Page 17 of Grumpy Billionaire Seeking Wife (Billionaires Seeking Wives Club #1)

Chapter Nine

S abrina

"Just frigging kill me now," I mumble under my breath as Wes gazes at me with a glint in his eyes.

I feel like an amoeba under a microscope and he's studying every single atom of my being.

I want to die! Actually, I want the floor to open up and swallow me whole.

I don't care what happens, but as long as I disappear, I will be okay.

This is worse than the time I was in my physics class and the professor asked me to explain the principle of relativity, and I bumbled on about family trees. The shame!

"What did you say, Sabrina?" Wes asks me, leaning in so that I can smell his very nice cologne. I want to lean forward and breathe him in. Fuck, I want to bite into his skin! Which makes me want to slap myself because why do I want this man so badly?

"Nothing. Just nothing," I murmur as I turn to Rudolpho.

"I hope you're not a golddigger." He shakes his head.

"You don't have gold, so it would suck if I was, wouldn't it?

" I respond, not caring if I sound rude.

He sucks, his friend sucks, this date sucks, and I don't care who knows it.

It's obvious to me that Wes knows this date is not leading to a relationship or anything good.

I look over at Erica, and she wrinkles her nose.

She lets out a deep sigh and taps Steve on the shoulder.

“So, what about the oysters and the caviar we ordered that you were both happy about?” She pauses. "That you encouraged us to order, in fact."

“You girls are twenty-first-century women, right?" Steve mutters. "We’re going to go Dutch, right?”

I press my lips together. “Umm, sure. We can go Dutch, but Rudolpho said he only has $40.” Which is less than me, and I'm a brokeass.

“Well, wait a minute,” Rudolpho says, speaking up. “If you were real feminists, you would offer to pay for it all, right?”

“Yes,” Erica says, nodding. "If we had told you we were willing to do that, but we didn't."

“Yeah, but you girls are the ones who chose this place, so you should pay more.” He sniffs, his good mood completely gone. “Golddiggers."

“Excuse me!” Erica says, as she glances at me, and my heart sinks. "Like we said before, you have no gold to dig. Only crust."

“I think this is the time of the night when I should intervene.” Wes leans forward. His voice is hard, and there’s a glint in his eyes that turns me on.

“What?” Rudolpho says, looking pissed.

"The date is over. My brother and I will treat Sabrina and Erica to dinner tonight. You can both leave."

“I'm not leaving. I already spent twenty dollars on a pack of Magnums for tonight.” Steve's face is red. Before anyone else can respond, he starts rapping. “You know what I mean, man! I was just trying to get down, man. I wasn’t intending to marry no ho. This ain’t no show. This ain’t The Bachelor .

This is real life. This ain't my wife. Can the real Bad Boy Joe, please...”

“Enough!” Erica says, jumping up. “Just leave. You and your rapping both suck."

I look over at Rudolpho. “You can leave, as well. This date was a mistake.”

“What? We haven’t even had our cham-pan-ya. Dom Perignonnn in the house!”

I lick my dry, puffy lips. I want to cry. I’m so mortified and embarrassed that I don’t even know what else to say.

I’m grateful when Wes stands up, but when he walks over to Rudolpho and grabs him by the shoulder, I feel slightly turned on.

“The lady said the date was a mistake. I think it’s time to leave.”

“I'm not?—"

“I think the ladies have had enough of you and your friend tonight. Sabrina and Erica will have dinner with my brother and me tonight. And you two can go on your merry way. And I mean now.”

“I think this dude is trying to intimidate us,” Rudolpho says to Steve, who then stands up and flicks his long dreadlocks behind him. “Yo!” he says loudly. I watch as Wes looks at him with narrowed eyes.

“Yes?”

“I said, Yo, man. You can’t be coming in here talking to me like I’m some…”

“Enough,” Wes says. “Look, here’s fifty dollars.” He takes out some money from his wallet and hands it to Steve. “Be on your way.”

Rudolpho looks at the money in Steve's hand and shrugs. “Wanna go and grab some beers? Didn't want that stank pussy anyways.” He looks me up and down, and I recoil.

“Let’s bounce.” Steve nods. “Like I said, I wanted a good time, but these two ain't worth it."

“Leave.” Wes sounds angry, and Miles stands up, as well. Rudolpho and Steve both proceed to leave the restaurant, and I can feel my heart racing. What just happened?

