Page 36 of The Billionaire and I

“Haven’t you been to work?” James asked me. He sounded simultaneously disgusted and impressed.

“Nah—I took the day off.” I shrugged. “This girl is like a drug for me. I can’t keep my dick out of her.”

James arched his eyebrow. “Does that qualify as an emotional boner? Or are you two just sort of disgusting?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I seriously can’t keep my hands off her. Is that…love?” I hadn’t even considered it.

“It sounds sort of like it. But it could just be lust,” James said.

“There’s definitely lust,” I said.

“Do youlikeher?”

“I’m fucking crazy about her,” I said, the words springing out.Oh fuck. Did I just say that out loud?

James looked at me. I looked at him. Then he patted me on the shoulder as if he were consoling me.

Audrey and Jenny were headed back toward us, both of them laughing. Audrey looked happy, Jenny looked delighted, and they both looked gorgeous.

“Dude,” I chided. It was my turn to console him! “Put your emotional boner away. It’s embarrassing.”

But as the girls reached us, I felt relieved. I put my arm around Jenny, my palm sliding down to cradle her ass. It felt like my handbelongedthere. It felt like it wasmeant to bethere.

Which left me wondering. Did I actually have an emotional boner, too?

And if I did…what the hell was I going to do about it?

CHAPTER 18

Jenny

Audrey hauledme to the bathroom after dinner. We headed to the other end of the restaurant to avoid James’s family and anyone else connected to the wedding.

“Why’re you dragging me out to Timbuktu?” I asked.

“I want to know how things are going with Mr. Billions,” she said.

“Well, I want to know what’s going on withyourMr. Billions. Tell me everything!”

Audrey shook her head. “I like him,” she admitted. “But I know it’s not going anywhere.”

“Aw, c’mon Dre. Why’re you still talking like that?” I asked. “I saw you two out there. You are on The Love Boat.”

“It’s not like that, Jenny. I’m not right for him.”

“Says who?” I argued.

“Says me. It’s complicated.” She sighed. She glanced over her shoulder, making sure that no one was around. “James finally opened up to me a little. He told me that he’d had a girlfriend when he was younger—her name was Danielle, and she was really smart. She was supposed to go to an Ivy League school and everything. But his mother didn’t like her.”

She lowered her voice further and continued, “I guess they got into a big fight one night with his parents. After Danielle left, she got into a car accident and died. His mother told him he was lucky—that he dodged a bullet.”

“Dre! That’s awful. His mother’s the devil, huh?” I looked over my shoulder, too, just in case. I guess there was a reason Audrey was dragging my ass to Timbuktu. Celia Preston was a stone-cold bitch!

“She’s obsessed with their status and reputation.” Audrey grimaced. “And if Danielle wasn’t good enough for James, you know I’m not. But anyway, it’s too depressing to think about. Can you distract me?”

I linked my arm through hers. “I can try.”

Audrey’s expression softened. “Tell me what’s going on with you and Cole, okay? Bonus points if you can cheer me up.”

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