Fool Me Once (Bad Boy Romance) Page 11

  “Hmm,” she replied, offering nothing.

  I leaned up on one elbow. “Evie, stop for a minute,” I said, getting up to a sitting position.

  “What are you doing? I’m not done,” she protested.

  “I have a proposition for you,” I told her.

  She rolled her eyes. “No. I told you no more. Once was a mistake that I can one day forgive myself for. Twice is just plain stupid.”

  “Evie, it wasn’t a mistake. Please don’t think of it like that,” I insisted.

  “Dayton, I’m sure it might be normal for you to do that kind of thing in your world, but it isn’t okay in my world. I’m not like that. I don’t want to be like that. I have more self-respect than that. What happened between us was a moment of weakness; it won’t happen again,” she said firmly. “So, roll over and lay down.”

  “No. I can’t.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “You can’t?”

  I shook my head. “No. I don’t like this. I don’t want you to feel like it was a mistake, like I’m a mistake.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that. I only meant what I did was a mistake for me,” she said, trying to lessen the blow.

  “Same difference. Let’s go away together. I want to get you away from the office,” I told her.

  She scoffed. “Knock it off. Turn around so I can get this done.”

  “No, I’m serious. Let’s get out of here.”

  “What are you talking about? Did you get shot in the head yesterday?” she asked, her hands moving to my scalp.

  “No, I didn’t get shot in the head. I’m serious, we pack up and get away. Anywhere you want to go, we just go,” I told her enthusiastically.

  She sighed. “If you are being serious, you have to know I have a job. This is the kind of job where I have to show up every day. I can’t come and go as I please.”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  She laughed. “Oh, will you now?”

  “Yes, I will. Will you go away with me?” I asked again.

  “You’re serious?”

  I nodded. “I’m very serious. I want to get out of here. I want to get away where I can breathe and not feel like I’m being suffocated by anonymity or my mother. I love her dearly, but I need to escape.”

  “An escape does sound nice,” she murmured.

  I had her. I had her hooked. I grabbed my shirt and quickly pulled it on. “Is Tom here?”

  She nodded. “Yes, why?”

  “Because I’m going to talk to him.”

  “Dayton, we’re not done here,” she said.

  I shrugged. “You’re coming with me. I’ll have my own personal massage therapist with me. You can finish later.”

  “You want to go now?” she asked, her mouth falling open, her eyes wide.

  I nodded. “Yes, now. Can I go out this door?” I asked.

  “To do what?” she asked with confusion.

  “To talk to your boss,” I said.

  I pulled open the door and walked out. She pointed and I confidently strode down the hall. Evie was right on my heels.

  “Are you really serious?” she hissed.

  “Yes, I am. Which door?”

  She pointed to a door on the right. I knocked and waited for the invitation to enter. When I heard it, I walked in and smiled.

  “Dayton!” Tom jumped to his feet. He looked at Evie, who was now standing beside me. I could see him silently asking her what was going on.

  “Hi, Tom, how are you?” I asked, not really interested, but wanting to be polite.

  “I’m good, good. You?”

  “I’m great. Listen Tom, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  His face paled. “Oh, please, have a seat.”

  I glanced at Evie, who looked incredibly nervous. I took a seat, waiting for her to sit as well. When everyone was seated, I leaned forward. “Tom, I’d like to take Evie with me on a trip. She’s going to need the rest of the week cleared.”

  Tom blinked, looked at Evie and then back at me. “What?”

  “Evie has agreed to be my personal massage therapist on a trip I’ll be taking. I’m going to need you to clear her schedule,” I said firmly.

  At first, I thought Tom would reject my demand. He suddenly burst into a bright smile. “Okay, I can do that. Do you think you’ll be back on Monday?”

  I thought about it for a few seconds. “Yes, I can make sure she’s back.”

  “All right. Done. You have fun and get some rest,” Tom said and reached out to shake my hand.

  I got to my feet and shook his hand. “Thanks, Tom. I really appreciate that. We’ll see you later.” I waited for Evie to get up.

  She looked a little shell-shocked. I had a feeling she’d never been whisked away before. I was happy to be the first. I wanted to show her a good time. I wanted to show her she could have fun with me. I wasn’t the guy she thought I was. We had gotten off on the wrong foot. It was time to fix that. She was going to see that the Dayton Black she’d met on the first day wasn’t who I really was. That was my baseball persona. The real me was just a guy, looking to have a little fun with a nice woman.

  Chapter 18

  Evie

  I walked into the breakroom. Dayton was already waiting out front for me. I was fully expecting him to tell me he was just kidding as soon as I walked into the lobby. Tom probably put him up to it. It was payback for my little April Fool’s joke and he had somehow gotten Dayton to play along. That had to be it. I’d go along with it. Let him have his fun and then we could all get back to work.

  When I walked into the lobby, Terry was practically drooling over Dayton. He had his sunglasses and hat back on, standing in front of the windows and looking out into the street. I walked out, throwing my arms up and waiting for the punchline.

  “Okay, joke’s over, can I go back to work now?”

  Dayton turned around to face me. “Joke? What joke?”

