“Do I get to break out my tux?” He moves against me, gliding his cock up and down between my legs, hitting every nerve from my clit to my asshole. “Because I look awesome in formal wear.”
“I know,” I moan, practically floating off the bed when he ducks his head to suck my nipple into his mouth. “I saw you at the fundraiser, remember? And you can wear a tux if you want, but you don’t have to.”
“Count me in.” He loosens the tie on my robe so it opens completely, exposing my bare breasts and neatly trimmed pussy to his hungry gaze. “All the way.”
Then he strips his clothes off and we make long, slow love well into the night, communicating with our bodies what we can’t quite say with words.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Connor
“MISSLAWSON,OVERHERE!”
“Brie, look this way!”
“Who designed the dress you’re wearing, Brie?”
“Miss Lawson, who’s your escort tonight?”
The questions and camera flashes come fast and furious as we inch our way down the red carpet. I thought being on book tour with my father was wild, but this is like that on steroids. I stick my hands in the pockets of my tux pants, trying to look cool, but inside I’m freaking out. All those eyes on us. It’s unnerving.
Not Brie. She’s poised and confident and so damn beautiful in the purple sequined Valentino gown she and Ainsley picked out together, smiling and waving, stopping every so often to speak to a reporter from E! News or TMZ or Entertainment Tonight.
She snakes her arm through mine and drags me over to one of them, a baby-faced reporter with a bowl haircut and a microphone.
“Don’t worry.” She gives my bicep a reassuring squeeze. “I’ve known Doug since college. He’s one of the good ones.”
“He doesn’t look old enough to shave, much less go to college,” I mutter.
“Graduated top of my class at Pace,” Doug says, wrapping Brie in a one-armed hug. “Right, Brie?”
“And yet here you are, one step above muckraking. What happened to winning a Pulitzer?”
“Guy’s gotta start somewhere. I’m working my way up from the arts and entertainment beat.” Doug turns his watchful reporter’s gaze to me, sizing me up like I’m his next victim. Or his competition. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Connor Dow.” Her grip on my bicep tightens, and she smiles up at me, telegraphing our relationship status and making my heart lurch. “My date.”
“Date?” Doug puts hand to his heart and staggers back like he’s been wounded. “Does this mean I’m out of the running?”
She smacks his shoulder with her purple sequined clutch, another new purchase courtesy of her shopping spree with Ainsley. “As if you were ever in the running.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet the lucky man who gets to be on your arm.” Doug sticks out his hand for me to shake. When I take it, he pulls me in and lowers his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
“Word to the wise—watch everything you say on the red carpet. I’m not the only reporter with big ears. And next time it might not be something as harmless as a crack about my youthful appearance.”
Crap. I’m not usually so careless. Or such a jerk. Chalk it up to nervousness. “Thanks for the heads up. And, uh, sorry about the dig.”
He releases my hand and slaps me on the back. “No worries. I get it all the time. You can make it up to me by giving me an interview. Maybe even an exclusive on the new man in Brie’s life.”
“See, I told you he’s one of the good guys,” Brie chimes in. “But Connor’s not giving interviews today. I, on the other hand, am happy to talk to you. And I promise, as soon as we’re ready, we’ll give you first dibs at the whole, sordid story of how we got together.”
“Fair enough.”
Doug motions to his cameraman to start filming, and Brie gives a short interview, gushing about how excited she is to be here and how lucky she is to be part of the Mortal Misfits. After the camera stops rolling, we say our goodbyes and thank-yous and start back down the red carpet, but we don’t get two feet before our path is blocked by a woman who looks like a low-rent version of Rita Skeeter from the Harry Potter movies, cat-eye glasses and all.
“Brie Lawson. I’m Irene Fisher fromCelebrity Intel.”
“Of course.” Brie smiles through clenched teeth. “Lovely to see you, Irene.”
