The Billionaire's Bitch

Pt. 2 Twenty

"Auntie E!" My niece and nephew cried, leaping up from the couch to greet me.

Chloe ran to hug me, but Ronnie hung back, looking at Adrian and sucking his thumb. He and Ty were almost the same age; I couldn't help thinking that Ty probably never sucked his thumb.

"Hey, you." I grinned down at Chloe. "I'd like you to meet someone very special. This is my-" I looked at Adrian and here I paused.

We'd talked about it; what I would introduce him as, but now my mind was somehow a blank.

"My friend." I finished weakly.

Adrian cocked his eyebrow at me, then extended his hand to Chloe. "Adrian Kingsley, at your service."

Chloe grinned and shook his hand. Adults rarely offered to shake her hand. "Hi, I'm Chloe!"

I looked at my nephew and beckoned him closer. "Come say hello, Ronnie.

"Mike. I believe we've already met." I said wryly, then shot my sister a look.

She rose to greet Adrian, but she was strategically avoiding my gaze.

Ronnie came to stand beside me, leaning into my side.

I ruffled his mop of sandy hair. "Hey, kiddo. Missed ya."

"Missed you, too, Auntie E." He mumbled, thumb still in his mouth.

Adrian saw he had a tough customer and squatted down so he was at Ronald's eye level. "Hi. Nice to meet you. Ronald, is it?"

Ronnie nodded, blue eyes wide. He'd never met anyone like Adrian before. Not many of us had.

"Hello again, Mr. Kingsley." My sister said sweetly, coming forward. "So glad you could join us."

"Likewise. Thank you for inviting me. This is for you."

She took the bottle of wine from him, eyes widening in appreciation.

Lyndsey sort of tilted her head up and he lent down and kissed her cheek.

My eyebrows shot up. How formal we were all being!

"And please, call me Adrian." He said, casually slipping his hands into his pockets.

Not that formal, I guess.

"Well, come in, come in! Thank you for the wine, Adrian. You two know Mike, of course." Here my sister had the decency to blush.

"Mr. Barrett." Adrian nodded at Mike, a decidedly cold expression on his face.

Mike nodded back, mock saluting with his beer. He wore an equally unfriendly countenance.

Well, what a fun evening this was going to be!

###

"So, Lyndsey, what're you making for dinner?" I asked with forced brightness.

"Oh, I don't know. You tell me, you're the amazing cook of the family!" Lyndsey teased me right back.

I couldn't tell if she was drunk or just feeling fiesty today.

"You are?" Adrian looked at me curiously.

I blushed. I distinctly remember telling him at the lake cabin that I wasn't a very good cook.

"I'm alright. Lyndsey's exaggerating."

Mike was looking at me, too. The kids had grown bored of our grownup talk and had gone into the back yard to play with Bonehead.