The Beauty Series Bundle Read Online Free
Author: Georgia Cates
shoulder and an irritated countenance appears on his face. “I have somewhere to be in a few minutes, so I have to cut our dance short, but would you join me for dinner tomorrow night?”
How could I tell this man no? “Yes, I would like that.”
“I have a meeting tomorrow evening and I expect it to run late. May I send my driver to pick you up around seven?”
He has a driver? “Umm, okay.”
He takes his phone from his pocket. “Where are you staying?”
It takes a moment for me to recall the unfamiliar address, but he puts it into his phone as I call it off. “452 Stanton Street.”
“My driver’s name is Daniel and you can expect him to be prompt.”
“Okay. I’ll be ready.” As he walks away, I remember we never introduced ourselves. “Wait. I didn’t get your name.”
He smiles as he walks backwards away from me. “It will be more interesting if you don’t know. See you tomorrow night.”
More interesting? What the hell is that supposed to mean? He tells me his driver’s name, but not his? That’s weird. I should know his name if I’ve agreed to meet him for dinner.
I’m about to chase him when I feel a warm hand on my arm. “Hey, what are you doing standing out here on the dance floor by yourself?” Ben asks.
“I wasn’t alone. I was dancing with someone, but he had to leave.” I search for Nameless, but he is already gone. Like a phantom.
Ben gives me a bewildered look, as if I made up the whole thing. “Okay. Would you like to finish the dance?”
“Sure.”
As I dance with Ben, I can’t stop thinking about the phantom or the way he disappeared without giving me his name. Shit! I bet the good-looking bastard is married and that’s why he wouldn’t tell me who he is.
That isn’t going to work for me. If there is one thing I don’t do, it’s married men.
I need to talk to Addison, but she is in the middle of her presex show with Zac. That means she’s sending me home alone with Ben. I’m not in the mood to deal with that. “I’m not feeling well. I think I’m going to catch a cab back to the apartment.”
“I’ll drive you.”
I put my hand on his arm. “I can’t ask you to do that. This is your big night. Stay and show off what you’ve accomplished.”
“I don’t mind. Really.”
Yeah, I know. He’s such a nice guy, but I’m not interested. “I know, but I’d feel worse if you didn’t stay to promote what you’ve worked so hard for.”
He concedes and I catch a cab back to the apartment. I make a point to be in bed when he comes home. I pretend to be asleep when he taps on the bedroom door because I’m not sure what he wants.
Well, that’s not true. I know what he wants, but I’ve chosen the coward’s way. I should be brutal and tell him to back off, but I don’t. I dodge him, only prolonging the inevitable.
----
I jerk awake with the shift of the bed beside me. What the hell? The adrenaline surging through my veins makes my heart take off like a helicopter. It’s throbbing erratically in my neck, my chest, my head. Even my hands.
“Addison?” I pray I hear her voice answer me.
“Yeah.” She whispers like she’s afraid she’ll wake someone. Too late.
I’m relieved to hear her voice instead of Ben’s, but I’m madder than hell. I look at the clock on the nightstand. It’s 3:18 in the morning. “You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing climbing into bed at this time of the morning? I thought you were at Zac’s place.”
“I was.”
Yeah, and now you’re not. “Why did you come back? Did something happen?”
“No, but you know me. I don’t want to be that girl, the one who wears out her welcome.”
Right. Because Dude doesn’t owe you anything after he gets in your pants. “Let me get straight on this. You don’t want to be the girl to wear out your welcome, but you’ll be the girl who lets him wear out your vagina?”
She slaps my arm in the dark. “That’s just crude, Laurie.” She giggles. “But oh
How could I tell this man no? “Yes, I would like that.”
“I have a meeting tomorrow evening and I expect it to run late. May I send my driver to pick you up around seven?”
He has a driver? “Umm, okay.”
He takes his phone from his pocket. “Where are you staying?”
It takes a moment for me to recall the unfamiliar address, but he puts it into his phone as I call it off. “452 Stanton Street.”
“My driver’s name is Daniel and you can expect him to be prompt.”
“Okay. I’ll be ready.” As he walks away, I remember we never introduced ourselves. “Wait. I didn’t get your name.”
He smiles as he walks backwards away from me. “It will be more interesting if you don’t know. See you tomorrow night.”
More interesting? What the hell is that supposed to mean? He tells me his driver’s name, but not his? That’s weird. I should know his name if I’ve agreed to meet him for dinner.
I’m about to chase him when I feel a warm hand on my arm. “Hey, what are you doing standing out here on the dance floor by yourself?” Ben asks.
“I wasn’t alone. I was dancing with someone, but he had to leave.” I search for Nameless, but he is already gone. Like a phantom.
Ben gives me a bewildered look, as if I made up the whole thing. “Okay. Would you like to finish the dance?”
“Sure.”
As I dance with Ben, I can’t stop thinking about the phantom or the way he disappeared without giving me his name. Shit! I bet the good-looking bastard is married and that’s why he wouldn’t tell me who he is.
That isn’t going to work for me. If there is one thing I don’t do, it’s married men.
I need to talk to Addison, but she is in the middle of her presex show with Zac. That means she’s sending me home alone with Ben. I’m not in the mood to deal with that. “I’m not feeling well. I think I’m going to catch a cab back to the apartment.”
“I’ll drive you.”
I put my hand on his arm. “I can’t ask you to do that. This is your big night. Stay and show off what you’ve accomplished.”
“I don’t mind. Really.”
Yeah, I know. He’s such a nice guy, but I’m not interested. “I know, but I’d feel worse if you didn’t stay to promote what you’ve worked so hard for.”
He concedes and I catch a cab back to the apartment. I make a point to be in bed when he comes home. I pretend to be asleep when he taps on the bedroom door because I’m not sure what he wants.
Well, that’s not true. I know what he wants, but I’ve chosen the coward’s way. I should be brutal and tell him to back off, but I don’t. I dodge him, only prolonging the inevitable.
----
I jerk awake with the shift of the bed beside me. What the hell? The adrenaline surging through my veins makes my heart take off like a helicopter. It’s throbbing erratically in my neck, my chest, my head. Even my hands.
“Addison?” I pray I hear her voice answer me.
“Yeah.” She whispers like she’s afraid she’ll wake someone. Too late.
I’m relieved to hear her voice instead of Ben’s, but I’m madder than hell. I look at the clock on the nightstand. It’s 3:18 in the morning. “You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing climbing into bed at this time of the morning? I thought you were at Zac’s place.”
“I was.”
Yeah, and now you’re not. “Why did you come back? Did something happen?”
“No, but you know me. I don’t want to be that girl, the one who wears out her welcome.”
Right. Because Dude doesn’t owe you anything after he gets in your pants. “Let me get straight on this. You don’t want to be the girl to wear out your welcome, but you’ll be the girl who lets him wear out your vagina?”
She slaps my arm in the dark. “That’s just crude, Laurie.” She giggles. “But oh