Betting On Love Read online

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  A note to the reader

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  One Moment

  More Works from Danielle

  Connect with Danielle

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be a property of their respective owners, and are only used for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.

  Betting On Love

  Copyright © 2017 Danielle Dickson

  All rights reserved

  Cover art by Eleanor Lloyd-Jones of Schmidt’s Author Services

  Formatting by Abigail Davies

  Proofreading by Judy’s Proofreading

  To my mum on her birthday, I love you more than I could ever say. Love, your favourite xo ;)

  First and foremost, a huge thank you to my cover designer, Eleanor, at Schmidt’s Author Services. She worked magic on this custom cover, all I gave her were two photos and a blurb, she did the rest. To Judy, my proofreader, you’re amazing, I’m so bloody happy you were recommended to me!

  My beta readers; Angela J, Angela L, Liza, Elaine and Abi, thank you for being brutally honest with me, Mac and Billie’s story wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t for you awesome lot. I love you all more than I love pink iced doughnuts and slippers (and that’s saying something). Oh, and happy Paddy’s day to Elaine and Liza, my Irish Vixens ;)(It’s St. Patricks day when you’ll be receiving this ARC)

  Abi, again, your help is second to none. You’re always there when I need to tell you my crazy ideas and you don’t judge me when I have one of my freak-out, self-doubt moments! And your formatting is beautiful, it speaks for itself.

  To all the bloggers that have helped with the cover reveal, release, blog tour and reviewed, you’re So appreciated it’s unreal. Without you and our readers, us indie authors would be nowhere. Thank you for all that you do.

  To my family, friends, and readers that have picked up any one of my books, I love you wholeheartedly. Your support is second to none and it’s meant the world to have you all by my side, cheering me on. Thank you xo

  This book is written in dual points of view. The characters are American and British; therefore each respective part contains euphemisms and slang words from where they’re from. Please remember that the words are not misspelled, they are just spelt the way they are in their respective countries depending on who is speaking, and whose point of view it is. Thank you.

  Groaning internally, I rub at my eyes and slip out of the bed silently trying to not wake up the blond-haired chick beside me. I curse as I realize that I fell asleep, again. I don’t do it often, but when I do it never ends well. Some girls are clingy and try to make me breakfast afterward when all I want to do is get out of there as quick as I can instead of making it awkward.

  I inwardly sigh and scan the room for all my shit, trying to take inventory. I vaguely remember my clothes being thrown in all sorts of directions last night apart from my socks because she asked me to keep them on. I smirk at the memory and shake my head at how weird it was.

  Spotting my boxers first, I move to pick them up and put them on and then I grab my jeans, t-shirt, wallet, and boots, piling them into my arms.

  I tiptoe a few paces toward the door but hit a squeaky floorboard on the way and freeze in place as— Shit, what was her name again?

  I never was good with names. Anyway, whoever she is, she begins to turn over in her sleep and I hold my breath as I watch her stretch and roll over. She grunts once but doesn’t wake up. Phew.

  I make my way out, not even bothering to throw on any of my clothes. I’m just about to sneak out the front door when a hand clasps around my arm.

  “And you are?”

  Shit. I turn around slowly to an angry looking man, but luckily I tower over him so I have an advantage if he tries anything.

  “Leaving.”

  I try to get out of the door but he pulls on my arm to stop me. I shrug out of his grip and barely make it out without dropping my clothes bundle. I forgot to get my keys out so I’m not ready when I reach my car, circling it as I feel around in the pockets of my jeans. Please say I’ve not left them inside.

  The red-faced man runs after me and for anybody watching us right now, I can imagine it’s funny as shit, but if you were in my shoes, not so fun.

  “You fucked my wife! What kind of man does that?” he shouts.

  I look back at him, he’s tomato red in the face and I thank my lucky stars that he’s not fast, it’s too early to take a hit. I don’t make a habit of sleeping with other people’s wives, but this isn’t my fault, she’s the one that’s married, not me.

  “Dude, I didn’t know she was married!” I shout back, still fumbling for my keys.

  I find them in the front pocket and fight to unlock my car door before he can get to me.

  “You’re a sick son of a bitch!”

  I slide into the driver’s seat of my new BMW not replying to him as I lock all the doors, signaling to him that I can’t hear him. I rev the engine and he backs away letting me peel out of there, not looking back. I sigh dramatically, that was close!

  How was I supposed to know she was married? It wasn’t like she was wearing a ring or anything. I mean, I feel sorry for the guy, but maybe it’s best he found out now rather than later. I cringe at the situation and then find myself laughing at how my day has already started off. Always eventful in the life of Mac.

  It’s only seven in the morning so I have time to grab a quick shower before I have to head out to make it in time for work. My best friend, Connor, owns a construction company and I work with him as a contractor and his accountant. I know, right? Beauty, brawn, and brains. I’m a triple threat.

  I make the drive back to my apartment building and park outside, looking down at myself still wearing nothing but my boxers and socks. I laugh out loud and open the car door, taking a quick look around. Apart from the odd car driving past, it looks quiet enough, so I jog to the building and open the door with my key.

