Banking the Billionaire (Bad Boy Billionaires Book 2)(75)

“Sorry, buddy. The faster we go out, the faster I’ll have you home to your brood. But for now, you’re stuck with me.”

“Which is obviously the worst-case scenario,” he muttered in jest. “I’ll have to suffer through it. Where are we headed?”

“Monarch Bar,” I answered succinctly. “Thelma and Louise are already there.”

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Thelma and Louise?”

“Oh,” I said with pretense and a waggle of my eyebrows. “Twins. I can’t remember their actual names.”

He looked ready to interrupt, so I bowled right over him. “And they’re both for me.”

“What about Cassie?” he asked as we walked down the hall to the living room.

“What about her?” I replied with a hidden smirk.

“Her stuff is here, in your apartment, and you’re meeting women?”

One of whom was her. “Yeah, she won’t mind,” I lied.

I wasn’t quite sure how serious she was about our relationship—if she was as serious as I was—but I knew she was serious about being the only woman. I liked my balls, thank you very much. They weren’t exactly the best-looking guys in the place, but they made sure I had a good time when it counted.

My phone vibrated in my pocket as I shoved Kline out the door and locked it behind me. His face was in full mope mode.

“Come on,” I encouraged. “Once we’re on the subway, you can text your little wife until we get there. Where is she again?”

“Working,” he said with a sigh.

“Boy, Wes knows how to crack the whip.”

“It’s not him. I already confronted him about it. She’s just f*cking determined to do a good job.”

“Well, I’d say that’s a pretty good quality, right?” I asked as we stepped out onto the sidewalk in front of my building. My fingers itched to dig in my pocket for my phone knowing I had an unread text, but it was only a quick walk to the corner and we’d be on the train where I’d have a better chance of keeping it hidden from Kline’s astute eyes.

“Of course, it’s a good thing. There’s a reason I’m always trying to hire her back.”

“I thought it was horniness.”

“Okay, so there are two reasons.”

I laughed and kept walking, leading the way down the stairs and into the dim lighting of the subway station. We didn’t have to wait long as the train pulled up and the doors opened. It was just a quick ride on the R down to the party, so neither of us bothered to go for a seat. Instead, we found a spot in the center around one of the stripper poles.

Okay, it wasn’t actually a stripper pole, and guaranteed, you’d pick up some kind of disease if you rubbed yourself too thoroughly on one, but it sure looked like that’s what it should be. I’d have to talk to the MTA.

My phone buzzed in my pocket again. Pulling it out carefully, I tilted the screen slightly away from Kline so I knew he wouldn’t be able to read it.



Cassie: Has the Eagle landed?



Cassie: I will castrate you if you don’t answer me.



Fuck. I typed out a quick reply.



Me: The Eagle is in flight.



Cassie: What? What the f*ck does that mean?



I shook my head and smiled.



Me: It means we’re en route. If the Eagle had landed, you’d be able to see him yourself because he’d be there.



I glanced up to see Kline staring at me in question.

“It’s Cassie,” I explained. “Just harassing me about using the last of the toothpaste.”

He narrowed his eyes. Fuck him for being so smart.

“Oh, look,” I said, jumping to turn toward the door. “Our stop.”

“What’s going on with Cassie?” he asked as we weaved our way through the moderate crowd and off the train car.

“What do you mean? She’s still holding out, and so am I. You know how it is.”

“Come on. Enough with the innocent bullshit. I don’t care how strong-willed you are; there’s no f*cking way that chick would still be living with you if you didn’t like it.”

I shrugged but let my lips curve into a smile as we jogged up the concrete steps and out into the busy intersection at 34th Street.

“She always surprises me. I think I know what she’s gonna do, but I never actually do.”

“And that’s it? The thrill?” he asked skeptically.

Not wanting to get into the details, but knowing he was one of my very best friends, I gave him the bare minimum. “It’s not just the thrill.”

A smile transformed his face.

And then, my friend Kline, a man who complained relentlessly about my one-eyed blinks, winked at me.




Georgia’s angry eyes scoured me through the glass wall between us and the patio as Kline took his time ordering a drink at the bar.

He’d actually cheered up after I shared the little glimpse into my soft heart, and I wasn’t about to ruin it just so everyone could yell the word “surprise” five minutes sooner.

Plus, I had been missing my friend.

But as Cassie started to gesture with a knife in her hand, I knew I didn’t have much time to stall anymore.