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“Were you watching me sleep?” I asked warily.

His smile got bigger. “Only for a little while.”

My frown stayed in place. “Ryan Fox, you are beginning to get really creepy again.”

“You were dreaming about something.”

My cheeks grew hot, aware that he noticed.
Please don’t tell me I said anything!
“You looked so peaceful but then your eyelashes would start to flutter every now and then.”

I smiled an awkward smile. I wasn’t ready to share the details about my past with anyone yet, so I decided to try and change the subject. “Well, what were
you
thinking about?”

“
Huh?
”

“You looked like you had something on your mind when I saw you.”

“Just… stuff.” Before I could ask what that meant, he leaned over and kissed me on the mouth. “It’s really early and I have to go to the gym, and then go to training for a few hours, but I want you to stay as long as you like and make yourself at home.”

“Oh yes, that’s right Mr. MLB hot-shot. Or should I call you, ‘Baby’?” I teased.

He arched an eyebrow and smirked. “Don’t you start, I can’t wait to lose that damn nickname,” he said, mumbling the last part. “Someone younger than I had been needs to get drafted into the team.”

“I think the name suits you.” I smiled and stretched my arms above my head.

“Yeah well, Evie suits you.” I froze mid stretch and my smile instantly vanished. Ryan noticed. He always noticed. I was beginning to think there wasn’t much this guy missed. “You know, you still haven’t told me why you hate it so much. It’s just a nickname. A nice one.”

“I don’t really want to talk about it, okay?” I replied defensively, curling up into a ball and clutching the blanket tighter.

With a single nod he said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” He pressed his lips to my forehead before adding with a whisper, “Wait for me to get back? I want to do what we did last night all over again. But this time I want to explore every part of you. And I know you want me too. I can tell.”

Under the blanket, his hand crept up my thigh and rested at the entranceway of my sex. I knew I should’ve at least put my underwear back on before going to sleep last night. With one finger he pushed aside the folds and ran his finger up and down before slipping it inside. I inhaled sharply as he slowly eased his finger in and out and then added another finger.

“Shit, it’s so hard to leave you. All I want is to taste you in my mouth.”

This was ridiculous. Why wasn’t he like this last night in the first place? I squeezed my legs shut, trapping his fingers inside.

“You need to go to training, Mr. Fox.”

“I know, I know. Will you wait?” he asked, still attempting to pleasure me.

“I’ll see.”

“Not good enough…” He pressed himself against me and with his other hand tried to pry open my legs. Giggling, I held them closed with all my strength.

“Training. Now!” I ordered, trying hard not to laugh.

“
Fine
.”

Pretending to mope, he pulled his hand free and jumped up off the bed before stomping over to his wardrobe.

I couldn’t help but watch him change, imagining his sexy, muscular body on top of me again. Then with a kiss on the lips and a firm reminder to stay, Ryan left me as I was― almost naked with his shirt on and wrapped up in his soft, comfortable sheets.

It took a little over fifteen minutes of staring up at the ceiling to start questioning what the hell I was getting myself into. Ryan Fox was a
big time
player. He had girls worshipping at his feet and he clearly enjoyed every minute of it. He was loved by many fans and was constantly in the public eye— not to mention on giant billboards. I didn’t want any of that; keeping away from the spotlight was what I worked so hard to do. If I gave people a reason to start noticing me again, it would only mean that they’d dig deeper. They’d gather information and write up stories that would remind me of that terrible night. And now with my father gone so suddenly, I couldn’t afford to lose what little privacy I had left because of one hot-shot baseball player who had probably slept with as many girls as he had caught balls for his team.

In the end I decided to gather my things and hail a cab.

****

“Dirty tramp.” Derek whistled into the phone. “I can’t believe you ended up back at his place again and forced him to sleep with you!” A mischievous grin stretched across my face as I switched positions on the day bed so that I was lying on my back and looking up at the warm midafternoon sun from my balcony.

“Hey! You disappeared first! Where’d you go off to anyway?”

“
Darren
and I went around the back. I came back out to get you as we were leaving but you’d already gone. The huge, sexy, golden footballer said he’d seen you arguing with Ryan Fox and I figured that you’d just gone home, not end up at his house! He’s one good looking son-of-a-bitch though. I wouldn’t have had the strength to refuse him either.”

“He’s pretty hot but he knows it.”

“So what? It’s so much sexier when you have a man with a little confidence. You think you’ll see him again?”

“A
little
confidence? Are you sure we’re talking about the same guy here? And to answer your question, I don’t know. The sex was good―”

“Just
good
?”

I was thankful that Derek couldn’t see the naughty grin that stretched across my face. “Okay fine, the sex was
amazing.
But he’s bad news. I’ve avoided the spotlight for this long, Derek. I’m not about to let him ruin that for me. Last night was just something I needed.”

“Babe, with your father gone, the media are going to follow you around no matter what. And I do understand how you feel but if Ryan Fox decides he wants you, he isn’t going to let you off so easily. What Ryan Fox wants, Ryan Fox gets.”

