The Stand-In – Streamy Shorts Read Online Lena Little

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Insta-Love, Novella Tags Authors:
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Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 14285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 71(@200wpm)___ 57(@250wpm)___ 48(@300wpm)
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I sigh and cross my legs. “That’s true.”

“Listen, I’ve had several chances to interact with him. Our dads belong to the same country club.”

“You never told me.”

“We never talk about Baron anymore.”

I lift my shoulders. “I mean, yeah. The last time we did was in senior high school.” Intrigue wins over and I prod, convincing myself it’s to add to my arsenal, “So what’s he like?”

“He’s not bad actually. He’s funny and pretty smart.”

I jerk back, my eyebrows almost reaching my hairline. “I get the funny part, but smart? Are we talking about the same Baron Bishop? The guy who submitted a blank paper in English Lit because he said he thought so hard his brain fried?”

Andrea throws her head back and laughs. “Oh God, I forgot about that and the look on Mr. Lawson’s face.” She wipes her eyes and smiles. “That’s not the impression I got. He knows his dad’s hotel business inside and out. And when I got around to talking about how difficult and frustrating it was in med school for me, he was sympathetic and had nothing but kind words.”

“Right. Are you on his side now?”

“I’m always on your side, Heather. It’s just that … give him a chance. I’m not telling you to make him your husband, but barring his crazy streak when we were young, he’s a pretty cool guy. Who knows? He might change your mind. People change.”

Those last two words are still ringing in my head when we leave the atelier. Andrea has her arm looped through mine, and we’re laughing at something that happened in one of her classes.

We both slow to a stop when we spot Baron leaning casually against his Range Rover. My heart does a somersault for some unknown reason, especially when he stands to his full height, and I wrestle down the bizarre urge to show him how happy I am to see him. I don’t even know why I’m happy to begin with.

I used to make it a point to avoid him, even when it meant crawling my way through the bushes to my next class.

The dark denim jeans, sneakers, and a striped polo shirt shouldn’t look so good on him, and I hate that I notice his broad shoulders, the cotton fabric clinging to his body and emphasizing his hard muscles.

His dark blonde hair is swept to one side, showing his undercut.

“Hello, ladies. Would you both go to dinner with me?”

I’m about to say no, but Andrea tugs on my arm and smiles at Baron. “Thanks for the invite, but I need to go back to my apartment. I need to study for tomorrow’s exams.”

I cast her a questioning look, which she ignores. Andrea finished her final exams last week. She’s on a month-long break.

“Ah, too bad. Need a ride? I can drop you off first.”

Andrea waves him off. “I have my car right here.” She turns to me and kisses my cheek. “Enjoy your dinner.”

I keep staring at her back in stunned silence, still unable to grasp that she’s leaving me, and she spins on her heel to face me, her fingers doing a text-me motion.

Did my best friend, whom I will catch bullets for, just feed me to the wolf? A ruggedly handsome but extremely cocky wolf in particular? And why am I equally nervous and excited?

Baron’s intense gaze coasts over me, lingering on my mouth and making me swallow hard. I’ve never felt awkward around him, but then, we never really spent time with each other like this. Like we’re about to go on a date.

A date with Baron. Just the two of us.

I feel something hold on to me, its tendrils winding around my chest, my ankles, my throat. It’s not an unpleasant feeling, but it’s new and unfamiliar, causing something hot to coil in my lower belly.

What in the world is wrong with me?

3

BARON

Heather Cain is out on a date with me.

I let that sink in, even though my brain refuses to comprehend the fact that she’s sitting right across from me and frowning like I just drowned her cat. She doesn’t like cats, by the way. She’s a dog person through and through.

“If you’re going to look at me like that, Heather, we might as well call it off. You can’t convince anyone you’re besotted with me when your face says otherwise.”

She smooths her expression and blinks. “Besotted? What are you? A Victorian duke out to look for a new wife after poisoning the last?”

I smile and stab a slice of steak with my fork. “Your brain likes to jump to worst-case scenarios. That’s not healthy.”

“I’ve been through several worst-case scenarios at home that my default is to think of them first.”

Maybe it’s her words or the sadness in her tone when she says it, but guilt and anger pierce through me. It was no secret that she and Corinne weren’t close despite being twins, but I had no idea the truth was way worse. I also didn’t make it easy for her at school.


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