, and it wasn’t until I got a good look at his face to realize why.
“So we meet again,” I said with a smile. It was the guy from the bar I’d given my card to. His dark hair was so smooth and perfect my fingers itched to run through it. What really got me were those amber eyes of his; they were as bright as before. He met my gaze and I couldn’t look away until he turned to Mrs. Blanton with a nod. She shut the door, but not before winking at me. I pointed to the chair in front of my desk. “Please, have a seat, Mr. Reed.” He unbuttoned his jacket and sat down, grinning at me with that winning smile of his. I was pretty sure it worked on everyone he gave it to. “What brings you here?” I asked him.
“You,” he stated boldly. The way he said it made everything inside me tighten.
“I know that, but what can I do for you? I remember you saying you wanted my help with your house?” My palms started to sweat and I could hear my heart thundering in my ears. When I gave him my card, I had no clue he was actually going to come to me.
“I do,” he said, tracing his lips with his fingers. It got my attention and I couldn’t take my eyes away from the movement. His teeth were perfectly straight, but it was his lips that had me mesmerized. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and then opened them quickly. Get your shit together, Bristol. I hadn’t been with a man since I’d moved to North Carolina and my body was definitely protesting against the deprivation.
Pulling out my notebook, I grabbed a pen and smiled. “Tell me what you want me to do, Mr. Reed.”
He bit his lip as if contemplating the question, and for a second, I wished he would say something dirty, but he held back. “First off, I’d like for you to call me Jack. It’s what my family calls me.”
“I can do that,” I said. “Is it what your friends call you as well?”
Eyes twinkling, his sly smirk was answer enough. “No, it’s just a nickname, but I think we should get better acquainted first before I give you all the details on my life.” I should have known he was the type to play games; I could see it on his face. What was worse was that I was completely intrigued.
Pen poised and ready to go, I asked, “What else would you like me to do?”
He looked right into my eyes and my breath hitched. I was starting to hate him for making me flustered. “I want your opinion on my house. I’m a single guy with no particular taste in home décor.” He definitely had a taste for fashion according to the expensive suit he wore. A part of me couldn’t believe a word out of his mouth, but yet, he spent a lot of money just to have a consultation with me. Obviously, he needed me for something.
“Are there any particular colors you prefer? What all are you looking for? Furniture? Wall décor? Art?” Keep your head in the task at hand, Bristol. I couldn’t let him see how he affected me. My heart pounded so relentlessly hard it hurt, and I was pretty damn sure he could hear it.
He pursed his lips. “Maybe a little bit of it all. I was hoping I’d be able to make an appointment for you to stop by my house and tell me what you think.” And here come the sweaty palms. I could already tell being around this guy was going to be dangerous.
“We can do that. Let me see when I’m free.” I slid my appointment book over and opened it up. “Looks like the only day I have available time is Monday. Does that work for you?”
His smile widened. “Perfect. I’ll be home all day, so any time will be great.”
“Does two o’clock sound okay?” I asked. He nodded, and so I wrote his name down in my book. Jack Reed. I really wanted to know what Jack stood for if it wasn’t his real name. “Here, why don’t you take a look at these?” I handed him three portfolios of my work so he could see what I did. He opened the first one up and his eyes went wide.
“You did all of this?”
Getting up, I walked around the desk and sat in the chair beside his. “I did,” I replied excitedly. I skimmed through some of the other pictures until I found my favorite. “If you take a look here, I added in those fixtures and had the colors added to the crystals. My client wanted a room of color and she got it.”
He chuckled. “I see that. What made you think of doing it that way?”
“I don’t know exactly. It was just something that popped into my head, and I asked around to see if it could be done.” I watched him look through the rest of the pictures, smiling as each memory played through my mind. He handed me the portfolio and I held it to my chest. “I’m all about creativity, taking things that someone would find ugly and turning them into a masterpiece.”
“Well, I’d say you have no problems in that department. You’re a talented woman, Bristol.”
I got up and walked around the other side of my desk. “Thanks. I’m happy to say I enjoy my work.”
As I took a seat at my desk, I saw that his attention was focused on the picture of me and Ryan. “Who is that?” he asked curiously. Not that it was any of his business, but in a way, I didn’t want him to think I was taken. “I saw you with him at the restaurant,” he added.
“You did? I didn’t think you’d care.”
“How could I not? You’re a stunning woman. Any man would be stupid not to notice.”
I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks. “I’m flatte
red. But if you must know, his name is Ryan Delaney. He’s the new quarterback for the Carolina Cougars.”
He looked at the picture again and his jaw tensed, but then it quickly smoothed out. Was he jealous? “Football, huh? Is that the type of man you go for?”
I snorted, and his attention snapped my way. “Of course not,” I said in all honesty. “My experience with football players hasn’t been a good one. I’ve learned that the hard way.” I’d been stupid enough to think I could date one of the football players from back home, but he cheated on me multiple times when he went to the away games. His name was Mark Whitmore, a wide receiver on the Dallas team. When Ryan found out, he defended my honor by kicking Mark’s ass. After that, I figured it would be best to stay away from Ryan’s crowd and find my own.
Jack’s gaze narrowed. “Then why are you with one?”
“I’m not,” I said with a laugh. “Ryan’s my brother.”
He froze, brows furrowed in confusion. “Brother? You look nothing alike.”
“That’s because he’s my half brother. Yesterday was the first time I’d seen him in a long time. I’m glad to have him here, though. I don’t know many people around here.”
“So does that mean you won’t be hanging out with your brother and the team?” he questioned.
“Definitely not. I have no interest in meeting any of them. Football players don’t really excite me, or any sports players for that matter. I’m not saying all athletes are like this, but the arrogance is a turnoff.”
“What turns you on then?” he asked, his voice low. I wanted to say that he did, that my body hadn’t felt so electrified in over a year. The way he looked at me, talked, and even the way he smelled was enough to drive me insane. There was no way I could tell him the truth. Instead, I ignored the question.
Clearing my throat, I sat up straighter in my chair, closing my legs tightly together. “So what exactly do you do for a living?” I asked, changing the subject. From the looks of him, I’d say he was a lawyer or in some kind of moneymaking profession. Not just anyone could buy a whole Armani ensemble.