The Dating Series

by L. P. Dover

  Lucky fucking bastard.

  The second the seat next to Leah becomes available, my ass is out of my chair and I’m sliding onto the wooden bar stool. I place another order and wait for Leah to recognize my voice. When she turns, she actually smiles at me.

  “Hey, Greyson.”

  “Good evening, Leah. Looking as beautiful as ever.” There will never be a day when I don’t tell her how pretty she is. Leah blushes and the sight of her red cheeks goes right to my cock. I can think of plenty of more ways I’d like to make her blush.

  “So, what do you say?” the guy next to her asks. I listen in because why wouldn’t I?

  “About what?” Leah asks.

  “Awe, come on,” he coos. “You. Me. The hot tub in my suite.”

  Fuck that. He’s wishful thinking.

  Leah giggles. “Sounds fun, but I’m allergic to chlorine.”

  What? No she isn’t. I start to cough, and she gives me the side eye.

  The guy is a moron. His head is too big to realize she’s blowing him off. “Wow that must suck. We can always head down to the beach, take a little dip into the ocean.”

  “The ocean?” she questions. “At night? I think that’s going to be a no for me.”

  “But babe, I know the guys from Wicked Tuna.”

  Leah’s mouth drops open and she gasps. “Do you know who I know?”

  “Tell me,” he leans in pure excitement. I do the same because I’m curious.

  “Okay, well do you watch golf?”

  If she says her brother, I’ll laugh my ass off.

  He brushes off his shoulder, looking like a complete idiot. He’s not fooling anyone. “Watch it? Hell, honey, I play it. Did you want to go hit a couple balls?”

  Yes, please go kick his ass, Leah. I know you can. However, I don’t want her anywhere alone with that douchebag.

  Leah holds a hand over her chest while exaggerating her voice. “Wow, I didn’t know I was in the presence of a professional golfer.”

  He chuckles. “Well, now, I wouldn’t go that far.”

  I would because I’m sitting right next to her.

  “Back to my question,” Leah says, “do you want to know who I know?”

  He nods and leans in. His fingers are touching her arm, which really pisses me off. Leah’s not mine, but I know she’s not into this guy. She tells me she doesn’t like me, but I know she tolerates me. “I think you should get to know me,” he says.

  Leah picks his hand up and sets it back in his own space, but he’s not taking no for an answer. I can see the impatience in his eyes. This isn’t going to turn out well at all.

  “Come on, babe. You’ve been playing hard to get all night. I’ve bought you drinks, talked to you, it’s time to give me what I earned.” He grabs her forearm roughly and that’s when I’ve had enough.

  “Let her go,” I say in the most demanding voice I can.

  “Who the fuck are you?” the asshole asks.

  “The one making sure you remove your hand from my friend’s arm before I remove it for you.”

  The guy stands, and I do the same. He has to look up at me, which sends my ego soaring.

  “Greyson,” Leah’s voice is calm, and it makes me wonder if she’s trying to protect me from hurting myself or getting hurt. “He’s just a drunk guy at a hotel bar.”

  “We should take this outside so I can kick your ass,” the guy spits.

  I laugh because that’s fucking funny. I eye Eli in the corner, he’s watching intently. If this guy makes one move, Eli won’t hesitate to beat some ass.

  “Actually,” I say, taking Leah’s hand in mine. “We were just leaving.” I pull Leah behind me and out of the bar. We turn toward the lobby and head outside. I fully expect the guy to follow but he’s not behind us. It’s a shame because I really would’ve loved to pound that cocksucker’s face in.

  “Who was that guy?” I ask. It’s crazy how protective I feel over her.

  “I don’t know. I had dinner with my parents earlier and thought I’d unwind. He sat down and at first I thought he was cute, but he kept drinking and encouraging me to drink.”

  “How much have you had?”

  “One glass of wine and then I switched to water. I didn’t want to leave the bar because I thought he would follow me. When I saw Eli walk in, I saw my escape, but a group of women attacked him right away.”

