The Bad Boy Next Door: A Red Hot Bad Boy Romance by Lacey Legend Page A

Isaac responded as he started the car. “I’ll swing by your place and drop you off first, Ruby,” he said.
    “Sure, okay. I have to get some writing done anyway.” Ruby sank back into the backseat and looked out the window as they drove to her house.
    “What kind of writing do you do?” Genie asked.
    “Romance novels mainly,” Ruby responded.
    “Oh, like those little books you buy in dollar stores?”
    “ No ,” Ruby responded. “They are full-length novels with character development, conflicts, and subplots.”
    Genie laughed, but didn’t respond. Ruby glared at the back of Genie’s head, but said nothing.
    “So, Isaac, what else are you thinking about doing with all your dough?” Genie asked, changing the subject.
    “Well, I’m considering opening a non-profit.”
    “You mean you want to just give your money away?” Genie looked taken aback.
    “No,” Isaac said, “Not exactly. The non-profit would help children and adults from poverty-stricken neighborhoods learn to read and write. I did a ton of research and talked to my financial team before deciding that would be the best and most productive use of my time and money.”
    “Don’t kids learn to read in school?” Genie asked. The car was coming to a stop in front of Ruby’s house.
    “Not always. It depends on how much individual attention they can get from their teachers. And lots of adults, especially immigrants, need help with reading and writing English.”
    “Interesting.” Genie looked in the rear view mirror at Ruby. “We’re here,” she said with a smile.
    Ruby got out of the rental car Isaac had hired for the day and walked around to the driver side window. She leaned in and gave Isaac a kiss. He returned it, but not with the same heat as before, Ruby noticed. “Have fun,” she said to Genie, and stood back as the car pulled away. Ruby felt suddenly nervous about Isaac and Genie being alone together all afternoon shopping. She hadn’t been nervous before, but after she saw how upset Isaac got when she questioned Genie about the money being spent on private school, she didn’t know what to think. She sighed and went into the house to call Julia to see if she had been able to find out anything about Genie.
    ***
    “Hey, girl, how was breakfast?” Julia asked when she answered the phone.
    Ruby gave her a play-by-play of the entire morning, leaving nothing out.
    “Wow,” Julia said when her best friend finished speaking. “What a bitch. I can’t believe she’s trying to get him to pay for five years of private school for a daughter he hasn’t even met yet.”
    “I know! Normally I would never tell him what to do with his money. We haven’t been together very long so it’s really none of my business, but this has me genuinely concerned.”
    “Well, I still have feelers out to see if I can find anything out about her for you. I hired a private investigator. He was able to find Judith Randles, Genie’s mother, but other than the grocery store and the corner bar, she doesn’t really leave the house much.”
    “Hmm. Well that doesn’t really leave us anywhere,” Ruby said.
    “I know. The investigator is also going to check county records to see if he can find a birth certificate under the name Regina Randles,” Julia told her.
    “That’s a great idea. That isn’t something I can do from here, or I would have tried already.”
    “You have to do it in person unfortunately,” Julia said.
    “I hope she doesn’t get her claws too deep into him,” Ruby observed.
    “What are you going to do if she really is his daughter? It could be a complete coincidence that she didn’t tell him before now.”
    Ruby sighed, “I know. I’m going to feel like such a bitch if that turns out to be the case, Julia. But I really don’t think that little girl is Isaac’s. Oh well. The little girl will be here in a day or so. Maybe I’ll just have a conversation with her.”
    “That’s underhanded,” Julia said with a