The Billionaire's Fake Fiancee - Lauren Wood Page 0,25

across the bar, sulking. “The crazy thing is … I don’t even want a relationship right now. I’m still perfectly fine being single. But this girl … I just keep craving more of her. If I could, I would have been texting and calling her all week. Even before this thing we had to see each other for today.”

“So why didn’t you?”

I grumbled and waved him away. He was right, but I didn’t want to hear it. I just wanted to drink and drown in my own pity party for a while.

I was doing just that when my phone chimed with an incoming message. I was surprised to see Kate’s name flash across the screen.

Kate: Come back over.

I blinked, staring at the message for a long time before I could think how to respond.

Ben: Everything okay?

Kate: I reconsidered your offer of one for the road. Just come over.

I was stunned speechless, considering the way she told me off and stormed out of my car. Was this some kind of trick? Was she really as crazy as she seemed at first and this was one of her psycho mood swings?

Kate: You coming or not?

Ben: Sure … be right over.

I slid my phone back into my pocket and stared around with a confused expression for a moment, even though there was no one around who could help make any sense of it. Not only was she ordering me to come back over, but she was being awfully impatient about it at that. The phone dinged yet again.

Kate: Hurry. Before I change my mind.

The typical Ben response would be to go intentionally slow, out of defiance. Or to go pick up some other woman in the club and never go over at all. Suddenly I was starting to realize why everyone thought I was such a jerk when it came to women. It was all fun and games before, but imagining that in the context of Kate not only felt impossible to actually do … but it felt supremely shitty to even consider it.

I thought about what Damon said in regards to working on myself and everything. I supposed the best way to do that would be just to go straight over, like she asked. Like I agreed to. I was the one who wanted to sleep with her again in the first place.

I threw some tip money down on the bar for Damon, since I knew he’d insist the drinks were on the house, and headed out the door. My confusion faded into excitement as I drove back off to Kate’s place. Our one night together had been mind blowing, and I couldn’t believe I was actually about to have a second chance with her.

As I parked, another text popped up on my phone. It was Kate again, telling me her door was unlocked and to just come on in.

“Okay,” I sighed to myself. “That doesn’t make it sound like I’m about to get murdered at all.”

But I pushed on, going up the elevator and into her door just like she said. The living room and kitchen were empty when I walked in.

“Hello?” I called out, getting more nervous by the second.

“In here!” Kate answered from the direction of the bedroom.

But when I walked in, I still didn’t see her. “Uh, in where?”

“The bathroom!” she replied.

I looked up to see the door was open and felt even more thrown off. “Okay … I guess … I’ll just wait out here?”

“Just get your ass in here, Ben.”

I sucked in a deep breath and walked through the door. I heard the sounds of rippling water as I got closer, and then I was hit with the breathtaking sight of Kate. She was laying back in the bathtub in steaming hot water filled with rose-scented bubbles. Candles flickered along the edges of the tub and she had a full wine glass clutched gracefully in her hand. The bubbles covered most of her, but that hint of flesh where her breasts slightly poked up above the water’s surface was more than enough to get me going. Her tan skin was slick and glistening with the water, and little strands of her hair that fell down from her messy bun were clinging to the sides of her face and neck.

“Oh … my … god …” I muttered, standing there in shock.

11

Kate

I was fuming when I got back into my apartment after Ben’s little proposition. I braced myself against the kitchen counter and tried to calm down. Was I mad because of what he suggested? Or was I mad at myself because I wanted him,