Walking past her, he looked down at his watch, wondering how much longer Alana would be.
“I just figured you were buried in work.”
Her laugh was like nails on a chalkboard, causing him to grimace. He wasn’t sure what he saw in her before.
Taking a seat on the couch, he spread the menus out on the coffee table, trying to decide which restaurant he would order from.
“Working hard pays the bills,” he muttered. He didn’t need her reminding him of what his brother and family had been telling him for years.
“And it allows you to play hard.”
She slid onto the couch next to him, her short skirt leaving little to the imagination. Her long legs were tan and golden, but didn’t do anything for him.
He realized he preferred a deep caramel skinned woman. Almond-shaped eyes that were magnified by her quirky glasses. If he closed his eyes, he could still taste her from their kiss in the bookshop.
“I wasn’t trying to go anywhere this weekend. I just wanted to relax at home for once.”
“That’s cool.” Her hand rested on his knee, and instead of desire rushing through him, he only felt nauseous. She ran her hand up his leg and leaned into him with a small smile on her lips. “We can have plenty of fun here if you like. Anything you want to do, I’m down for it.”
He just wanted her to leave.
Any other time, he would go with the flow of having a beautiful woman show up at his apartment. He was always down for a little fun.
But now, there was only one person he wanted to spend time with.
Where was Alana?
He glanced down at his watch again.
“Seriously, you’ve looked at your watch at least three times since I’ve been here,” Bianca whined.
“That’s what happens when you show up uninvited,” he snapped, getting to his feet.
“I just wanted us to have a little—”
“Us?” he growled, all patience gone. “There has never been an ‘us.’”
“London!”
“We fucked. That was it. There was nothing between us, and there’s not going to be. You were just an easy lay.”
“Fuck you,” Bianca screeched, her face contorted in anger as she stalked toward him. “You’re a dick, you know that?”
“A dick you’re not getting tonight,” he snapped.
Her eyes flared. She looked as though she had more to say, but she spun around and stalked through the apartment toward the door.
“Your dick wasn’t all that,” she threw out over her shoulder.
“Yet here you are, showing up unannounced to my house, wanting me to fuck you.”
A cynical laugh escaped him at the now comical situation. Bianca flipped him off before swinging open the door and disappearing out into the hall, leaving it wide open.
He walked over and watched her storm down the hallway toward the elevator. Shaking his head, he focused on the door across from his apartment.
Walking across the hall, he knocked on Alana’s door. He cursed himself for spending so much time with her lately and not getting her cell phone number.
He listened at the door for any sounds of life.
Nothing.
He knocked again and waited. Most women he knew took forever getting ready. Maybe Alana was the same. It had been almost an hour since they had separated.
After no answer, he backed up and went inside his place.
What the hell?
Alana had appeared to be excited to come spend more time with him. Neither of them wanted the night to end.
What happened?
9
He’d never been known as a stalker, but now, London had perfected the art. He glanced out the peephole to see if he could catch a glimpse of Alana.
Not seeing any movement in the hall, he turned away from his door.
Is she avoiding me?
He wasn’t sure what he had done for her to disappear and cut him out of her life that quick. Almost a week had gone by since their all-day outing, and all he could do was think about her. He couldn’t get her out of his head.
The sound of her laughter. The way her eyes twinkled with mischief, and the way she moaned as they kissed.
Running a hand through his hair, he plopped down on the couch and snagged his laptop off the coffee table.
Today, he had decided to work from home, hoping to run into Alana. But somehow, she had managed to leave her apartment without him knowing it.
He just had to speak with her.
Maybe he would throw himself back into work. That always helped him feel better. Logging into the email system, he figured he’d start there and catch up.
A few minutes later, he leaned back and stared at the ceiling.
He couldn’t concentrate.
Had he lost his touch?
Most women were all over him, but it would appear he was just another guy to Alana. In the day they had spent together, he took notice of everything about her. She was kind, polite to everyone who crossed their path, and was just downright different from any woman he had ever dated.
His phone rang. Leaning forward, he swiped it from the table.
“What?” he answered.
“Well, aren’t you a ray of sunshine this morning.”
Brad was one of the top agents who worked for Primetime Sports Management. He was a good guy and a talented agent who was known to cut jaw-dropping deals for his clients.
“Just tired. Been working since early this morning,” London lied.
“Why am I not surprised? You own the company, and still put us all to shame with the hours you work.”
“Hey, I have to be a role model for what I want in an employee,” London snorted. He took pride in his position. When he and Jaxon first created the company, it was just the two of them, and they easily pulled in seventy hours a week. Now that PSM has been flourishing, he probably didn’t need to work long hours, but he couldn’t help it. That was just how he was programed. “Can’t have you outshining me.”
“I hear you’re going to have a meeting with Khalil.” Respect could be heard in Brad’s voice. “That’s going to be record-breaking if you’re able to sign him.”
“Details haven’t been worked out, but we’re going to sit down, and I’ll pitch to him why he should sign with me.”
“You have something planned?”
“Yeah. I’m working on getting a deal with Cleveland. If he signs with me, I’ll already have a sweet deal waiting for him,” London bragged slightly. He had a great relationship with the Cleveland basketball program’s front office. Over the past few years, he had begun a courtship of the legendary basketball player. They ran in the same circles and saw each other frequently. It was only a matter of time before the athlete would start thinking of signing with another sports agency.
“And I’m sure your percentage will cut you a nice piece.”
“Of course. I’m worth it,” London replied.
Setting his computer down on the couch, he rested his feet on the table and yawned, running a hand along the side of his face. His hand was met with hard bristles along his jaw. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, and it was showing.
“So what’s up? I doubt you’re calling me on a Saturday to discuss work.”
“Actually, I sort of am.” Brad cleared his throat before continuing. “There’s going to be a yacht party down on the lake tonight, and I wanted to extend an invite to you.”