Billionaire Bad Boys of Romance 2(31)

The show went off without a hitch and customers loved it. Sales went through the roof another day in a row. Shortly afterward, Kevin strolled up to me. “Glorious, want to go out for dinner tonight?”

I twitched a regretful smile. “Can’t. I’m having dinner with Jaime Zander.”

“Oh,” chimed in nearby Vivien. “Business or pleasure?” The sarcasm in her voice was hard to miss.

“Strictly business.” Though my tone was nonchalant, Vivien eyed me suspiciously.

“Did you know Jaime Zander is one of Manhattan’s most eligible billionaires?” she asked.

I digested this new piece of information. While I’d never seen his name on the Forbes 400 List, I guess if he owned the Walden Hotel and could afford to spend two million dollars on Rihanna’s leather undergarments, he must mega-rich. Though ZAP! was quite a successful ad agency, it didn’t seem enough to make Jaime so wealthy. I wondered—how did he make his fortune? Maybe at dinner, I’d find out.

I checked my watch; it was almost six. “I’m going to split. I need to get ready for my dinner.”

The thought of having dinner with Jaime Zander made my whole body quiver with anticipation and apprehension. I was anxious about seeing him. Would I be able to keep my emotions—and hormones—in check and keep things purely professional? What concerned me as much was that I was looking forward to seeing him.

The twinkle in Kevin’s hazel eyes clued me in that he knew there was something going on between Jaime and me. After all these years together through thick and thin, he could read me like a book. Vivien’s eyes, however, were shooting daggers my way.

“Where are you going for dinner?” she asked, her tone snarky.

“Raoul’s.” I immediately regretted that I told her.



Back at the hotel, I showered and rewashed my hair. I remembered that Jaime had asked me to wear it long and loose. I debated whether to give in to him, but ultimately decided in his favor. It took me almost an hour to blow dry my waist-length locks. There was a reason why I wore it in an easy braid, but I had to admit it looked gorgeous loose, cascading down my back and over my shoulders like a whimsical cape. My mane of hair was my treasured asset. After my wicked, narcissist mother chopped it off with a meat scissors in a drugged-out fit of rage, I vowed never to cut it short again. My long hair, in some way, was my security blanket. And it covered my scar.

After the blow dry, I did my makeup, keeping it light and simple. I studied my heart-shaped face in the bathroom mirror and was pleased. I looked soft but sexy.

I put on some light jazz and went through my ritual of matching my outfit to my undergarments. The dress I chose was a flowy powder blue chiffon V-neck Valentino that accented my narrow waist and my full breasts without giving too much away. Beneath it, I wore delicate lacy blue lingerie from our popular “Hot Nights” collection—an underwire bra, v-string panty, and matching garter that held up my sheer silk hose. While slithering the stockings up my legs, I’d once again thought about my beloved mentor, Madame Paulette. Sadness swept over me. I was relieved that I had told her my secret. The one that had haunted me my entire adult life. Yet, I still bore the weight of my misdoing on my heart. And the nightmares had never stopped.

Forcing negative thoughts to the back of my head, I stepped into a pair of strappy, silver stilettos that went well with the demure dress. Grabbing a soft blue pashmina shawl and a clutch, I headed toward the elevator. I was purposely fifteen minutes early. I wanted to be at the entrance to the hotel before Mr. Zander. And have the time to rehearse what I was going to say to him about mixing business with pleasure. Okay. Sex. The very thought of his cock sent a rush of wetness to my panties. Stop it, Gloria. Get a grip! You can’t let this man do this to you!

As I stood anxiously at the hotel’s entrance, Vivien came flying in with a bunch of shopping bags in her hand. All of them were from high-end Madison Avenue designer boutiques. A little shocked to see me, she gave me the once-over.

“Enjoy your business dinner,” she smirked with an emphasis on the word “business.”

I tweaked my lips to smile. “I’ll see you down here at 8:30 tomorrow morning. We’ve got a full day of agency meetings.”

Without another word, she skirted past me. Vivien was just too damn impetuous for her own good. Lucky for her, Daddy was Gloria’s Secret largest shareholder and Chairman of the Board and protected her surgically enhanced ass. If I could, I would fire the entitled little bitch in a New York minute.

A warm, firm pair of hands on my bare shoulders stopped me in my thoughts. And then through parted hair, I felt soft warm lips nuzzle the nape of my neck. Tingles raced down my spine. I jerked and spun around. Jaime!