Scored(61)

Layton and Paige stop eating at the same time, shoving back their chairs and grabbing their food. One of the staff rushes to them and helps them inside.

“You’re welcome,” Aiden says the second they’re out of view.

“Why in the hell would I thank your ass?” I shake my head at him. “How is anything you said even remotely helpful?”

“I made it possible for you to have a night out, without your girl, I might add, so you can be guaranteed lots of promotion and money. The ladies at the club are an extra bennie.”

“I’m not interested in the ladies at the club.”

“No problem. I’ll take them off your hands.”

“You’re a dick, you know that, right?” I cut into my steak and take a bite.

Aiden smiles tightly. “So I’ve been told.”

*

Paige isn’t in our room when I return to get ready. When I text her, she sends me replies like I can’t answer right now and Mr. Darcy would never allow Wickham to influence him.

“Who the fuck is Wickham?” I mutter. I toss the phone on the bed, so I can shave and shower.

I really need to look that shit up so I can hold my own with her. The thing is I like it when she gives me grief like this. She makes literary references and doesn’t dumb them down because she thinks I’m not smart. Hell, no.

My bright eyes considers me her equal in brain power… but she’s also too fucking scared to go public with our relationship. On one hand, I get it—her past is messed up and her mom hasn’t been the greatest example. She doesn’t have a dad who has ever been in her life except to throw money at her, probably to make himself feel better instead of actually looking out for Paige.

Aiden sticks his head inside the bedroom. “Are you finished putting on your lip gloss, yet?”

“You didn’t tell me your favorite flavor.” I move to the door and start walking downstairs with Aiden. “I want to be clear before we get there that I don’t want to see a single doll, and I’m not interested in women.”

Aiden smacks my back. “Whatever you say, boss.”





CHAPTER 25




Paige


Layton is sitting in bed with me. She’s eating M&M’s she got from the candy room and drinking water to, in her words, ‘even things out’ in the calorie department. We are watching a movie in a television disguised as a mirror that’s as wide as the bed and as tall as Layton.

Instead of watching Chris Pratt charm his way out of a dangerous situation in the new Indiana Jones movie, I’m busy stalking Dallas on Snapchat. He’s wearing a crisp white shirt and a pair of dress pants in grey. They make his butt look amazing.

Heck, he’d look amazing in nothing at all… and that sort of no attire is something Dallas has been known to strip down to at parties in the past.

“Do you think it’s possible to change your ways in less than two months?” I ask.

“Anything is possible, and judging by these really innocent images, Dallas is being the best boyfriend he can be, considering his circumstances.” In total support, Layton is on Instagram, scrolling through feeds with his name as a mention or with him tagged in a post. “And your limitations.”

“You make me sound like the DMV.”

“Please, that’s an insult to the DMV.”

I make a face at her. “I’m going to refresh one last time because the Snapchat stuff is winding down.”

The first thing that pops up is a live interview with Dallas by a busty blonde who looks more than a little happy at seeing him. Immediately, I want to scratch her eyes out.

“I have to ask what everyone is dying to know. Are you seeing anyone?”

“Yes.” He tugs on his ear and looks directly at the camera, his green eyes like light emeralds. “Yes, I am.”

“A woman has finally caught the Dallas Drake? Who is she… and what does she think about Drake’s Dolls? Or is she a member of that exclusive club?”

His mouth flattens for a second, then he smiles. “She’s in a club all by herself. If you’ll excuse me, I have to make an announcement about Night to Play for next year.”

“A Miami party, I hope.”

He winks. “You know how much I love Miami.” He jumps on stage and grabs the mic. Everyone in the club goes nuts and starts cheering for him.

With a sigh, I exit out of Snapchat and roll over to face Layton, wishing I’d gone tonight. How stupid is it to be so irritated and hurt over something he can’t control?

“You didn’t get to tell me what you were able to find out about Joe from Aiden,” I say so I can stop my one-woman pity party.

“A big fat goose egg.” She stops eating and makes a face. “He finds ways to answer my questions without answering my questions.”

“I’m sorry, but the bright side is that there’s no confirmation of Joe’s possible cheating ways.”

Layton waves a finger in the air. “Woo-hoo,” she says flatly.

“Do you think I’m being unreasonable by not letting my relationship with Dallas go public?”

“You don’t want to know what I think.”

I sit up. “Sure I do.”

Layton shakes her head, her messy ponytail swinging. “No, you want to hear me agree with the rules you’ve already put in place.”