Billionaire Bad Boy (18 page)

Damn it. If only she wasn't the marrying kind, they
could've kept on having great sex, no strings attached. Tomorrow night was
going to be hell at Louisa's party, but he had to go. He needed to help out
Bob. He owed him for what he'd done all those years ago.

***

The next night, Annie dressed in one of the new skirts
and low-cut tops she'd bought with Zack. Too slutty. She tried on the leather
pants but they only made her look like a biker, although she liked the way they
hugged her butt. Maybe the hipsters. The reflection in the mirror winked with
approval.

Eat your heart out Zack DiMarco.

With an electric blue top that revealed enough
cleavage to make a man drool but not enough to make him drool
on
her,
she decided she could pass for someone who knew what she was doing. She
straightened her hair and applied makeup according to the instructions on a
YouTube video. The first three attempts made her look like Dracula's bride but
after the fourth, she got the hang of it.

She slipped on a pair of black heels, then stepped
back and checked herself out in the mirror.

She looked like the sort of woman who'd attended her
father's parties. The same sort that Zack dated. Well, she may hate her new
look, but at least she would have made her father proud if he were alive. Not
to mention pleasing Zack. She sighed, a little deflated by that thought.

The doorbell rang and her heart stopped. When it
started again, it beat so fast and heavy she checked herself in the mirror to
make sure it wasn't noticeable beneath her skin-tight top.

She opened the door to a very dark, very sexy Zack. His
gaze took in her outfit but his guard was up and she couldn't read his
thoughts. If it wasn't for the quick peck on the cheek she would have wondered
if he'd noticed her at all.

So that's how he wanted to play the evening. She
suddenly saw the entire night stretching out before her, and she wished she
hadn't agreed to go. Getting the cold shoulder from Zack for the next few hours
would severely destroy her ego, and it was already hanging by a thread.

CHAPTER 15

It definitely was
not
the reaction she wanted. Eyes
popping out of his head would have been nice, a "wow" would be even
better, and begging was definitely an acceptable response, but not this
frankly-my-dear-I-don't-give-a-damn attitude.

"Ready?" he asked.

He barely even waited for an answer before stepping
back to allow her past. Annie scratched Snoopy behind the ears, locked her door
and placed the keys in her Fendi bag.

He'd brought the Ferrari, and before she knew it they
were zipping along familiar streets. They were heading back to his place.

"I thought we were going to Louisa's."

"We are. She lives a few streets from me."

"You came all the way to pick me up when she
lives near you! Why didn't you tell me? I would've driven myself."

He shrugged. "Forget about it."

She sighed and decided not to press the issue. He
didn't seem in the mood for logic.

They stopped outside a well-lit mansion and a parking
attendant greeted them. Zack handed him the keys to the Ferrari and without a
second glance back at the expensive machine, he took Annie by the arm and led
her inside.

They were greeted at the door by a waiter and a glass
of champagne. Zack whisked her inside so quickly she didn't even have a chance
to feel nervous or take in her surroundings. The one thing she did notice was
that everything was made of white marble. They were led along the hall and
through to a sparsely furnished lounge where a throng of impossibly sexy people
chatted. An attractive woman approached. Annie recognized her as a well known
TV actress.

"You didn't tell me this was Louisa
Mondeo's
party," Annie whispered to Zack before the woman reached them.

"You didn't ask." He held out both hands and
Louisa caught them in pink talons. He smiled but not widely. For the first
time, Annie wondered if he really enjoyed this sort of thing or whether it was
all a carefully acted play.

"Zack, Daaahling." Louisa pecked him on both
cheeks. "We haven't seen you out and about for sooo long. What brings you
to my little soiree?"

Louisa Mondeo was exactly like the character she
played in the TV soap
Steamy Nights
—slick. Her black hair was tied
back in a tight knot, pulling the skin on her face tight in a vain attempt to
make her look wrinkle-free. All it really did was stretch her lips into a
permanent smile. The pink lipstick matched the pink claws, pink earrings, pink
dress and shoes. Annie felt a headache coming on just looking at her.

Louisa had started to chat to Zack about her show when
he interrupted her and introduced Annie as "a friend".

"How nice." She extended her claw and Annie
shook it, being careful not to touch the pink talons in case they snapped off. "What
did you say your name was?"

"Annie McCallum."

"She's an agent," Zack said.

"Really?" Louisa perked up and thrust her
cleavage forward. Perhaps her contract was up with the network.

"Music agent," Annie clarified.

Louisa's top lip curled. "Oh. But you look so
familiar." She tapped a talon on Zack's shoulder. "Have I met her
before?"

"She was in today's papers. She got arrested at a
protest outside City Hall."

Louisa's eyes bulged so wide Annie grew concerned the
blue contacts would pop out. "Really! How interesting! Trust you to go out
with a girl like that, Zack." She grinned cheekily at him and sauntered
off, but not before giving Annie the once over beneath lowered lashes.

Once Louisa was swallowed up by the crowd, Annie
surveyed the room. Not a good idea. There were more celebrities at the party
than a PBS telethon and she suddenly realized how much of a nobody she was—and
how much of a somebody Zack was.

She swallowed her anxiety, but the damn thing kept
rising back to her throat trying to choke her. She took another sip of
champagne and felt Zack's hand tighten around her shoulders.

"Just relax," he said quietly. "Remember,
you're better than everyone here."

Yeah right. Good try, but he needed to do better than
lie to get her to relax.

