Page 5 of The Bluffing Game

“Sorry, what?”

“My name is Ellen … not Heather.” Her lower lip trembles. “I thought you were a playboy. Why don’t you want to sleep with me?”

She pushes her breasts up, and I shake my head, grab my shirt, and put it back on. I button it up, trying to pretend that I’m not incredibly turned on. She’s now playing with her boobs in an obvious attempt to seduce me. I slide off the bed, slip my shoes on, and pull a couple of hundred-dollar bills from my wallet and throw them on the bed.

“This is for the half massage. I think we got our wires crossed. Like I said, I only came for a massage. I’m not sure what you heard, but there’s no way anything is going to happen between us … not tonight, not ever.”

“But I just …” Her voice trails off.

This was a fucking blunder on my part. I knew better than to come to her place. How did I get it so wrong? I must be very tired to have fallen for her masseuse line. I can’t believe I actually came here for a massage.

I bet the cute brunette from earlier in the bar wouldn’t have begged me to sleep with her if she’d been giving me a massage. My mind flickers back to the girl with the defiant hazel eyes. She had a mouth on her, and I enjoyed going back and forth with her while her sister watched. Not that I had time to make a move. Not that she would have been interested either. That much was apparent. I looked over at her a couple of times as she drank with her sister, but she didn’t gaze over at me once.

“So, you’re leaving, Dalton?” Ellen crosses her arms and glares at me.

Never again. I was an idiot for coming here with her.

“I appreciate the massage, and I hope you have a good night, but⁠—”

“Just get out,” she shouts at me as I hurry to her front door.

I do wonder if she’s going through something. This seems like an extreme reaction to me not sleeping with her.

“You men are all the same.”

“I dare say, if I were like all men, I would have slept with you,” I mutter, but I can tell she’s not impressed by my comment, so I quickly make my escape and head to my car.

“Get your act together, Dalton.” I sigh as I head to my Mercedes and slide into the leather seat. “Make smarter decisions.”

I buckle my seat belt, look behind me, check the back seat, and make sure there’s no one there before pulling out of the parking lot. I debate between heading to the ocean or heading home, but I know the responsible thing is to head home. My life is not my own anymore. I need to settle down and figure my shit out. I start the car and drive away. My phone rings, and when I see that it’s my best friend, Roman, I immediately answer.

“What’s happening?” I ask into the air as my Bluetooth connects to the speakers.

“Just checking in.” He grunts like he just finished playing ball. “I was just at the gym and headed home.”

“Cool, cool. I’m actually on the way home as well.”

“From where?”

“What do you mean, from where? You’re not my dad, Roman.”

“Might as well be for all the shit I’ve gotten you out of.”

“Funny.”

“Where you at? I was going to head to Kettle King, but it sounds like you left already?”

“I’m on the way home …” I want to groan, but I don’t need Roman on my ass, calling me a fool.

“What the hell happened, Dalton?”

“You don’t wanna know.” I know that’s a lie.

Roman can be as nosy as an old lady in a retirement home. He wants to know all the gossip.

“Who do I have to shoot?”

“Not funny.”