Page 18 of Billionaire In Vegas

“Come on, Lace.”

“It’s Lacey,” I hissed. “And I need to get back to my friends.”

“Just text them... tell them you’ll catch up with them later. Please.”

I was ready to walk away, but something about the way he called me Lace instead of Lacey, the familiarity of his words and his tone, which showed a hint of underlying sadness made me hesitate.

I looked into Jude’s eyes then and realized Jude wasn’t drinking for fun. Jude was in pain. He just did a very good job at hiding it. And part of me didn’t want the craziness of this night to end. Despite the girl fight, I was actually having a good night, but clearly Jude wasn’t.

“You’re worried about your father, aren’t you?”

He shrugged, trying to come across as nonchalant, “Aren’t you?”

I didn’t get a chance to answer as he cut into my next words. “Come on, Lacey, have a drink with me. You don’t even have to buy them. I’ll pay.”

“You should, you’re the rich one.”

“So that’s a yes, then?”

I wanted to say no, I truly did. The last thing I needed was to sit around drinking with my employer’s son. But a drink or two wouldn’t hurt anyone, right? Especially a drink with an attractive man. I immediately shoved the thought to the back of my mind and he lent me his phone to text the girls. In my haste to get away from Tanya, I’d left my purse with my cellphone behind.

I quickly texted Misha and Emmaline and handed Jude back his phone. He slid it into his pocket.

“Shall we?”

I let him lead me to the bar and after we ordered our drinks, I gave him a stern glance, “One drink. That’s all.”

“No problem.”

“And no funny business,” I warned, pointing my finger at him as if I were a kindergarten teacher scolding a student.

“Cross my heart. I promise to be on my best behavior, but you’re one to talk... I didn’t single-handedly break up an engagement party by kissing the groom.”

“Soon-to-be groom,” I grumbled.

Jude laughed, “Maybe. If Tanya didn’t turn her rage on him after we left...”

“Ran. We ran.”

Jude looked offended. “I only ran because you ran.”

I giggled. “Your eyes were wide in fear when Tanya was chasing behind us.”

Jude shrugged. “She was one scary bridezilla. But enough about Tanya.” He picked up the drinks the bartender had left for us. He handed one to me and took the other.

“What should we drink to?”

I shrugged. “World peace?”

Jude looked at me in disgust. “We’re in Vegas, Lacey. Come on.”

Annoyed and feeling judged for being a stick-in-the-mud, I said, “Well then you choose, Jude.”

He studied me and his eyes lingered on the top of my breasts which I realized were on display courtesy of Tanya who had damaged my dress beyond function. I clumsily tried to adjust it and cleared my throat, signaling Jude to just make his damn toast.

“To Lacey, a woman who never shies away from a fight.” I smiled until he continued, “And to Lacey’s dress, may it continue to fall apart at the seams, because I definitely like seeing what’s underneath.”

My mouth was wide open as he smiled wickedly at me and clinked his glass against mine.