Page 51 of Old Money

Brooks’s eyes are wide, and a surprised smile creeps onto his lips.

I wait for a moment to gauge my father’s reaction, but slowly, he smiles too.

“Indeed,” he says. “Only those closest to him know all that he has to offer.” Sawyer nods, never taking her eyes from his. “Well, we have a few hours until the party. Lunch will be served on the main terrace in about twenty minutes for the family. See you all in a bit, yes?”

I nod, taking Sawyer’s hand as my father and Angelina walk past us, an event planner accosting them as they make their way out of the room.

“Damn!” Brooks says. “That was slick, Sawyer. Way to not let the man get ya down.” He pats our backs as he walks through the halls. She turns to me slowly, her bottom lip between her teeth.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “I just…I could feel him…”

I lean down to kiss her.

“Do you realize you just took on the richest man on the planet? You’re kind of a badass, Sawyer Willis.”

She smiles as I pull away from her, taking her hand and leading her through the halls to the family wing. After a few minutes of walking, retina scanning, and sneaking kisses in hidden stairwells, we are in the family wing and in my suite. Thomas and the guys have already brought all of our things, and a fire is already roaring in the fireplace. She looks around, trailing her fingers across the furniture and the edge of the bed until she makes her way to the huge windows that look out over the water.

“God, this is beautiful,” she says. I wrap my arms around her, nuzzling into her neck and hair.

“And I’d give it all up in a heartbeat for you,” I say. She spins to me slowly, pressing up on her tiptoes to kiss me.

“You can chill with all of that,” she says. “You’re gonna get laid tonight, okay, Everett?” Her lips pull up into a half-smile, and I laugh as I nuzzle her again, scooping her up and carrying her to the bed where I almost lost myself with her before.

“Tonight? Who agreed to wait till tonight?” I say as I cover her neck and chest with soft kisses. She squirms beneath me, laughing and running her hands over my ass.

“I did,” she says, finally pushing me off playfully. “I have brunch with the billionaires. I gotta be on my A-game and not freshly fucked.”

I laugh as she shakes her ass, walking toward her luggage.

“I’ll give you a pass,” I tell her. “But you will be walking around this place ‘freshly fucked’ a whole fucking lot this week.”

She bites her lip and smiles as she looks at me.

“Promise?”

SAWYER

Ichange into one of the more casual dresses that Julian bought me, put on some boots, and fluff my hair a bit before I make my way back out of the bathroom. He’s looking just as panty-soaking hot as always, and what I wouldn’t give to let him take me right here, right now. But instead, I’ve got a table full of the world’s richest people to piss off tonight.

We decide to take the outdoor route, and I bask in the chilly fall air as he leads me around the house to the back terrace. There’s a big, long table set up with a whole friggin’ feast and servers everywhere. Cato and Angelina sit at one end of the table, Brooks on one side, and two empty seats on the other for us.

“Hope you’re hungry,” Angelina says, clapping her hands together. “I’ve had Emile get some fresh salmon from the seafood market.”

My mouth waters.

I do love a good piece of salmon.

“No Keaton?” Julian asks as he pulls my chair out for me. Cato flashes him a look and another one of those sly smiles he seems to be full of.

“He won’t be making it out for the party,” Cato says. “But I’m sure you already knew that, eh, son?”

Julian doesn’t respond, just sits down next to me.

The servers bring us drinks, appetizers, and salads all before the main course comes out, and I wonder how they’re not all four hundred pounds. I’m stuffed before I even finish my salad.

Julian reaches for my hand under the table, and at first, I think it’s meant to be that way. But then, he leans back in his chair, holding it out in the open for the world to see. Cato glances at us then sits back in his own chair while the pre-courses are cleared from the table.

“So,” he says, “Sawyer. Tell us how you met our Julian.”

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