Lucky Me Read Online Free Page B

down anytime soon.
    â€œUm . . .”
    â€œDid you not hear me? Let’s go!”
    â€œGia,” Dad said, coming up behind me. His tone implied a threat, but his weary smile told me he was far too exhausted to make a scene. I was winning by default.
    â€œI’m showing Jack to his room, just like you asked. Because apparently we don’t have housekeepers to do that.” I batted my long eyelashes innocently. “Right, Jack?”
    â€œUh, yeah?” Jack said uncertainly. He walked toward me hesitantly, as if he was scared I might rip his head off any second.
    â€œBe nice,” Dad whispered, loud enough so that only I could hear it.
    I just smiled. “Let’s go.”
    I led my new bodyguard down the hallway in silence, past the two recreational rooms, the cinema room and two more lounge rooms. We hadn’t even covered a quarter of downstairs yet, but I didn’t bother giving him the full tour. He wasn’t going to stay for long, so there was no point wasting my time.
    Only now that the rage was wearing off a little, the nerves were starting to kick back in. Jack was standing so close to me, the sleeve of his shirt would occasionally graze my arm and tiny electric currents would shoot through my whole body. There was no way that was healthy. As we walked past a mirror, I eyed my outfit as subtly as I could. Tight skinny jeans and a Zara crop top. Nothing too fancy, but at least Dad had sprung the news on me when I had returned from shopping and not when I was just lounging around the house in my PJs.
    â€œOh, you have a dog,” Jack said finally, more to himself than to me. He was obviously making a sad attempt at small talk.
    My Yorkshire Terrier, who was sitting by the stairs, stopped playing a tug-of-war game with his chew toy and gave Jack a half-assed yelp. He trotted over to us to inspect the attractive stranger standing beside me. Jack bent down and scooped him up, holding him close to his chest.
    â€œShe’s adorable,” Jack said. “What’s her name?”
    â€œ His ,” I said haughtily, as if by confusing my pet’s gender he had somehow insulted my entire ancestral line. “His name is Famous.”
    â€œOh,” Jack said. “Interesting.”
    Oh no. What if he didn’t think that was interesting and he was just saying that? Like when someone goes “oh your child is an absolute angel” when everyone in the world can tell that little kid is the spawn of Satan. Not that I could do anything to fix the whole situation. It’s not like I had consulted him before naming my dog. Plus, if Famous was a good enough name for Audrey Hepburn’s pet, then it was good enough for Jack Anderson.
    Jack was going on about how he had always wanted a puppy but someone in his family, I couldn’t remember whom, was allergic to dogs. I was barely paying attention. I was focusing so hard on breathing normally; I was scared the veins on my forehead were bulging out. He looked like Mr. January in a Hot Guys with Puppies calendar, and my respiratory system was suffering as a result. I allowed myself one minute more of shameless lusting before roughly yanking Famous from Jack’s grip.
    â€œHe doesn’t like strangers.”
    I placed Famous down on the floor, and he looked up at me. If dogs could give judgemental looks, he had definitely given me one before turning back to his chew toy.
    â€œYour house is incredible,” Jack said, eyeing the chandelier hanging above the staircase. He seemed unfazed by my abruptness. “What is it, like, five stories?”
    â€œSix,” I said curtly, leading him toward the elevator. The less I talked, the less chance I had of making a fool of myself.
    â€œYou have an elevator in your house?” Jack said, his eyes bright with excitement. It was weird to see him so surprised about something so mundane.
    I pushed the “up” button on the elevator, which was