She glanced up at him. He was watching her. His eyes
were dark and mysterious and she fought the urge to reach up and brush his
cheek with her fingers. Problem was, she hadn't put any nail polish on so she
kept them discreetly at her side. On second thought, she tucked her right hand
in Zack's arm where it couldn't be seen.

He squeezed it and gently tugged her forward. They
joined a small group of people who greeted Zack like a long lost friend and
eyed Annie suspiciously.

"Ah-ha," cried the young guy beside her. "You
were in the paper today."

"She hit a cop," Zack said. "Got
arrested."

"No way," said a young girl, dressed in a
skimpy white dress, standing too close to Zack. "Did they hurt you
bad?"

"Um, not—"

"She's got a few bruises," Zack said. "Cuts,
that sort of thing. Lucky she knows people in the right places or she'd still
be in a cell."

"No shit," said the original speaker. He was
mid-twenties with hair that needed a cut and clothes needing an iron. His
attention was completely focussed on Annie. It was unnerving but she stood her
ground. He was the perfect candidate to try her flirting technique on. Problem
was, she really didn't want to. She felt drained, emotionally exhausted. She
sighed and grabbed another champagne from a passing waiter to give her
strength.

"That's so cool," he said again, inching
closer. "So what do you do, Annie?"

"Agent. Music industry."

His eyebrows nearly flew off his forehead. "Really!
What a coincidence, I'm a musician."

Her gaze flicked to Zack but he was brooding and she
doubted she could rely on his help to extricate her.

The musician, Rick, launched into a well-rehearsed
spiel—which he probably saved for just such occasions—about how
he'd got started and how he was "gonna make it big". If only he had
the right agent.

It took a Herculean effort for Annie not to roll her
eyes. After what seemed like hours, she glanced in Zack's direction. She and
Rick had somehow parted from the others—probably because every step he
took toward her, she took one back—and they now stood out of ear shot. But
Zack didn't notice her pleading looks. He was deep in conversation with a woman
Annie recognized. Melanie, the watermelon breasts from the bar. She bit her lip
and tried not to look their way again, but her curiosity nearly killed her.

"Say," Rick said, trapping her against the
buffet, "how about we go outside. It's cooler." His mouth was very close
to her ear. He stank of soda pop and wacky tobacky.

What the heck. If Zack was too interested in Melanie and
her watermelons to care who Annie spoke to then she might as well continue with
the flirting. Not that she'd done much—Rick needed no encouragement.

He took her by the hand and led her through the lounge
to the large double doors that led to a courtyard and pool beyond. As they
passed Zack and Melanie, Zack caught Annie's arm.

"Where are you going?" he asked, voice
rumbling somewhere in the depths of his chest. He seemed annoyed, but that
could have been Annie's hopeful imagination playing tricks since he was wearing
his expressionless expression.

"Outside." She sniffed. "That okay with
you?"

He let go of her and turned back to Melanie who'd been
appraising Annie with raised brows and a sneer on her bee-stung lips. Annie
gave her a wink as if to say
I know something you don't
, but she wasn't
sure if she got the message across. She probably just looked like she had
something in her eye.

Outside, the air was warm and the smell of rain
lingered deliciously close. Burning torches lit up the pool and the surrounding
tropical plants gave the garden a manufactured resort atmosphere. Most guests
had ventured outside into the warm night. Annie recognized many of them from TV
shows or rock videos. Some of these people should be her clients. Probably she
should know their names. Her father would have. He'd have made it his job to
know their likes and dislikes, where they lived, what they did in their spare
time and the name of their pet ferret.

"So, Annie," said Rick, leaning close,
"you should come see my band play."

Her initial reaction was to lean back, but remembering
her original agenda, she touched him on the sleeve. He smiled. "Sure,"
she murmured in what she hoped was a seductive voice. "When?"

"Tonight." He placed a hand on her shoulder
and leaned close to her ear. "Afterwards, we can go somewhere quiet,"
he whispered. "Be alone."

Ooops. Maybe she should lay off the flirting before
things got out of hand.

A tinkle of laughter floated on the breeze. She
glanced up and saw Zack with his arm around a giggling Melanie. He was hugging
her to his chest, her breasts squished against him, and they were laughing at
something. Probably Annie. Just then, Zack's face half turned towards her, and
she thought she saw a flicker of turmoil in his eyes. But maybe she just
imagined it since he was too far away for her to see his eyes and she really,
really
wanted him to be jealous.

But then he was laughing again, caressing Melanie's
bare arm. A sick sensation squelched Annie's stomach and the desire to throw up
was overwhelming. Maybe it was just the champagne.

Maybe she was jealous.

"Hey," Rick said. "You listening to
me?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure." She lay a hand on his
chest. Two can play at this game. "Um, Rick?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind kissing me?"

He grinned. "Don't mind if I do." He placed
a hand on either side of Annie's face and leaned close, taking his time.

She closed her eyes and waited. The sick feeling in
her stomach took her mind off what she was about to do. Just as well, because
she had a sneaking suspicion that if she thought too much about it, she'd back
out.

But the kiss never came. Instead, the hands on her
face were ripped away and so was Rick.

"Get out of here," growled a voice that made
Annie's heart gallop. She opened her eyes to see Zack standing toe to toe with
Rick. He was taller, bigger and more physically imposing so she didn't really
blame Rick for scampering away without a second glance.

"What are you doing?" she demanded in a
hushed whisper, not wanting to draw attention.

Zack rounded on her. His fists clenched and unclenched
at his sides and she wouldn't have been surprised to see steam coming out of
his ears. His expression was no longer unreadable. He was downright furious.

"I should ask you that question." He took a
step toward her and she took one back, just like she had in the lounge with
Rick.