Bad Professor (An Alpha Male Bad Boy Romance) (103 page)

CHAPTER FIVE

Kya

I
had to suffer an elevator ride with Kevin Casey in order to get into the
gymnasium. Down in the lower levels of the casino, hotel, and arena was the
place all the athletes trained before the big events.

"Not supposed
to let endorsement agents down here," Fenton's manager said, "but
I'll make an exception for you."

I slipped out
before the elevator doors were open all the way. "Thank you, Mr. Casey. I
appreciate it."

"Well, wait.
Don't you want to discuss how you can show your appreciation?" he asked.

I dodged between
two boxers whipping jump ropes at lightning fast speeds. Fenton's manager was
stuck on the other side, too wide to slip between them without getting tangled
up. The gymnasium was cavernous with two full-sized boxing rings, a three-lane
running track around the perimeter, plus every amenity of a regular gym.

In the second
ring, Fenton squared off against a young man. The young fighter appeared
erratic and clumsy. Fenton was lithe and lethal, his laser blue eyes fixed hard
on his sparring partner. I knew I was trespassing, as well as intruding, so I
stuck to the wall and found an out of the way vantage point. From a distance, I
could see the young man talking. He must have said something Fenton took
offense to, because with three hard moves, Fenton took down the novice and left
him howling in the middle of the ring.

It was definitely
not a good time to interrupt, so I kept to the shadows. Fenton toweled off and
climbed out of the ring. Then, he spotted a nondescript man on the opposite
side of the gym. I wondered how I had missed the man earlier – he stuck out
like me. I took a step towards them, worried that he was a rival agent.

The look on
Fenton's face stopped me. A grim cut to his jaw made my heart clench.
Ridiculous, I knew, to worry about Fenton getting bad news. I imagined
explaining to my boss how I was only worried because a client never accepts a
new contract when they've received bad news. Still, I knew it was more. The sad
look on his face made me want to comfort him.

I had just witnessed
the brutal way Fenton Morris could take down an opponent and yet, I was worried
he could not take the obviously bad news the nondescript man was delivering. My
feet moved before I could think about what I was doing. If I interrupted
something serious, Fenton might be fed up with me and throw me out. One wrong
move and my bonus, my promotion, and my secure mortgage would all disappear.

I marched across
the gym, veering to the side so Fenton would not see me coming. The
brown-haired man noticed me, but his expression betrayed nothing. The cool way
he assessed everything with his plain, brown eyes was disconcerting. It was as
if he could discern everything about me in one glance, while all I could figure
out was that he was of average height.

The nondescript
man stepped back as I approached, and Fenton looked up and around. He
immediately pressed his mouth shut and palmed the piece of paper. A memory
flashed back from the nightclub, and I remembered telling him my parents were
dead and I had no other family. Fenton had said he was equally on his own. Now,
he was talking to a strange man about his sister being in Las Vegas. He did not
want me to know, and from the way he glanced all around, it seemed he did not
want anyone to know.

Better
off alone
, I thought. Fenton Morris loved his lone wolf image.

"Please,
don't let me interrupt," I said. "I just thought I should let you
know Mr. Casey let me down here. I didn't want you to see me and think I was
stalking you."

Fenton's smirk
reappeared. "Bet you had to sweet talk ol' Kev."

"Luckily, the
elevators are fast around here," I said.

"I'm shocked
he didn't hit the stop button. Where do you think I learned that trick?"
Fenton asked.

I remembered he
had stopped the elevator on the way up to his penthouse. The hot tangle of our
lips and bodies came back to me in a warm rush. I shook my head to cool my
thoughts.

"Where did
your friend go? I didn't mean to interrupt," I said.

Fenton looked as
surprised as me. The brown-haired man had faded away. "Not sure I would
call him a friend. Then again, he's not the one stalking me."

"I noticed
you haven't had security throw me out yet. Next, you'll be coming up with ways
for me to show my appreciation, just like your manager," I said.

"You wouldn't
be able to handle it," Fenton said. His eyes swept up and down my body.
"You bring any sensible shoes to Vegas?"

"Yes. I run
every morning. Why?" I asked.

"Well, you
could join me for the rest of my workout if you think you're up to it," he
said.

I straightened up
to my full height, still seven inches shorter than Fenton. "You need
another sparring partner?"

He glanced over
his shoulder where the young fighter lay on a bench with an ice pack over his
nose. "No. There aren't any rings or referees where we're going."

#

The
Las Vegas Overlook Trail was a silent expanse of blue sky and sun-baked earth.
After the neon and concrete of the Strip, I was shocked to find a large swath
of open terrain stretching out before us.

"This is part
of your training?" I asked.

"My coach
isn't keen on joining me, but it beats jumping rope in front of a mirror,"
Fenton said. He started up a steep trail and I trotted after him.

