Fool Me Once (Bad Boy Romance) Read online

  “Oh, I can see by the look on your face just how much you’re going to hate the groveling,” he teased.

  I shrugged. “She’s pretty, funny and I do like her.”

  “I warned you. I won’t insult you by saying it again, but you better be good to our Evie.”

  I made a cross over my heart with my finger. “I heard your warning, loud and clear. I’ll be on my best behavior. I’ve got your number. I’ll give you a call if she fires me as her patient.”

  Kale chuckled. “She just might. She’s a tough woman.”

  “Yes, she is.”

  I jumped out of his truck and waved goodbye before heading back inside. The moment I walked through the door, my smile slipped away, and I grimaced. My arm was killing me. I headed straight for the bottle of ibuprofen, hoping it would be enough to dull the pain. I had the muscle relaxers the team doctor had prescribed, but I had managed to get by thus far without taking them. I didn’t want to take them. I didn’t like the way I felt when I took the damn things. I’d learned that a long time ago after I damn near busted my ankle during a treadmill mishap. Since then, I’d made it a point to do my running on the ground. Treadmills were unnatural and dangerous as far as I was concerned.

  I thought about calling the clinic and asking to speak with Evie. I knew she was going to be pissed that I had missed my session. I should have called to explain. I made a mental note to get her damn phone number when I did see her. I could have told her I was going to cancel but I would see her later. I pulled the ice pack from the freezer and held it to my shoulder. I hoped the gun hadn’t made the injury worse. It sure as hell felt worse.

  “You’re an idiot,” I grumbled, moving to sit on the couch.

  I flipped on the TV, vowing to take it easy the rest of the day. I would ice the shoulder and do nothing to irritate it further.

  Chapter 16

  Evie

  This was exactly why a person should never mix business with pleasure, no matter how good the pleasure was. It never mixed well. There was always going to be fallout, no matter how many promises were made that it would all be okay. It never was. It was why the phrase was invented in the first place. That and the don’t shit where you eat phrase was also applicable. I had slept with a client, a client with some pretty strict rules in place about how he was to be dealt with. I needed to review the NDA and make damn sure I didn’t violate some other rule. I couldn’t afford to lose my job.

  I shook my head, pissed at myself and Dayton. I knew better. That’s what really pissed me off. I’d known better and I went and did it anyway. I checked the clock again and had to accept what it was. Dayton wasn’t going to show up. The fucker had gotten what he wanted and took off. To think I’d spent all morning worrying about how awkward it was going to be seeing him in the bright light of day after he’d seen me naked. He’d solved that problem.

  There was a soft knock on the back door of the room, and I knew exactly who it would be. “Come in,” I called out, sitting down on my stool and preparing myself for the ass chewing I was about to get.

  Tom poked his head in, as if he were afraid to interrupt an appointment. When he saw the room was empty, he came in and put his hands on his hips. “Dayton Black isn’t here.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I see that.”

  “He didn’t call?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “Did you ask Terry?”

  “I did. She didn’t get a phone call from him or his doctors.”

  “Odd,” I mumbled.

  “What happened yesterday? Did you say something? Do something that offended him?” he asked.

  I scowled at him. “Why are you asking me what’s wrong? Ask him. He’s the one that didn’t show up.”

  “Did he say anything yesterday to indicate he was unhappy with the service?” Tom asked nervously.

  I shook my head. Last I’d seen Dayton, he’d been a very happy, satisfied customer, but I couldn’t exactly tell Tom that. “He was fine. Said his arm felt better after I worked on it. We didn’t talk much, we never do.”

  “Maybe you need to be more friendly towards him,” he suggested.

  I almost burst into laughter at the suggestion. I had gone above and beyond being friendly. I had fucked him on his kitchen counter. I wasn’t sure how much friendlier I could have been. Again, I couldn’t very well tell Tom I had given Dayton everything he wanted.

  “I was plenty friendly. Maybe something came up. He isn’t the first client to not show up. It happens,” I assured him.