  “He would’ve pushed them away for you Leah. Despite the tension between your brother and me, Eli would put your first.”

  Her eyes meet mine. “Just like you?”

  I nod.

  “Thank you for what you did. I didn’t see you come in but when you sat next to me, I saw a window of opportunity.”

  I step forward and pick up the piece of hair hanging out from her ponytail. I play with it for a second before placing it behind her ear. “I like you Leah, and it’s not because it bothers your brother. I really do want to take you out on a date.”

  A mischievous smile spreads across her face. “Just because you saved me tonight doesn’t give you a free date pass.”

  There’s a massive smile on my face and the words are sitting on the tip of my tongue, but my head is slowly shaking. “I don’t have a hero complex and I don’t want you to regret the yes you’ll give me.” I shrug. I lean in and press my lips to her cheek and whisper, “Tomorrow. You and me. Golf match. Eight a.m. If I win, you go on a date with me.”

  She slowly steps away from me and nods, still grinning that devilish smile of hers. “Deal. Tomorrow it is then.”

  The game is on. I had to win.

  Four

  Leah

  Am I playing with fire? Unfortunately, yes. Does it excite me? More than I’m even willing to admit. I’m not the kind of woman to always play it safe, but I’m responsible enough to know what I should and should not do. Getting involved with Greyson is a gamble. It can either be a good thing or a monumental bad thing. In this case, I’m up in the air. After last night, I’m so glad he showed up when he did. Luckily, I can take care of myself and I would’ve kicked that guy in the balls if he tried to follow me to my room. But it was kind of sexy to have Greyson come to my rescue.

  Now all I have to do is keep my family from finding out my plans for the day. It shouldn’t be too hard as long as I can keep my father and brother from getting on the course. It just so happens that all the men are going boat shopping. My father wants to buy one which means they will be out in the water, test driving boats. My mother and all her sisters and aunts are going shopping again. I already have a closet full of clothes to last me a lifetime. I rarely wear them anyway. Now that I’m a nurse, I wear scrubs five days a week.

  My family are early risers, so we already met for breakfast and it’s now ten minutes till eight. Afterwards, I rushed back up to my room to change into a black golf skirt and a green sleeveless polo top. I have my sunglasses and my black Nike hat to hopefully disguise who I am if anyone were to see me with Greyson. My dad doesn’t have a problem with him, but Bryan would lose his mind if he saw me with Greyson. Not only does he hate Greyson, but he’s your typical big brother, always trying to protect me. Greyson has been known to break hearts. It’s a good thing I don’t easily give mine away.

  The clock keeps ticking down and it’s time to go. I slip my phone into my purse and head out of my room towards the elevators. Thankfully, I don’t see any of my family members on the way out of the resort to the pro shop. The pathway is lined with palm trees and I love it. Before reaching the pro shop, I slide my ponytail through my hat and slip on my sunglasses. Up ahead, I can see Greyson strapping our clubs to the back of the cart. Looks like we’re riding together. His khaki pants hug him in all the right places and his light blue polo shirt fits his arms snugly, showing off how sculpted they are.

  Dammit, Leah, you can’t be thinking this way! He’s the enemy. Then again, why does the enemy have to be so hot? And why did I agree to such a bet? I may be a good golfer, but the only way to beat him is if he’s off his g
ame today. Judging by the twinkle in his eyes as he watches me approach, I think I’m in way over my head.

  “Good morning, beautiful. You ready to play?”

  My heart skips a beat, but I blame it on the June heat getting to me. “I am,” I call out. When I get closer, I nod at my clubs. “I’m surprised the guys in the shop let you have my clubs without me giving them the okay.”

  He shrugs, giving me a playful wink. “They love me in there.”

  I roll my eyes. “I bet they do. How much did you pay them?”

  Chuckling, he hops in the cart and pats the seat beside him. “Don’t you worry about that. Come on, let’s go.” His eyes graze over my body and he smiles. “Judging by the incognito look, I’m assuming you don’t want people knowing it’s you with me.”

