Page 42 of Falling for My Billionaire Fake Date

Bella looks at us and smiles. “You both should have fun on your own. Ethan and I don’t want to tag along all evening,” she says, winking at us. “We are both really good at starting conversations and hopefully making friends. We’ll just mingle!”

“. . . and eat,” adds Ethan, hopefully.

“You’re sure, Bells?” I ask, feeling a twinge of guilt.

“It’s okay, Aurora. We’d be invisible anyway, seeing as you both keep making googly eyes at each other every second.” She laughs, waving her hands at us as if to shoo us away from their presence.

“Oh, yeah! I’m the lucky one tonight. I’ve got two beautiful women on my arms.” Ryan whoops, winking at Bella and Brittney respectively.

Bella blushes adorably, smiling at Ryan’s joke, while Brittney rolls her eyes. He links arms with them both, raising his head high like a proud aristocrat, however Bella soon untangles herself, reminding Ryan of the gorgeous groom-to-be standing aside with his arms folded but a huge smileon his face.

Ethan is obviously used to Bella’s vivacious personality and adores everything about her, so he just waits it out.

Ryan and his ‘ladies’ look quite the picture as he nods and waves at us. Brittney waggles her eyebrows at us while Bella enthusiastically yells at us to have a nice time. They leave us standing in place, while Ryan and Britt circle the room to seek some food, and Bells grabs her man to find the dance floor.

“Shall we?” Jake asks me, and I nod.

We walk towards the double doors, and a man in uniform opens it. I gasp at the sight before me. I remember asking Jake where the party would be taking place, and he’d told me it’d be in the conference hall. Whatever I had imagined, this definitely isn’t it.

The huge room is beautifully decorated with dim lighting and flickering candles. Elegant Halloween-themed decorations are strategically placed, giving it a very light, spooky ambience. A fog machine slowly fills the floor along the outer edges of the entryway, adding a sense of mystery to the space. The music is enchanting, and it matches the theme well.

Guests, mostly employees, with different costumes and attires, have already entered and are milling around, walking, and chatting. I see some with goblets in their hands. Waiters and waitresses circle, carrying trays of drinks and Halloween-themed snacks.

I sight the refreshment table and pull Jake towards it, wanting a drink and some snacks. I greet the young guy manning the bar, and he responds politely.

“What would you like to drink?” he asks, and I turn to Jake to ask him what he’d like to have.

“I’ll take whatever you’re having, babe.”

I don’t know if it is a slip up or not. Bella isn’t here to witness the nickname and I don’t mind. Neither of us are talking about the kiss, and I try not to overthink it. Jake doesn’t look bothered a bit, and I feel as if I’m the only one fretting over it.

But something has definitely changed since then. Jake hasn’t let go of my hand since we’ve been here. We’ve held hands before, but right now it seems weirdly . . . intimate?

“Aurora, do you want that?”

Jake’s voice snaps me back into focus, and I clear my throat delicately.

“What’s that?” I ask him and he leans closer towards me, his intoxicating cologne teasing my senses.

“He asked if you’d be interested in the ‘Witch’s Brew,’ he whispers close to my ear, and I feel a school of fish swim violently in my stomach, definitely not butterflies because they would be gentler.

I laugh at the funny name given to the drink. “That’s so cliché. Witch’s Brew? Really?”

I shake my head, finding the name funnier than I should. Jake grins at me in return, and he leans close to me again, an unreadable expression in his eyes.

“What about the ‘Vampire’s Kiss?’ he murmurs huskily, catching me off guard.

I feel my heart stop for a nanosecond, then it begins to beat faster than any normal human heart should.

“What? That’s a thing?” I try to laugh, playing cool about Jake’s obvious but subtle flirting.

“Yes. It’s part of tonight’s special,” the waiter replies,politely.

“Okay, I’d love that,” I tell the waiter, who immediately gets to work.

“I want that too,” Jake says, and under his stare I feel myself shiver. “I want the Vampire’s Kiss too.”

He stares straight at my neck then to my lips. He definitely isn’t talking about the corny drink.

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