  He nodded his head. “I’ll have Terry call him and see if everything is okay. I would think with as much as there is riding on that arm of his getting back in shape, he’d show up to his damn appointments!” he muttered, walking out of the room.

  I let out a long sigh. I knew Dayton was very serious about getting the full use of his arm back. The only thing I could think of was he’d gotten what he wanted from me and was now on to greener pastures. He was probably on a plane headed back to California as I sat in the room. He’d go back to his fancy doctors and skilled therapists and get what he needed to get back in the game. I had been a minor bump in his road, a way to pass the time while he hid out from his adoring public.

  I only had one more appointment for the day, which I was thankful for. It was going to be a real struggle to keep my mind focused. All I could think about was how badly I’d screwed up. I hated the idea of being used. He’d used me for a quick fuck, and I had happily obliged. Not again. I wouldn’t fall for the bullshit any more.

  After work, I drove straight to my mom’s house, as usual. The moment I stepped through the door, I could smell her famous lemon chicken and brown rice. My stomach growled.

  “Hey, Mom,” I called out, walking into the kitchen and finding the pan of chicken on the stove.

  “Hey, you. I made your favorite,” she announced, wiping her hands on a dish towel.

  “I smell it and it smells delicious.” My eyes widened when I saw the basket of rolls. “No way! You made rolls!”

  She smiled. “I had a little extra time and I figured why not.”

  “Oh my God. You are going to make me gain twenty pounds,” I mumbled, snatching a hot roll from the basket.

  I bit into the fluffy bread and moaned.

  “Sit down and eat like a human,” she scolded.

  I stuffed the role in my mouth, freeing up my hands so I could grab a couple plates from the cupboard. I took them to the table and sat down, eager to dig in to the dinner she had prepared. With our plates heaped with her delicious offerings, we both stuffed our faces. I was happy to see she had a healthy appetite. She’d lost a lot of weight over the last year. She needed to eat.

  “How’s work?” she asked conversationally.

  I grimaced. “It’s fine.”

  “What was that look for?”

  “I have a new client, but I can’t tell anyone who it is,” I told her. It was almost painful to keep anything from her.

  “Evie, really? You can’t tell me?” she asked.

  I groaned. “Fine. It’s Dayton Black.”

  Her eyes went wide. “I didn’t know he was back in town!”

  “He isn’t. I mean, nobody is supposed to know he’s here. You cannot say anything!” I warned.

  She rolled her eyes. “I can keep a secret. I know his parents. Martha is such a sweet lady and an excellent cook. We volunteer at the nursing home together.”

  “His parents are the only other people who know he is in town,” I told her.

  She nodded her head. “If I remember correctly, Dayton is just a year or two older than you.”

  “Yes, he is.”

  “If my memory also serves me well, he was a very handsome young man. I remember him being very tall. Martha told me he is on the way to being a big star in the baseball world,” she said with a sly smile.

  “Mom, do not get any ideas. He’s a client,” I insisted.

  She smiled. “For how long? I know that look. You’re interested in him.”


  I shook my head. “Nope. He’s a client, nothing more.”

  “Liar. You two would make a cute couple.” She grinned.

  “No way. He’s into the big city girls, all stylish and pretty. He is used to women falling at his feet and wearing fancy dresses and carrying around purses that cost more than I make in a year. We are not compatible,” I protested.

  She took a bite of her chicken, slowly nodding her head. “I don’t know, that seems like a lot of protesting for such a small comment.”

  “Mom,” I groaned.

  “You’re better than those city girls. He would be lucky to have you. How do you know you aren’t the kind of woman he needs in his life? He might be tired of the rat race and want to settle down with a good country girl like you,” she said with a wink.

  I shook my head. “I’m not interested. Besides, he’s going back to his team as soon as he is healed up. He isn’t here permanently. We are only a pit stop in his rising star status.”

  She pursed her lips. “Someone sounds a little grumpy.”

  “I’m not grumpy, but I’m not going to bother wasting time on someone like Dayton Black. I think there are far more important things in life to worry about.”

