Page 13 of Blue Collar Billionaire
“Oh, okay. Well, I hope you’d be willing to go with me. I think it will be fun.” She extended her hand across the table.
Jack took the invitation, wrapping his fingers around hers. He wasn’t sure where this was going, but he was damn curious to find out. “With you, I have no doubt it’ll be a night to remember.”
Four
Lexi worried her dress was too much. “I’m not going to be able to breathe at all tonight,” she muttered to herself as she turned before the full-length mirror in her bedroom. It felt like the five-hundredth time she’d scrutinized what she was wearing. The gown was a strapless emerald green satin with a gravity-defying deep V neckline and a mermaid skirt that left nothing to the imagination. Her butt, hips and breasts were not merely flaunted in this dress, they were impossible to miss. “Hopefully it’ll be worth it.”
She could admit to herself that she looked good. But she still wasn’t sure a dress this daring was the right call. She only knew that she wanted to be sexy for Jack. And she also wanted to show everyone in Royal that she had not been defeated by the things that had happened to her over the last year. But even more important, she wanted to show Jack that she was not embarrassed to be seen with him. Lexi knew she would draw attention in this dress, just as Jack did wherever they went. She was proud to have him as her date tonight.
The doorbell rang and Lexi darted for the door, but her progress was painfully slow as she learned the art of walking in her dress. Full strides required an exaggerated wag of her hips. Still, it got her where she was going. When she pulled open the door, she realized how poorly prepared she was for the sight of Jack in a tux. Wrapped up in classic black and crisp white, he was the embodiment of a dashing, elegant man. The cut of his jacket accentuated the strong lines of his shoulders and the way his trim waist narrowed. But the real showstopper was his smoldering dark eyes as they raked over her from head to toe—it was like watching a spark turn to a four-alarm fire.
“Well?” she asked. It felt as though he’d been eyeing her for a full five minutes. She had to know in words what he thought of her in the dress.
“Sorry. I’m still taking it all in. Or more specifically,you, all in.”
Goose bumps raced over Lexi’s bare shoulders and heat spiked between her legs. Her brain flashed with a visual of Jack unzipping her dress, then exploring her naked body with his big manly hands. She wanted to return the favor, to tear off that perfect tux and drag her fingers all over every inch of him. Just thinking about it made it even harder to breathe. “I hope that’s a good thing.” She bit down on her lower lip, a little harder with each passing second while she waited for an answer.
“You’re one of the sexiest women I haveeverhad the pleasure to see, Lexi. You need to know that.”
She wasn’t sure about the other women who had come before her. Ex-girlfriends? Casual dalliances? Jack hadn’t spoken at all about his history. Her romantic frame of reference was painfully narrow, and she suspected that his might be the exact opposite. Looking at him now, it was impossible to come to a different conclusion. “You look so handsome in your tux. I know I’ll have the hottest date in the whole place tonight.”
One of Jack’s devilish grins cropped up, which brought out his dimples. He took a step closer until they were nearly standing toe-to-toe, making Lexi hyperaware of the way her breaths made her breasts heave. “We should probably get out of here before I figure out how to get you out of that dress. I’m guessing that would disappoint your sister.”
Lexi felt as though her heart was in her throat. She wanted Jack. There was no point in pretending otherwise. She just needed to find a way to keep things light and fun between them while still leaving room for hot sex. That was a balance she’d never achieved before, but she desperately wanted to try. “Bianca would not be happy if I missed her event.”
He nodded in agreement and lightly traced the line of her jaw with the back of his hand. “We have to save some things for later, right?”
Lexi swallowed back her uncertainty about being both casual and seductive. “At the very least, you can help me with my zipper later.”
“Then I’m your guy. I have very talented hands.” Jack auditioned for the job by pulling Lexi closer by her hips, his fingers insistently pressing into the soft flesh of her butt.
She rose up on her toes for a kiss, soft and wet, tongues tangling. Jack was thebestkisser. It would’ve been so easy to get carried away with him. But if she didn’t make it to the TCC, Bianca would kill her, and she’d never live it down. “We should go, huh?”
“Yeah. I think that’s for the best.”
Lexi grabbed her handbag from the foyer table, as well as a cashmere wrap. The April nights in Royal could get chilly, although if Jack kept this up, she wouldn’t need it at all.
It was a short drive to the Texas Cattleman’s Club and they arrived just shy of seven o’clock, when the cocktail portion of the party was set to start. Jack took a spot in the parking lot and insisted on opening her door for her. He truly was the consummate gentleman. So much so that Lexi had to wonder how he was still single. His assets were considerable—wit, looks, charm. A highly successful business. And those dimples. Shecouldn’tforget those. In total, she failed to see the downside of Jack. Lexi only hoped that the timing wouldn’t ultimately prove to be their downfall. She wasn’t ready for a relationship. But shewasready to explore what was under that tux.
Ahead of them sat the TCC, the rambling single-story structure of dark stone and wood that had been in Royal for more than one hundred years. The crowd funneling in through the main entrance was sizable. It seemed like all of Royal was here, which made Lexi all the happier that she’d thought to ask Bianca ahead of time about whether Brett might be in attendance.
Bianca and her husband, Kevin, were right inside the doors, greeting guests after they checked in and picked up their name tags. Bianca was absolutely gorgeous, decked out in a midnight blue gown with skinny straps and a full skirt. Kevin looked handsome in his tux, although he couldn’t hold a candle to Jack as far as Lexi was concerned.
“Bianca. Kevin. I’d like you to meet Jack Bowden.” Lexi watched as her sister’s eyes lit up and she enthusiastically shook his hand.
“Jack. I’ve heard so much about you,” Bianca gushed, clearly sizing him up and appreciating what she saw. Lexi loved her sister, but she could be so transparent. “I understand you’re the brains behind Bowden Construction. Or should I say brainsandbrawn?” Bianca smiled and patted his upper arm, then shot Lexi a look of pure envy.
Jack laughed. It was always his tendency to dismiss comments that marveled at his finer attributes. “I don’t know about either, but it’s nice to meet you both.” He shook Kevin’s hand and the two men exchanged pleasantries.
Lexi took the opportunity to pull Bianca aside. “Are Mom and Dad here yet?”
Her sister shook her head. “Not unless they managed to sneak by me. You know Dad. He loves to make an entrance. I’m sure they’ll be some of the last to arrive.” Bianca glanced past Lexi in the direction of Jack and Kevin. “Are you worried about seeing if Jack passes muster with Mom and Dad? Because he seems like a great guy, Lex. Well done.”
“Don’t say it like we’re a thing. This is just casual. And yes, of course, I’m worried about Mom and Dad, exactly for the reason you just stated. Jack is a good guy. He doesn’t deserve to meet the Alderidge family’s grand inquisition.”
Bianca patted Lexi on the shoulder. “You worry too much.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re my younger sister and you have it all figured out. Great marriage. Two beautiful kids. You’re the golden child and I’m...” Lexi had to stop herself before she spiraled down into overly negative thoughts. “I’m a work in progress.”
