Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 156029 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156029 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
I frown. “You’ve heard of me?”
She glances at Spencer to check he can’t hear us. “Of course I’ve heard of you. Spencer has been going on and on about you since the two of you first met,” she whispers.
I try to hide my smile but fail miserably. “So, you know him well?” I ask. I don’t know why but I already feel at ease with this woman. I’m guessing she’s around my age, too.
“He’s Julian’s best friend, along with Seb, of course.” She looks over at a man with dark hair who is approaching us through the crowd. “Speak of the devil.”
“Hello, troublemaker,” Seb teases Bree as he bends to kiss her cheek.
“Sebastian, this is Charlotte,” she introduces with a broad smile.
Sebastian is tall, dark, and handsome, and he has a natural wave to his hair. Good grief, these men are seriously good looking.
Seb’s eyes light up, and he picks up my hand to kiss the back of it. “Lovely to meet you, Charlotte, but you really should run away with me instead of Spencer.” He winks mischievously.
“Hey, cut that out,” Spencer cries from behind us. “Lips off her immediately.”
Julian and Sebastian chuckle.
“Hello, Sebastian.” I smile.
“Where is your date?” Bree asks Sebastian.
He rolls his eyes. “Long story, but you’re my surrogate date tonight.”
Bree and I chuckle.
He stands and falls into conversation with Julian and Spencer.
“He seems nice,” I say.
“He’s dreamy,” Bree agrees. “But he attracts the worst women.”
“Why?”
“I have no idea. They all end up being crazy bunny boilers.”
I giggle.
Bree looks over at her husband. “Jules, how is my lemonade going? I’m dehydrating over here while making your baby.”
“Sorry, babe.” He takes off to the bar immediately.
“Are you kidding me, Jones? What the hell are you doing here?” a male voice barks from behind us.
We turn, and Spencer laughs out loud. “What the fuck, Stanton? What are you doing here?” Spencer shakes the hand of the man in the black dinner suit.
“My wife Natasha runs this charity with our friend Nicholas. We fly everywhere for them.” He points to an attractive brunette woman talking to a large European looking man. Jeez, good looks run in the family.
“Charlotte, this is my friend Joshua Stanton. Joshua’s brother Cameron studied medicine with my brother in the states. We’ve been to many a weekend away together over the years.” Spencer smiles.
“Hello.” He smiles over at me.
“Hi.” I smile back. I look at Bree who is staring at the god in front of us.
“This is Julian Masters and his wife Bree, and this is Sebastian Garcia.”
They all shake hands and the men fall into easy conversation.
“I’m on my way to the bar,” Joshua says.
Spencer’s eyes find mine. “I’ll get us another drink.”
I smile and nod, and he disappears with his friend.
“Holy heck,” Bree whispers. “Who was that guy?”
“God’s gift to women, I imagine.”
She giggles and clinks her lemonade with my champagne. “I like you, Charlotte Prescott,” she beams.
I smile. “Please… just call me Lottie. I’m trying to lose my surname for a while.”
She frowns. “You don’t like the name Prescott?”
I smile bashfully. “Yes, of course, just not everything that comes with it.”
“What do you mean?”
“My family have rigid rules.” I shrug. “That’s why I’ve moved to London. I just want to be Lottie for a while.”
She smiles. “That’s why I moved to London, too.”
“How did you and Julian meet?” I ask.
She smirks as her eyes seek him out. “I was his nanny.”
My eyes widen. “What?”
She nods. “Yep. Cliché, isn’t it?”
I bite my bottom lip, and I take a look Julian’s way. “So, he was your boss?”
“Uh-huh. I thought I was coming over here to work for a woman, and when he picked me up from the airport I nearly died.”
I make eye contact with Spencer at the bar, and he gives me a sexy wink. My stomach flips and I have to drag my eyes back to Bree.
“It was all forbidden attraction and fireworks. Anyway, that’s enough of me, let’s talk about you and Spencer.”
My face falls.
“Oh.” She frowns. “What’s that look?”
“Nothing.” I sigh.
“You can talk to me. I won’t say anything, I promise.”
I stare at her for a moment.
She crosses her finger over her chest. “I promise.”
I shrug. “I don’t know. His playboy ways are…” My voice trails off.
She offers an understanding nod. “I can imagine.”
“It does kind of make you wonder, you know?” I shrug.
She glances over at the four men over at the bar. “The thing is, Charlotte, when you date a thirty-seven-year-old man who has never been married before, he’s going to have some baggage with him.”
I look for Spencer and, once again, catch him watching me. My heart skips a beat and I turn back to Bree. “What was Julian’s baggage?”
“God, what wasn’t Julian’s baggage? It wouldn’t fit into this ballroom.” She smirks with an eye roll.
She, too, looks at Spencer, and she smiles watching him watching me. “The way Spencer looks at you…” She hesitates.