  “Like your health? Like whether or not you want to risk losing a man because you might get sick?” she asked softly.

  I shook my head. “No and yes. I mean, I’m not ready for that.”

  “Sweetie, no one is ever ready.”

  “Mom, please, can we just enjoy this meal you made? It is so good, and I want to eat it while it is hot. If I talk with my mouth full, you’re going to yell at me,” I mumbled.

  “Fine, but you’re young. You need to have fun and quit worrying about the future. What will happen will happen. All you can do is take it all in and do your best to keep your head up.”

  I nodded. “Thank you. I will keep that in mind.”

  We finished our dinner without talking about Dayton again. I helped clean up before giving her a quick hug and heading home. I kept thinking about what she had said. She knew me too well. I was afraid of an uncertain future. I walked into my bedroom and stripped off the polo shirt and my bra. I stood in front of the mirror, giving myself a breast exam. I was an old pro at them now. I probably did them too often, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to miss the first signs and devoted a great deal of attention to my breasts.

  I wasn’t strong enough to live through what my mother had. The minute she’d been diagnosed, my father had vowed to stick by her side. It wasn’t until the doctor had laid out the treatment plan that things got rough. He advocated for her to keep her breasts, despite the risk of her getting sicker. It had pissed me off something fierce. I couldn’t believe he could be so selfish.

  The day she scheduled her surgery, he walked out and never looked back. He made it clear he couldn’t be with a woman with no breasts. It was maddening and disgusting at the same time that he could be such a selfish jackass. My mother had given her whole life to him and when she needed him most, he’d bailed. He left her without the help she needed to get through the surgery and the recovery. I had done all I could, but I wasn’t the same thing as her husband of nearly thirty years.

  I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t be with a man, be happily married or believe I was in love, only to be dropped like a hot potato when I lost my breasts. It was a horribly rotten thing to have happen. My mother had tried so hard to be strong and insisted it was better he left because she didn’t need his negativity in her life, but I knew it tore her up inside. I had stayed awake many a night worried she would give up because she was made to feel like she wasn’t beautiful anymore. Like she wasn’t worthy of being loved.

  She hadn’t given up and had only fought harder. I wasn’t like her. I couldn’t do it. I had convinced myself it was better to be alone and used to standing on my own two feet than to get involved with a man only to be dumped on my ass when he discovered I was defective, that I would likely not always have healthy breasts for him to admire.

  I could see Dayton being a lot like my dad. The man was gorgeous and used to being with beautiful women. I doubted he’d be interested in me if I had no breasts. It was best he was out of my life. I’d had my fun and now it was time to get back to business.

  With the exam complete and nothing found, I slipped my shirt back on, leaving my bra off as I went about getting ready for bed. I knew I was going to be in for a sleepless night, mulling over past regrets and secretly hoping I never had to see Dayton’s face again.

  Chapter 17

  Dayton

  I thought about going in for my therapy appointment early with the hopes of getting a few minutes of Evie’s time outside the room. I quickly dismissed the idea, reminding myself I risked being seen if I went too early. I hoped she wouldn’t be angry, but a part of me knew she would. I would apologize and make sure she knew it would never happen again.

  I walked into the clinic and looked at the receptionist, trying to take the temperature of the people that had been kind enough to give me a top spot on their schedule. I felt a bit like a dick for not showing up yesterday. It was a very Hollywood thing to do. I didn’t want to be a diva. I didn’t want them to think it was normal behavior. My parents, especially my dad, would rip me a new one if they found out what I’d done. They had always been very serious about always being punctual and respectful of other people’s time. It was all about responsibility. They raised me to be respectful and responsible and for the most part, I felt I was. Until yesterday.

  “Hi,” I said, pulling off the sunglasses and offering her one of my practiced smiles.

  “Hi,” she said, a little coolly.

  My smile wasn’t having the desired effect. I turned it up a notch, hoping to thaw the room.

