Page 75 of Billionaire Romance

I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him, look up into his eyes and smile. “I know you’re not having a good time, but I wanted to tell you that I’m so happy to be here with you. And I’m going to have a good enough time for the both of us. Thank you for bringing me.”

“You’re welcome,” he says. “I’m going to try to have a good time with you.”

I grin. “I’ll do my best to help.”

Suddenly, from behind. “Eric, man, it’s been a long time. Hoping I was going to see you here.”

I turn to find a tall man around Eric’s age, red hair and a solid build. He reaches out and shakes Eric’s hand. “Andrew. Good to see you.”

“It’s been forever since you guys had one of these parties. I have to say, I’m glad you chose to have it on V-Day. There’s going to be plenty of pussy to score. You gonna be my wing man?”

I feel my jaw drop because that’s really not where I was expecting that to go. Also, the fact that he completely ignored the fact that I’m standing right here.

Eric freeze, tilts his head like he’s sizing Andrew up. Their hands are still locked in a handshake, and I see Eric’s grip tighten on Andrew’s hand. “Andrew, this is Sally, my date.”

Andrew looks at me and startles, as if I just magically appeared out of nowhere. “Oh. Hi.” He doesn’t shake my hand or look at me again. “Well, I guess I’ll see you later then.” He quickly winks and walks away, and I think my mouth is still open in shock.

“He’s not the only reason I hate parties like this,” Eric says, “but he’s certainly one of them. You’ll probably run into a few other guys like him, we all went to the same school and most of them turned out like him. Don’t worry, I have no intention of seeing him later.”

I shake my head. “It’s too bad you don’t have a bouncer.”

“I’m sure my mother has hired somebody who could pass. If I see anything out of place, I’ll take care of it.”

“Good.”

And so we go on the rounds. We’re honestly just trying to make it to the refreshment table because neither of us have eaten, but we keep getting stopped by what feels like every person. Most of them are nice, and I meet some of Eric’s old friends and schoolmates who aren’t nearly as gross. Older ladies who are friends of his mother who are very sweet and who compliment my dress. All in all, everyone seems lovely.

Finally, we break through the crowd and I devour some of the finger sandwiches—which, like everything else in the house, are amazing—and grab a glass of champagne. “I haven’t seen Bianca yet,” I say to Eric, also sipping on champagne.

“She’ll be here. My sister is always punctual except for at parties. There, she likes to make a fashionably late entrance so everyone can appreciate her glory.”

“Only appropriate,” I say.

“Of course.”

We’re in a ballroom, and this is the first time that I’ve had the chance to take a breath and look at it. It’s decorated just as beautifully as the foyer, if not more so. The walls are draped in red velvet, fabric parting to reveal French doors that open onto a gorgeous veranda and gardens beyond. There’s more than one chandelier here, and the floor is scattered with fake rose petals that are swept around as people walk through them.

“You grew up in a fairytale,” I say to Eric.

“In some ways. Not in others.” He looks out at the people dancing. It’s not like the dancing at the club, this is slow waltzing, elegant and beautiful. “Would you like to dance?”

He’s changing the subject, and I let him. “Yeah.” The smile on my face is so wide that I think I must be crazy. This is what I was daydreaming about when I pushed the chocolate cart. Dancing with a faceless suitor on Valentine’s Day. But he’s not faceless now. He’s Eric.

And just like the club, Eric is perfect at this kind of dancing too. He sweeps me out onto the floor, pulling me close and letting his hand fall on my lower back. I have no idea what I’m doing, but his subtle pushes and pulls as we twirl around the floor guide me. He’s leading in every sense of the word.

“How do you know how to do this?”

“Dance?” I nod. “Dancing lessons. Required every week for years, so that I could dance at parties like this.”

“It paid off.”

He smiles. “I’m glad it’s impressing you. Dancing isn’t something that people are usually impressed by. Not here.”

I don’t say anything to that. I can’t breach through this barrier he has up around himself. And I don’t want to. He has to let me in.

The way he’s looking at me now, the air changes again, just like it did in the limo. But this time the air charges with heat and I become aware of how our bodies are pressed up against each other. But this isn’t the club and there’s no way he can pull me off into a hallway for some fun without being noticed. This is his family estate, and him leaving with me to go fool around will be conspicuous.

Damn it.

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