only make matters worse. "So the boys blabbed, did they?"
"They felt it was something I should know."
"Of course they did," Billie said under her breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Look, Dad, I acted on the spur of the moment. As things stand now, I may not see Royce ever again."
"So that's why you've been so snarky for the last couple of days? This Royce turned you down?"
"I prefer not to get into any details with you, if you don't mind. You're my father and I really don't feel comfortable having my sex life dissected by you."
"So you already had sex with him?"
"No!" When her father's eyes bored into her, Billie sighed in defeat. She had never been able to keep things from him when he used that look on her. "Okay, sort of. Not that it's any of your damn business."
"Sort of? As in you had oral sex with him?"
"Jesus, Dad, you're starting to make feel as if I'm a teenager again. I'm old enough to have a sex life if I want one. Can we please move on to something else?"
"You know I worry about you, especially when it comes to the men in your life. I worry that without your mother having been around I haven't raised you the way I should. That I didn't give you enough chance to have more feminine things around you. You've never dated a man more than a couple of months."
Billie put her cup of coffee down and walked around the desk until she stood at her father's side. She bent down and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. "You did nothing wrong, Dad. I don't think it would have mattered if Mom was around or not. I think I still would have turned out a tomboy. Kind of hard not to with four older brothers. As for my lack of staying power when it comes to men, I just haven't found the right one yet. Let's face it. He would have some pretty big shoes to fill. He'd also have to be able to hold his own against you and the boys."
Her father chuckled as Billie once again stood up straight. "Is that so? And do you think this Royce is man enough to face me down?"
Billie nodded. "Most definitely. He's one of the few who you'd have to look up to, and has enough muscle to go head to head with any of the boys."
"I see. So when do I get to meet this paragon of maleness?"
"Didn't you listen before when I told you I may not be seeing Royce again?"
"Yes, but I don't think that will be the case. What man in his right mind would reject you?"
Billie groaned. "One minute you're acting all uptight and fatherly because there is a new man in my life, and then the next you want to meet him. I'll never understand you." She reached over the desk and picked up her coffee cup. "I'm out of here before you drive me insane."
"I only try to drive you insane because I care."
"Whatever you say, Dad."
Chapter Four
When her last client of the day left the gym floor, Billie decided she wasn't quite ready to go home. It was late in the afternoon, hours until the gym would be closing that evening. Still feeling out of sorts with herself, she decided an hour of lifting weights was what she needed. In no way was she only staying later in case Royce made an appearance, or so she was trying to convince herself.
On her way to the women's change room, Billie noticed that all her brothers were on the gym floor as well. As she walked past each of them, she could feel their eyes following her. Billie felt the urge to turn around and stick her tongue out at them, but decided it was too childish even for her. Instead, she ignored them and didn't as much as turn her head to look back at them.
It only took a few minutes for her to change into her workout clothes, and put on the mp3 player she kept in one of the lockers inside the change room. One of the perks of being the owner's daughter was being able to claim one of the lockers as her own without fear of having her lock cut off at closing time. Her father had to put that rule into effect when too many members were leaving locks on the lockers for days at a time, even after