  “Should I go in?” I asked, almost worried she was going to tell me Evie had canceled my appointment.

  “Yes, she’s waiting,” she said, offering me the smallest smile.

  “Thank you, Terry,” I said, reading the badge on her shirt.

  Her smile got a little brighter. Using the first name was a trick I had picked up many years ago. It disarmed reporters and made the people I was talking to feel a little more special. I nodded and walked to the door, taking a deep breath and opening it. Evie was sitting on her stool, her back to me as she tapped on a laptop. She turned to look at me, irritation all over her face.

  “Oh, you made it,” she said dryly. “I was thinking maybe you jumped on a plane and headed back to the sun and sand.”

  “Evie, I’m sorry about yesterday. I should have called and cancelled. I’m really sorry,” I said, hoping to clear the air right away. I did my best to look apologetic, I literally put my hat in my hand and gave her my best puppy dog eyes.

  She shrugged, unmoved by what I thought was a very good apology. “Whatever. It’s your money. We do have a clause in our contract for missed appointments. You’ll still have to pay.”

  I grinned. “Duly noted.”

  “I’m sure it isn’t a big deal to you, but other clients see it as a big motivator to properly cancel their appointments,” she grumbled.

  “I understand. I really do. It won’t happen again,” I assured her.

  Her expression was blank as she gestured to the table. “Have a seat.”

  “Evie, please, don’t be angry. I’m sorry. I should have called. I wanted to call you, but I don’t have your personal number.”

  “No, you don’t. I don’t give clients my phone number,” she snapped.

  “I’m not just a client,” I replied.

  “Is that why you no showed yesterday? We crossed a line and now you don’t take this seriously?” she asked.

  I shook my head. “No. Absolutely not. A friend showed up unexpectedly and we spent the day together,” I explained.

  She got up, her movements jerky as she grabbed the lotion. “Oh.”

  “It was a guy friend. Kale. He said he knows you, or of you,” I clarified.

  “I don’t care.”

&n
bsp; I smiled. “Yes, you do.”

  She shook her head. “Nope. I couldn’t care less.”

  I let it go. She wasn’t going to let me know if it bothered her or not, but I was betting it did. I pulled off my shirt and waited for her to turn around and look at me. She was avoiding making eye contact. I wasn’t sure if it was because she was mad or because she was embarrassed by what had happened between us.

  When she finally looked at me, I smiled. I saw the little flare of desire in her eyes and knew she wasn’t completely unaffected by my topless state. I remembered her feeling my body quite well and how hot she had been doing it.

  “Evie, look at me, please,” I said when she looked away.

  She took a deep breath and met my eyes. “What?”

  “Don’t be angry with me, please?” I asked her in a gentle voice.

  “I’m not angry. Can we get on with this appointment?” she asked, her tone short and irritated.

  I wasn’t going to get anywhere with her. I turned and got on my stomach, keeping my mouth closed while she worked over my very tender arm.

  “Ow,” I muttered when she deeply massaged the injured shoulder.

  “What did you do yesterday?” she asked.

  I cringed, knowing she was going to be displeased to hear the truth. “I went skeet shooting.”

  “What? Why in the hell would you do something so stupid?” she shouted.

  “I didn’t. I mean, I shot once and realized it was going to make the injury worse and immediately stopped,” I told her.

  “Oh my God, Dayton,” she cajoled, lightening her touch and carefully moving her hands over the area.

  “I know. It was stupid. I thought it would be okay, but after the one shot, I realized it wasn’t going to work. I stopped,” I assured her.

  “Skeet shooting?” she asked.

  I laughed. “Yes. Kale is a real outdoors guy. It’s nice to hang out and just be normal. I didn’t realize how much I missed real people until the last few days. I’ve been caught up in the idea of celebrity, not realizing how fake it all was. Everything is fake. It’s nothing but fake personalities and fake boobs. I like real people. I like doing things that are real. I think I’m tired of the fun shit that isn’t really fun, but we all pretend it’s fun because it’s cool.”