Read Online RHINO: A Bad Boy Sports Romance (With FREE Bonus Novel OFFSIDE!) by Abbey Foxx - Free Book Online Page A

know.”
    Lucy shifts a little, crosses and uncrosses her legs, and then gives me the look that tells me I’ve given her something to bite on, a hint of the smell of something new.
    “ Alex Vann Haden, notorious womanizer, famous for his assets, much smaller in real life than initially thought.”
    “ You see, it’s all a game. To them, I’m The Rhino. The bad boy that threatens staff members, wakes up in jail cells, fucks famous politicians daughters-.” Lucy’s frowning at me and she obviously didn’t know, or doesn’t know, or wasn’t sure, whatever, she clearly doesn’t approve. “-That time really was a mistake. I’m not really like that.”
    “ What are you like?”
    “ I’m multidimensional. Layered. Complex.”
    “ You sound like an onion. Alex Vann Haden, originally thought to be a world class athlete, recently discovered to be nothing but an onion.”
    “ Now you’re mocking me.”
    “ Sensitive too.”
    “ It would help if you didn’t come at this with bias.”
    “ Then you should have asked someone along that you didn’t have history with.”
    “ Have I upset you?”
    “ You didn’t return my Valentine’s cards.”
    “ If it makes you feel any better, I’ve never sent a Valentine’s card in my life.”
    “ Actually, you did me a favor.”
    “ How’s that?”
    “ You would have only gone on and broken my heart.”
    “ That means you did care about me.”
    Lucy shrugs. “We all make mistakes.”
    “ Maybe we can learn from them.”
    Lucy shakes her head. “That is definitely something you’re not going to be able to convince me of in a week.”
    “ Then I guess you’ll just have to stay around for longer.”
    I leave Lucy with a smile, too quick for her to respond, disappear down into the kitchen and bring back up a bottle of champagne, strawberries, full fat cream, and icing sugar. Lucy pulls the champagne out of the ice bucket to look at the label momentarily before allowing it to slide back inside amongst the freezing water.
    “ Are you trying to impress me?”
    “ Lucy Parker, there is no way I can answer that question without finding myself in a hole. If I told you yes, I’d be accused of foul play and acting unnaturally, when I’ve asked you here to record my natural life, and if I said no, this is what I always do, you’d be disappointed because I’m not treating you specially enough.”
    “ You’ve thought about that way too much for it to be natural, but then again, do you always keep champagne and strawberries in your fridge for special occasions?”
    “ I don’t bring just anyone here, you know.”
    “ No, of course, here to this very specific piece of water in the middle of nowhere.”
    “ See, I knew you were enjoying yourself.”
    I open the bottle and pour the champagne while Lucy places strawberries into a bowl, cream poured generously over the top.
    “ The champagne is a nice touch, but the company could be improved I suppose.”
    “ There you go, goading me again, when I’ve already told you how sensitive I am.”
    “ I’m sure you’ll recover.”
    “ Name one person you’d prefer to be here with.”
    That’s put her on the spot.
    “ Go on, one person”, I say again.
    “ I’m at work, that’s an unfair question.”
    “ You chose to come.”
    “ My boss forced me.”
    “ You chose to stay.”
    “ Who can refuse a boat trip to the middle of nowhere?”
    “ You just can’t admit you like me.”
    “ I’d like you more if you were less arrogant.”
    “ Admit it.”
    She gives me that oh-so-not-very-subtle look away and then a coquettish look back up. This girl is pure theater, she’s learned that over the last five years. Not the college virgin anymore, far from it. This girl knows what she wants and she’s convincing herself she knows how to get it. A sip of champagne while the question hangs, a seductive wrapping of her damp lips around that strawberry she will know exactly what is doing to me.
    “ Alright.”
    “ Alright,