Read Power Play: Jodie and the Billionaire for Free Online Page B
Authors: Selena Kitt
tried to drag her away, the triplets and Lauren
surrounding her. “You broke up with Jason? Why didn’t you tell me? What’s going
on?”
“I—”
Jodie wobbled in Kimber’s too-tight heels, realizing for the first time in
almost an hour how much her feet hurt. It was too much to try to explain right
there in the middle of the casino floor. Although, it wasn’t, not really. Jason
had cheated—had continued to lie and cheat, in spite of his regretful
pleas—and she’d broken up with him. It wasn’t complicated. It was
actually very simple. Painfully, horribly simple.
“You’re
drunk.” Kimber announced, shaking her head, trying unsuccessfully to pull her
away, but Jodie wasn’t budging. “You can’t go with him, you know.”
“It’s
not a good idea,” Lauren said. The triplet girls agreed, pestering Jodie about
how unsafe, how crazy, how insane it was to consider—well, whatever she
was considering.
“Ladies.”
Dorian Cole interrupted their little hen pecking with a smile and an arm around
Jodie’s shoulders. He looked down at her. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
She nodded, looking back at Kimber. “You guys, I… I’ll call you.”
She
realized she had no idea where they were going—although she had some
vague idea and hoped it would involve a bed.
“Jodie…”
Kimber frowned, her hand still on Jodie’s arm, but she was looking at Dorian.
“It’s
okay, Kimber,” Lauren intervened. “Jodie’s a big girl. I’m sure she can handle
herself.”
Kimber
still looked doubtful but let go. Jodie gave Lauren a thank-you smile,
mouthing, ‘Owe you one!’ She knew that would probably involve reading Lauren’s
book but hey, she could live with that. And who knew? Maybe her current run of
luck would hold out and she’d discover the next new writer phenom. That was
always the best part of her job, after all.
“I
promise, she’ll be safe with me.” Dorian gave Kimber a reassuring smile,
guiding Jodie away from the gaggle of girls. She followed willingly, waving
over her shoulder at them. She felt a little bad, leaving Kimber on their last
night of her bachelorette party—but she had a feeling Kimber would
understand, given the circumstances.
“Do
you have to cash in your chips?” she asked, trying to keep up with his long
stride.
“Nah,
I’m good. I’ve got a player’s card.” They walked out of the casino into the
foyer, past the shops with the huge Roman statue fountain in the center. “They
wanted to comp me but I’m staying at the Palms.”
“Is
that where we’re going?” she asked as they stepped out into the night air. It
was nice, cool but not cold.
Dorian
smiled, handing a ticket to the valet before turning and taking her into his
arms.
“I
need to get you somewhere private,” he murmured into her hair, nuzzling her
neck, hands roaming over the curves barely concealed by her dress. Well, Lauren’s
dress. She had a feeling that fifteen hundred dollar piece of material was
going to be on the floor of Dorian Cole’s hotel room before she knew it. And
Jodie was so titillated by that prospect she was shaking.
“Cold?”
He pulled her closer still, kissing her neck, her collarbone, breathing in her
scent.
Jodie
heard his car before she saw it, but his mouth had found hers and she was lost
again.
“Sir?”
Dorian
broke the kiss, grabbing the keys from the valet. “Get in.”
Jodie
gaped as the valet held the door open to Batman’s car. She got into the matte
black Bugatti, a little two-seater, beside Dorian and the valet closed the door
behind her. The interior was black too, reinforcing the feeling that she was
riding with Batman—and when she looked over at his profile as he popped
the clutch and shifted into gear, she actually wondered for a moment who he was
and what, exactly, she was doing.
Then
her phone vibrated in her purse.
“Put
your seatbelt on,” he said, glancing over to see her pulling her phone out of
her clutch.
Jodie
did as he asked,
surrounding her. “You broke up with Jason? Why didn’t you tell me? What’s going
on?”
“I—”
Jodie wobbled in Kimber’s too-tight heels, realizing for the first time in
almost an hour how much her feet hurt. It was too much to try to explain right
there in the middle of the casino floor. Although, it wasn’t, not really. Jason
had cheated—had continued to lie and cheat, in spite of his regretful
pleas—and she’d broken up with him. It wasn’t complicated. It was
actually very simple. Painfully, horribly simple.
“You’re
drunk.” Kimber announced, shaking her head, trying unsuccessfully to pull her
away, but Jodie wasn’t budging. “You can’t go with him, you know.”
“It’s
not a good idea,” Lauren said. The triplet girls agreed, pestering Jodie about
how unsafe, how crazy, how insane it was to consider—well, whatever she
was considering.
“Ladies.”
Dorian Cole interrupted their little hen pecking with a smile and an arm around
Jodie’s shoulders. He looked down at her. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
She nodded, looking back at Kimber. “You guys, I… I’ll call you.”
She
realized she had no idea where they were going—although she had some
vague idea and hoped it would involve a bed.
“Jodie…”
Kimber frowned, her hand still on Jodie’s arm, but she was looking at Dorian.
“It’s
okay, Kimber,” Lauren intervened. “Jodie’s a big girl. I’m sure she can handle
herself.”
Kimber
still looked doubtful but let go. Jodie gave Lauren a thank-you smile,
mouthing, ‘Owe you one!’ She knew that would probably involve reading Lauren’s
book but hey, she could live with that. And who knew? Maybe her current run of
luck would hold out and she’d discover the next new writer phenom. That was
always the best part of her job, after all.
“I
promise, she’ll be safe with me.” Dorian gave Kimber a reassuring smile,
guiding Jodie away from the gaggle of girls. She followed willingly, waving
over her shoulder at them. She felt a little bad, leaving Kimber on their last
night of her bachelorette party—but she had a feeling Kimber would
understand, given the circumstances.
“Do
you have to cash in your chips?” she asked, trying to keep up with his long
stride.
“Nah,
I’m good. I’ve got a player’s card.” They walked out of the casino into the
foyer, past the shops with the huge Roman statue fountain in the center. “They
wanted to comp me but I’m staying at the Palms.”
“Is
that where we’re going?” she asked as they stepped out into the night air. It
was nice, cool but not cold.
Dorian
smiled, handing a ticket to the valet before turning and taking her into his
arms.
“I
need to get you somewhere private,” he murmured into her hair, nuzzling her
neck, hands roaming over the curves barely concealed by her dress. Well, Lauren’s
dress. She had a feeling that fifteen hundred dollar piece of material was
going to be on the floor of Dorian Cole’s hotel room before she knew it. And
Jodie was so titillated by that prospect she was shaking.
“Cold?”
He pulled her closer still, kissing her neck, her collarbone, breathing in her
scent.
Jodie
heard his car before she saw it, but his mouth had found hers and she was lost
again.
“Sir?”
Dorian
broke the kiss, grabbing the keys from the valet. “Get in.”
Jodie
gaped as the valet held the door open to Batman’s car. She got into the matte
black Bugatti, a little two-seater, beside Dorian and the valet closed the door
behind her. The interior was black too, reinforcing the feeling that she was
riding with Batman—and when she looked over at his profile as he popped
the clutch and shifted into gear, she actually wondered for a moment who he was
and what, exactly, she was doing.
Then
her phone vibrated in her purse.
“Put
your seatbelt on,” he said, glancing over to see her pulling her phone out of
her clutch.
Jodie
did as he asked,