"You struck
me as the big city sort, you know, never far from asphalt or skyscrapers,"
I said.

"I prefer it
out here." He stopped for a moment and looked back at the Vegas Strip. The
melancholy look passed over his face again. "People get all tangled up in
big cities, it's not good for them."

I wondered if he
was talking about his sister, but refrained from letting on what I had overheard.
"That's why I love Chicago. There's the city, but then there's Lake
Michigan and all the parks. Nature is never very far away."

"Oh, so
that's where you're based," Fenton said. "You think you can handle
this hike? They have hills out in Chicago?"

I scowled and
picked up my pace. If I was going to convince Fenton to forget about my
nightclub lapse in judgment and still consider signing with my company, I
needed to stick to my script. "This is no problem. Like I said, I run
every morning. I also take very excellent vitamin supplements."

"Oh, here it
comes," he said. He chose the rougher of the two trails in front of us and
kept going. "Alright, Ms. Allen, give me your best pitch. Just remember,
I'm not one of your country club athletes happy to be inserted into a catalog
wearing a cardigan."

"That is
exactly why you should sign with me," I said. "It is my job to
protect my client's interests and broker the deal between the product and the
athlete. I built my career on making sure my clients are never put into
campaigns they do not approve of one hundred percent."

"And, you
have a successful career?" Fenton asked. He stopped on a crest, and I
walked into him.

I smoothed back my
hair. "Yes, I do."

"And, that's
all you want?"

I frowned at the
question. "Well, no, but my job allows me to earn the things I want."

He faced me on the
narrow trail. "You want to earn things, not have them given to you,
right?"

"Yes." I
planted my hands on my hips.

"Then, you'll
understand how I want to win the title fight on my own. I am going to earn that
title without anyone paying for my gym time or giving me free shoes or putting
their names on my shorts," Fenton said.

"Just because
you sign off on an endorsement doesn't mean you aren't succeeding on your
own," I said. "You are the talent; you are the only one that can win
the title. The endorsements just make sure you earn money as you go. If you
think about it, they give you the freedom to go where you want and do what you
want. You wouldn't have to fight for money."

Fenton looked over
the top of my head, back towards the Vegas Strip. "That's not the way I
want to do things. Besides, I might be a kid off the street, but I know if I
win the title fight before I sign an endorsement deal, I'll get a bigger
payday."

He turned and
continued up the trail at an even faster pace. I forced my breathing to stay
steady and deep as I tried to convince him. "That's exactly why you want
to sign with me now. After you win the title fight, all the brand name
endorsements will be after you. They are volatile and have leagues of lawyers
to change the contract around. If I get you set up nicely with the vitamin
supplements, then you'll have a steady base to negotiate from."

"Very sly,
Ms. Allen. I thought I heard your reputation was based on upfront dealings and
trust," he said.

"I am telling
you the truth. I will take better care of you than some big brand name
agent," I told him.

"First, tell
me what you get out of the deal," Fenton said.

"I get to
branch out into a new sport. I know what people call me. Just because I rep
golfers and tennis players doesn't mean I can't handle your business,
too."

Fenton paused on
the trail and smirked down at me. "I would love for you to handle my
business."

My cheeks flared
red from more than exertion. "I thought we agreed this was strictly
professional."

"Is it
professional to evade my question?" he asked. "Do they teach you that
in agent school?"

"Fine. If I
sign you, then I get a bonus. I also get an office and a chance to get off the
road," I said.

He did not ease up
his fast pace. "And, what will you use the bonus for? Tropical vacation?
Sports car?" he asked.

"The bonus
will just cover the closing costs on my first home," I said.

Fenton stopped to
admire the desert view. "A house? With a picket fence and everything?"

I frowned at the
same view and felt him watching me from the corner of his eye. "It’s the
next step. Buy a house, build equity."

"What kind of
instruction manual on life did you read that in?" he asked.

"It’s what
people do," I said. "I know it doesn't really fit your whole fight
hard, play hard vibe, but it is what makes sense for me."

"So, instead
of being out on the road, you'll be going to the same office every day. Then,
you'll go home to the same house every night. Where's the fun in that?"

"Who said
life was fun?" I turned around and faced the steep trail back down to the
car. "I have a plan, and I'm sticking to it. I don't see anything wrong
with that, no matter what you think. I'm going to work until I have security. A
solid bank account, a house, and way to take care of myself. Once I have that,
then I can figure out what else I want without risking everything."

Fenton followed me
down the trail, moved in front of me, and held out his hand. "I get it.
Why do you think I want to do everything on my own? I can't involve other
people until things feel stable. Gotta be on solid ground first."

I took his hand
and we both stumbled down the rocky path. We held on to each other for balance
as we walked back down to the car together.

