CHAPTER ELEVEN
I hadn’t slept. All damn night. I had walked for miles along the dark beach and then went to my bedroom and paced the floor. A cold shower hadn’t helped, either. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw those pink panties and heard Blaire’s sweet sounds. I had to get her out of my head.
I needed to get laid. I hadn’t slept with anyone since the incident with Anya. That wasn’t like me. Tonight I had to work this out of my system. Keeping Blaire at a distance was all that would keep her from being hurt. It was only a matter of time before she knew and before she hated me.
I grabbed my phone and scanned the numbers I had saved until I found one that I knew was safe for a one-nighter with no strings. She’d require a dinner and some attention first, but Bailey had been trying to get my attention since she’d come to one of Nan’s parties. I’d taken her number and said I’d call sometime.
Once I had set a date for tonight, I got ready for my day with Nan. We were playing a round of golf today, her birthday request. I was hoping we would miss Blaire, but if not, I could handle buying a drink from her. I just wouldn’t breathe her in when she was near me. Or look at her. And I would not think about her panties. Fuck. I needed another cold shower.
Nan was standing with her arms crossed over her chest and a pout on her face when I walked up to the clubhouse ten minutes late. “Sorry I’m late,” I told her, and bent down to kiss her on the cheek to soften her up a bit.
She shoved at my shoulder. “That’s not why I’m upset. I just got here,” she said, rolling her eyes at me. “Why did I have to hear from Bailey that you asked her out for tonight and not from you?” she asked me, looking annoyed.
Because tonight was about fucking Blaire out of my head. Nothing more. “Didn’t know you cared about who I planned to fuck tonight,” I replied with a wink, as I pulled my bag out of my Range Rover and handed it to the caddy, who had rushed over to greet me when I drove up.
“Rush, really?” Nan snapped at me.
“When she gave me her number, she knew what she was doing. But if you want to call her and warn her of my plans, then be my guest. I’d much prefer she canceled on me now so I could find a replacement.”
Nan shook her head and let out a sigh. “You are horrible.”
“You love me,” I told her, then grabbed her hand, tugging her with me toward the golf cart. “I want to drive, and I don’t need someone to get my clubs for me. Are you good with just me, or do we need a caddy?” I asked her.
She climbed regally into the passenger seat and shrugged. “As long as you intend to get my clubs and clean them, then I don’t mind.”
“Diva,” I muttered, and handed the caddy a hundred-dollar bill for his time, then climbed in and drove us to the first hole.
“Princess, Rush. I’m a princess,” she reminded me.
“No, sis, you aren’t. You’re a spoiled diva. Marrying a royal would be the only way you could be accused of being a princess,” I teased.
Nan slapped at my arm and laughed. This was the sister who was easy to deal with. The one who was my friend, who I could be myself with. The one who didn’t demand things of me that I couldn’t do. “Bailey is really nice. Her daddy is a heart surgeon, and she’s designing her own clothing line. I think you’d like her if you gave her more than one night in your bed.”
I parked the cart and got out. “She won’t be in my bed. I don’t ever take them to my bed. My sofa, maybe, possibly my kitchen table. Hell, I may try out the washing machine tonight. Once I figure out where the hell it is. Have you ever washed anything in my house before?” I was trying to change the subject. I didn’t want to hear about Bailey and have any guilt over using her body tonight.
“You are impossible!” Nan walked out to the tee, expecting me to get her club. She had been serious about that. She liked to play, but she had no idea what club to choose for each shot.
“I’m horny, and Bailey has some nice tits,” I told her.
Nan frowned at me. “I’m warning her that you’re a dog. She needs to know.”
I handed Nan her driver and smirked. “She knows, sis. She knows, or she wouldn’t have given me her number.”
Nan waved her hand at me and took the driver.
I had turned to get my own driver when the golf cart coming our way caught my attention. I noticed Blaire’s blond hair. Her eyes were focused on me. Shit. I’d known there was a good chance I would see her, but I had hoped that talking about the sex I intended to have with Bailey tonight would cool me down.
I looked away from her. I wasn’t going to let her get to me. I could ignore her. Get a drink and act like she was just an average cart girl.
Bethy one of the other cart girls, was in the front seat with Blaire. She was staring at Nan as she talked. I cringed, thinking of what Bethy might know that she could tell Blaire. I wasn’t sure how close the two were. Surely not very close. Bethy was nothing like Blaire. Innocence had long left Bethy.
“You’re kidding me. Woods hired her?” Nan hissed. I glanced over at my sister and saw that she had noticed the drinks cart arriving.
“Don’t,” I warned her, and walked over to stand close enough to Nan to control her if needed.
“Can I get y’all a drink?” Blaire’s sweet voice sent chills all over me.
“At least she knows her place,” Nan said. She was being cruel, and I needed to stop her, but that would only make Blaire think I was nice. I wasn’t nice. She had to see that.
“I’ll take a Corona. Lime, please,” I said instead.
Blaire’s gaze swung to mine, but I quickly looked away from her. “Get a drink. It’s hot,” I told Nan.
Nan liked that I was blowing Blaire off like she was someone I didn’t know. “Sparkling water. Wipe it off, though, because I hate the way it comes out all wet from the water,” Nan instructed.
Bethy moved to get the water before Blaire could. That was interesting. She seemed to be protecting Blaire. “Haven’t seen you out here lately, Nan,” Bethy said as she wiped off the bottle with a towel.
“Probably because you’re too busy in the bushes with God knows who spreading your legs instead of working,” Nan said.
I could feel the tension rolling off Blaire as she popped the top off my Corona. Her shoulders were straight, and her back was stiff as a board.
“That’s enough, Nan,” I told her, hoping to end this so they could leave.
Blaire handed me the bottle, and I couldn’t ignore her then. She was focusing on anything other than me at the moment, but for just a second, I wanted her to see me. To look at me. Her eyes lifted and met mine, and it hit me hard.
“Thanks,” I said, then slipped a bill into her pocket. It was an excuse to touch her and to hide just how much I was tipping her from Nan.
I stepped away and took my sister’s elbow. Time to get her away from them. “Come on and show me how you still can’t kick my ass out here,” I teased.
She played right into my hands. “You ’re going down,” she said, and walked away from the girls.
I heard Bethy whisper to Blaire, and I glanced back and saw her staring at me. A smile touched my lips. I couldn’t keep from smiling when I looked at her. I tore my gaze off her and went back to talking to Nan. She was arguing about the driver I had given her.
I liked a cold drink while I played golf, but for the first time ever, I was hoping the drink cart wouldn’t find us again this round.