His Off Limits Best Friend - Vivian Wood Page 0,14

stumbled around the city, sure they’d had sex with her.

She noticed Connor’s jaw twitch with that last comment, so she backed off and sipped some champagne. “Well, good,” he said. “I’m seeing people, too.” He sounded like a petulant child who’d realized he was losing his favorite game.

“I have no doubt,” she said with a laugh.

He eyed her. “I’m hoping, of course, that with all your partying and philandering with models, you can still be a professional with this arrangement.”

“Of course I can!” she said. Shit. Was this all a trap?

“I know I told you that when we’re not together, your time is yours to do with as you wish,” he said. “But honestly, that’s when I thought you were largely a homebody. If I’d known you were going out all the time, dating a bunch of people who were in the spotlight—”

“They’re male models, Connor. They hardly show up in PopSugar.”

“PopSugar?”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s like a celebrity site. Never mind. I’m just saying, you don’t have to worry about me.”

“I certainly hope not,” he said. “I thought I was hiring a girl who could hold it together. And look good doing it.”

She blushed and wished she could take back some of her bragging. Especially since it was far from reality. “You did. You are,” she said.

“Excuse me for a moment, I’m going to get a club soda from the bar. Do you want one? Where the hell did the waitress go?”

She shook her head no and watched him as he made his way to the dark bar that shone so brightly it reflected the twinkling liquor bottles that lined the shelves. God, he’s so muscular. It’s evident even through the suit. Of course, given that the suit fit him perfectly, it was no surprise.

Connor turned quickly and caught her staring at him. He raised his shoulders in a gesture of annoyance as if asking her what she was doing.

Sam turned bright red and stood up. She grabbed her jacket and realized all that champagne had made its way into her head. How could I be so irresponsible? She needed to get out of there before he found out just how tipsy she was.

“I need to go,” she told him as she sidled up next to him at the bar.

“Oh, okay. Do you need a ride, or—”

“I’m good,” she said as she touched his arm. It was rock solid. “Thanks for the drinks.”

She made a beeline for the door, desperate to get out before she got herself in trouble.

7

Connor

“It doesn’t look good, us not arriving together,” he told her again as he headed toward the Hay-Adams hotel.

“I’m sorry, but I told you I had a client meeting! Besides, what kind of gala starts at six o’clock?” she asked.

He could hear the stress in her voice and tried to relax for both of them. “It’s okay,” he said. “And, to answer your question, the kind of gala that’s full of octogenarians hungry to open their pocketbooks for the right charity. This is like midnight to them.”

“You’re really selling this event,” she told him.

He smiled. “By the way, you’re wearing something James had delivered to you, right?”

She groaned. “Yes! And it seems ridiculously formal to be wearing when the sun’s still up.”

“It’ll be fine. I’m pulling up to the valet now. Text me when you’re almost here and I’ll come down and meet you.”

“Okay.”

“And you need to be on tonight.”

He’d only done one round of the room when her text came in. Connor was grateful for the excuse to do something. He’d already spied his father as he schmoozed with an ancient woman whose scalp shone through her white hair.

Sam was just taking the valet’s hand to help her out of the car when he got to the bottom of the stairs. She was absolutely breathtaking, and James had earned his keep. She wore a perfectly tailored emerald green gown with beading at the hem that made her green eyes even more striking. It looked almost modest from the front, but when she turned he saw it was completely backless. Her nearly black hair swept into a chignon highlighted the olive skin of her toned back.

Sandra had been pretty, but she’d never quite looked the part—as much as Connor hated to admit that. Sam looked it and acted it. Immediately, she gave him a huge smile and her professional veil was draped all around her. He offered his elbow, and she’d barely taken it when they were bombarded with people.

“Is this