Escorting the Billionaire #3(8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We held hands all through our meal. I was so relieved to be with him again, to feel our connection back. Even though it had only been one night, it had been the longest one of my life. I didn’t let myself think about all the bad things that were on the flip side of my feelings for him. I couldn’t bear to spoil the moment.

 

Everything was perfect if I could let myself ignore almost everything but James. I’d never seen him so happy before, so relaxed. For once, I wasn’t going to be the one to take that away from him.

 

We ordered margaritas, fish tacos, and a curried vegetable rice. We ate every morsel. “I think I’m going to sink when I get into the pool,” James said, pushing his empty plate away.

 

“It was worth it, though,” I said. “Yum.” He grabbed my hand and beamed at me. Heat shot through me at his touch, the way I felt under his gaze. But just when I thought nothing could burst my bubble, Celia Preston’s slim figure cast a wide shadow over our table.

 

“Mother,” James said by way of a greeting. “How inconvenient of you to show up and ruin a perfectly decent meal.”

 

“You two look much happier,” she said, ignoring his comment. She eyed our entwined hands and empty margarita glasses.

 

“We are, Mother,” James said. He looked up at her, his face clear and calm. “I’ve actually never been this happy.”

 

If his directness shocked her at all, she didn’t let it show—not even the slightest ripple moved across her face. Of course, that could have been the result of all the filler she’d shot into it before the wedding. I’d never know for sure.

 

“How lovely for you,” she said. She gave me a filthy look.

 

I had a bad feeling I was going to hear about this from her later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you vacationed with billionaires, no one worried about how high the bar tab was getting. The older guests, including Mr. and Mrs. Preston, sat under umbrellas, playing cards and sipping an endless supply of white wine. Mrs. Preston intermittently cast disapproving scowls my way, which I pretended I couldn’t see in the glare of the tropical sun.

 

The rest of us drank rum punches, which seemed to be constantly served by the white-linen-clad waitstaff. By the time the sun started to set, there were a lot of extremely drunk, extremely rich people around the infinity pool. I almost wished there were a lifeguard on duty.

 

Not that I needed a lifeguard; I was hanging on to James as if he were my own personal flotation device. He had me pinned up against the wall of the pool, his arms wrapped around me, the crystal water splashing over his enormous, gorgeous chest.

 

It was actually his erection that had me pinned against the wall.

 

“You know we can’t actually have sex right here,” I reminded him as he leaned in to kiss me again.

 

“What?” he asked, smiling at me. “Oh, that.” He pressed his hard length in between my legs, and I moaned—and then I thought better of it and swatted him.

 

“Stop,” I said.

 

“I actually can’t stop,” he said, grinning. “You’re so fucking hot in that bikini.”

 

I laughed. “I appreciate that and all, but you need to calm down. So we can at least walk back to our room without people staring at your crotch.”

 

“Then let’s just stay here,” he said, poking me again with it.

 

“I need to help you with that thing,” I said, laughing. “It seems like it’s gonna burst.”

 

“Now, that’s an offer I can’t refuse,” he said. He pulled away from me and went to my side. “I’ll just need a minute to calm down. Then I’m throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you home.”

 

I linked my hand through his. “Works for me.”

 

We watched Cole and Jenny engage in a vicious battle with Todd and Evie for the biggest splash contest. In between jumps, they were doing tequila shots.

 

“Jenny seems like she’s warming up to Evie,” I said.

 

“Four shots of tequila will do that to you,” James said.

 

Cole jumped up and did a massive cannonball, leaving an atomic blast of water in his wake. Jenny was clapping and jumping up and down on the side of the pool. When Cole came up from under water, she reached down to give him a high five. Instead, he pulled her into the pool, giving her a huge kiss.

 

“I think Cole’s in love with her,” James said out of the blue. “I don’t know if he knows what that means, though.”