“What the hell were you girls thinking?” Miles says, finally. “Also, what are you guys wearing?” He starts chuckling.

“Don’t!” Wes says as he sits back down and offers his brother a wide grin. “I already spoke to them about their outfits, and they didn’t want to listen.”

“I mean, it’s not like the outfits made tonight the worst night of our lives,” Erica says, laughing sheepishly.

“It’s more that these guys are liars and they suck.

Bad Boy Joe was not a celebrity at all." She looks slightly annoyed.

"Hey, Miles, will you come with me to the front and see if we can get a private table?”

“Okay." He nods as he stands up, and they walk back to the front of the establishment. I sit there next to Wes, wondering what to say. Wondering if he remembers our last encounter. Wondering if he thinks I still want him.

“So, shall we drink the cham-pan-ya?” Wes gives me a wink as he holds up the bottle, and I just shake my head.

I'm too embarrassed to drink anything right now.

Wes's dark eyes are dancing as he stares at me as I shift in my seat.

“That skirt too short or something?” he says, as he looks down at my legs.

“No, why do you ask?” I am way too self-conscious.

“Because you keep pulling it down, and I’m wondering if you're nervous I'm going to see your panties."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I can't believe you just said that." My face is warm. Is he flirting with me? Trying to play games to see how I will react? Is this some sort of test? I was annoyed that he was trying to rile me up. I'm so annoyed that I want to wipe the smug look off his face.

"Said what? I merely inquired if you were nervous I was going to see your silky panties."

"Hmm." I move my lips toward his ear, and then I whisper softly, “You won’t be able to see my panties because I’m not wearing any.” I giggle slightly as I pull back. I stare into his shocked face and wink.

Take that, sucker!

It’s a lie, of course. There’s no way in hell I would go out wearing a miniskirt as short as this without underwear, but he doesn’t have to know that. Let him think I'm naked under this skirt.

“Fudge…” he mumbles under his breath as his eyes inch back down to my thighs. I know he’s hoping that it will ride all the way up now so he can see whether or not I’m telling the truth. "No panties?" He licks his lips. "Really?"

“What did you just say?” Erica asks as she makes her way back to the table, Miles behind her.

“Trust me, you don’t want to know,” I say, giggling. "So, did we get a new table?"

"No." She shakes her head. "We're stuck here." She takes her seat again.

“Then I guess that means that you two can pick up your shit from my apartment tonight?” Wes laughs. “Because obviously, you’re not going to be going home with anyone tonight.”

“You don’t know. The night is still young. Maybe Erica and I will go to a bar and meet someone, and…” I let my voice drift off.

“And what? Have a one-night stand?” He frowns.

“I have them all the time,” I lie.

“Uh-huh.” He doesn’t say much, but I can tell he’s not sure whether or not to believe me. He looks over at Erica. “So, are you mad at me, as well? Did I ruin the best date of your life?”

“You already know that our dates sucked, and we’re not going to continue talking about it because you’re not going to hold it over our heads for the rest of our lives. In fact, seeing as we’re all here at dinner tonight, let’s talk about the sponsorship of our podcast.”

Wes lets out a low groan, as does Miles.

“We said we weren’t going to talk about business tonight,” Miles says, drinking his champagne quickly. “I just want to have fun. I just want to relax.”

“You always relax, Miles,” Erica says, glaring at him. “I thought you had a date with someone tonight?”

“It got canceled.” He glares at her. “I mean, I bet you wish that your date got canceled, too.” He chuckles. “Or maybe that’s the best you can do.”

“Maybe that’s the best you can do!” Erica retorts.

Wes and I exchange glances.

“You’d think they were still thirteen years old,” Wes says softly, shaking his head.

“I know, right?” We laugh together for a few seconds, forgetting that we are sworn enemies. Well, I don’t know if I’m Wes’s sworn enemy, but he’s definitely mine.

“I mean, maybe next time, you’ll think about making a better decision,” he says, and my jaw drops open slightly at his words.

“Sorry? What?”

“You need to make better decisions about the men you take on dates."

“Excuse me?” I say loudly now. Erica and Miles exchange glances, but neither one of them says anything. “You’re one to talk.”

“What does that mean?” Wes says.

“It means that I don’t exactly see you going on dates with amazing women, rather just different actresses and models and….”

“And what?” he says. “Who else am I dating?”

“I don’t know. It’s not like I’m keeping track.”

“Are you sure you don’t? It sounds like someone’s been reading the tabloids about me. How else would you know that I’ve been going on dates with actresses and models?”

