Page 92 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

Fit for a King

ELLIE ISAACSON

One

CARINA

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I promise you, there would be no third time.

No, third time’s a charm. No, get back up on the horse and ride—whatever that’s supposed to mean.

I tried my hand at love, served my heart up on a silver platter, and it was returned to me as if it were last week’s takeout in lieu of a fancy steak dinner.

Love and I didn't belong in the same room. The sooner I got used to that, the better off I’d be.

A sigh left me as I sat down on my vanity chair. I peered at myself in the mirror, taking in the damage.

Swollen lips? Check.

Mascara smudged and tear-stained cheeks? Double check.

I’d been worse. My hair wasn’t too mussed, and I didn’t have anything sticky on my face or dress.

Picking up my brush, I smoothed my short black bob before moving on to fix my makeup. I was nearly done when Evie stepped into the room.

“That was quick.” She glided to her own vanity, eyeing me as she went.

“They don’t make them like they used to,” I mused. “This one called me Carla and had tears in his eyes when he came.” She let out a giggle that sounded like the tinkling of bells. Coming close, she watched as I carefully drew on my bright red lipstick, and then she checked me over when I turned toward her.

“Perfect, as usual. But when is our beautiful queen bee anything but?” Her smile was as genuine as her heart.

“You’re too good to me, Evie.” I turned back to the mirror and took a moment to adjust my breasts in the cups of my push-up bra.

At least I had my inheritance—good genes. Ample breasts, a pretty face, and an hourglass figure that could entice both men and women to give me whatever I might want. My lips were full even when they weren’t swollen from sucking some man’s cock. My lashes were naturally thick and had never been touched by the lash glue the girls swore by to give them that come-hither look.

Coming from nothing, I’d worked my ass off waiting tables and doing everything I could to raise my station in life. Whether I was on my feet, on my knees, or on my back, I’d gotten myself this far. There was no way I’d stop because of a little broken heart.

It would heal. Eventually. That’s what it did after Vinny Leonetti made it clear I was nothing more than a good fuck before he found his forever love and dumped me for good. Just because I’d had the bad luck to fall for the first man who’d shown an interest in me after that didn’t mean I couldn’t get up off my knees and rise again.

I wasn’t looking for love. Not anymore. The next man to show me favor was out of luck. All I needed now was cash flow and fun. I’d overcome far more in the past thirty years than a little heartache.

“Just you wait and see,” I murmured quietly to my reflection, pasting on the smile that melted men’s hearts and opened their wallets. “Carina Williams always comes out on top.”

Standing, I adjusted my black silk dress over my breasts and thighs, ensuring all the right bits were covered while keeping to the provocative standards this job required. There were other ways to entice men to part with their money here at The Starlight Club. Showing skin was just one of them.

The door to the dressing room burst open, and Nevaeh came rushing in. She flashed her wide-eyed gaze around the room before tugging her wrap dress closed at her chest and rushing past where I stood.

“Buckle up, babes. King’s on a warpath.”

“Dammit,” Evie whined. “Not again.”

I’d barely lifted my chin and straightened my shoulders before the closing door slammed open. Kingston Donaghue’s scowl was the first thing I saw, followed shortly after by his crisp black suit and his better than you attitude.

Trickling in behind him were the rest of the girls—Ruby, Sienna, and Lucy. The three of them looked beyond frightened.

King bared his teeth when he saw me, then snapped his fingers and pointed to the empty space at my left. The girls raced around him, lining up in the spot he pointed at while Evie came to stand at my other side.

“Where’s Nevaeh?” he asked, his voice as close to a growl as I’d ever heard. From anyone else, it would have sounded ridiculous. But the noise left chills racing down my arms.

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