  “You weren’t actually serious about all this. Tom put you up to it, didn’t he? He can never take a joke,” I groaned.

  “It isn’t a joke. I’m very serious. Are you ready?” he asked.

  I nodded. “I suppose, yes, I am.”

  “Great. Let’s go. I’ll follow you to your house. You can pack a bag and then we’ll take my rental to the airport,” he said as if he were planning nothing big.

  I didn’t know what kind of life he lived, but I didn’t jump on a plane and go anywhere. I had been on a plane a few times, but it was always done with a great deal of planning. I would have been packed for a week before the big trip. I wasn’t used to throwing things in a bag and making a quick escape.

  “Fine,” I mumbled, still waiting for him to say it was all a joke.

  I got in the car and started down the road, looking in my rearview mirror to see if he was truly following me. I was skeptical for good reason. Guys like Dayton Black didn’t blow into town and pick me up and take me away on an unplanned vacation. It just didn’t happen.

  When I pulled into my driveway, he was still here. “Holy shit,” I whispered before opening the door to get out of the car.

  He followed me into the house and it suddenly felt very small. He was wandering around my living room, looking at the pictures. “Is this your mom?” he asked, pointing at a picture of us at the end of a walkathon.

  I nodded. “Yes. Dayton, I know I keep asking, but are you really serious about this?”

  He walked to me, put his hands on my shoulders and made me look him in the eye. “I’m serious. This is serious. We’re running away together.”

  I took a deep breath. “Okay, then. I guess I’ll go pack.”

  I walked into my bedroom, opening the closet and pulling out my suitcase, which was still in new condition. That was how often I’d used it in the five years that I’d owned it. I started tossing clothes in, having no idea what to pack. I packed for cold weather. I packed for a beach. I packed so much I couldn’t close the damn thing. I took a step back, giving myself a second to pull it
together. I didn’t even know how many days I was packing for! I decided to keep everything and sat on the case, tugging the zipper closed.

  With the suitcase threatening to explode, I wheeled it behind me and walked back into the living room.

  “I guess I’m ready,” I said, still feeling like I was in a dream.

  “Okay, now the only thing left to do is figure out where in the hell we’re going,” he said with a laugh.

  “You don’t know?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “No. If you could go anywhere, where would it be?”

  I thought about it for a second. “Somewhere with mountains?” I said, more of a question than a statement.

  He nodded. “I like the mountains.”

  “So, now what?” I asked.

  “Now we go to my house and I pack a bag and make travel arrangements,” he replied.

  “Okay,” I said, watching him pick up my suitcase with his good arm and carry it out to the SUV.

  I got into the passenger seat, trying to catch up with everything that was happening. It was crazy. I had never done anything so spontaneous. I sat back and let him drive me to his place.

  “Why don’t you grab a beer and have a seat while I pack and get us a flight?” he said.

  “Thank you, I will,” I said, realizing that was exactly what I needed to calm my nerves.

  I grabbed the beer and walked out to sit on the patio. I stared out at the yard and the fields beyond, shaking my head. I felt like I was caught up in a whirlwind or a speeding train. I knew I was going along as a willing participant, but I couldn’t help but feel like my participation was really not needed. Dayton was a force and I was no match for him.

  The idea of having the freedom to jump on a plane whenever the mood struck was exciting. Mallory would be absolutely green with jealousy if she knew. She didn’t know. Could I tell her? I couldn’t tell her. When I could, then I would relish her turning green. It would go great with her black hair, I thought with a small laugh.

  I heard the door open and turned to see Dayton walking out. He sat down at the table, a grin on his face. “Ready?” he asked.

  “To?”

  “Our flight leaves in two hours.”

  My mouth dropped open. “Really?”

  He was still smiling. “Yep.”

  “Can I ask where we’re going?”

  He wrinkled up his nose. “I don’t know. I kind of want it to be a surprise.”

  “Don’t you think it will be obvious when I get the plane ticket?” I said dryly.

  He laughed. “Probably. Let’s wait until then.”

  “Dayton, are you really sure about this? I feel very irresponsible. I have a life here. I have responsibilities. I can’t get up and leave,” I said, my nerves getting the best of me.

  “Evie, I know I don’t know you all that well, but I think you’re probably one of those people that is super responsible. The kind of person who doesn’t like to take chances,” he said.

  I shrugged. “I don’t. I have people relying on me. I have bills to pay. I don’t make a million dollars every time I throw a ball. I am a steady person and it has worked for me thus far.”

  “I say you have to grab life by the balls. You have to live when you can. Waiting for the right time is never going to happen. People always wait and then one day, it’s too late.”

  His words hit home more than he could imagine. My mom had never done anything really exciting. She and my dad had made plans for their retirement. They were going to go to Europe and live wild and free once I was out of the house. She didn’t get the chance and I knew it would be one of those things that haunted her for years. I had been secretly putting away a little money from each check so I could take her on that vacation of a lifetime.

  “I can’t!” I blurted out, suddenly feeling very guilty about taking the opportunity to get away.