“I mean, I read the tabloids, but obviously not for you. I didn’t even know you would be in half of them.”

“Yeah, well, I like to have a life. I like to have fun. I’m not hurting anybody.” He chuckles. “I mean, I’m just being me.”

“You’re just being you,” I mock him, and his lips twitch.

“What can I say? I’m just an eligible bachelor, who every woman wants.”

“Oh, yeah. You’re so eligible.”

“What?” He shrugs. “I can’t help it.”

“Whatever, Wes Carrington. You think that just because you’re rich and handsome, you can have any woman you want.”

“I mean, I don’t know about any woman I want,” he says softly as he sips his champagne. “Mmm, it’s good,” he says, licking his lips. “Aren’t you going to have any?”

My throat is parched.

“Go on. Don’t be scared. Take a sip.”

“I’m not scared of drinking champagne,” I say, as I move the glass closer to my lips.

“In fact,” he says, “you know what?”

“What?” I say as I’m about to sip my champagne.

He leans forward and whispers in my ear, “I would quite like to see you licking that champagne off my cock.”

He says the words right as I take a sip, and I sputter the champagne everywhere.

He throws his head back, laughing.

“That’s disgusting! You’re a pig!” I glare at him, and he hands me a napkin.

“What? I’m just saying that’s what Rudolpho would have wanted if he were here.”

“You are…” I glare at him. “You’re just too much. You know that, right?”

“Am I too much or too little?” He bites down on his lower lip. “I mean, not that you’ll ever know.”

“Not that I want to know,” I say, but I can’t help but think of his cock now. Is he big?

“I’m sorry,” he says, as he hands me the napkin. “I shouldn’t have been so uncouth. It was rude of me. I was just letting you know how the rest of your date with Rudolpho would have gone."

“You don’t have to apologize to me,” I say. “I’m sure that’s how you get your billion women.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say a billion.” He shrugs. “Maybe a million.” He smirks then and takes another sip of his champagne. "What can I say? I like the life I live."

"Oh, I'm sure you do. You don’t even know how to spoil a woman, do you?”

“If I wanted to, I’m sure I could figure it out. But,” he says softly, “why would I bother? I’m enjoying the status quo of everything right now. Aren’t you enjoying your life?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s why I’m sitting here in a restaurant next to you, five minutes after my date left with his friend. Ten minutes after they told us they wanted to have a couple swap, which obviously, we didn’t want to do. So, yeah, this is the night of my life.”

He shrugs. “Well, can’t say I didn’t warn you.” He looks so smug that I want to wipe the satisfied grin off his face.

“You really think you’re the bees’ knees, don’t you?”

“I mean, my mom thinks I’m perfect.”

“Oh, you would just make the perfect husband for someone,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“I think I would,” he says. “I’d whisk them off to Paris, have expensive dinners…” He grins. “What is it that you women like? Long walks on the beach?”

“What’s that? Your personal ad?”

“I don’t need a personal ad, but if I did, it wouldn’t say that.”

“What would it say?” I roll my eyes.

“I don’t know. I don’t think I would need to put up anything.

The women, they just…” He puts his hand up.

“How did we get onto this topic of conversation, Sabrina? Let’s talk about something else.

" He looks over at his brother and sister, who are discussing something fervently while looking at their phones. I don’t know if Miles and Erica have paid attention to any of our conversation, but I sure hope they haven’t.

Because it’s been a lot of very hostile and flirty banter going back and forth between me and Wes.

And I don’t know if I really understand it.

“Did you know that oysters are an aphrodisiac?” he says. “Is that why you ordered them?”

“No, we ordered oysters just because we like them. Same with the caviar.”

“Okay, well, hopefully, you don’t get too horny tonight.”

“Excuse me?” I stare at him, and he throws his head back and laughs.

He’s so handsome when he laughs, and his dark, silky hair is begging to be touched.

My entire body is shaking, sitting next to him.

Then, when he shifts closer and I feel his thigh against mine, I feel like I’m going to explode.

There’s just something about Wes that I cannot stop from activating something in me.

He is absolutely the most infuriating man I’ve ever met, but also, the most delicious, the hunkiest, the sexiest.

I have got to stop thinking about him in that way. I’d like to wipe that cocky smile off of his face, but I need to come up with a plan. Something that would throw him for a loop.

I smile as I stare back at him, and an idea hits me. I know exactly what I’m going to do.