CHAPTER SIX

Fenton

It
was worse after I dropped Kya at her hotel. At the gym, there were constant
reminders of my work. On the trail, there was the heart-pumping climb. In the
car, there was the quiet of our impasse. Kya was convinced she needed me to get
what she wanted, while I was fighting hard to get what I wanted alone.

She had made a
convincing case for getting an agent before the title fight. I would need
someone to take care of the details, secure the right money, and watch the
contracts. Someone I trusted. And, I trusted Kya Allen. It felt strange, but
not when I thought about how she hid nothing.

Kya had even
confessed her life plan. She was going to work until she earned a certain
security – the career, the bank account, and the house. Things that had always
stayed out of reach for my mother. My mother did not have the education for a
career. She had worked two jobs, sometimes adding hours as a house cleaner, and
still her bank account was always empty. We had rented a one-bedroom apartment
where the kids had the room and my mother slept on the couch.

That was exactly
why I refused to share my life with anyone. Until I could provide those things,
I was better off alone. If my father had done that, they would have been happy.
He would not have left. My mother would have recovered. My sister would not
have skipped school to make easy money.

It was dangerous
that Kya and I wanted the same things. Even though the ride back to the Strip
was silent, I feared she heard me thinking her same thoughts.

I went back to the
MGM Grand to shower. Instead of shadowboxing my new moves under the spray, I
closed my eyes. She was there, her breasts heaving from the hike. Her copper
hair brushed back into a loose ponytail, her neck showing the lightest sheen of
sweat. I wanted to lick it, to taste her.

I imagined her in
a hidden turn just off the trail, her skin like warm honey in the sun. Kya
below me, open, wanting. I squeezed my eyes shut to hold her there and
pleasured myself under the hot spray of the shower.

Thinking she was
out of my system at least for the night, I considered ordering room service.
When I reached for the phone, I thought about inviting Kya to join me. I
slammed the phone down and got dressed. I needed to get out.

Two floors down,
the elevator doors opened on the perfect distraction. Talia tossed her silky
black hair over her shoulder and strolled in.

"What
floor?" I asked.

"Pick
one," she said.

She stepped
forward as I leaned around her to press the ground floor button. Her breasts
brushed under my chin and she plumped them up and then heaved a little sigh.

"Glad I ran
into you," she said. "Are you glad to see me?"

I admired the
cleavage she kept in front of my eyes. "You look beautiful, as
always."

Talia spun around
so I could admire her skimpy blue dress. The material shone and slipped around
her body like liquid. She backed up and pressed herself the length of me.
"Hmm, I like seeing us in the mirror."

From her hard
nipples to the shimmy her backside did against my pelvis, it was easy to
imagine what she was suggesting. I could slip that shiny blue dress up to her
waist and be inside her before the next floor. She nodded encouragement and
leaned forward to place her palms against the mirror. I bet she would not even
care if I did not hit the stop button. The doors could open on the main lobby
and she would still be hot and ready.

Stopping the
elevator made me think of Kya. The jolt had made her giggle then her green eyes
had gotten brighter. She had pushed me into the corner of the elevator and
kissed me until we sunk together to the floor.

"I know you
like to be bad, I do, too," Talia said. She swayed the short hem of her
dress in front of my belt loop.

I felt my blood
rush to where she brushed against me, but it was not Talia I wanted. "Not
here," I told her.

She stood up and
leaned back against me. The position gave me an open view down the front of her
dress. She was not wearing a bra, her breasts firm and rounded against the
material, nipples aroused as she squirmed inside the fabric. "I know a dark
corner where no one plays the slots at this hour."

I had to try. I
reached around Talia and cupped both her firm breasts in my hands. She moaned
loudly as I squeezed, and her hands sneaked between us to my belt loop. I
fingered her nipples, feeling every shudder through her sensual body. She undid
my zipper, but before she could reach me and work me hard with her hands, I had
to admit the truth – all I could think about was Kya.

"Damn, sorry.
I…I just can't do this now," I said.

The elevator doors
slid open just as I rebuckled my belt. Talia was still teasing me, her breasts
pressed to my arm, one hand cupping my ass.

"Don't let me
interrupt," my manager said. He stepped onto the elevator and licked his
lips at Talia. "I was coming to get you for dinner, but I understand if
you're ordering in."

"No, dinner
is great," I said.

"Gimme the
restaurant," Kev said into his phone. "Yeah, make it three. We're on
our way."

Talia bounced
happily and wrapped her arms around mine. Kev nodded his head along with her still
erect nipples and whistled. He stayed distracted by her shiny dress until we
were seated at the restaurant.

"Alright,
tell me about Kya Allen. I'm dying to know what happened after the nightclub.
You two were looking pretty hot and heavy on the way out," Kev said.

