Fast and Loaded: A Bad Boy Sports Romance (17 page)

C
hapter 6-Devlin

David Masters does not take no for an answer. Like father, like son, I guess. I told him in every way possible that I refuse to attend counseling and that that I don’t need it. I don’t want to be the kind of person that doesn’t care about his family, that lets anyone say anything to him. Fuck that. I am who I am, and I am a damn good leader. The board will see that, once they notice how bad Trevor is without me there to prop him up. This meeting he called for the two of us at my favorite restaurant to convince me otherwise is a waste of my time and his, but because he is my father and I currently have few demands on my time, I go along with these shenanigans.

“I’m glad you could make it, son,” he says with a smile. “We don’t get to do this much anymore.”

“You’re right,” I agree. It’s been ages since we sat together outside of a work environment and had a discussion. We didn’t even meet up for the holidays.

A waiter arrives to take my drink order, and when I look over at the bar,
she
is there. The shy goddess from the club. She’d been sashaying through my dreams ever since we met, and now here she is: live and in color, looking as stunning as the night that I first laid eyes on her. Tonight, her signature copper-colored hair is swept up into a loose bun, accentuating her perfect cheek bones, almond eyes, and glowing bronze skin.

“Did you hear me, son?” my father asks.

“No. Sorry. Would you repeat that?” I ask, turning to face him, but my mind is still with her, at the bar. There’s something about this mystery lady that makes me want to drink her in.

“Are you listening, Devlin?” he asks again.

I un-stitch my eyes from her long and toned dangling legs. She's been playing with her phone, but now she stretches a bit. She glances around the room, looking beautiful yet apprehensive. Like she doesn’t feel like she belongs.

She belongs with me
, some inner voice says. It's strange how drawn I am to her, how I want to protect her, tell her she's more beautiful than any of the overly made up, practically naked girls flitting around the room.

She's real. And she's here. I have to get to know her.

I face my father as a group of slinky twenty-somethings enter, and know that I have to go to her.

“I apologize,” I start. “Usually when business is concerned, I don’t get distracted, but I have to be honest with you, my mind is elsewhere tonight.”

“Really?” My father gives a knowing laugh.

“Just give me five minutes, and I’ll be able to focus again,” I tell him, hopping up from the table. I button my suit jacket while scanning the bar.

How the hell? The beautiful woman had disappeared among the crowd that quickly. I push my way through the crowd to the front of the bar.

“Where’d the lady in purple go?” I ask the bartender, still searching.

The man behind the bar points toward the door, and all hope is not lost.

“I’m buying your cell phone,” I say to the helpful man behind the bar.

“What?” He looks confused.

I slap six hundred-dollar bills on the counter.

“I’m buying your phone,” I repeat.

He hands me a decent cell.

With a pounding heart and bounding steps, I work my way through the busy bar and toward the doors, quickly erasing the cell’s contacts and call log.

This can’t be the way that this ends. This can’t be the last time that I see her.

To make sure that I have the number, I call my phone.

Then I see her. Her copper hair, glowing like a beacon. She walks slowly but smoothly through the crowd. A few men call out to her, but with a smile she ignores them. Good. She's all mine.

I rush behind the enchanting woman; all while adding the only contact that she will need as far as I’m concerned.

“Excuse me,” I shout in her direction, nearly winded by the chase. I'm not sure what's come over me. I don't
chase
women…though it occurs to me, I've never had to. Normally one look at a girl, and she falls to my side. Or into my bed.

Her legs keep moving, but the sudden loss of ease in her body lets me know that she heard me.

There is a sudden quiet as the cadence of her heels stops and she allows me to catch up.

“Hello,” I offer as she faces me. “I’m Devlin and I think you’re beautiful.”

“Hello,” she responds, her plush, heart-shaped lips forming an O. “It’s nice to meet you, Devlin. I’m Ayron.”

She begins her walk again.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” I ask her as I walk with her.

“You look like a nice guy, Devlin,” she begins the blow-off.

I take a deep breath and hand her the phone.

“Get to know me then. Just answer the phone,” I say, finding some of my original swagger. “I don’t want this to be the end before we begin.”

Her expression softens to a smile.

“I think I can do that,” she says sweetly.

I take her hand and kiss it, ready to do more.

* * *

W
alking through my new home
, I try not to be eager. The area where I purchased it is very well established; I love the charm of the old homes and new ones that were built to look old. Owning property in Prestville Park brings about a certain status within itself. My ex-girlfriend always wanted a home in this area. An area with regulations about what your home could look like, down to the dimension and color. I decided on a five-bedroom, four-bathroom, with a gray shell and large square windows lining the first level. As a bachelor, I have no need for all of this space, and honestly, it gets to be a little lonely sometimes, but buying the property after our breakup was better than sex.

Plopping down on a sofa in the entry living room, I feel like a seventh grader finding out his crush actually likes him back. Watching the fish in my aquarium is calming. The Angelfish swimming through my three-hundred-fifty-gallon fish tank are my favorite. They mate for life. The two named Mufasa and Sarabi are my favorites. If they are not swimming together, the other is near.

