Escorting the Billionaire (The Escort Collection 1)

I nodded at him, my exasperation deepening into chagrin. “You don’t have to tell me that. I’m the one who broke up with her.”

“So this one’s just for sex?” Cole asked.

“She’s not even for sex,” I said. I felt a headache coming on. “I’m not going to fuck her.”

Cole looked at me as though I had three heads. “She’s a fucking escort, bro.”

“I know,” I said. “But she’s just for show. I don’t want to get involved with her any more than that.”

“You can still fuck her. That’s why you’re paying her. It’s about as clear-cut as it can get,” he said.

“It’s not clear-cut,” I said, running my hands through my hair.

We watched as Audrey emerged from the hallway and smiled at me.

“She’s gorgeous,” Cole said. “It’s a fucking waste, James.”

“I’m making it worth her while,” I snapped. “Now please, finish your beer and come over to see my father with us. I’ve put it off long enough.”

“You’re the boss,” Cole said.

I watched as he watched Audrey come closer, and I bit the inside of my cheek on purpose to remind myself of just what an asshole I was.

Audrey

I finally made it to the bathroom. Relieved to be alone for a moment, I splashed cold water on my wrists. I would have shoved my whole face under the faucet, but my makeup would run. I needed to keep my game face on—for James, for his family, for his buddy Cole, for myself. Easy girl, I thought, willing my racing heart to slow down. It’s just another date, I reminded myself. He’s just another John.

Except he wasn’t.

I looked up in the mirror and fixed my hair. I put some lip gloss on. I sprayed breath freshener into my mouth five times and straightened my shoulders. Think about Tommy, I reminded myself, and that calmed me down. My brother needed me, and no matter what I felt about James, no matter how hard and how fast I wanted to run away from him—or toward him, I still wasn’t sure which—I was going to stay put.

For Tommy, I told myself. I didn’t let myself think anything other than that.

* * *

The rest of the dinner passed in a blur of cocktails, delicious food, and curious stares from Evie, Cole, and Mr. and Mrs. Preston.

I smiled and ignored the stares. I held hands with James and ignored the battling feelings of desire and impending doom that raged on inside me. He talked to me like I was his girlfriend, and I answered him like he was my boyfriend. I ate the delicious food and pretended to care about the details of the wedding, which were discussed in minute detail by Evie and her cousins, who were her bridesmaids.

Finally, it was over. The party was breaking up, and James pulled me away. “We don’t have to say goodbye,” he said. “Let’s just head out. We’ll be seeing them all in twelve hours anyway.”

“Great,” I said and laughed weakly. His highfalutin family was exhausting. His mother had watched us all through dinner, and had clearly taken notice of the hand-holding.

“I know—I told you they were assholes, right? Let me just go outside and call Kai. He’ll be here in two minutes, and then we can go.” James squeezed my shoulder, and I stood inside the door, watching him stride outside in his gorgeous suit and tap on his fancy phone.

He was only gone for a second when I felt someone nearby. I turned and jumped a little: Cole Bryson had snuck up on me.

“Hey, Cole,” I said. My tone was friendly even though I only felt reluctant at his proximity. He was looking at me the way most men looked at me. But most men w

eren’t my date’s best friend.

“Hello, Audrey,” he said. He gave me a wide smile. Cole was rich, tall, and muscular. His black, perfectly gelled wavy hair glinted above his forehead and his green eyes. He had a large, square jaw. He was a physically stupendous specimen.

He was smiling at me as though I was his next meal—a juicy piece of meat roasting on the grill—and he just couldn’t wait to put a spear in me and make me a Cole-Bryson-dick-shish kebab.

I wished Jenny was here so I could throw her at him. Then she could have her own billionaire, and Cole could just leave me alone with mine.

“James is calling for the car,” I said nervously. He was so close but just out of reach, right outside the door.