Page 23 of The Billionaire Babe

“Little hard not to in this dress, sweetheart,” he admits before walking away, and I swoon a little as I watch him saunter back to where he was standing near the rose necklace.

My palms sweat at hearing his compliment. The first time we met, we were at each other’s throats, but every meeting since, it is almost like we have thawed out a little more. He is still gruff, but I can see a tender side poking through his tough exterior.

“Here, I got you a napkin,” Simone says, waving the white linen napery in front of my face.

“Thanks. What for?” I grab it, looking down at myself, thinking I must’ve spilled something on my clothes. I don’t see anything. I wore a little black dress tonight, so even if I did, nothing should show up.

“To clean up that drool falling down your chin every time AJ is near you. Seriously, can you two just bang already? The sexual tension rolling off both of you is enough to make me want to run home to my battery-operated friend,” Simone says, as Chelsea chokes on her champagne.

“Bang? You need to fix your locker room talk,” I teasingly scold her, throwing the napkin back at her.

“I agree with her,” Chelsea pipes up, looking over at AJ, who looks just as angry with the world as he did the first time I met him.

“Stop ganging up on me,” I tell them both, doing everything I can to prevent my eyes from seeking out AJ and appearing more interested in watching Chloe on the other side of the room.

“Stop being a nun and just take him home tonight. Have a long, sweaty sex session before your father marries you off and your life is no longer your own,” Simone says, and my lips thin.

“I am not getting married,” I state with full conviction.

“Oh, how did your father dearest take the news?” Simone presses, her eyebrow rising in question.

“Notice that she didn’t decline the sweaty sex session?” Chelsea murmurs to Simone as they both look at me.

“I wouldn’t decline that man, either,” Simone answers her in a low tone, the two of them talking about me like I am not even here.

“Seriously. I can’t take him home,” I tell them with a quick shake of my head.

“Why not?” Chelsea asks.

“Because… well… I am not that good…” I feel heat in my cheeks at my admission.

Simone scoffs. “You’re good at everything.”

“Just not that, apparently…” I close my eyes. This is so embarrassing. But if I can’t talk to my friends about it, then who can I talk to?

“Are you talking about sex?” Chelsea whispers with a frown forming on her face.

“Sex. Flirting. Dating. Anything to do with the opposite sex,” I blurt. “The last guy I dated ended up in the hospital from an allergic reaction, and the last guy I had sex with lasted less than five minutes, then rolled off me, said, ‘Thanks, but I prefer bigger boobs,’ got dressed, and left. Leaving me alone and with the hotel room bill.” When it comes to men, I am a disaster.

“Clearly, the men you are dating are not the right ones. Let me guess, half of them are men who your father introduced you to?” Chelsea says, her eyes thinning as she thinks over her words. I pause because she is right. Most of the dates I have been on are with men whom I have met through work or my father. They have all been much older, clearly only trying to get closer to my father rather than sweep me off my feet.

“Bigger boobs? What a douche. I love your boobs,” Simone says, and I feel movement to my side.

“Doesn’t Val have great boobs, AJ?” My cheeks flame as I turn and see AJ standing only a few feet away. My eyes catch his and the burn in them is intense as they fall from my eyes to my chest and back again before he gives me a small nod and walks away to the other side of the store.

I wonder for a brief moment if one can die from embarrassment.

13

AJ

I have been watching her all night. In another figure-hugging dress, sky-high heels, and her hair in soft waves, long and glossy down her back. Doesn’t Val have great boobs, AJ? All I can think about now is her perfect tits. They are perky, full, the kind that look like they would fit in my palms perfectly. I missed most of their conversation, but she has no reason to think her tits aren’t perfect, because they are spectacular. She looks like a million dollars. Sure, the other women here are pretty, fancy, all made up. But Valerie… Valerie is…

“Last guests have now left,” Cody interrupts my thoughts as he walks up to me where I stand at the back of the shop. It was a good event. Easy. Classy. We didn’t have any issues, and everyone was well behaved.

“Goods are now all locked up in the safe. Back door locked. Chloe is happy,” Brady says, walking to us from the back.

“Let’s send the other boys home. The three of us can stay until Chloe locks up,” I say, still watching Valerie talk with her friends, smile, and hug them, giving everyone her full attention. She has worked the room all night. I haven’t seen the smile drop, but I know it is fake, her arm grabbing near constant. You wouldn’t notice it because she has such confidence, but she doesn’t appear truly happy. I wonder what she does for fun.

---