Page 79 of BillionHeir
“Who is your dishy date, babes?”
“Olivia, this is my girlfriend, Chloe,” I answer. “Chloe, Olivia runs the UK branch of Banks International.”
“Lovely to meet you,” Chloe says with a polite smile on her face.
“Oh, you are British? Where are you from?” Olivia asks, sparking a conversation between the two of them.
“Essex,” Chloe offers, smiling kindly.
I can tell that she is sizing her up, wondering if Olivia and I have ever slept together. I can’t say I blame her, honestly, but the answer is no. Aside from Chloe, I have never had sexual relations with someone I employ.
I protectively tuck her into my side. I haven’t taken my hands off her yet, and I don’t intend to any time soon.
“Tamara is here somewhere. Probably the bar,” Olivia says, her eyes roaming the crowd in search of her partner.
“Tamara is Olivia’s wife,” I explain to Chloe.
“How long have you been together?” I ask.
“About fifteen years now,” Olivia answers, waving when she finally spots the woman in question. “Oh, she is talking to Birdwell. I better go save her. It was so nice to meet you, Chloe. Good luck with this one.”
With that, she turns and disappears into the crowd.
Chloe turns to me with her eyebrow arched. “What do you suppose she means by that?”
“What?”
“Good luck with this one.”
I wince. “I don’t think she meant it the way it sounded. But to be fair, no one has ever seen me with anyone. I don’t really date.”
“Ever?”
I shake my head.
She opens her mouth to ask me a question, but we are interrupted once more as Liam spots us from a nearby table and waves us over.
“Well, don’t you look lovely,” he says, greeting Chloe warmly, pulling her close and kissing both of her cheeks before releasing her to me again. “Easy there, Max. I am not trying to steal your girl.”
“As if she would let you,” I mumble to myself, rolling my eyes at being called out for my jealousy.
“I didn’t know you were coming as well,” Chloe says to Liam.
“He wouldn’t want his dearest uncle to be unhappy with him, now would you, Liam?”
“Well,” he says, keeping up the banter. “It is not like it is going to get me any closer to the crown, but we do like to keep up appearances.”
“Wait,” Chloe says, looking back and forth between the two of us with an astonished look on her face. “TheKingis your uncle?”
Liam smirks before answering, an amused look on his face. “Guilty.”
“How could you not tell me?” she asks, twisting to give me a frustrated look.
“I am sorry! I just thought it would make you more nervous.”
“We are going to have to talk about all this information you have been keeping from me,” she says, giving me a pointed look before turning back to Liam.
I was just trying to protect her, but I can see now how it might look to her.
