AllFreeNovel
Share Us
So maybe Rome was right. I needed a plan B, just not one filled with violence or showing up unannounced on a heavily guarded celeb’s doorstep.
Yeah…take the weekend, think it over, put out feelers at the publishers gala tomorrow night, then, come Monday, I’d put whatever genius plan I’d thought up into motion.
Perfect. What could go wrong?
5
DREW
“YOU LOOK GOOD enough to eat,” my date James said as he moved in closer to my side. As the elevator ascended to the top floor, he slid one of his hands under my tuxedo jacket, stopping at the waistband before inching down.
I caught his wrist before he could go any further, and as the elevator doors opened, I smirked. “I know.”
Towing him along behind me, I walked out of the confined space and into a huge, bustling room. The party was already in full swing, with every elegantly decorated round table commandeered, along with many of the high-tops. As several couples had already hit the dance floor, I had no doubt many cocktails had already been consumed.
Eh, being on time was overrated, even for a publishers gala. Much better to make a grand entrance.
Or it would’ve been, if I hadn’t been greeted by a scowl from the first unfortunate person I saw.
Standing by one of the high-tops in a tuxedo perfectly tailored to his tall frame, Hudson looked a lot like what James had whispered—good enough to eat.IfI didn’t mind a heavy dose of poison with my meal.
Tonight Hudson’s hair was swept back in a polished style instead of the way he normally wore it—windblown but in that way where you could tell it probably took him an hour to get it just right. It was that painstaking attention to the smallest of details that really set him apart from other guys. There was never a wrinkle on anything he wore, not a speck of lint, not an accessory out of place. Even his shoes tonight had been spit-shined. None of that flawlessness even touched what I knew was hiding behind all the unnecessary layers he wore, though.
Ugh. It was a shame the guy was so damn good looking. It made me want to slap him.
I let out a long-suffering sigh as I strolled his way with my date. “What are you doing, Montgomery, guarding the door? Or waiting for me to arrive? You really shouldn’t have.”
Hudson’s jaw twitched as his eyes dropped to where I was holding James’s hand. “I’d ask how you rustled up a date, but I assume you’re paying him enough to make this evening somewhat tolerable.”
“Oh, I’m not an escort,” James piped up, wearing an all-too-cheerful smile that said he was flattered somehow.
“I’m sure he paid you to say that too.”
“James?” came an unfamiliar voice, and I cut a glance in their direction. I’d completely missed the guy standing beside Hudson, but as he peered at my date, his lips broke into a grin. “What are you doing here?”
James let go of my hand, rushing forward to greet Hudson’s date with a hug that was a little too friendly for my taste. Immediately he began to go off about all the things he’d been doing since the last time they’d seen each other, and as the two caught up, I noticed Hudson drumming his fingers impatiently along the linen on the table.
“Something bothering you?” I said.
“Just your presence in general.”
“Because you can’t handle the custom fit of this designer tux?” I unbuttoned my jacket, swatted the bottom flap aside, and slid a hand into my pocket, letting him get a better look.
“I’m sure it looked better on the rack.”
“I’m sure you’d think it looks better on the floor.”
Hudson’s fingers went still, and his eyes narrowed. He held my gaze for a long moment, and something in his stare had my pulse kicking up a notch.
What the hell?
“Ronnie,” he said, interrupting our dates’ rapid conversation. “I need to make the rounds.”
“Oh, of course.” Ronnie said a quick goodbye to James and reached for the crook of Hudson’s arm. My nemesis had him practically across the room before my date turned back to me.
Good. The last thing I needed was being tied to a date determined to be tied to Hudson’s. I didn’t need him giving me weird looks I couldn’t decipher, either.
“Wow, I can’t believe it, I haven’t seen Ronnie since college,” James said as I led him to the bar.
