Bad Boys After Dark: Dylan (Bad Billionaires After Dark Book 2)

by Melissa Foster

  “I’m glad I did. You’re the hottest woman in here.” He kissed her neck. “And besides, how fun will it be to let me mow that grass later?”

  “You have a dirty, dirty mind, and I happen to love it.” She ran her eyes down his floral shirt and board shorts. “But next time you’re wearing a grass skirt, too. Or at least something equally as uncomfortable. A loincloth might work.”

  Her phone vibrated, and Dylan stuck his fingers into the little fabric pouch she’d sewn into the waist of her skirt and lifted it out. “That’s the tenth time that thing has gone off in as many minutes. Are you sure you don’t have to be at the press conference?”

  “I’m positive. Miranda’s just keeping me apprised of who’s there.” She skimmed the text as the other girls joined them. “Rocco’s there. Oh my God, he’s hitting on Miranda!” She thumbed out a quick text. If you two hook up I DON’T want details.

  “Good for him,” Dylan said, and she gave him a deadpan look. “What’s wrong with them hooking up?”

  “Rocco’s hot,” Ally said. She was tall and thin, less curvy than Amanda but every bit as beautiful. Amanda gave her an appalled look and Ally added, “Not hotter than Heath. God, Mandy, stop looking at me like that. No one is hotter than my man.”

  “Excuse me?” Tiffany put her arm around Dylan. “I’ll argue that point to the death.”

  They all laughed.

  “If Miranda and Rocco go out and he breaks her heart, she’s still my employee.” Tiffany tucked her phone back into her pouch.

  “Worry about that if and when it happens,” Amanda said. “People are arriving and we came to get you for one last bathroom stop.” Amanda looped her arm into Tiffany’s and pulled her away from Dylan. “I promise we’ll bring her back.”

  Dylan blew Tiffany a kiss.

  “Next time remind me to suggest an Eskimo theme,” Tiffany said to the girls as they ducked into the bathroom.

  “Oh, come on. This is so fun!” Ally strutted in front of the mirror and twirled. “Heath and I are going to play snake in the grass later.”

  “Ally!” Amanda laughed.

  “Dylan just made a comment about mowing my grass.” Tiffany looked in the mirror at the three of them. “We look cute, right? Or do I look as ridiculous as I feel?”

  “You only feel ridiculous because you’re used to being in your professional attire. Mandy’s the same way, even though she isn’t as much so lately.”

  “She’s right.” Amanda blushed. “I used to be pretty straitlaced, but that all changed with my man.”

  Tiffany’s phone sounded with the shrill ring that made her blood run cold.

  “That’s an awful ringtone,” Ally said as Rocco’s picture flashed on the screen.

  “Family. My dad’s health is still a little iffy.” She held the phone up to her ear.

  Before she could say hello, Rocco said, “Tiff? Get your ass down here.”

  “What?” Panic rose inside her. “I’m at the fundraiser.”

  “Ramsey just canned Miles. He’s announcing it at the press conference. Get. Down. Here. There are agents swarming this place—”

  His voice turned to white noise as she looked at herself in the mirror, and the color drained from her face. “Are you fucking kidding me? I’m wearing coconuts.”

  “What’s wrong?” Amanda whispered.

  Tiffany held up a finger to Amanda, listening to Rocco explain that Miles pushed Ramsey too hard and he was done. “Can’t you just—”

  “You know how this works, sis,” he interrupted. “I can’t just anything. The minute he announces and steps away from the podium he’ll be besieged with offers from agents. You have to be in there.”

  “I’m seriously wearing coconuts, Rocco. I’ll look like a fool.”

  “A fool with the best contract around,” he reminded her. “You’ve only talked about wanting to sign him since you got into the business. Now’s your chance, but hey, it’s your call.”

  “Okay. You’re right.” She ended the call and cursed under her breath. Her heart was breaking and her mind was soaring, which made her feel like a train wreck as she turned to the girls for advice. “The biggest deal of my career is on the line. I have to get to the press conference, but how can I leave Dylan? What am I going to do? If I can get a meeting, I know I can seal the deal. If I don’t go, there’s no way in hell he’ll wait to talk to me, not when every shark and their brother is breathing down his back. But tonight is going to be hard for Dylan, and my not being here will make it even harder.”

