Page 24 of The Billionaire and I

I pulled her onto my lap. “We should go to a Thunder game sometime,” I said.

“You mean the hockey team?” Jenny asked.

“Yeah—I own them.”

She almost spit out her drink. “What? You own a hockey team?”

“Yep. You know what that means, right?”

“That you’re rich as fuck?”

Ialmost spit out my drink. “Yes, but that’s not what I was going to say. What I wasgoingto say was that it means we can have box seats, baby. Would you be my date to a game? There’s actually one tonight—if we leave here in time, we can make the third period.”

“Coley, I’d be honored,” she cooed. “Box seats all the way!”

Picturing us at the game made me smile. I could see Jenny in a Thunder hoodie, drinking beer from a plastic cup, hooting and hollering at the team. I squeezed her against me, vowing to buy her both a hoodie and a beer later. “It’s a date.”

We largely ignored everyone else at the party. Instead, Jenny sat on my lap while we drank. It was awesome. When she excused herself to go to the ladies’ room, I ordered more cocktails. I felt like the cat that had swallowed the canary as I sat at the bar, waiting for her to return and also for James to show up. I hadn’t talked to him since he’d given me AccommoDating’s phone number. He didn’t know I was bringing Jenny tonight. I could hardly wait to see my friend’s face!

James and Audrey came in a few minutes later. It didn’t escape my notice that they held hands, and that their complexions looked bright. Orgasms were good for your skin. I knew all about that. Mycomplexion looked like I’d had the three-hundred-dollar facial at Balans on Newbury Street.

“I didn’t invite you here,” James said, clapping me on the back. “But it’s nice to see you anyway.” He kept Audrey close to his side, probably worried that I would try to steal her again.

Little did he know. I had an escort all my own.

“Todd texted me,” I said. “He wants me to come to everything I can. He said he wants to make you happy.”

“Aw, that’s sweet,” James said. He inspected me, eyes narrowing as he looked me up and down. “You’re looking smugger than usual. Why’s that?”

I beamed at him. “That’s why.” I pointed to Jenny as she hustled back into the room. She was walking fast and applying lip gloss, her curls bouncing and her voluptuous chest jiggling in the gorgeous Givenchy dress.

“Ho my frickin’ God!” Jenny shouted when she saw Audrey. She practically shoved James out of the way to get to her.

“Yay!” she yelled, grabbing Audrey into a hug and jumping up and down. “You got me my own billionaire! I’m so freaking excited!”

“Oh, Jesus,” James said. “You didn’t.”

“Yes, I did. Ho my frickin’ God, I did,” I said, chuckling. “I’m gonna marry this girl. She’s got a mouth like a?—”

“Cole,” James said, cutting me off. “My mother is ten feet away from us.Please.”

“I don’t have to finish the sentence, anyway,” I said. I watched Jenny hug Audrey again, the two of them talking a mile a minute. “You know what I mean.”

He sighed. “I can guess.” We stood and watched the girls talking excitedly to each other.

“You’re the one who told me to call her,” I reminded him.

“I didn’t mean for you to bring an escort to my brother’s wedding functions,” James said.

For the second time that evening, I almost spit out my drink. “You should talk, bro.”

James glared at me, but I could tell he wasn’t mad. “Buy me a free drink. I need one.”

I motioned for the bartender and ordered James a martini.

James leaned closer and lowered his voice. “I’m happy you’re here and that Jenny’s working out for you. But I need to protect Audrey. No one but you knows the truth. It has to stay that way.”

I nodded and slid his martini over. We were in the Preston Viper pit, and Jamesdidneed a drink. His family would freak out if they had any idea about Audrey’s real identity.

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