All Chapters of Black Ties and White Lies: A Billionaire Fake Engagement: Chapter 151 - Chapter 160

Preston runs his fingers along his chin, deep in thought. It brings my attention to the veins on the top of his hands. Damn, I always thought I was a thigh girl—which he seems to have beautiful ones—but maybe I’m a hand and arm girl too because, holy shit, the way the muscles of his arms ripple and the definition of the veins all the way down to his fingers are hot as hell.“Are Archer and Winnie not coming to the wedding? Or Beck and his wife?”I panic for a moment, wondering if I’m going to have to lie to my friends about Preston and me. I hadn’t thought about them being at the wedding, but their Manhattan social circle is close-knit. There’s a good chance either—or both—of my best friends could show up and see right through our charade.“Well,” Preston prods, “are they?”“Winnie and Archer have been so busy with the company merger recently. I need to double-check with her, but I’m pretty sure they’re traveling this weekend.”He nods. “And Beck?”“Margo is very pregnant. He barely l

For a moment, I don’t move, instead choosing to watch the interaction between Emma and Peyton. My sister runs up to Emma, almost tackling her with how quickly she runs right at her.“You came!” Peyton yells, wrapping her arms around Emma’s neck.I can’t hear Emma’s response from my spot, but whatever she says makes Peyton laugh and look right at me.“I’m not shocked,” Peyton responds, still looking at me. Whatever Emma responded with must’ve had something to do with me because now they both look my way with knowing smiles.With a sigh, I tuck my wallet back into my pocket and close the distance to them. “Do I want to know what you’re saying about me?” I drawl, pinning them both with an accusing glare.They glance at one another conspiratorially before breaking out in giggles. “Probably not,” Emma answers honestly, her eyes flicking to my hand for a moment before looking back at me.I fight the urge to tell her I’d kept the penny; I’d just put it somewhere safe instead of deciding to h

PRESTON“So ,how serious are things between you and the chick you brought?” Holt Carmichal asks me as we wait for our drinks at one of the pop-up bars on the property.My head whips in his direction as I try to figure out if I just heard him correctly. I loathe small talk—hate it, really. I was spacing out as he was striking up casual conversation and trying to get details from me about next season. I’d checked out of the conversation so I’m not sure I heard him correctly with the last question. “Excuse me?” I ask, not bothering to hide the annoyed tone to my voice.“The chick you brought…” Holt begins, pointing the head of his beer bottle in Emma’s direction. I look where he points, finding Emma deep in conversation with my sister and grandmother. The three of them appear to be gossiping like they’re in high school. “Are things serious between the two of you?” Holt pushes. “Or when you move on to the next one, would you be okay with me shooting my shot?”I’ve had opposing team player

He tips his chin up, gesturing for me to keep listening to Gram. I follow his direction, looking at her once again and waiting for her to keep telling the story.She stays quiet for a moment, a serene smile on her face before she speaks up again. “Preston is right. He used to say that—although I don’t know how much I believed him. Either way, I hit him upside the head with that book, and it didn’t deter him for a second. He asked me to dance again, and I told him there was no music.”“Very bold of him to ask you to dance if there wasn’t any music,” I note, taking a drink of some fruity cocktail that’s one of the best drinks I’ve ever had. I’m on my second one, and I’m trying not to drink them too quickly so I don’t end up tipsy like last night—and have to deal with a hangover tomorrow. But it’s hard to not want to drink it all at once with how great it tastes.“If Joseph was anything, it was bold. He didn’t care that there wasn’t any music. He said we’d make our own, and then he held

EMMAThe kiss starts out timid, our lips barely brushing against one another. While Preston’s lips are gentle against mine, his hands aren’t. He possessively grabs me by the waist with one hand and pins me against his body. His other hand is on my neck. His hand is so large that his thumb brushes against my cheek and his pinky digs into the skin at the bottom of my neck.I want more, but I don’t want to be the one to deepen it, not knowing how far we’re supposed to take this. My hands stay against his chest as I resist the urge to fist the fabric even tighter and bring his mouth against mine harder. I want more, but I won’t do it, no matter how bad I want it.Preston moves his lips against mine so softly. It’s a tease, something so light but it still manages to make my chest flutter.He’s the one to stop the kiss.My eyes slowly open, finding his on mine already. My entire body feels warm, and I’m already wishing his lips were on mine again.I can feel the race of his heart underneath