  I slide into the cart and laugh. “Hey, I have a reputation to protect. I’m not part of the PGA you boys like to pick women from.”

  He bursts out laughing and presses on the gas. “You mean the Party Groupie Association?”

  Just hearing it sounds absurd, but it’s actually a thing. There are plenty of women who will do anything to be a part of it. I’ve heard some of the conversations between golfers at many of the tournaments. Not to mention, Bryan has told me countless stories of what goes on behind the scenes. Take for instance, if a guy calls a girl a “double bogey” that means she’s willing to have anal sex. If someone is referred to as a “water hole” it means she’s only into oral. The list goes on and on. If my own brother has partaken in the secret club, I have no doubt Greyson has as well. Not that I can blame him. He’s a single guy with countless ladies waiting to be his next conquest.

  “Yes,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest, “I bet you’ve had your pick of the ladies.”

  We stop at the first hole and he slams the cart into park. His laugh dies down and he shakes his head. “You really don’t have a high opinion of me, do you?”

  I shrug. “I just know how you guys are. My dad admits to having his fun before he met my mother. Even my brother used to scope the ladies out at the tournaments before he got married.”

  Greyson gets out of the cart and reaches for his driver. “I’m not going to lie, yeah, I had my fun there for a while. It’s not like I had a wife to go home to.” He walks to my side of the cart and stares down at me, his expression serious. “Can you blame me?”

  Can I? No, not at all. I’ve heard it all through my brother’s eyes and I still love him. He’s not like that anymore and I know he loves his wife and would never hurt her. “No,” I answer in all honesty. “Believe it or not, I do understand. I guess that’s why both my dad and brother tell me to stay away from the golfers, or any professional athlete for that matter.” I laugh as I remember it all. We were all at the dinner table one evening and they kept listing every type of guy I should stay away from. “Actually, they told me to stay away from anyone famous. My dad wants me to find a normal man.”

  Greyson reaches in across me and grabs one of his balls. The scent of his cologne wafts past my nose and I quietly breathe him in. He smiles and walks up to his tee box to line up his ball. “Finding a normal man will be easy for you. Everywhere you go, men want you.” He practices his swing and then turns to face me. “The problem is this, Leah. A normal man won’t be able to make you happy. You’re going to want more than that.”

  I don’t know what to say to that. Is he right? Deep down, I know he is. I’ve dated several men over the years, but none of them have had that fire. That excitement that burns me from the inside out. I can see that fire in Greyson, but he’s forbidden. My family will never approve of him.

  Greyson drives the ball right down the middle of the fairway. A perfect shot. He watches it and a triumphant smile spreads across his face. He came to win.

  “You know what I’m going to want?” I say as he gets back in the cart.

  “What?”

  “Luck. You’re obviously going to kick my ass today.”

  He bursts out laughing and drives me down to my tee box. “When I want something, I get it. We made a deal. You lose, I get to take you out on a date. I have it in my head that I’m going to win.” I’m just curious to see what he’s going to want if he wins. A date, yes, but what else?

  I pull out my driver and tee up my ball. When my club connects, the ball goes soaring through the sky, right down the middle. Greyson claps and laughs. “Looks like I’m not the only one who came to win.”

  When I get back in the cart, we head down to our balls which are only about five yards apart. “Speaking of winning,” I begin, “we need to come up with the terms. I already know that if you win, you want a date.”

  He nods. “Exactly. Tomorrow. I want the whole day with you. You have to do everything I want.”

  I hold up my hands. “Within reason. I’m not having sex with you.”

  He throws his head back and laughs so loud it echoes across the course. “I’m not a complete asshole, Leah. I would never ask that. I have something planned and I think you’ll like it. It’ll be fun.” He winks. “I just hope I win.” As much as I didn’t think I’d be able to, I have the feeling I can trust him. “Now what about you?” he asks. “What do you want if you win?”

  I honestly have no idea. I say the first thing that comes to my mind. “Ten thousand dollars.”

  Greyson’s eyes widen. “Damn. That’s a nice chunk of change.”

