Chapter Seven
Something isn’t right.
Legs still wasn’t back from wherever she’d gone. One minute she’d been at his family’s table with his mom, Melody, and Charlotte. The next, she’d disappeared through a side door.
How long did it take for a girl to pee? What if she’d bailed on him?
“If you’re worried about your girlfriend, you should go check on her.”
At the word girlfriend, a ripple of anxious pins and needles prickled along his spine. And people wondered why he didn’t bring dates to these things.
Dragging his gaze from the other side of the ballroom, he angled a wicked grin at Curves, his intended snack for the night. No, her name was Beth Something, and he was determined that, from tonight forward, he’d make more of an effort to remember names.
He’d felt like a piece of shit earlier when he couldn’t remember Legs’. Like he didn’t value her enough to even try. It was just that the women he was attracted to, those he picked up at Pulse, had more important things to memorize.
He sipped at the cheap whiskey and stepped closer to Curves—Beth, Beth, Beth, dammit. Close enough that his shoulder brushed hers. “Not my girlfriend. She’s my date. Big difference.”
Legs was certainly different. But he liked that about her. She didn’t put up with his shit, but she got him in that shake-her-head kind of way.
The tip of Beth’s red nail traced his loosened tie. “In that case, what time are you dumping your date? If you want to leave now”—her finger trailed down his chest to the cummerbund at his waist then fell away—“I reserved a room here at the hotel.”
“Sounds intriguing.” His dick sure thought so. The Whitaker contracts had gone through, and his team had been putting in a lot of overtime. His dick hadn’t been wet in over a week. But words like girlfriend and dumping were killing the vibe.
Dumping Legs. Yeah, that was the plan from the get-go, but now, it made him sound like shit again and had him once more searching the ballroom.
A jolt of relief slammed into him as she strolled through the double doors with Maverick’s admin. His relief was short lived, though, when she didn’t continue toward his table. Instead, she joined Goth-Not-Goth Girl at the Sigma table. That wasn’t good.
Shouldn’t have told them about her or our agreement.
“She’s pretty,” Beth said. “But someone should tell her that dress is so last season.”
Last season? He frowned. That’s why it had been so cheap. He’d been worried when he saw the price. Marcus had mentioned how much Charlotte spent on clothes. And his own Armani tux had cost him four times as much.
But he liked her dress, especially the way it teased his imagination.
The dark green velvet hugged her from wrist to waist, outlining her tits while revealing nothing but a sliver of collarbone.
From the narrow waistband down, he envied the silk as it hugged her hips and ass, but only for a moment before it flared in waves, making him have to call on the memory of her long, ball-tightening legs.
Fuck. He needed to get out of here.
But just as he was about to open his mouth and accept Curves’ offer, his mom appeared out of nowhere. Goddammit, sometimes he wondered if she’d inserted a tracking device in him when he was born.
He backed off Curves an inch to greet her with a kiss on the cheek. “This is Beth—” Something. “—from Young & Company. You remember Mel’s first big shot move last summer? Beth is one of the accountants I worked with. We were just discussing how well the merger went and how things are panning out.”
Dude, don’t oversell it.
But it was true. The merger was the ice breaker he’d used as a lead-in to seduction.
His mother beamed. “Of course, how could I forget? Spencer spoke of nothing else.” She turned her smile on Curves. “Would you mind if I stole my son for just a moment?”
“Not at all.” She held up an empty glass. “I need a refill.”
He resisted the urge to watch her walk away and gave his full attention to his mom. “What’s up?”
She smiled but humor never reached her angry mom eyes. “When I asked you if I knew the girl you were bringing tonight, you didn’t tell me she was the one you were with in the catering van at Marcus’ engagement party.”
So she had seen him shove Legs into the van. Fuck, fuck, fuck. “Uh…”
“Yes, I saw you.” Her smile didn’t falter, and her words dripped sugar. “I just didn’t interrupt because no mother wants or needs to see her son in a compromising situation.”
Aw, fuck. There goes any and all hope of getting it up for Curves.
Worse, though, was his mom thinking Legs had been a part of any situationship. “Mom, nothing happened with Le—er, Jo in the van. She’s not like that.”
“You mean she’s not like the girl you were with in the manager’s office not fifteen minutes later.”
It wasn’t a question. She knew with certainty he’d fucked Tits in the country club and that he hadn’t had sex with Jo. She just wanted to hear him say it. Jesus Fucking Christ, how could she know?
