Banking Her (Billionaire Bad Boys 2.5)

Yes, she literally spells out “winky face.”

If you find enjoyment out of Max Monroe telling you my and Thatch’s story, imagine what a book filled with Leslie would look like…

Exactly my point.

Someone needs to start a petition to get that book written right the fluff now.

“Hashtag someone got bigger implants,” I added.

“That’s what I said!” Georgia agreed and poked Kline in the chest. “I told you!”

He just shook his head and chuckled in response. “I refuse to add commentary on anything related to Leslie or her plastic assets.”

Even though I had the urge to let my inner psycho bitch come out to play and run off with Kline’s phone and lock myself in the safe confines of the bathroom so I could search for evidence, I kept it classy and handed back his phone.

Obviously, pregnancy looked good on me. Well, besides when I was ugly crying over YouTube videos of soldiers coming home to their families because yeah, no one can pull off the ugly cry.

“Hey, have you heard from Thatcher today?” I asked Kline in a nonchalant tone.

“No, why?” he asked while his facial expression stayed irritatingly neutral. His poker face was on point. Goddammit. The man could play Switzerland better than anyone I knew.

“Just wondering.” I shrugged. “He’s been acting weird lately. Canceled our nightly Skype sesh last night. And then couldn’t chat on the phone when I had a few free minutes this afternoon.”

“I know he’s been taking some Saturday meetings with clients while you’ve been out of town,” he offered, and it only added to my frustration.

Damn Kline and his crazy-smart brain. He was too flipping intelligent to be tricked into telling me what Thatch was up to, which was why I set my sights on his wife, Mrs. I Suck at Lying.

“Don’t you think that’s weird, Georgie?”

She cleared her throat, which put her at about a two on the “Wheorgie’s About to Break” meter. “Do I think what’s weird?”

“That Thatcher canceled our Skype sesh last night.”

She shrugged and kept her face impartial. “Maybe he was tired?”

I watched the line of her throat swallow three times, and I knew I had just increased her to about a five. We’re getting closer…

“Hmm… Maybe.” I pretended to think it over and then pushed out an Oscar-worthy sigh from my lungs. “I just have this awful feeling I can’t shake. It’s freaking me out a little. Like, this nagging feeling that has my brain racing with thoughts that Thatch is up to something.” I looked away and pretended to swallow down emotion before meeting her now concerned eyes. I forced my eyes to go theatrically wide. “You don’t think he’s…” I feigned shock and covered my mouth with my hand. “God, I can’t even say the words,” I muttered for dramatic effect.

Before she could offer the reassurance that rested on her lips, I covered my mouth with my hand and did my very best impression of Rose when Jack lets go of her hand during Titanic. “Sorry,” I whispered and scrunched my eyes together to stave off the fake tears. I covered my mouth with my hand again and shook my head back and forth. “I just can’t shake this feeling that something awful is going on.”

Of course, I knew my fiancé wasn’t cheating on me. That might sound naïve to most, but I knew Thatch. I knew him, and I trusted him implicitly. He’d never given me any reason to doubt that trust.

Plus, he knew that him cheating on me would lead to a homicide situation. He might be one big-ass motherfluffer, but I’d find a shovel and a hole big enough—and if I couldn’t, I’d train as a blacksmith and a gravesite attendant and make them.

Georgia’s eyes went wide with panic. “Stop thinking like that. There’s no way he would… Thatch loves you. No way would he do anything to jeopardize that. You guys are in love—you’re having a baby. Yeah, he’s definitely not doing what you’re thinking he’s doing,” she rambled.

And there it was, ladies and gentleman. Georgia had just hit a nine on the meter. Only a few more fake tears and she’d be handing me the key to Thatchora’s box of lies.

“Yeah, but Jay Z loved Beyoncé and look what happened to them. He cheated on her. And no one thought Britney would cheat on Justin. I mean, they wore matching denim outfits, for frankfurter’s sake!”

“Just trust me. He’s not fucking around.” She tried to calm me down, but she sounded so helpless, so upset…so very close to telling me what was going on.

I feigned hysteria and buried my face in my hands. “What am I going to do? I’m pregnant, and my fiancé is having a relationship with another woman!”