  “Scared?” I tease.

  He holds out his hand. “Not in the least. I’ll be happy to pay it if you win.”

  We shake hands and I smile. “Good. It’s all settled then.”

  The game is on.

  We make it through the first nine holes and I’m behind two strokes. He’s either birdied or parred all of the holes while I tanked on the eighth hole with a bogey. We have nine more holes to go and I don’t think I’ll be catching up with the way Greyson is playing.

  “So tell me,” he calls out as he tees up his ball. “What made you want to come to Charleston with your family?”

  I lean back against the seat. “It’s not exactly that I wanted to,” I laugh. “I’m here for our annual family reunion. Every year we go somewhere different. Bryan and I always get coerced into going.”

  Greyson laughs and hits his ball perfectly. “Nice. My family doesn’t do anything like that.” He gets back in the cart and drives me to my tee box. “The Jennings’ aren’t exactly close. Don’t get me wrong, I see my parents regularly, but I haven’t seen my aunts, uncles, or cousins in years. We’re all scattered across the U.S.”

  “So are both sides of my family,” I say, “but my mother’s side is adamant on doing these reunions. I only see my father’s side on Christmas.” Since we’re on a par three hole, I grab my nine iron out of my bag.

  “What are you going to tell your brother if he finds out you’re with me today?”

  I walk up to my tee box and sigh. “Well, I’m hoping he doesn’t. At least, for your sake. He’ll hate you even more than he does now. Especially after that whole stunt you pulled about going to the press and saying he faked his wrist injury because he was scared of losing to you.”

  I glance at him over my shoulder and he shrugs. “It was a joke. A funny one at the time, but obviously, it wasn’t a good idea. I’m sorry about that.”

  “I’m not the one you should apologize to.”

  He groans. “Your brother would rather beat the shit out of me instead of listen to an apology. It’s too late for that.”

  It’s my time to shrug. “Never know unless you try.”

  I line up at the ball and swing my club. The ball lands perfectly on the green.

  “Good shot. You might gain a stroke on me with this one.”

  We ride up to the green and get out with our putters. I’m closer to the hole than he is so he has to putt first. He gets into position and taps the ball. It goes straight toward the hole and skims the rim as it passes. Inside, I’m screaming with joy, but I keep my composure. Taking a deep breath, I grip my putter an
d let my breath out slow. I tap the ball gently, but with enough force to get to the hole, and it goes right in.

  Greyson grins and taps his into the hole. “Nice. You’re only one stroke behind me now.”

  “With eight more holes to go. I can totally catch up.”

  He gets our balls out of the hole and tosses mine to me. “Why didn’t you want to be a professional golfer? You could seriously kick ass in the LPGA.”

  I slide my putter back into my bag. “There was a time when I considered it, but it’s not what I wanted to do with my life. I like being a nurse and being at the hospital. It’s where I belong.”

  “Was your dad okay with that? I’m sure he would’ve loved to see you follow in his footsteps.”

  I shrug. “Yes, he would’ve, but he knows I’m happy. Both he and my mother have supported me in everything I’ve done.” We get in the cart and head to the next hole. “What about you? Do your parents support your golfing?”

  He laughs. “They do more than anything.” Then his expression goes solemn. “I didn’t grow up with much but when they saw I had an affinity for golf, they nurtured it. They worked extra hours so they could afford golf lessons. I got a scholarship and played my way through college. Then, when I got out, I started to play professionally. I made sure to pay them back for everything they’ve done for me. That’s why I bought them a retirement cabin in the North Carolina mountains. It’s where they always wanted to be.”

  Out of all the things I knew about Greyson, I had no clue he grew up with little money. I’m sure it’s not something he tells a lot of people. “That’s really sweet, Greyson. I know they have to be proud of you.”

  He nods. “I hope so.”

  The more time I spend with him, the more I realize I’ve been wrong about him. He may be arrogant at times, but there’s a deeper side to him, one I actually like.

  “You ready for the next hole?” he asks.

  He looks over at me and I smile. “Let’s go.”