Page 49 of Billionaire Bachelor
Logan chuckles, already anticipating my complaint. “Don’t worry, Rosie. It’s not far.”
I sigh, pretending to be put out, but the truth is, I’ll walk as far as I need to, blisters be damned. I want this—a night out, where we can just be two people out on a date, not Logan and his best friend’s little sister, doing something they shouldn’t. I know I should be worried about holding his hand in public. Someone could see us. Word could get back to Ryan. But there are a lot of people in LA, andthe odds of blending in are in our favor.Besides, Logan doesn’t seem concerned. And I like holding his hand.
“Any updates on your work thing?” I ask him.
Logan ran into some major problems with a business deal, and he’s been really stressed about it. If he can’t turn it around, it’ll be amassiveloss for BetMasters.
He shakes his head. “Not since I told you about it. But we’re still a go for our meeting on Monday, so that’s a good sign.”
I squeeze his hand. “Well, I’m keeping all my fingers and toes crossed for you.”
With our hands still clasped, he pulls my arm closer, kissing the underside of my wrist. “Thanks, Pip.”
I can’t help it. The moment his lips touch my skin, my eyes dart around nervously, expecting my brother—or even my parents—to pop out of the crowd like a whack-a-mole.
The side street we’re walking downpulses with life, like a secret world tucked inside the city. Overhead, strands ofwarm Edison bulbscrisscross between buildings, casting a golden glow that makes everything feel a little more alive, a little more intimate, a little more romantic. The sidewalks are packed with couples giving each other heart eyes while stealing kisses, and groups of friends clustering around outdoor pub tables under flickering heat lamps. Voices rise and fall with easy-going conversation. Cocktail glasses clink while carefree laughter rings through the air. With the distant sounds of traffic, it’s an urban symphony, one that normally makes me feel at home. Tonight, though, my nerves won’t let me settle into it.
I breathe in deeply, hoping thefamiliar scentswill ground me. Smokycarne asadasizzling from the taco place, thebold aroma of espressowafting from my favorite coffee shop, the unmistakable scent of burgers and fries drifting from a crowded gastropub.
This is exactly why I chose to live in the Arts District—the energy, the vibrancy, the overflowing sense of community—but tonight, my mind is too restless to enjoy it.
Logan follows my gaze, his eyes scanning the crowd. “What are you looking for?”
“Oh, you know, just scanning for one of my family members.”
His lips twitch. “You’re acting like we’re committing a felony.”
I huff. “If Ryan finds out, we might as well be.”
He slides a hand down my bare back, his palm resting just above my ass, warm and possessive. I shiver as he briefly dips his pinky beneath the fabric of my dress. “Relax, Pip. Your brother has a date on the other side of town. I’m pretty sure he’ll be tied up all night.”
My brows lift. “The same date he tried to rope you into? I thought that girl wouldn’t go out with him unless she could double with her friend who’s in town.”
He clears his throat. “Yeah…well…evidently, Ryan convincedbothof them to be his date tonight.”
It takes me a second to do the math.
“Oh.” I scrunch my face. “God, he’s such a fuckboy.”
Logan shakes his head. “Ryan isn’t afraid to settle down, Rosie.”
“Yeah, right,” I snort.
“I’m serious,” he insists. “Your parents set a pretty great example. You’ve never talked about this stuff with him before?”
Now it’s my turn to shake my head. “Not really. We kind of have an unspoken agreement not to discuss our love lives with each other. I honestly don’t think he’d care if I screwed half of LA, as long as he didn’t have to hear about it.” I bump my hip into him. “Except when it comes to you.Thenhe feels compelled to preemptively cockblock. Obviously.”
“Obviously,” he echoes with a sigh.
“Are you sure he’s not trying to keep you for himself?” I joke, trying to bring some levity back into the conversation. “Maybe he’s been pining for you ever since that morning he woke up with his dick nestled against your butt cheeks.”
“Wiseass.” He pinchesmybutt cheek, making me squeal. “I’mpositiveRyan is into pussy andonlypussy. As am I, so it wouldn’t matter, even if hewasinto me. But back to the fuckboy comment, I don’t think Ryan jumps from girl to girl on purpose. I guess you could say he approaches dating as if it’s an ongoing search forthe one.”
“And he thinks he’ll find her by having threesomes with randos from out of town?”
Logan shrugs. “You never know. Throuples are all the rage these days. At least according to the current book on your nightstand.”
I laugh. “You’ve been reading my book?”
