Banking the Billionaire (Billionaire Bad Boys, #2)(44)

Plus, I had been missing my friend.

But as Cassie started to gesture with a knife in her hand, I knew I didn't have much time to stall anymore.

"Thanks," Kline thanked the bartender before taking a slow sip of his scotch-no lime. I smiled.

The bar was filled with people seeking post-work solace, and quite a few  men and women looked like they were on the hunt for their next  one-night victim. I'd been one of those people not too long ago,  small-talking my way into the panties of whatever woman caught my eye.

It was actually funny how different they all looked to me in such a  short time. Sexy smirks were now desperate fake smiles, and what I once  considered banging bodies held none of my interest.

"Do you ever wish you could drink it the way you used to?" I asked, even  though I already knew the answer. The answer was in all the little  things I'd never been able to see before.

"Not even a little," he replied without hesitation. It wasn't about the  drink, but the life. We were both really happy guys. We were both  content in our habits, hobbies, and careers, but some holes go unnoticed  until something comes along that fills them.

"Come on," I gestured overzealously as he put the glass to his lips  again. "Let's go out on the patio." I saw Georgia and Cassie turn their  backs to the window out of the corner of my eye.

"I guess time's up, huh?" Kline smirked, and I narrowed my eyes.

"What are you talking about?" I asked in an empty attempt to continue our ruse.

"My wife. She's ready for me. You've killed enough time."

"How'd you know?"

He scoffed, and I smiled. Clever fucking bastard.

"If I hadn't known two weeks ago, I would have known as soon as I saw my wife's ass through the windows."

I laughed because, yeah, Georgia had a pretty memorable ass. I'd imagine  the man who spent hours of his time paying it personal attention was  highly attuned to it.

Well, whatever. If he hadn't known, I probably never would have  convinced him to come. He played the part of being dragged along well,  but Kline Brooks didn't do fuck-all he didn't want to. "Just don't tell  her you knew."

"Unlike you, I don't have a death wish or a need to be right out of principle."

"Hey, I happen to think those are both admirable qualities."

"Having a death wish is admirable?" he asked skeptically as we walked  through a crowd of women toward the patio doors. Several sets of eyes  followed us as we did. I did my best not to make direct contact.         

     



 

"Okay, maybe not. But there's a certain amount of bravery-"

"No," he denied, cutting me off. "You can't save this one."

Fair enough.

I chuckled and tipped my head in defeat.

"Surprise!" the crowd shouted as we walked out the doors, and I didn't waste the opportunity.

"Oh, my God," I squealed with a hand to my chest. "You guys shouldn't have!"

Plus, I knew Kline didn't really like the attention anyway.

"Thatcher Kelly!" Cassie chastised, waving her arm in a reprimand. Her  tits bounced with her gesture. I waggled my eyebrows and made my advance  while Kline rushed his wife and scooped her into his arms. He didn't  make any other effort to address the crowd, and I wasn't surprised. It  just wasn't his thing-especially not when Georgia was in the room; he  only had eyes for her.

"Hey there, honey," I sweet-talked as I pulled Cass into my arms and  tightened my hold. Her chest pushed deliciously against the bottom of  mine, and her hands shot up to grab me by my belt. The tips of her  fingers snuck under my shirt and grazed skin. I held back a shiver.

"Why do I spend most of my time plotting ways to kill you when we're apart, and then hug you when I see you?"

Hopefully because you're falling in love with me.

"My good looks and charm?" I joked.

She didn't answer, though, her eyes holding mine contemplatively until  someone knocked into her from behind. We both swayed from the force, but  I at least kept her from hitting the ground. She stepped away from me  and our bubble after she gathered herself. I kept a hand at her elbow  until I knew she was safely balanced back on her sickeningly hot heels.

Goddamn, her legs go on forever.

"Whoops, sorry," the clumsy woman apologized, putting a flirty hand to my arm and smiling.

I excused her politely but kept my face neutral. Cassie's eyes, however, became significantly smaller.

"I'm Jennifer," the intruder offered.

I stuck out my hand in an effort not to be rude. "Thatch."

"Oh, wow. That's a fantastic name."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing when Cassie's face took on the lethal edge of an assassin.