  Just as I think I’ve gotten away without getting charged for indecent exposure, a soft, British voice calls out, “Wait! Hold the door, please!”

  I sigh trying to decide if being an asshole trumps the embarrassment of being caught in my underwear, but I’m a confident guy, I don’t care. Making my decision, my hand catches the door just before it’s about to shut and my eyes widen and I jump back as I nearly get trampled on by someone carrying a stack of books.

  “Thanks,” she says hurriedly as she walks by me and to the elevator.

  I can’t quite see her face and I don’t think she can see me either, so I think I’ve lucked out on her seeing that I’m not wearing any clothes. I shrug my shoulders, her loss. “You’re welcome,” my low voice rumbles out.r />
  I don’t need to see her face to tell that she’s beautiful. She has her long blond hair scooped up into a messy bun that all the girls seem to do nowadays and she’s wearing short running shorts that encase her toned legs that go on for days with a black tank top that shows off her shapely waist. And damn that accent, why haven’t I noticed her here before?

  I see her struggling to press the button to call the elevator and rush over, pressing it for her and standing back, twisting my head to the side to admire her peachy ass.

  “Stop checking me out, Neanderthal,” she quips, giving me a sarcastic smile over her shoulder, letting me see her side profile for the first time. Beautiful.

  “Hey, you should be flattered I was checking out your ass. It looks like you work hard for that peach.”

  She scoffs. “Do any of those lines actually work on women? Or do you just keep pulling out the same one-liners in the hopes that one day someone will be stupid enough to fall for your bullshit?”

  She’s floored me and I don’t know what to say, so I stand here gawping at her.

  “Yeah, thought so.” She snorts, turning back around when the elevator pings open.

  She walks inside, but I don’t follow her.

  “Nice boxers, by the way,” she says with a satisfied smirk on her face, a sparkle in her caramel-colored eyes. Then the doors close.

  Shit. I think I’ve just met my match.

  Making my way to work, I think about last night’s conversation with my best friend, Connor.

  My cell rings as I’m putting on my cologne and I reach for it, seeing Connor’s name on the screen. “Yo, dude! Where’ve you been? I was expecting you to call at least every hour.”

  He’s also my boss and has left me in charge for a little while to go off to do whatever he does at this time of year.

  His deep laugh rumbles through the phone. “Ha-ha. I know you’re very capable and I trust you, I was just checking in to see if you needed anything.”

  Yeah, right, he’s checking in to make sure I haven’t accidentally burned down someone’s house or lost us clients. “Yeah, sure you were. Everything’s A-Okay on this end, we finished Sweeney’s roof today so we can get started on the school refurb tomorrow. How’s your mom?” I don’t even keep the sarcasm out of my voice, I know he’s not visiting his mom like he said he was, but I won’t pry, I’ll wait for him to come to me when he’s ready.

  He clears his throat. “Yeah, she’s good, thanks. Listen, Mac, there’s something I didn’t tell you about this school.”

  When he doesn’t talk right away, I say, “Well come on then, spit it out, I haven’t got all night, I have a date.”

  He snorts. “A date? Is that what they’re calling a booty call these days?”

  I roll my eyes and look at my watch, realizing I should’ve left by now. “Yeah, yeah, just get to it, Con.”

  “Alright, well, it’s a Catholic school so I need you to reign in that mouth of yours and brief the guys too. I want to keep a good reputation.” I hold in my sigh. “Mac?”

  “Oh, I’ll be on my best behavior, don’t you worry, Dad,” I say in my most sarcastic voice.

  “Just do it, Mac,” he snaps.

  “Alright, alright! Jeez, I think you need to go find someone to relieve all this tension you’ve got built up,” I retort, humor in my voice.

  “Yeah, okay, like you are?”

  “At least I’m doing something about it,” I reply.

  “And like I always say, I’m fine. Just promise me you’ll treat this job like any other,” he says, a serious edge to his voice.

  “Con, you know I will. Just because I don’t agree with their religion doesn’t mean I’ll fuck up the job.”

  He sighs. “I know, Mac, I’m just under a lot of pressure at the minute.”

  I know why he didn’t tell me that it’s a Catholic school until last night. It’s not that I don’t agree with religion, I just had enough of it shoved down my throat when I was growing up that in my mind, it was that coupled with money that ruined my childhood. My whole family is Catholic and I guess they were disappointed with me when I started to question things. The thing is, I probably wouldn’t have rebelled if they’d have just answered them instead of dismissing me as “disrespectful” and “petulant.”

  I look down at the address and groan, of all the schools it could be, it had to have been this one. I huff out a breath and pull out onto the road. I hope Connor will be back sooner rather than later, I love getting my hands dirty, but in this case, I’d rather be in the office working the accounts than at that school again.

