Charmed by the Billionaire (Blue Collar Billionaires #2) - Lemmon, Jessica Page 0,50

a table teeming with Owens. Lainey and William, Nate and Vivian (she’s not an Owen yet, but close enough), and Archer, whose attention is on the other side of the room. As I take my seat, I casually look over my shoulder and notice that, surprise, surprise, he’s checking out a certain long-haired woman wearing a loosely knotted tie.

Talia flips her hair and doesn’t look over, but I can tell she knows he’s looking.

Chapter Seventeen

Benji

You know how when you’re excited about an upcoming event you can’t concentrate on anything else? Like Christmas, or those great seats behind home plate?

Tonight’s like that. Multiplied by a thousand.

At this point, I’ve surmised the fundraiser might never end. I’m regretting coming to it. Or at the very least, regretting making tonight the night I divest Cris of her virginity. Why didn’t I pick an evening during which we had control of the timeline?

Super fail.

While I’m tempted to blow off the remainder of this tedious event, a sense of duty keeps my feet rooted to the floor. Dad and Mom are here, and my brothers. There was a photo op earlier, by the way. We posed together in front of a backdrop with the Heart-to-Teen logo printed on it while camera flashes blinded us. Cris watched from behind the photographer, unvarnished pride gleaming in her eyes. She’s the best.

I’m still pissed off at Marla. She had no right to slither over and claim me, which is a nice way of saying she behaved like a presumptuous bitch. Has she always been that way and I’ve been blind to it? My gut answers with a stern yes and I know I only have myself to blame. In the past I’ve rewarded those sorts of antics. What can I say? When my dick is running the show, I make bad decisions.

Tonight I’m the one in charge. Not that I have to delude myself when it comes to Cris. There’s no reason to worry our evening together won’t turn out exactly how I planned. I smirk, preferring this line of thought to the previous one. So I’ve made a few mistakes of the female variety in the past. It doesn’t mean I can’t learn or grow.

Cris is chatting up an old guy in a suit, her smile warm and genuine. Damn but she is wearing that dress, isn’t she? She’s been blessed with a hell of a lot more patience than me. I can’t let her have too much more champagne, though. Her conking out after one orgasm isn’t going to inspire a salacious Dear Diary entry. We need to get out of here pronto. Or faster than pronto, whatever word that would be.

“Tonight’s the big night.” Vivian materializes at my side, the picture of a woman who has drunk too much champagne. She’s not sloppy, just giggly. Which is adorable on her, as she’s not the giggly type.

She was doing her best to be unapproachable the first time I met her at Nate’s house. I invited her to brunch with our family, unsure if he was going to or not. She looked surprised and didn’t quite know how to respond. Luckily, she agreed and came with us. She met the whole family that day. I could tell she was nervous. At the time I had no idea she was Walter Steele’s daughter, but as I got to know her I understood why she was protective of her identity. Her dad was a piece of work.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I take a sip of my water. I abandoned the scotch after my second glass, not wanting to dull a single one of my senses tonight. I wasn’t kidding when I told Cris I would remember everything. I’m going for a record on snapping mental photographs. I’ll keep them tucked away in a private album for years. Mine, mine, all mine. My first mental photo? That luscious red dress. I’m going to take a hell of a lot more after we escape this endless shindig. I don’t want to miss anything.

“I didn’t tell Nate. Or anyone,” Viv stage-whispers. “Cris and I were chatting about it earlier. I am really excited for you.”

“You are?”

She nods, her grin wonky and adorable.

My chest puffs at hearing Cris was sharing details with Vivian, but I cover with, “It’s a favor. She’s a good friend.”

“You can’t believe that’s true. That there’s nothing else underneath the attraction other than her need to be rid of her pesky virginity?” She whispered that last