My phone rings and the name and number of the phone I gave to her pop up. I answer it without trying to act cool.

“Hello.”

“Hello. Is this Devlin?” her strong yet feminine voice inquires.

“Yes, this is he, and I am glad to hear your voice,” I say, loosening my tie and sliding against my sofa.

“And why is that?”

“Now I can add sound to my dreams.” It sounds like a line, but it's almost scary how much I mean it. Not that she needs to know that.

The laugh that rings through the phone warms my insides, causing a smile to spread across my face.

“Such a charmer,” she chuckles. “Do you provide every girl that you meet with sweet words and a smartphone?”

“Nope. Only the ones who have magical powers.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask. What kind of magical powers?” Her words are slow and deliberate.

“I seem to recall a certain woman with the same copper-color hair as yours disappearing from a dance floor not too long ago.”

Her chuckle is melodic.

“I’ll admit that there’s a pattern,” she teases.

It’s my turn to laugh.

“I plead the fifth,” she says.

“What is it that you do, besides be gorgeous?” I ask.

She pauses, as though she’s unsure about how to answer.

“I work for Masters in Style products as a finance executive,” I downplay. It’s alright for her to know that I am well-off, but the less she knows about the billion-dollar Masters Empire, the better. I try to keep my name out of the media, so it’s pretty easy for me to be discreet. Kevin, on the other hand, has linked up with so many people in the entertainment industry, which blogs and gossip shows are always looking for his next hook-up or exploit.

“That seems like a stressful job to have, watching other people’s money.”

“It can be,” I sigh, wanting to forget the current situation happening at M.I.S. “What about you? What do you do?”

“I’m a personal organizer,” she says flatly, without detail and no room for discussion.

“I want to see you again,” I counter. Maybe a change of subject will bring back the sweetness in her voice. Work is a subject that neither one of us wants to talk about.

“Well, you’re in luck. I happen to be free tomorrow for yoga.”

C
hapter 7-Ayron

The yoga studio in the uptown area near my dream office is the perfect place to get to know Devlin and not let go of all of my morals. Seeing him in person again last night reminded me of how undeniably handsome he is. The fact that he chased me down and gave me a phone solidified my attraction. I wanted to rip his clothes off when we were on the dance floor; now, I want to be a record on his turntable. Even though Devlin would have gladly followed me home, I remained chaste. I walked to my car alone, walked into my home alone, and went to sleep alone.

I made it to the class early to scope out the place and speak with the teacher, Mandy, the granddaughter of a woman we used to clean houses for. There were plenty of people that I never got to meet that my grandmother worked for, but I got to spend time at the Gardner home with Mandy.

Several women chatter as they stretch their bodies in warm up, showing off their skills and limber muscles. I place my mat near the seemingly friendly women.

“Good morning,” I say to the women.

A sneering smirk spreads across the one lady dressed in blue.

“Are you new? Did you know that this is an advanced class?” she asks in a nasally voice.

“It took us six months to get into this class,” the other adds.

Maybe I should have chosen a different strategy to get him to relax. In order for this to work, he has to believe that this is something that I do regularly. When Devlin asked to see me last night, I wanted to sing in chorus, “Yes. Hell yes!” But I remembered my home training and the fact that this is a job, and a job only. I figured that yoga will help him de-stress a little and provide a gateway for us to eventually talk about his life and past. I have to treat him like any other client, even though this isn’t like any other circumstance. And one of the reasons that I am so successful is that I am able to build a relationship of trust with my clients.

I leave the leering ladies and make my way over to Mandy.

“I’m glad you decided to come!” she cries, shaking her blonde locks and reaching in for a hug. “I sure miss your wonderful grandmother. Her advice, with a side of her precious pecan pie, was a life saver.”

“I still miss her.”

“But one thing is for sure, you can’t miss my wedding,” Mandy adds, shoving a major diamond engagement ring into my vision.

“Wow, that’s a big rock,” I exclaim, touching the dangling ring that hangs on her thin finger.

“What about you? Any prospects?” she questions with a hop. “I remember that there was—” she paused in thought, “Lance. That’s his name. How are you and him?”

I recall the guy that everyone, including my grandmother, thought that I would spend the rest of my life with and shake my head.

“We aren’t—”

“Ayron,” Devlin chimes as he enters the studio dressed in workout attire. Others filter in behind him, filling up the studio.

The showy female students stop in mid-pose, and Mandy’s mouth nearly drops from her face at the sight of him.

I smile.

Those stretchy chicks may be able to touch their noses to their toes, but they don’t have access to a man like him, even if it is only temporary for me.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he says, sliding a hand around my waist.

“Good morning, Devlin.”

“Hello, handsome.” Mandy bounces with a smile.

“It’s starting time,” one of the students reminds her.

Mandy peeks at her watch and makes her way to the front of the room.

* * *

T
he meditation position
, sitting still with legs folded next to Devlin, is easy, and I feel confident that this will go well.

“You got it?” I question my folding friend to the left of me.

“It looks a little easier on television,” Devlin says, with one leg still pointed forward. “Don’t worry, I’m very agile.”