“I don’t care who he is.”

“You say that now. At least you know he isn’t after your money. The bastard is a multi-fuckin’-millionaire.”

“He just wants what’s in between my legs.”

“And is what you want so different?”

I didn’t answer.

“So, what’s there to complain about?” We both laughed at that. “Hey, didn’t you say his sister told you he was acting strange when you ran into him at the hotel?”

“I think his sister was also trying to embarrass him.”

My phone started beeping, indicating I had another call coming through. I looked at the screen. Unknown number. Thinking that it might have been one of my father’s lawyers or one of Connor’s business cells, I told Derek goodbye and answered it.

“So, I rush home rather excitedly, ready to start my exploration and I find that my apartment is empty.”

Ryan?
But how?

“How’d you get my number?”

“I have my ways,” he said dismissively. “So, couldn’t handle the wait?”

I sighed. “Ryan, I mean it. How did you get my number?” I knew I was overreacting but I had every right to be.

“Calm down. I used your phone to call mine when you were still asleep this morning. I had a sneaky suspicion you weren’t going to give me your number if I’d asked.”

“You were spot on,” I said deadpan. He just laughed into the phone. Did he not find any of this creepy? Oh god, what if he was one of those crazy people? What had I just done?

“And
that’s
why I did it. So, answer the question.”

“What question?”

“Why didn’t you stay after I asked you to?”

“I had stuff to do, Ryan,” I lied. I got up out of the chair and made my way inside.

“I see. Well, I know it might seem a little eager and very uncharacteristic of me but how about we catch up tonight?”
Again?
Jeez, Derek wasn’t wrong about him going after what he wanted.

“Miss my hot body already?” I teased, unable to help myself.

I made a beeline straight for the fridge.

“I’m
hot
for that tight little body right now.”

I laughed into the phone but rolled my eyes as I searched the fridge for some form of snack.

“Come on, Evangeline, one more night. Let me take you somewhere.”

“Like a
date
?”

“Of course a date. Why do you sound so surprised?”

I couldn’t help the goofy smile on my face from forming as I pulled out the celery sticks and hummus prepared from my snacking binge the other day. The guy actually sounded hurt. “I just never took you for the dating type, that’s all.”

“Oh, so I’m just a fuck-once-move-over-who’s-next type of guy? Is that what you’re saying?” When I didn’t answer― on purpose― his voice grew serious. “Evangeline. Let me take you out on a date tonight. I swe―
Are you eating
?”

I pictured him standing there, with his hands on his hips and eyebrows furrowed just because he didn’t have my undivided attention. I also picked him for that kind of guy and honestly it gave me a little thrill knowing I’d found something that irritated him.

“Yep, I’m hungry. Celery with hummus dip.
Delicious
.”

“You know what’d be delicious? Eating food off you. Now there’s an idea for dessert tonight.”

I groaned loudly. “Must everything end up about sex with you?”

He laughed. “
Yes
, because you left me high and dry, so now it’s all I can think about. Last night, I was deep inside you and this morning―”

“This isn’t winning you any brownie points.”

“
Fine
,” he said. “But if I ask nicely, will you give me the answer I’m looking for?”

“Does anyone ever say no to you, Mr. Fox?”

I could practically feel his grin radiating through the cell. “Not very often, Ms. Montgomery. But there is no way I’m taking
no
for an answer from you.”

That’s what every part of me wanted to say and also that I should steer clear of this guy, but the words just wouldn’t come out. The guy was trouble; I knew that. He was the sort of guy that wanted his fun and then moved on to the next girl available. On top of that, once he learned how messed up I really was then he’d want nothing to do with me.
It’s
one
date, Evangeline. Get a grip!
I let out an exasperated sigh. “Okay, just this
one
date.”

I just knew he was wearing that annoying, sexy grin of his. “Pick you up at seven.”

CHAPTER
10

To my surprise, Ryan hadn’t taken me to a fancy restaurant like I assumed he would for our date. Instead, I was whisked off to courtside seats of a Knicks game. I didn’t know much about baseball, but I knew a thing or two about basketball, and I absolutely loved the game.

When I was growing up, Gran and Pop would take Connor and me to every Lakers home game back in California. At first I found it difficult when the paparazzi crowded around us to take pictures― it was hard to watch a game with the constant flashing of cameras in your eyes. As the years went by, the press began to lose interest in my family, and because my grandparents did their best to keep us out of the spotlight, they eventually eased off. The basketball games got a whole lot more exciting then. This time I was with a celebrity, someone who was certain to make headlines in tomorrow’s paper by just turning up somewhere. The thought made me uneasy. Why had I agreed to this?

I tried my best to ignore the feeling and Ryan’s wandering hand that constantly found its way to mine. I had to keep moving mine away, but as soon as the players took center court, my worries evaporated and I no longer noticed the group of paparazzi sitting on the other side of the court with their cameras.