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People have taken it a little far. One person even noticed me picking up food from the Italian place down the street and bribed the hostess to tell them how much I ordered. From there, they determined that I couldn’t possibly be ordering all that for myself, and thus, must have someone at my place.
Thankfully, living in a penthouse has its perks. For example, it’s full of excuses. No one can see in, and no one questions anything when they see her leave because she goes out through the lobby. There are hundreds of condos in that building. They probably assume she lives in one of those.
My biggest fear is that she’s somehow going to get hurt in the process. She’s strong, but I watched firsthand what Nikki went through—everything from people begging for my attention and trying to get it by any means necessary to people threatening her life. It was intense, and it took a while before she knew how to handle it. Hell, they could even think because she’s young that they can get one over on her.
“So, should I say congratulations, or be pissed that I wasn’t your best man?”
“Ha, ha,” I deadpan. “You’re hilarious.”
His grin widens. “I know. But really, these are nuts. Why is there this much focus on your love life? They don’t put this much attention on me.”
I chuckle as I mess with the buttons on the jacket. “Because you hook up with so many women it would make their heads spin. Avoiding the whiplash is probably best for everyone.”
“Yeah, yeah. We can’t all be Mr. Exclusivity.”
It’s not that we meant to become exclusive, but I don’t think either one of us is complaining. It would just be a little hard to entertain other options when we’re living in the same place. That and I’m pretty sure if either one of us brought someone else home, the other would lose their shit—me especially. I’m not usually the jealous type, but I’d knock someone out just for dreaming about her.
I take off the suit and pay for it. They assure me it will be delivered to my place by this evening. I thank them before leaving with Colby in tow. Tes
sa is spending the day being pampered, so he’s the company I’m stuck with until she’s done.
“So, you think you’ll be discreet enough tonight?” he asks. “To be honest, I’m surprised you invited her.”
“It comes with a little bit of risk—going anywhere with her does—but we should be okay. We’ll be wearing masks for the theme, and you know how the Lexingtons are. Everything is top of the line and security is tight.”
He nods slowly. “That’s true. Well, as long as you two are careful.”
It’s surprising, really, to see how Tess has even managed to win over my best friend. And it’s not in a way that makes me uncomfortable or worry about them together. He’s super protective over her. He treats her like a little sister, and a part of me wonders if he’d fight even me if it came down to it. One thing I am sure of, is that in a situation where it’s needed, I can count on him—always.
“You sure you don’t want to come?”
Colby shakes his head rapidly. “No. After last year, I think it’ll be a while before I show my face there again.”
Laughter booms through me at the sudden memory.
Everything about the Lexington family drips wealth. It wouldn’t be a bit surprising if they wiped their asses with hundred-dollar bills.
Well, Colby being Colby, he somehow got roped into taking ecstasy by one of the cousins. It was all going well until he climbed up on the statue in the main foyer of the mansion and pretended he was riding the horse. There is normally a no-cellphone policy for the event, but everyone pulled them out to record that. The hashtag ColbyTheCowboy was trending for two straight weeks.
“Okay, fair enough,” I give. “Well, let’s go have a beer while I wait for Tess to finish up.”
That makes him perk up. “Now you’re speaking my language.”
THE LIMO PULLS UP in front of Lennon’s house. Her dad is away for the weekend, and we figured it was the safest place for me to get her from and not have outsiders put two and two together. I step out and walk up to the front door. The house is massive and even makes Tessa’s childhood home look small. As I press the doorbell, a fancy musical tone echoes throughout the house.
A woman I’ve never met opens the door, and a little part of me starts to panic. However, Lennon quickly comes into view before I embarrass myself completely with trying to explain why I’m there to pick up Tessa.
“Thanks, Mel. I’ve got it.”
The woman looks at me hesitantly, but after a reassuring smile from Lennon, she walks away and into the other room.
“Because that wasn’t awkward at all.”
She giggles, opening the door further to let me in. “That’s just Melani. She’s the housekeeper. I’ll go get Tessa. Wait here.”
As she runs up the stairs, I shove my hands in my pockets and rock on my heels. I glance around the room, seeing an actual full-size portrait of Lennon hanging over the fireplace in the living room. She must be an only child, and a part of me is honestly surprised she doesn’t act as spoiled as she clearly is.
Movement at the top of the staircase catches my attention, and my jaw drops as soon as I see her. Tessa is wearing a white dress that goes down to just above her knees and sparkles in the lighting. The women I paid to do her hair and makeup deserve a hell of a lot more than I gave them, because she looks fucking breathtaking. Each one of her already beautiful features are accented with a little bit of makeup, making them pop, and her brown hair is loosely curled and flowing down her back. She looks like an actual angel.
