Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
I just don’t know what.
“He told me about his wife, and, well, I agreed to go out with him not long after.” She smiles at us, still holding his hand.
“Best decision I made was asking you on a date.” James smiles warmly at her.
The rest of the night goes smoothly. I drink four glasses of champagne and am glad I have a driver to take me home. After dessert, most everyone takes off, leaving only Delaney, James, and me.
“Del tells me you’re a big name in real estate around here,” James says as I sit across from him. Delaney is in the kitchen, grabbing another bottle of champagne.
“I sure am.”
“And do you enjoy it? I hear it’s a cutthroat business.”
“I do. I’ve been doing it for many years.”
“I see.” He nods. “Is that why you’ve never married?”
“Who told you I was never married?” I raise a brow at him.
“I guessed, to be honest. You don’t have a ring, and you seem career-focused.”
“I am. I love my job. A woman doesn’t need a man to feel secure in her life,” I tell him with a smile, even though that smile is fake and his words feel more like an insult.
“Yes, I guess that’s true. But it helps, right?”
I don’t answer him as Delaney walks back in. She pours us another glass, but I stand to leave.
“I have to get going, but it was lovely to meet you, James. Delaney, walk me out, please.”
She nods, then leans down and kisses James on the cheek, telling him she’ll be right back.
When we get outside, and after I’ve made sure my driver is waiting, I turn to her. “This is what you want?” I ask, putting on my jacket.
Her brows pinch together as she looks at me. “What do you mean?”
I nod toward the door. “Him. Is this what you want?”
“Yes, but I’m unsure why you’re even asking me that question. Do you not like him?”
“I don’t know him well enough not to like him, but there’s something odd there, Delaney. I trust your judgment, but I had to ask.”
She hugs herself. “I like him a lot.”
“Good. I just wanted to be sure.” And to see if she’s seen any red flags. But, from her words, she hasn’t. “I love you. Have the best weekend away. Call me if you need anything.”
She pulls me in for a hug and whispers, “He’s good. He’s one of the good ones. I swear.”
I hug her back and hope to God she’s right. Her last relationship wasn’t the best; the guy treated her like shit. But since then, she has gone through so much.
I just hope and pray she’s seeing correctly and not with rose-colored glasses.
FOURTEEN
ARLO
Once upon a time, these parties were my favorite thing to come to. I enjoyed them tremendously. But now, as I step through the doors and spot all the members of our Society, I wish I could turn around and walk straight back out. This is the last place I want to be tonight. I would rather be with a cute little real estate agent, making her think she doesn’t want me when her body clearly does.
I once had a thing for chasing women. But with her? I don’t want to chase her the way I’ve chased other women. Most of the others understood the chase, which would end up with us fucking on any surface, with my beads wrapped around their throat. But it baffles me in so many ways that I don’t want to scare Cora. Well, not much anyway. Just enough that her cunt would squeeze and flutter around my cock as she decided if she wanted to push me away or have the beads dig in tighter around her slender neck.
“Arlo, good you came. No date tonight?” Rylas says as he comes up next to me, holding a drink in his hand.
“No.”
“Believe it or not, I didn’t bring one either.” That actually surprises me because he always brings a date. Rylas is a fuckhead. How he became such a powerful attorney is beyond me. But I think he likes to play the stupid game when he’s really playing his smart game. I see straight through his bullshit and know there’s a reason he didn’t bring a date tonight. He either couldn’t get one dumb enough to come to one of these events, or he has other plans.
“Soren was looking for you earlier,” he tells me, and without another word, I turn and walk away.
As I make my way through the crowd, a few members tip their heads at me in greeting, and I see some of their girlfriends are barely dressed. These events get a little debauched. People start getting touchy and grabby, and they end up sharing the person they brought. They’re lucrative events, and I quite enjoyed dabbling in them in my twenties. What man wouldn’t enjoy fucking beautiful women? Because, make no mistake, the women at these events are stunning. They just aren’t wife material.