"It really is a great name, honey," Cassie emphasized before reaching  around and brazenly giving my cock a squeeze. "He's got a monster-"

"Cass!" I shouted, startled.

"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

Tucking her back snug to my chest, I put my hand over her mouth.

"It's nice to meet you, Jennifer. My girlfriend and I both think so."

"Where's Phil?" Cassie asked with a smirk as Jennifer mouthed a horrified "O-kay" and walked away.

"At home with the sitter."

"You left him with someone I've never met? Who is this person?"

I walked toward one of the beer coolers Georgia had arranged for the bar  staff to set up. Longnecks stood out of a bath of sloppy, semimelted  ice, so I plucked one out with two fingers and gave it a gentle shake to  shed some of the water. The cap gave way to my twist easily, landing  right in the center of the garbage can as I tipped the bottle to my lips  and took a swig before answering.

"Yep. I'm paying someone to watch my pig, thanks to you. And it's a sweet lady in the building next door."

She raised her hands palms out in front of her. "Phil is so much more than a pig."

"You're right. He's a manifestation of you trying to win our little game."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she denied, getting up in my space once again.

I opened my arms to accommodate her, leaned back against the wall, and pulled her between my legs. "Bullshit."

"Hey, guys," Wes said as he approached us, easy smile lighting up his  green-hazel eyes. He was always running fifteen minutes behind schedule.  Luckily, he'd somehow managed to make himself important enough that  people waited for him.

I half expected Cassie to move away, go talk to Georgia or one of her  other friends, but instead, she turned her back to my chest, pushed her  ass to my crotch, and settled into me the way I was on the wall.

She pulled out her phone and glanced at it as she waved at Wes, but his  eyes never left mine. And they were mighty fucking amused.

"Hey, Cass, did Thatch tell you-" Wes started, and I waved a wild arm  frantically to head him off. I shook my head to emphasize the point just  as her eyes left her phone and met Wes's.

A Wes who had paused midsentence because I'd activated the bat signal.

"Did Thatch tell me what?"         

     



 

It wasn't that she wouldn't know about Sean eventually, but I knew she'd  both flip her shit and be angry with me that I hadn't said anything  sooner, and I wasn't ready for the negative side of that coin. My plans  for tonight were going to be flirting the line with pissing her off  enough.

"Um," Wes stalled and widened his eyes at me uncertainly. "Did he tell you how much he sucked at rugby practice earlier?"

I closed my eyes and waited for the fallout. I was surrounded by  absolute shit liars. How could I be so gifted in something all of my  friends struggled with? Wouldn't I start to rub off eventually?

But Cass didn't call him on it, instead dissolving into a gentle laugh.  "Yeah, right. Have you seen this guy? He tosses people around for  breakfast. Trust me, I know."

Wes's smile came back at that, and it'd taken on an air of insinuation. "Oh, yeah? How do you know that?"

"Fuck. Forget I said that shit, or I'll kill both of you." She shoved  off of me so hard it made me grunt in the middle of my laugh.




Cassie's hand fell easily into mine as she talked to the people around  her. She didn't notice the way people's eyes went there, the way they  watched and smiled-or sneered in the case of a few women and pricks with  dicks-but I did. Their eyes widened just slightly, and the corners of  their lips turned up or down just enough. The tiny tics of a person's  thoughts out there for anyone to see if they took the time.

I knew I hardly ever did, and I honestly don't think Cassie ever  concentrated on anyone else's opinion. But tonight, as I publicly  claimed her as mine over and over again, I found myself fascinated.

I gently tugged her hand before releasing it and sliding a possessive  hand around the curve of her waist to settle on her opposite hip. She  sank into me effortlessly, and I wasn't sure if she'd even noticed what  I'd done.

"Excuse me, ladies, but I'm going to steal my girlfriend for a little while."

Once again, mouths turned up and down in equal supply, but the corners  of mine went distinctly north. Cassie hadn't even questioned the  sentiment. I'd obviously done a stellar job of desensitizing her to it.  And tonight, I had practically followed her everywhere she went,  touching her without permission and interjecting about our relationship  anytime the opportunity presented itself. Pushing the boundaries as  always, I'd even told a couple of guys I was planning to propose soon.  She'd smiled. Of course, she'd felt secure in the fact that I was  joking.