Power Play: Jodie and the Billionaire Read Free Page A

correcting herself. “I mean, neither do I.”
    “I
just wanted to fit in.” Lauren shrugged. “But they’re kind of snobby aren’t
they?”
    “Yeah,”
she agreed. “I love Kimber. She’s been my best friend forever. But…”
    Lauren
nodded. “Yeah, we’ve kind of grown apart too.”
    The
little clutch Jodie had borrowed vibrated on the bar. Jodie grimaced, reaching
for it, knowing it was him. Of course it was.
    “I’m
going to throw this phone in the garbage, I swear to God,” she muttered, seeing
Jason’s text on the screen. More apologies, as if he could make up for in
volume what he lacked in loyalty.
    “Want
me to text him back and tell him he’s a giant dick?” Lauren glanced over her
shoulder at the phone. “You look so awesome, you should take a selfie and send
it to him.”
    “Ha.
No.” Jodie opened the clutch again, ready to drop the phone in, but Lauren had
grabbed it from her hands.  
    “Yes!
Show him what a great time you’re having!” Lauren had already opened the
camera. “Hey! I have an idea!”
    “What
are you doing?” Jodie gaped at Lauren motioned to Mr. Martini, waving him over.
    “Hey!
You!” Lauren smiled and waggled her fingers at him. “Can you do us a favor?”
    Jodie
got her first full-on view of the man and nearly fell out of her chair. She’d
never had a reaction like it before. Her heart lurched in her chest, her mouth
went dry, her hands got clammy and she was pretty sure her nipples got
instantly hard—but she didn’t want to look down and call attention to
them by checking.
    She’d
never seen such a beautiful man in all her life, outside of a magazine.
    “Can
I help you?” His voice was smooth, like velvet, as he approached.
    Jodie
thought her reaction couldn’t get more embarrassing, until he got closer and
she caught a whiff of his cologne. Or something. Whatever it was, he smelled
all-man. She felt like that cartoon she-wolf with her eyes popping out of her
head and jaw dropped, and turned back to her drink for something else to do
with her mouth.
    “Hi,
listen…” Lauren smiled, cocking her head at him. “Wow, you’re cute. You’ll do.
We just need a teensy weensy little favor.”
    “Lauren,”
she warned, holding her hand out for her phone. Jason had texted again .
She could see his name on the screen.
    “I’m
always willing to help a damsel in distress.” He looked between the two of
them, bemused.
    “Well,
the thing is, my friend, Jodie, here.” Lauren threw an arm around Jodie’s
shoulder. Suddenly they were best buds. “She just found out her fiancé is
cheating on her.”
    Jodie
didn’t even have a chance to chastise her newfound friend.
    “Oh
wow.” Mr. Martini looked fully at Jodie, brow knitted. “I’m so sorry.”
    “So,
could you just pose for a picture with her?” Lauren held up the phone,
mimicking taking a picture. “Put an arm around her, act like you’re standing
next to the most beautiful girl in the world.”
    “Sure.”
He gave her a strange, bemused smile, already sliding an arm around Jodie’s shoulders.
“That won’t be difficult.”
    “You
don’t have to do this,” she pleaded, feeling herself shrinking against the
man’s side. He was a head taller than she was and she had to crane her neck to
look up at him. His hand on her shoulder felt strange—no man but Jason
had touched her in years—and kind of hot, burning like a hot iron through
the fabric of the dress.
    “It’s
my pleasure.” He smiled down at her and she instantly felt her knees go weak.
Oh my god, what a smile! He had perfect, even teeth and his bright blue eyes
smiled too.
    “Say
cheese!” Lauren snapped a photo, grinning at the two of them.
    “Take
one more.” Mr. Martini said, turning toward Jodie. She looked up, up into his
face, smelling the alcohol on his breath, knowing he must smell it on her too.
“Please don’t smack me.”
    She
blinked up at him, puzzled, but she didn’t have to wonder for long because then
he was