Read Online The Bad Boy Next Door: A Red Hot Bad Boy Romance by Lacey Legend - Free Book Online

grabbed them along with her mail and padded back into the house. She arranged the sticky notes and began to read them. They were all from Isaac. Apparently he had stopped at her house a few times over the last two days. The sticky notes were left where they sat on the table and Ruby went back into her office. She wasn’t ready to come to terms with her feelings for her hunky neighbor yet.
    It was just supposed to be a date. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with him. I’m going to have to face him some time. After a few more moments of internalized dialog, Ruby decided that she would go over after lunch. I really need to get that outline done and start writing, she justified. She wasn’t sure if she believed herself, though, or if it was just a scheme to put off the inevitable.
    ***
    Isaac dialed the number his aunt had given him. It rang three times and went to voice mail.
    “Hi, Genie,” Isaac began. “Um, my Aunt Amanda gave me your phone number. It sounds like we have some things to discuss maybe.” He left his number and hung up. Then he resumed pacing back and forth stopping only long enough to send a shout out on his social media pages responding to requests for a party. Isaac let them know there wouldn’t be a party for a while as he had out of town guests coming. As he typed the response he found himself wondering if what Ruby had said was true. Would his party-seeking friends abandon him altogether if he stopped catering to them?
    Genie called a few minutes later. Isaac’s hand shook as he answered his cell phone. “Hi,” was all he said.
    “Hi.” Genie’s voice was low and feminine; everything Isaac remembered it to be.
    “We have a lot to catch up on it seems,” Isaac said.
    “We sure do. Can I come see you? It would be easier to do this in person I think.”
    “Absolutely. When do you want to come down?”
    He could hear the smile in her voice when she responded. “The sooner the better. How about this weekend?”
    Isaac felt excitement course through his veins. “Okay.” He gave her his address and they settled on a date before hanging up. Only then did he realize he hadn’t asked her a single question about Reggie, but neither had she even brought up the little girl’s name during the entire conversation.
    Just then there was a knock on his front door and Isaac was pulled from his reverie. His face brightened as he saw through the window in the front door that his visitor was Ruby. He rushed over and opened the door, pulling her into his arms.
    “Why have you been avoiding me? I’ve been worried about you for the last two days!”
    Ruby sank into his arms, relieved that he wasn’t angry at her; too angry to talk. “I’m sorry, Isaac. I had a little bit of an existential crisis and just needed to sort things out.”
    “What kind of crisis?” Isaac led her over to the couch and they sat next to one another, fingers interlaced.
    “I have something to confess to you actually. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did.”
    Isaac laughed, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What happened?”
    “I think I fell in love with you,” Ruby said quietly.
    Isaac gathered her to his chest and planted a deep, lingering kiss on her mouth before pulling back and smiling at her. “I love you too, Ruby. As it happens, I have news as well!”  Isaac stood, excitement rising in him, “I just found out I have a daughter!”
    Ruby’s consciousness refused to believe that it heard what he had just said. “Pardon me?” she said.
    Isaac nodded. “I just found out today that I have a daughter.”
    Ruby cocked her head to one side, still processing what Isaac said. “Just found out today?”
    Isaac laughed again and sat down next to her. “Yes. My ex-girlfriend Genie called my Aunt Mandy who called me and gave me the news.”
    “Why did this ex-girlfriend wait until just now to tell you this?”
    “I have no idea. I plan to ask her when she gets here.”
    Ruby stood suddenly, a knee-jerk reaction. “Your