  She looked in the mirror and lifted her chin, telling herself to pull her shit together and get to that press conference, but her heart silenced that demand with a single word. Dylan.

  Her shoulders dropped. Could this really be happening? In what universe was this a fair decision to have to make? Who had she pissed off to deserve this? “I’m fucking wearing coconuts. And this is Dylan’s big night. And—” She wasn’t even looking for new clients, but Ramsey “Razor” Sharpe? He was the biggest of the big. She could get him lucrative deals that would allow him to spend time with his family, and she would be the It Girl in sports agenting, even bigger than she already was.

  “We’ll figure this out.” Amanda put an arm around her. “Slow down and let’s think this through.”

  “Fuck that.” Ally grabbed Tiffany by the shoulders and shook her. “You just said this could be the biggest deal of your career. Is that true, or were you just saying it?”

  Tiffany nodded vehemently. “True. Do you know who Razor Sharpe is? He’s only the best pitcher in all of Major League Baseball.”

  “Then there’s no choice to be made,” Ally said. “You get your hot little ass down to the conference. Dylan is a big boy. He fell for a sports agent, not a cashier. He can’t expect you to walk away from a career breaker.”

  Tiffany lifted her chin and drew her shoulders back, inhaling a deep, calming breath. “In fucking coconuts. I will never live this down.”

  “Ally’s right, even if it’s hard. And you won’t have to live it down,” Amanda assured her. “You’ll seal the deal, and then every female sports agent will start wearing grass skirts and coconuts.”

  “I’ve worked way too hard to be the complete opposite of…” She looked down at her outfit. “This. It is not a trend I want to start.” She looked in the mirror at her ridiculous outfit. An outfit she’d wear only for one man—the man she had to walk out on during his most important event. She only hoped he’d understand.

  Suck it up and get there. Every minute she stewed was a lost minute in getting there. She had to do this, and she had to leave now.

  They stormed out of the bathroom like the Three Musketeers. She was blown away by the strength she gained from her two new friends. Dylan had made their friendships possible. She owed him so much, and she was—no. She wasn’t going to stew.

  She was surprised to see crowds of people had arrived in the short time they were in the bathroom, and she slowed her pace.

  “It’s okay,” Ally said. “You’ve got this.”

  “One night. One meeting. That’s all this is,” Amanda said. “Then you’re right back by his side.”

  Although she took strength from their whispers of encouragement, since when did she need it to do her job? She saw Dylan, and her heart took over again.

  Since Dylan.

  She stopped walking and hugged Ally and Amanda. “Thank you for your support, but I think I need to talk to Dylan alone.”

  “Good luck,” Ally said.

  “I know he’ll understand.” Amanda hugged her again and whispered, “We’ll take care of him. I promise.”

  Dylan must have seen trouble in her eyes, because his brows drew together and he excused himself from the guest he was talking with and stalked across the room. His eyes darted around, like he was looking for someone to blame for the worry in her eyes. But that person was inside her. Would he see that, too?

  “Babe?” He guided her over to the side of the room.

>   A pain speared through her chest, and she choked out, “Dylan.”

  Her phone vibrated, but she didn’t answer it. Dylan eyed her hip where the phone was rattling her grass skirt.

  “Aren’t you going to get that?” he asked.

  “Rocco just called. Ramsey fired his agent. He’s announcing it within the hour at the press conference.”

  He searched her eyes, the muscles in his jaw clenched. “Which means you should have been there after all.”

  “No, but it means I should be there now.”

  He crossed his arms and shifted his eyes away. The pit of her stomach sank like lead.

  She touched his arm and stepped closer. “I know how important tonight is to you and how hard it is, but…” She couldn’t even say the fucking words.

  “But it’s now or never. That’s how it works in your field.” He sighed and put his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. “This is one of those sucky times.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “But this could be a huge thing for you, and you need to do this.” He brushed her hair behind her ear and kissed her. “No man alive can say no to those coconuts.”