  The look on his face was priceless, I know guys like him thrive off having their ego stroked, so I always love taking them down a peg or two if I can. Although, I am rather curious as to why he was stood in the entrance of the building in just his boxers and socks. If that doesn’t say good morning, then I don’t know what does.

  Judging by the look on his face I don’t think he’s ever seen me before, I mean, I’m not a troll so the attraction to me didn’t surprise me as such, but I won’t go there. It was just last week that I saw him coming into the building with his arm around a pretty brunette, escorting her into the lift and up to his apartment like he cared about her. What’s the big deal, I hear you ask? Well, when I came out of my apartment the next morning, he was seeing out a redhead!

  I mean, I’m all for people having one-night stands and doing what they want, but two girls in one night? That’s just fucking sleazy! And definitely not my style, thank you very much, he can keep his disease-ridden dick well away from me.

  I shift the ton of books I’m carrying so the majority of their weight is on my other arm and try to get the key into the lock of my apartment door. I growl in frustration and end up dropping some of the books on my foot. “Ah, you fucker!”

  While hopping and cursing, I manage to slip the key into the lock and lean against the doorframe as I try to balance the remainder of the books and turn the key at the same time.

  Finally opening the door, I pile the books on top of each other on my kitchen bench with my keys and walk back to pick up the rest from the hallway. As I bend down, I hear a soft click and my eyes widen as I realise what’s happened. I’ve locked myself out. Perfect.

  I huff out a breath and look side to side, wondering what I’m going to do. I have to be at work in an hour and my car keys are inside with my apartment door key. I pull my phone out of my shorts pocket and dial the landlord’s number in the hopes that he’ll come and let me back in. After five times of trying, he finally picks up and tells me that he can’t be here for another forty minutes which is just my luck. Brilliant... just great.

  I slide down the wall beside my door, resting my head back against it and wrapping my arms around my knees. I’ve only lived here for a month and I’m already starting to feel lonely because I’m holed up in here with no friends. I guess it’s my own fault, I don’t know anyone and I’ve never made an effort to talk to the other teachers at school properly. There’s not one of them that doesn’t make me want to fall asleep right where I’m standing whenever they strike up a conversation with me. I considered throwing in the towel and moving back to England, but that would defeat the point.

  Why would I uproot my whole life, leave all my family and friends behind, and move to a strange country by myself, you ask? I have no frigging idea! Zero. Zilch. Zip. But it seemed like a good idea at the time, I was after all, heartbroken.

  “Billie, I love you. Please give me another chance.”

  “Yeah, right, please tell me how I’m supposed to forget about the fact that I just saw you balls deep in my supposed best friend!” I stare back at the man that has been my constant for the past seven years of my life and I feel my heart breaking. It’s a sad feeling as I realise that I don’t even know him anymore, not like I thought I did, but I can’t help the shriek of laughter from slipping out as it bubbles its way up my chest at the state of him and Jessica covered head to toe in mustard and ketchup. “Yo
u’re literally lying in a bed with her right now as naked as the day you were born, and you have the gall to beg for me to take you back. Are you shitting me?”

  “I—”

  “No, Callum, it doesn’t fucking work like that. You just had your dick inside of her hours before our engagement party.”

  Why were they covered in mustard and ketchup? We were due to have our engagement barbecue later that afternoon and I’d just popped out to grab some more condiments. I guess I didn’t take as much time as they thought I would. Although, I don’t know how they were still at it when I got back, he never lasted longer than five minutes when we slept together.

  I walked into the house and heard them at it, so I opened the bottles I was carrying and walked into the room, spraying every inch of them with yellow and red goo. Oh, don’t forget the pickles and beetroot too. It was messy and oddly satisfying, until it really hit me what had happened, or what had been happening for well over six months.

  I guess you could say I didn’t deal with it very well. I moved back in with my parents after leaving him with everything, but that wasn’t enough, I needed to get away. So, I found a job opening halfway across the world and moved, tah-dah! Typical Billie style, I ran.

  So here I am now, on the outskirts of a city surrounded by thousands of people, yet I still feel utterly alone. And to make matters worse to my internal pity party, I’ve just locked myself out of my apartment, and I’m going to be late for work.

  Today’s going to be a long day.

  “Just one more lap, guys. Come on, shift it!” I shout.

  How bloody hard is it to run eight hundred metres? I watch them feebly jog to the finish line. I guess they aren’t used to running long distance, but I’ll whip them into shape.

  I blow my whistle and motion for everyone to gather around. “What have you lot been doing all year? I’ve been here a month and you’ve still not improved much. School finishes in another four weeks and by the end, I want you all to be able to run around this track at a decent pace. You’re teenagers, you should be able to run around the track twice without a problem.” I shake my head at the exhausted look on all of their faces and motion for them to get up. “On your feet, that was just your warm up.” They all groan and I straighten my back, I’m not known for biting my tongue. “I hope you’re all better at football than you are at running. I want us to kick butt!” They all laugh. “Look, if you all put in a little hard work and work together as a team, you can do it. You just need a little push. Now line up, we’re going to do some dribbling exercises.”