Page 43 of Falling For The Billionaire Rockstar

PRETEND DEAR, PRETEND

Alexander Steele

The ride to the event took longer than expected in New York’s ever-bustling traffic. It probably would have been better if I had Derek drive us, but I wanted to spend this evening alone with Olivia, whom I found myself struggling not to stare at.

She looked extremely gorgeous tonight, and I found myself in an internal struggle, torn between keeping my eyes on the road and wanting to gaze into her beautiful eyes all night.

If I thought she looked her best with her hair down, I definitely wasn’t ready for the princess she became with her hair styled up and two strands falling on both sides of her face. Her dark red lipstick, accentuating her full and bold lips, had become my new weakness.

Her dress, gold and sparkly, hugged her body nicely with a neckline that showed just enough cleavage to make me dancein my seat. It might be my imagination, but her eyes seemed to match her small necklace, which happened to be a diamond necklace.

“Eyes on the road, love. You’re not trying to get us killed, are you?” she suddenly asked, and I only just realized then that I’d been staring at her since I brought the car to a stop in the slow-moving traffic.

“Well, you sitting here and looking like a Greek goddess is messing up with my concentration levels,” I replied, my eyes meeting hers.

She blushed instantly, a hint of red coloring her fair face as she flashed a bright smile, and her eyes sparkled again. “You have plenty of time to stare at me later, but at least try to get us to the event venue safely. Otherwise, there won’t be a later,” she replied, still smiling.

I resumed driving, glad that the venue was just around the corner, even though I couldn’t resist the urge to steal glances at Olivia.

Twenty minutes of frustration later, we arrived at the venue. I had put a lot of work into ensuring this charity event would be splendid, and I was pleased with how we were starting off.

Olivia tucked her hand in mine as we walked into the large hall, where most of the guests had already arrived. I turned to look at her one last time, but she was already staring at me, wearing a big smile.

“Still haven’t stared at me enough?” she asked, looking up at me. The way she gazed right into my soul sent a warm fuzz through me. Now, I only had one regret: I should have taken the chance and kissed her earlier.

“I haven’t even started yet,” I replied, pulling her close and wrapping my hands around her waist to help her maintain balance. She looked around, a sign that she was environmentally conscious.

“People are watching us, Alex,” she whispered, trying to pull away from me.

I tightened my grip around her and closed every gap between us. “Let them watch. You’re here as my woman, after all, so they won’t be wrong to make assumptions,” I said, cupping her face in my hands.

She tried to look away, still unconvinced that it wasn’t much of a big deal to have people give us attention. “Well, you know that’s not what I meant.” She paused and bit her lip, a sexy gesture that made it extremely hard for me to remain composed.

“What are you worried about, Liv?”

She sighed. “I meant the paparazzi. They already recognize me as Greg’s runaway bride, and I worry they might project that onto you.”

“That’s the last thing you should worry about, darling, especially at an event like this. We’re here to have fun, and we’ll do just that,” I reassured her and released her.

We made our way to the VIP seat reserved for me. Olivia was right; many people were staring, and some didn’t even bother to take their eyes off when I looked at them.The nerve of these people.

Even though it was my charity event, I had handed over all organization rights to her. I was only here as a guest, monitoring the outcome of the event.

As Layla gave the opening speech and welcomed notable folks, I kept my eyes on Olivia. She had turned in her seat a few times, and I knew she was uncomfortable.

“You okay, babe?” I asked.

She forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah, I just feel a little out of place since I haven’t really been to an event like this, where folks of the highest class in New York are gathered.”

She looked adorable right now, and I could not help but smile. Layla was about to round up, and then I had to give a brief introduction and brief the guests about the event.

“I’ll be going up in a few seconds now, but would you like to get some fresh air afterward? It’s going to turn into a mini party once I finish anyway,” I said.

She smiled a bit more genuinely this time. “That’s fine then. Good luck.”

I stood up and headed to the front of the hall to address the guests.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” I began, and the room erupted in loud clapping and cheering, most of which came from my fans who had attended the event.

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