  She should feel relieved by his acceptance, but it didn’t help the twisting in her gut. “I hate you for convincing me to wear this. I won’t have time to change.”

  “Like I said…” He kissed her again, and when she didn’t smile, he deepened the kiss until she did. “We’ve got this, babe. I hate that you’re leaving, but I love that you’re driven. Besides, I have stuff to handle here.”

  “I hate that I’m leaving, and I love that you are crazy enough to love me back despite my job.” Her phone vibrated again. “I should go.”

  “Go.” He reached into his pocket and handed her his wallet. “There’s cash for a cab and credit cards. Use whatever you need.”

  She’d forgotten that she didn’t have her purse. She took a long look at the man who had changed her life, watched out for her, and loved her despite times like these, and her heart swelled and hurt at once. “Thank you. I’m so sorry, Dylan.”

  “Go get ’em, Summers. You’ve got this.”

  As she hurried out the door, she silently sent a thank-you up to the gods of boyfriends and climbed into one of the waiting cabs. “Javits Center, please.”

  As they pulled away from the curb, she took out her phone and called Miranda.

  “Did Rocco reach you?” Miranda sounded panicked. “I’ve been texting you.”

  “Yes. I’m on my way.”

  “Thank God, because every agent on this side of the world is here, and I think they all know, because everyone’s scrambling.”

  As the lights of the city blurred outside the cab window, Tiffany’s heart pounded a mile a minute. Usually, this was where she shined. No matter what the scenario, she stepped up to the plate and hit a home run. This was her moment of impact, making the sale, regardless of what clothes she had on or what was happening in her life. She knew her priorities and she was determined to succeed. But as she listened to Miranda tell her which of her competition was there, it all felt wrong. Her mind wasn’t on the contract. It wasn’t racing through a pitch to seal the deal. It was wrapped around the amazing man she’d left behind, wondering who would recognize that when his lips curved up a certain way it was a forced smile that really meant he was having trouble with a memory of his sister? Who would be there with pride in their eyes meant just for him, showing him that he’d done the right thing, as he always did?

  She had her priorities straight. The problem was, they’d changed.

  “Miranda,” she interrupted. “I need a favor.”

  “DYLAN, THERE YOU are.” Tiffany’s father joined him by the bar. “I haven’t seen my kiddo around. Where’s she hiding?”

  “She got a call from Rocco. Apparently Ramsey Sharpe fired his agent, and it was now or never.” Disappointment swept through him, and he felt guilty as hell for being a pussy. This was her career, and he was proud of her tenacity. But that didn’t mean he didn’t wish she could be there to enjoy the event with him, to stand beside him as he talked to people about his sister. To enjoy the end results of all their hard work.

  “Ramsey finally came to his senses,” Gunner said gruffly. “It’s about damn time. He won’t get a better agent than Tiffany. She cares.”

  “That she does,” Dylan agreed, and as a bevy of emotions passed through him, the disappointment washed away. She’d done the right thing by leaving. She was the right agent for Ramsey, and Ramsey would be lucky to have her. Amanda and Ally must have asked him twenty times if he was okay after Tiffany left. Amanda made sure he knew just how hard that decision was for Tiffany, but she needn’t have. He knew his girlfriend well. She didn’t just have a loving heart. She had a generous soul and thought of everyone else before herself. And he knew he was at the top of that list.

  “You raised a remarkable woman,” he said to Gunner.

  Gunner sighed. “I think she practically raised herself. I was so busy trying to hold the family together, working long hours…To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing, raising a little girl. The day I told her that her mother left, she looked at me with those sad green eyes, lifted that dimpled chin of hers like she had the strength of ten men inside her tiny body, and said, ‘Okay, Daddy. I’ll get my own bath ready.’”

