Bad Engagement (Billionaire's Club #10) - Elise Faber Page 0,64

on the carpet earlier. But his family had headed home earlier that day, her family was planning on a New Year’s Eve present exchange, and she didn’t want to wait to see his face when he opened it.

A little gift.

But one that was sure to make him smile.

“What’s this?”

She rolled her eyes. “Open it.”

He waggled his brows. “Is it a ring?”

Another roll of her eyes. A kiss pressed to lips she loved kissing. “Long engagement, remember?”

“Mmm,” he said, winding his fingers into her hair and transforming her light kiss into one that had her heart pounding and moisture pooling between her thighs.

And circling back to naked. Mmm.

She pulled away when his fingers slid up, brushing his hand away. “Behave.”

He nipped her bottom lip.

She nipped back. “Open it,” she demanded. “Then you can get back to kissing me.” A beat. “Everywhere.

The wrapping paper disappeared.

The box was open a minute later.

And then Jaime was laughing. That warm, slightly rough chuckle that slid down her spine and made her pussy clench. He glanced from the watchband printed with roosters up to her eyes. “We’re going to have a Barry, aren’t we?”

She grinned. “Yeah, we are.”

A quick, hot kiss. “On that note,” he said, pulling back and getting out of bed.

“Hey! Where are you—?” Her question cut off when he disappeared into the hall, and not that she minded seeing his sexy ass striding away from her, but he was naked, she was naked, and they were supposed to be getting back to sexy naked time.

Then he was back, a present in his hands.

He crossed over to her, plunked it in her lap. “Open it, Red.”

Since Kate loved presents, she didn’t bother prevaricating. She tore open that paper, pulled the lid off the box, and . . .

Laughed until tears poured from her eyes.

It was a leash and harness. The same type as she’d seen Barry wearing in the picture Jaime had sent to her.

“Think you can teach him to carry our rings down the aisle?” he asked.

“I’m not sure roosters are trainable.”

He tugged the box from her lap, dropped it to the floor. “My money’s on you.”

“No.” Kate shook her head. “My money’s on us.”

Then while he was still smiling, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed the man she loved with everything she had.

She tasted that smile in her soul.

Yeah, her money was on them.

Epilogue

Part Two

Heidi, Eighteen months later

She was wearing a violet bridesmaid’s dress and holding a leash.

Not the strangest sentence ever uttered.

Unless, perhaps she included what was on the other end of the leash.

Because she’d been escorted down the aisle by a rooster name Sir Fuzzy McFeatherston, or Fuzz for short.

He was cute. He was cocky—ha—and he was not happy to be on a leash.

Thankfully, though, the ceremony was wrapping up. The bride and groom—her best friend, Kate and her almost-husband, Jaime—were kissing. Soon she’d be able to put the rooster in the cage and she could get to drinking.

Because her best friend was getting married.

After an engagement she had promised Heidi would be extremely long, but had ended up sort of average because Kate hadn’t been able to wait to make Jaime officially hers.

Barf.

She loved Kate, loved Jaime and how he treated her.

But she was losing her best friend.

So, yeah, maybe she was feeling a little mopey, but she wasn’t going to let her funk ruin her friend’s night. She was going to be the best rooster-wrangling bridesmaid there was.

Not maid of honor.

Kate hadn’t wanted to hurt Kelsey or Cora’s feelings, so they were all bridesmaids, all with different jobs.

But that was Kate.

The absolute best.

And now she was married.

God, they were growing up. Heidi sniffed and dashed away a tear as the officiant declared the newlyweds officially married before they strode down the aisle hand-in-hand.

And she strode—hand-in-leash?—with a rooster.

Well, if that wasn’t an apt description of her dating life . . . she didn’t know what was. She could find a man who wanted to sleep with her—cough, cock—but couldn’t find one with staying power.

“Not the point,” she muttered under her breath, somehow getting herself and Sir Fuzzy McFeatherston safely down the aisle, the rest of the bridal party pairing off and following her.

They snapped some pictures, but eventually the Fuzz got tired of the paparazzi and Heidi wrestled him into her arms and took him to the crate Kate had ready for him.

She was just bending to stick him inside, trying to slip off the harness without letting him escape when she felt someone come up behind her. Assuming it was Kate, she said, “I’m fine, Katie girl. Go enjoy your husband. I’ve got your”—she giggled, a twelve-year-old at heart—“cock well in hand.”

Silence instead of her friend’s cackling.

Shit.

Heat stained her cheeks, and Heidi yanked the leash and harness out before slamming and locking the cage. Then she shored her spine and spun around.

Tall. Dark. A smirk on a gorgeous mouth.

One that grew as his gaze traced her down then up. “Sure you can handle that cock, baby?”

