Read Online Escorting the Billionaire #1 (The Escort Collection) by Leigh James - Free Book Online
Authors: Leigh James
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though my body was on fire, I shivered against him.
“Now finish that drink,” he said commandingly. “We have to go meet the rest of the firing squad.”
“I’m ready when you are,” I said, and even though he made me feel off balance, I was sure that I meant that for a lot of different things.
James
P utting my hands on Audrey in the middle of the restaurant might have been the stupidest thing I’d ever done. But telling her to stop saying bad things about herself was much, much more treacherous.
She was just supposed to be a date. Not a girlfriend. Not a relationship. A date . No strings. No ties. No games.
I hadn’t even been planning on fucking her.
And yet here I was, my aching erection pressing up against her thigh, my entire family within spitting distance. And it wasn’t the erection that was the problem, although it was certainly uncomfortable and inconvenient given the present circumstances. The problem was that I felt protective of her. The problem was that when she called herself a timeshare, it cut me. And when I said something that hurt her feelings, I felt like shit. I felt sorry.
So. Fucking. Inconvenient. Feelings were for the weak, or for those who didn’t know any better. And that wasn’t me.
Maybe it’s because I’m around my family and I’m unsettled, I mused. But that didn’t make it any better, or any safer.
Still, I pulled her to me and almost kissed her, right there. I could feel her body through her dress, hot to my touch. But I stopped myself. I didn’t need to give Todd and Evie any ammunition against us.
“Let’s do this,” I said tightly. Audrey exhaled loudly, and I couldn’t help but smile at her. I felt exactly the same way—that is, if she felt both frustrated at not getting closer and relieved that we were finally apart.
I grabbed her hand and headed to my brother, grabbing two glasses of wine from a passing waiter. We were probably going to get piss drunk, but that was okay. Given the curious, icy stare Evie was giving Audrey, we were going to need to.
“There he is,” Todd said. He pulled me in for a quick, strong hug.
“Best man, reporting for duty,” I said.
Todd clapped me on the shoulder and beamed at us. “My big brother. It’s been too long.”
“I know,” I said. I almost felt bad. “I’ve been—”
“Swamped at work,” Todd finished for me. “We’ve all been swamped at work. You could still make some time to come home and see the little people sometimes.”
He turned and smiled at Audrey and Evie. He was younger than me, but taller by about two inches. I was wider than him from years of lifting weights, and he was thinner, with a runner’s build.
“I had to ask your boyfriend here to be the best man,” he said to Audrey. “Because otherwise he might not have shown up.”
“Of course he would have shown up,” Audrey said. “He’s been talking about the wedding for weeks.”
Todd laughed so hard he almost spit out his drink. He looked at me. “She’s a keeper. Loyal and a pretty decent liar.”
He turned back to her and held out his hand. She took it warily, but he smiled at her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Todd Preston,” he said, giving her a firm shake. “Younger brother of Mr. Hot Stuff here.”
“Audrey Reynolds,” she said. “Girlfriend of Mr. Hot Stuff.” She dropped his hand but smiled back at him.
“This is my betrothed,” Todd continued, motioning to Evie. “Evie Walton.”
“Always a pleasure, Evie,” I said, not bothering to try and sound enthusiastic. I chugged some wine.
She gave me a mean smile and turned her laser-like eyes to Audrey, who was far more interesting than me. She knew she’d never win me over. Not after the first night that I met her, when she’d tried to get me to take her to bed. She’d just started dating Todd then. We were at a bar, and he’d run into some friends; Evie and I were drinking and waiting for him to come back.
“Todd’s nice, but I’ve
“Now finish that drink,” he said commandingly. “We have to go meet the rest of the firing squad.”
“I’m ready when you are,” I said, and even though he made me feel off balance, I was sure that I meant that for a lot of different things.
James
P utting my hands on Audrey in the middle of the restaurant might have been the stupidest thing I’d ever done. But telling her to stop saying bad things about herself was much, much more treacherous.
She was just supposed to be a date. Not a girlfriend. Not a relationship. A date . No strings. No ties. No games.
I hadn’t even been planning on fucking her.
And yet here I was, my aching erection pressing up against her thigh, my entire family within spitting distance. And it wasn’t the erection that was the problem, although it was certainly uncomfortable and inconvenient given the present circumstances. The problem was that I felt protective of her. The problem was that when she called herself a timeshare, it cut me. And when I said something that hurt her feelings, I felt like shit. I felt sorry.
So. Fucking. Inconvenient. Feelings were for the weak, or for those who didn’t know any better. And that wasn’t me.
Maybe it’s because I’m around my family and I’m unsettled, I mused. But that didn’t make it any better, or any safer.
Still, I pulled her to me and almost kissed her, right there. I could feel her body through her dress, hot to my touch. But I stopped myself. I didn’t need to give Todd and Evie any ammunition against us.
“Let’s do this,” I said tightly. Audrey exhaled loudly, and I couldn’t help but smile at her. I felt exactly the same way—that is, if she felt both frustrated at not getting closer and relieved that we were finally apart.
I grabbed her hand and headed to my brother, grabbing two glasses of wine from a passing waiter. We were probably going to get piss drunk, but that was okay. Given the curious, icy stare Evie was giving Audrey, we were going to need to.
“There he is,” Todd said. He pulled me in for a quick, strong hug.
“Best man, reporting for duty,” I said.
Todd clapped me on the shoulder and beamed at us. “My big brother. It’s been too long.”
“I know,” I said. I almost felt bad. “I’ve been—”
“Swamped at work,” Todd finished for me. “We’ve all been swamped at work. You could still make some time to come home and see the little people sometimes.”
He turned and smiled at Audrey and Evie. He was younger than me, but taller by about two inches. I was wider than him from years of lifting weights, and he was thinner, with a runner’s build.
“I had to ask your boyfriend here to be the best man,” he said to Audrey. “Because otherwise he might not have shown up.”
“Of course he would have shown up,” Audrey said. “He’s been talking about the wedding for weeks.”
Todd laughed so hard he almost spit out his drink. He looked at me. “She’s a keeper. Loyal and a pretty decent liar.”
He turned back to her and held out his hand. She took it warily, but he smiled at her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Todd Preston,” he said, giving her a firm shake. “Younger brother of Mr. Hot Stuff here.”
“Audrey Reynolds,” she said. “Girlfriend of Mr. Hot Stuff.” She dropped his hand but smiled back at him.
“This is my betrothed,” Todd continued, motioning to Evie. “Evie Walton.”
“Always a pleasure, Evie,” I said, not bothering to try and sound enthusiastic. I chugged some wine.
She gave me a mean smile and turned her laser-like eyes to Audrey, who was far more interesting than me. She knew she’d never win me over. Not after the first night that I met her, when she’d tried to get me to take her to bed. She’d just started dating Todd then. We were at a bar, and he’d run into some friends; Evie and I were drinking and waiting for him to come back.
“Todd’s nice, but I’ve
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