  Dylan’s heart broke at the thought of Tiffany dealing with something so heavy at a time when her biggest concern should have been what game she was going to play or what color ribbon she’d wear in her hair. He gazed out at the crowd. More than two hundred people had shown up for the event. Some of them had been touched by heartache and some simply wanted to help others. The faces of children who had endured too much pain—some who had lost their battle, like Lorelei—surrounded them. In comparison, being abandoned by a parent seemed like small potatoes. But children didn’t compare their lives to anyone else’s. Tiffany’s world had turned upside down in one afternoon, just like his life had when they’d lost Lorelei.

  Gunner cleared his throat, bringing Dylan’s mind back to the moment. “She’s strong, but don’t let her fool you, Dylan. She’s got a soft heart. She just keeps it buried beneath thick skin.”

  “She’s never fooled me. Not for one minute.” He looked across the room at the tall, dark figure of a man gazing up at the picture of Lorelei, recognizing his father’s broad back and commanding stance. A chill moved through him.

  “Excuse me for a moment.” As Dylan crossed the floor, he caught sight of Carson talking with Heath and Logan Wild. He was glad Carson hadn’t noticed their father. They didn’t need an uncomfortable family moment tonight. His mother sat at a table with Mick and Amanda.

  Mick glanced at him, nodding once. A silent I’ve got Mom passing between them.

  “You heading for Dad?” Brett asked gruffly as he came to his side.

  Dylan nodded, thinking about their mother and what she’d said about their father and Brett needing to blame someone for Lorelei’s death. They’d had enough arguments with their father over the years. They didn’t need to bring anger into this event. He grabbed Brett’s arm and stopped walking.

  “You know what? I’m not doing this. He won’t have anything good to say.” He looked around the room at all the support that had come together, and the last thing he wanted was to demean any of it.

  “You sure?” Brett asked.

  “Yeah. Go. He’s not worth it.” He watched his brother walk away, and when he looked back toward his father, he was heading directly for him.

  “Christ,” Dylan said under his breath, and stood taller. He hated that his father still had the power to make his night hell, and readied himself for an uncomfortable conversation.

  “Dylan!”

  He turned at the breathless sound of Tiffany’s voice. She was hurrying across the ballroom floor. Her hair flew out behind her, and her long legs broke through her grass skirt with every stride. His father forgotten, he went to her.

  “What’s wrong? W
hat are you doing here?” He did a visual sweep of her face, looking for trouble, but she looked deliriously happy.

  “This is where I belong,” she said. “I shouldn’t have left. I’m sorry.”

  “No, babe. I’m fine. Really. Don’t risk everything because of me.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck with a loving, elated look in her eyes. “I’m not risking everything. I’m risking the right things.”

  She was there, in his arms, and everything in the world felt right and wrong at the same time. He loved her with every ounce of his soul, whether she’d gone to try to sign Ramsey or not. Didn’t she know that? They could get through tonight, and anything else that was thrown their way.

  “Sweet girl, this is your life, your career. I don’t want to mess that up for you. I told you I was okay and I am. I promise.”

  She smiled, a soft laugh escaping her lips. “You’re my life, Dylan. You’re my everything. Please, please kiss me and pretend like I’m not the neurotic girl who left you half an hour ago.”

  As she touched her lips to his, he felt another, darker presence, and they both turned toward his father. Anger had been his father’s constant companion for so many years, it took Dylan a moment to register the sadness glistening in his father’s deep-set eyes. It threw Dylan off, and he stumbled to find his voice.

  “D-dad?” He tightened his arm around Tiffany’s waist, a protective layer against the man who had ripped apart his family. “This is my girlfriend, Tiffany Winters. Tiffany, this is my father, Gerard Bad.”

  She smiled and offered a hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Gerard looked at her hand and nodded without taking it. “The pleasure is all mine, trust me.”

  His voice didn’t carry the air of confidence Dylan was used to, which made him even more uncomfortable.

  His dad shifted his dark eyes to Dylan, and Dylan swore he saw something he hadn’t seen in years looking back at him. Pride. He had the urge to hug the man he hadn’t embraced in too many years to count. His father’s choice, not his. After a while he’d stopped reaching out, because the denial wasn’t worth the pain. And he didn’t trust the strange impulse now, while his emotions were still reeling from everything Tiffany had said.