  “You can. Let’s get to the airport before you change your mind,” he said, jumping to his feet and grabbing my hand.

  I let him lead me out the door, trying to calm the nerves in my belly. I wanted to be spontaneous. I wanted to be the girl who could jump on a plane with a relative stranger and run away to parts unknown. By the time we got to the airport and he returned the rented vehicle, my hands were shaking, and my stomach was twisting in knots.

  “Dayton, I have to be honest, I’m freaking out a little bit here,” I told him.

  He smiled, taking my hand in his again. With the sunglasses on, it was hard to judge what he was thinking. “It’s all going to be okay.”

  We got our boarding passes and I looked down at the destination. “Utah!” I exclaimed, earning a few looks from the other travelers.

  “Shh, yes, we can’t draw attention to ourselves. Remember, I’m still in hiding,” he whispered.

  “Oh, sorry. Utah?”

  “Yes, northeast. It is really pretty there this time of year.”

  “I’ve never been,” I said with amazement.

  “I’m excited to share your first trip to Utah. It’s going to be great,” he said.

  We boarded, taking our seats. I could really get used to first class treatment. I felt a little bad for Dayton. He was trying hard not to be recognized. He took off his sunglasses, but kept his hat pulled low. He asked to sit by the window out of necessity. I kind of felt like a human shield for the guy.

  When the pilot announced we would be landing soon, I stared out the window, anxious to see the mountains from high above. Dayton reached over and squeezed my hand. I smiled. Now that we were actually gone, Tennessee far behind us, I was giddy.

  “Oh my God, there’s snow,” I whispered.

  He chuckled. “Yes, there is. They are just coming out of winter in these parts.”

  “It’s beautiful,” I marveled.

  Once the plane touched down, we walked to baggage claim. It was much cooler in Utah than it had been back home. I was glad I had brought along my jacket and a couple of sweaters. He held my hand as we waited for our bags to come down. I didn’t mind. I actually liked it.

  “I’ve got us a car,” he announced as we made our way out of the airport, each of us pulling our own bags behind us.

  “You rented a car?” I asked.

  He smiled. “No, I hired a car with a driver.”

  “Oh!” I exclaimed, almost forgetting I was with a rich and famous guy.

  It was how he was used to traveling. Of course he wouldn’t be like the average person, looking for a free shuttle to a cheap hotel.

  “There,” he said, walking toward a man holding a sign with the word ‘White’ on it.

  “Uh, are you sure he’s here for you?” I asked.

  I nodded. “Yes. I gave him a fake last name,” he mumbled.

  I burst into laughter. “White. I get it.”

  He grinned. “I like to keep things simple.”

  The car he’d hired was a luxury town car, decked out with a small bar and the most comfortable seats I had ever sat in.

  “This is nice,” I said, trying not to sound like a complete country bumpkin.

  “Do you want a drink?” he asked, grabbing a small bottle of liquor.

  I shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

  He poured us each shots in the provided plastic cups. “To our great escape!” he said, tapping his plastic glass against mine.

  I took a sip of the rum, shuddering as it washed down my throat. We finished our glasses, only to have him open another bottle and split it between our two cups. I wasn’t sure, but I had a feeling he probably had to pay for each bottle, and it was probably as expensive as a hotel minibar.

  The car pulled under a red awning. Within seconds, someone was opening the back door. I looked at Dayton, wondering where in the hell we were.

  “Dinner,” he said simply.

  He got out of the car, turning to help me. I smiled at the man who’d opened the door. When the car drove off with our luggage, I turned to Dayton. “Our suitcases!”

  He smiled. “He’s taking them to
the hotel. We’ll eat and he will pick us up when we’re through.”

  “Oh,” I said, a little worried about my luggage being misplaced.

  I supposed it was another perk of traveling with the rich and famous. He took my hand in his again and we strolled into the restaurant. I felt like royalty. I reminded myself to stay grounded. I didn’t want to get too used to the lifestyle. I was only a visitor and would soon return to my own life.

  Chapter 19

  Dayton

  We were seated at the table I had managed to get at the last minute. I had to use my real name, which was okay. Restaurants like this one took privacy seriously. Celebrities were catered to, with their privacy being of utmost importance. It was very unlikely anyone would ever know I was in Utah. If it did get out, it would be easy enough to say I was on a getaway vacation and nothing more.

  “I feel really underdressed,” Evie said, leaning forward.

  “Don’t worry about it. No one is paying attention. Look at most of the people in here; they’re all wearing jeans.”

  “Not them,” she hissed, looking over at a couple in nice evening wear.

  I shrugged. “We’re comfortable. Let’s enjoy our meal.”

  She nodded, opening up the menu and scanning it. “I don’t even think I have heard of most of these dishes.”

  I laughed. “It’s a bunch of fancy names for the same stuff you’ve seen on other menus.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know about that. Can you order for me? I truly feel out of my element. Don’t order any brains, tongues or fish eggs,” she instructed.

  I smiled. “How do you feel about chicken?”

  “I like chicken.”

  “Great.”

  When the waiter returned, I ordered us the special along with a bottle of wine. She still looked nervous as hell.