She had handled that cock.

Six months ago, Jaime’s brother Brad had stopped in the Bay Area for a quick visit, and she’d had a few too many glasses of wine. He’d offered her a ride home . . . and then he’d given her a fucking ride.

So yeah, she’d had that cock, and, she couldn’t lie, it had been incredible.

But . . . he’d been gone before she’d woken the next morning.

And she might be tough on the outside, she might be a strong, independent woman who hadn’t been expecting a ring and a relationship, but she’d thought she at least warranted a note or a text or a fucking goodbye.

Heidi sniffed. “I’ve handled plenty of cocks in my life,” she said, chin lifting, eyes narrowing. “And none are more than I can handle.”

She pushed past him.

He snagged her arm.

She yanked it free, stepped back when he went to grab her again. “Don’t,” she snapped. “Just because I made a mistake once doesn’t mean I’m easy prey now.”

A cocky—no pun intended—smile. “Mistake? I happened to think we were—”

“That was you’re mistake,” she said, glaring. “Thinking.”

Pretty hazel eyes flared. “Baby—”

“Not your baby.”

A sigh. “Heidi.”

“Yes, Brad, groomsman, who should be paying attention to his brother’s wedding instead of bothering a woman who isn’t interested?” It wasn’t a sweet question, for as sickly saccharine as her tone was.

“I think—”

She rolled her eyes. “Not that again.”

Heidi didn’t mean to, but it all happened so fast.

Brad grabbed her arm.

She shoved him back at the same time the crate door burst open and Sir Fuzzy McFeatherston shot out of the pen.

The rooster took off running.

Brad lost his footing, crashed into a waiter, who was carrying a large tray of appetizers.

The food went flying.

Brad went flying . . . into the cake table.

Sir Fuzzy McFeatherston went flying, feathers scattering in all directions.

The tray came down.

And Heidi didn’t think she’d ever forget the sound of it colliding with Brad’s head.

Nor how much joy it gave her.

At least until she turned back for the bridal party, promptly tripped over the fucking rooster . . . and ended up sprawled across Brad’s chest.

Fuck, she loved that chest.

—Bad Bridesmaid Coming March 1st, 2021

Bad Bridesmaid

Heidi’s story is coming March 1st, 2021!

Preorder your copy www.books2read.com/badbridesmaid

Billionaire’s Club

Bad Night Stand

Bad Breakup

Bad Husband

Bad Hookup

Bad Divorce

Bad Fiancé

Bad Boyfriend

Bad Blind Date

Bad Wedding

Bad Engagement

Bad Bridesmaid

Also by Elise Faber

Billionaire’s Club (all stand alone)

Bad Night Stand

Bad Breakup

Bad Husband

Bad Hookup

Bad Divorce

Bad Fiancé

Bad Boyfriend

Bad Blind Date

Bad Wedding

Bad Engagement

Bad Bridesmaid (March 1st, 2021)

Gold Hockey (all stand alone)

Blocked

Backhand

Boarding

Benched

Breakaway

Breakout

Checked

Coasting

Centered

Charging (December 28th, 2020)

Caged (March 2021)

Love, Action, Camera (all stand alone)

Dotted Line

Action Shot

Close-Up

End Scene

Meet Cute (April 5th, 2021)

Love After Midnight (all stand alone)

Rum And Notes

Virgin Daiquiri

On The Rocks

Sex On The Seats (April 26th, 2021)

Life Sucks Series (all stand alone)

Train Wreck

Hot Mess

Dumpster Fire (February 15th, 2021)

Roosevelt Ranch Series (all stand alone, series complete)

Disaster at Roosevelt Ranch

Heartbreak at Roosevelt Ranch

Collision at Roosevelt Ranch

Regret at Roosevelt Ranch

Desire at Roosevelt Ranch

Phoenix Series (read in order)

Phoenix Rising

Dark Phoenix

Phoenix Freed

Phoenix: LexTal Chronicles (rereleasing soon, stand alone, Phoenix world)

From Ashes

To Smoke (January 25th, 2021)

In Flames

KTS Series

Fire and Ice (Hurt Anthology, stand alone)

Riding The Edge (December 7th, 2020)

Stand Alones

Someday, Maybe (YA)

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author, Elise Faber, loves chocolate, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and hockey (the order depending on the day and how well her team -- the Sharks! -- are playing). She and her husband also play as much hockey as they can squeeze into their schedules, so much so that their typical date night is spent on the ice. Elise changes her hair color more often than some people change their socks, loves sparkly things, and is the mom to two exuberant boys. She lives in Northern California. Connect with her in her Facebook group, the Fabinators or find more information about her books at www.elisefaber.com.