Banking the Billionaire (Bad Boy Billionaires Book 2)(2)

Joshua pointed to a picture of Thatcher. The Jolly Green Giant’s tall frame was unmistakable, perfectly defined lines and toned muscles taking up so much space in the shot they almost jumped right off the screen, and the only thing covering that f*ck-hot body was a pair of black knit shorts. Hair wet with sweat, he was just standing there, hands on his hips, grinning like a cocky son of a bitch.

“Seriously,” Joshua insisted. “What is that?”

“That’s a Thatch.”

“A thatch? Is that one of those new cool words like fleek or rachet?”

I shook my head and laughed. “Thatch is his name, Thatcher Kelly,” I explained before muttering under my breath, “Or an action. God, yeah.” I stared at his photo. “I’d thatch that for sure.”

He sighed. “Is he single?”

The question felt strange for a fraction of a second, and then the fleeting uncertainty was gone. I grinned. “Oh, yes, he’s very single.”

I mean, he was single. So technically, I wasn’t lying. I was just leaving out the little detail of him not being into cock.

Joshua stared at the photo for a disturbing amount of time before asking, “Can I have his number?”

I didn’t think twice about it. This was Thatch we were talking about, and I would gladly take any opportunity to f*ck with him. “Give me your phone.”

He handed it over, and I happily added Thatchsquatch’s number to his contacts. I chose not to think about why I had it memorized.

“Dayum, I need this man in my life,” Joshua said, staring down at the picture on my computer screen before glancing at the number in his phone.

I tilted my head to the side. “I thought you were dating someone.”

Joshua grimaced. “I was, but apparently, I’m too clingy.”

“Well, f*ck that guy. He sounds like an *.”

“Yeah,” he muttered. “An * I was in love with. Hell, I’m still in love with him. I wish my heart would get the memo and forget he ever existed.”

I shook my head in sympathy. But empathy? That was undeniably missing. “Man, oh man, love sure is a bossy bitch, isn’t she?”

Joshua chuckled. “Wise words from the girl who never settles down.”

I smirked. “Maybe I’m a bigger bitch than love.”

He glanced down at his phone again, and then his eyes lit up. “Fuck it, I’m about to yolo and call this sexy motherf*cker.”

Before I had the chance to stop him—which probably wouldn’t have mattered because, yeah, I wasn’t going to miss this—he was tapping Thatch’s number on the screen and putting his phone on speaker.

Three rings later and the deep voice my * would gladly flock toward filled the room. “Thatch.”

“Is this Thatcher Kelly?” Joshua asked with a smirk, his eyes meeting mine.

I probably should’ve felt bad about throwing Josh to the proverbial wolves, but man, it was hard not to get a sick amount of enjoyment out of what was about to go down.

“You got him,” Thatch responded, business and bossy and hot as f*ck. My * made a bid to crawl out of my pants.

Oh, shit. Do not get excited, you flirty little bitch, I told her. This phone call is about laughing, not boning.

“Hi, Thatcher,” my makeup artist turned sexual siren purred into the phone. “My name is Joshua, and we have a mutual friend.”

“And who might that mutual friend be?” Thatch asked, open but wary. I knew he was a fairly private person despite his boisterous personality.

“Cassie Phillips.”

Thatch chuckled, deep and throaty, and my nipples pebbled. “Yeah, I know Cassie.” Apparently, based on their general non-reaction, I was the only one feeling like he meant know in the biblical sense. And I was the only one who knew he didn’t know me like that.

“She happened to show me some pictures she had taken of you, and I gotta—”

“Cassie has a picture of me on her camera?”

“Oh, yeah, baby, she sure does. You’re shirtless, and I can’t deny I’m interested.”

“You’re interested?” Thatch’s voice was laced with confusion.

“Yes. I’m very interested. And Cass happened to mention you were single. And well, I’m single. I think we’d hit it off. So, I was wondering if you’d like to grab a drink sometime?”

“And Cassie told you this was something I’d be interested in?”

Joshua’s gaze shot to mine, but he kept his composure on the phone. “Not in so many words, but, yeah.”

A soft chuckle filled the receiver. “Well, Joshua, it’s a pleasure to talk with you, truly, but I’ve got a bit of a problem with this scenario.”

“Oh.” His voice was dejected. “And what would that be?”

“I’m kind of in love with a set of talking tits. And the owner of said mystic wonders is pretty f*cking head over heels for my cock.”

“I’m not in love with your cock, T-bag,” I responded, and Josh’s and Olivia’s eyes aimed right at me.

Joshua stared at me for a few seconds and then flipped me off.

“You are a bigger bitch than love,” he told me with an amused grin, handing me his phone and whispering into my ear, “You totally want to get Thatched, you little floozy. And don’t think I’ll forget about this anytime soon. You owe me, Phillips. You owe me big.”