Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
“Raven?”
I grit my teeth and almost slap his hand away, which he now holds out for me to take.
“Just a second,” I snap, closing my eyes. Of course, he’s stopped it as he pockets his phone.
“You okay?” Jett leans in so he can see me. I ignore his handsome face and step out onto Melrose Boulevard. It’s been a trendy street in LA for a long time. When I was in high school, I used to get most of my wardrobe up and down this street.
“What are we doing?” I ask, looking at the paparazzi snapping pictures and screaming at someone as they enter the large, mostly cement building.
“Is that Ammo from the Stuffed Muffins?” Feeling his hand at my lower back, I move forward.
“Where’s your fiancée?”
“Mr. Powers?”
“Smile.” He grins and waves but stays silent. I wasn’t prepared for this. Press? What is he, the king? What if my mom sees us? Jesus, are people gonna know her in there?
“What are we doing?” I hiss, putting my clutch in front of my face.
“You ever hear of Gia Fontaine? This is her collection.”
I turn to look at him. “Gia Granger?” My eyes widen. “As in married to the Rock God?” Because, besides Jett, Granger is fucking hot. I’ve seen the Stuffed Muffins twice in New York.
“Well, she goes by Gia Fontaine with her work, but yes.” His lips twitch as I drop my clutch to really look around. Is he in there?
“Untouched” by the Stuffed Muffins spills out of the speakers as we walk up to the gallery’s glass front door. Beautiful people mill about. Wait, is that a Kardashian inside?
“You can go in, Mr. Powers.” The woman in red flashes him an almost blinding, white-toothed smile, as one of the two suited men, who I assume are security, opens the glass door.
Is this his life? Going from the courtroom to the rich and famous? Of course, it is. Why do I see him on all the tabloids? Oh my God, now I’m going to be on them…
“What if my mom sees us?” I look up at Jett, somewhat shell-shocked at everything he really is. And not only his career, but him, in general. Like is there nothing he’s not a master at?
“Thanks, Patricia, you look gorgeous.” He winks at her as we pass, and an irrational spike of jealously shoots straight to my heart, which is kind of distressing—I’m not a jealous person. If anything, I’m the opposite. Like, I could not care less.
But when it comes to him and that wink? I want him to wink only at me.
Get a hold of yourself, Raven. He’s not yours, or hers, he’s your fucking mother’s.
“What if she does?” He smiles at someone across the room. Does he seriously not care?
“Jett Powers. Welcome.” A woman carrying two glasses of champagne approaches us, and for a second, like most of the room that seems to follow her as if she walks on water, I stare.
She’s beautiful, and that’s saying something because you really have to be lovely for me to think that. She’s tall, but she’s in heels, wearing a silky white wraparound dress that clings to her breasts, displaying a perfect body as she walks. Her long brown hair is off her face, so you can see her features. I want to stomp my foot at how I hate being short or petite, as my father lovingly puts it. I can’t compete with someone like her.
“Mrs. Saddington, you look stunning, as usual.” Allowing her to kiss his cheek, he flashes his signature panty-melting grin.
She laughs, and it’s rather musical, infectious really, and I find myself smiling at her.
“Such a smooth talker.” She shakes her head, smiling at him. “If I didn’t have Reed—”
“But you do.” A tall man who walks up behind her, wearing a black suit much like Jett’s, wraps a possessive hand around her front, jerking her to him as he extends his other hand to Jett.
“How are you, man?” Jett shakes his hand, and the conversation starts to flow easily, casually. As if it’s no big deal that he’s one of the wealthiest men in the world.
My head is spinning. This is Reed Saddington. The Reed Saddington, billionaire bad boy who finally married his childhood sweetheart, and if the gossip rags can be believed, he’s a devoted husband and doesn’t cheat. The way he holds his wife, possessive and strong, tells me he would kill any man who dares to touch her.
“Tess, Reed, this is Raven.” My eyes dart up to meet Jett’s amused ones as I swallow and smile.
“Hello, so nice to meet you.” It’s my automatic response, been saying the same thing since childhood. They both smile back, but the slight flash in Reed’s eyes, and the look of confusion on Tess’s beautiful face… Yep, they know my mother.