“You broke your promise to me,” she went on, not needing an answer. “You promised to be good at Marcus and Charlotte’s party. One night. That’s all I asked.”
I’m sure Tits would say that I was very, very good.
Besides, his mom had set a lot of rules—hmm, just like Legs—but he’d only promised one thing, and that was to sit with the spaghetti virgin, and he’d done it. But this wasn’t the time to point that out.
“And now you’re doing the same thing,” she said, inclining her chin toward Curves, “when you have a very lovely girl sitting at our table. At least, she was until I planted my foot in my mouth.”
Avery glanced over his mom’s shoulder and found Legs laughing at something Blaze said. So that’s why she’s with the Sigmas.
“Melody and Charlotte are quite shocked at my behavior. I am as well, but I’m afraid I can’t say the same about yours, Avery Preston.
I know I raised you to be affectionate because your grandfather was a cold man.
” Her chin did that thing again toward Curves.
“But I didn’t raise you to behave like this. ”
“I’m pretty sure I learned this part from my brothers,” he grumbled. “You know, your older sons? They haven’t always been perfect.”
“Actually, you’re all just like your father.
Wild and chasing anything in a skirt until he met me.
” She glanced again at Legs, then pinned him with her best mom’s-had-enough stare.
“Now,” she said, her tone normalizing, “if you’re not interested in Jo, fine.
But she’s your date tonight, and you will show her the respect she deserves.
Really, Avery, if you’re not interested in her, you shouldn’t have brought her. ”
Duly chastised, he nodded. His dick would have to be content with another midnight five knuckle shuffle. He wasn’t getting any tonight. But he saw no reason to give up on their arrangement. He’d just have to revise his strategy. No hunting pussy at the events he and Legs attended.
“You’re right, as usual,” he conceded. “I’m sorry for being an ass.”
“So, you do like her?”
“Of course, I like her. She’s just different from other girls I’ve…been around. I guess I just don’t know how to act.” There. All true. As for the rest, what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
“I do admit, she’s not your usual…flavor.”
He chuckled, loving his mom and the fact they were speaking in code.
“She’s not timid either,” she added. “I like that. She won’t put up with your shenanigans.”
“Funny, she used that word the night we met, said she wanted no part of them.” He sobered, remembering the results of that night. “I got her fired.”
His mom’s shoulders drooped, and she did that same clicking thing with her tongue that Legs did when she was disappointed or disgusted. “I thought as much when she said she was between jobs.”
“I tried to talk to her boss. I explained it was my fault, that nothing happened, but she wouldn’t listen. Jo’s friend said Giselle was jealous of her talent and looking for a reason to get rid of her, and that nothing I said would matter.”
Her brow creased again. “Is that the only reason you asked her here tonight? Because you feel responsible for her situation?”
“It’s not the only reason.” So not getting into the others. “Part of me hoped to make it up to her by introducing her to potential clients. She wants to open her own business. She needs to build a client list.”
“And you haven’t done that tonight.”
The heavy weight of guilt settled in his gut. He’d only thought of himself. “No, I haven’t.”
Laying a hand on his arm, she said, “Go make your apologies. I’ll come make mine when you’re done.”
He had two to make, three if he counted his dick, but the best he could offer Curves was a shrug of regret before he headed across the ballroom.
Just in the nick of time by the look of things.
Maverick and his admin were on the dance floor, leaving Legs alone with Linc. Fuck knew where the rest of them were.
Linc was coming in hot, crowding her, one elbow on the table, the other over the back of her chair.
Motherfucker thinks he can move right in on Legs.
Why wouldn’t he, armed with the knowledge Avery had given him about their arrangement, while he’d been out seeking greener pastures. No, not greener. Jo was pretty fucking green. A hell of a lot greener than Curves. Just not available.
And again, not jealous, but Linc would pull an ejac and evac before she knew what hit her. Avery owed her more than respect. He owed her protection.
Stopping at her back, Avery growled at Linc, “Mind if I have a word with my date?”
Linc sat back, his expression both mocking and challenging. “That’s up to Jo. We’ve been entertaining each other just fine without you.”
“Oh my god.” She rolled her eyes. “Do I need to whip mine out, too?”
Linc barked out a laugh, deep and loud. He liked her.
Don’t even think about it. Keep your dick to yourself.
Legs swiveled to one side and stood. “If you’ll excuse me, Lincoln, duty calls.”
Lincoln? Nobody called him that.