Talia pouted and
slid a little closer to me in the dark leather booth. I shook my head.
"You know I was just messing with her. Distracting her from getting her
pitch out. I'm not signing on to hock vitamin supplements."

Kev shrugged.
"It'd be smart to pick something long-term like that. Shoes go out of
style, but vitamins have a good long contract. Anyway, enough about business.
What's the Country Club Princess like?"

"She sounds
boring," Talia said.

"Apparently
not," Kev said. "She kept our boy distracted all night long."

"Let's talk
about something else," Talia pouted and ran a hand high up the inside of
my thigh. She started to knead my muscles there in slow circles. "What
kind of fun are we going to have tonight?"

"First
cocktails, then steak, then more cocktails, then we hit the town," Kev
said.

"Did you sign
a deal I don't know about?" I asked. "Where are all these funds
coming from?"

My manager
shrugged again. He waved at a man across the bar. "Bran cereal, breakfast
of champions, that sort of thing. I told him I would hand you this. Pretend to
read over it, keep it out on the table, and he's picking up the tab."

I took the product
information packet and glanced back at the endorsement agent. He raised his
glass then turned back to the bar. Trying the soft sell. It seemed wrong to
take advantage of him, but my manager had already ordered two bottles of wine
and steak dinners for all of us.

"What did Ms.
Allen offer you, or was it all below the table?" Kev asked.

Talia's hand
gripped hard before she redoubled her efforts to arouse me. With my manager
salivating across the table at us, she had a better chance of getting me to
endorse jock straps.

"She hasn't
tried her business pitch on you?" I asked. "Most agents are like our
friend at the bar, they go through the manager."

"Well,
everyone in the industry knows she's different. Likes to go straight for what
she wants," he said. "Come on, you're really not gonna give me any
details about the other night?"

"No, I'm not.
Find your own details," I said.

"I wish! Hey,
maybe Miss Wriggler there has a friend?" he asked.

"Sure. I know
some girls are heading over to the new club at the Tropicana," Talia said.

"The
Tropicana?" I asked, remembering that was where I had dropped Kya off that
morning.

"Yeah, it’s
retro cool, good music. The bathrooms are great." Talia batted her
eyelashes at me and slipped her hand higher up my leg.

I was glad when
the food and wine arrived because Talia had something else to do with her
hands. The sight of Kevin Casey eating a rare steak was enough to turn anyone
off. Fortunately, the wine was good and my manager had a slew of entertaining
stories.

"And that is
why you never challenge Chris Rock to a game of baseball," Kev finished
his story and poured out the last of the second bottle of wine.

Talia giggled and
swayed as she got out of the booth. "Chris Rock performed in Vegas a few
years ago. My friend and I sneaked backstage, but we never made it further than
his bodyguards."

Knowing her
preference for tough guys first hand, I did not bother to ask what happened
with the bodyguards. She wrapped both arms around my bicep and whispered it in
my ear anyway. It may have been the strong wine, but her dirty memory got my
blood pumping.

It seemed
ridiculous to take a town car to a casino we could see from outside the MGM
Grand, but the enormous buildings were deceptively far apart. Plus, the town
car gave Talia the chance to sit in my lap. I ran my hands all over her curves,
but somehow, Kya kept coming between me and Talia's thin dress. It was wrong to
compare the two women, but it was all I could do.

I only wanted Kya.
The only answer to that was to drink more. We messed around at the Blackjack
tables inside the Tropicana long enough to get served strong cocktails. Kev hit
a hot streak and Talia had fun flirting with the dealer. I played
conservatively and tried not to tally every loss against the free chips I was
given for my minor celebrity.

Counting my
savings in my head made me again think of Kya. I could understand how she did
not want to let loose until she had a safety net. It made sense, and I operated
the same way. That was why I needed to get Kya Allen out of my system. She was
the only one in years that made me want to skip my personal parameters and
start a relationship early.

Relationship
– I shook my head.
I have got to get her
out of my head
, I thought.

Too bad when I
turned back to our Blackjack game, I spotted Kya Allen across the casino floor.
She paced in front of a video poker game on the end of a long row. As her phone
conversation stretched on, she played a few hands. It was easy to see from the
flashing lights of her machine that she was casually winning. Only Kya would
win offhand while talking on the phone.

Talia caught me
watching Kya. She gave up her seat and stood next to me. Her bouncing breasts
were even with my cheek as she leaned into my stool. "Let's go dance,
Fenton. Or better yet, let's go swimming. I bet we could convince the front
desk to let us into the pool."

"You go ahead
and join your friends," I told her. "I'm going to stick around
here."

Talia bent lower,
sucking on my ear lobe. "The best way to get over someone is to sleep with
someone else," she said.

"You're
right," I agreed. The cocktails had confused my hearing. "I gotta
sleep with her to get over her."