Page 7 of Billionaire In Vegas

Oliver nodded, “Jude was supposed to meet up with you and escort you to the house. Apparently, that task was much too hard.”

“If you cared so much about what I could do right, you could have met up with Ms. Cabot on your own.”

“Apparently...”

Now I was feeling like a third wheel and I saw that Pete had the gate open. “Well, gentleman, it’s been a blast. I hope you guys settle whatever this all is,” I said, gesturing between the two of them.

Oliver stopped me, saying, “We’re sorry, Ms. Cabot. I’m afraid our manners are lacking. Please stay.”

I looked at Jude who seemed to want to be anywhere else but in the presence of his father. Then what was he doing here?

“Not to be too personal, but do both of you live here? Would I be working as a personal assistant for the both of you?”

“Are you kidding me? I’m not the old, senile one,” Jude said with a dry laugh.

Oliver’s expression became tight. “Trust me, my dear, I wouldn’t subject you to that type of torture. You were hired as my assistant. Jude can fend for himself.”

Jude gave a harsh laugh. “You got that right.”

I glanced again at Oliver. Despite his obvious contempt towards his son, I didn’t think he seemed too bad. I figured if I were related to Jude, I would hate him too. My mind made up, I said, “Well if that’s the case, I guess we can give this a shot.”

Oliver grinned and folded his hands in as if praying and bowed to me. “You won’t regret it, Ms. Cabot.”

“Please, just call me Lacey.”

He took my hand, raised it to his lips and kissed it. “A pleasure to meet you, Lacey.”

Half an hour later, I found myself seated across from Jude. I tried to avoid looking directly at him even though it was nearly impossible. The stupid look on his face made me want to roll my eyes in annoyance. The look was a cross between a smirk and gloating. And more bothersome was that I still found him just as sexy now as when I first encountered him in the ice cream shop. I was so annoyed with myself.

“I hope you’re not a vegetarian, Ms. Cabot,” Oliver said, as a butler appeared from nowhere and began to serve lunch. We were sitting in the expansive dining room and I was still trying to get over how much I was surrounded by wealth. The house was easily 10,000 square feet and the most endearing room in my mind was the library. He had taken me on a tour of the main house while lunch was prepared and it had been overwhelming.

“I definitely enjoy meat. I’m a huge carnivore.”

“I can believe that.”

I ignored Jude’s comment, refusing to acknowledge the innuendo paired with his not so innocent look.

I cleared my throat and pointedly turned my attention to the senior Foster. “If you don’t mind me asking, what type of business are you in, sir?”

“Please call me, Oliver,” he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “And my business entails a lot of things.”

“Our family earned its money the old-fashioned way. Inherited.”

Mr. Oliver chuckled at Jude’s interjection. “He’s right. My great-grandfather made a few excellent investments and since then not a member of this family has actually had to work for a living since.”

“Wow.”

“Don’t be too impressed. Jude here knows how to spend money faster than the Treasury can print it.”

“I do my best.”

“Don’t we know it.”

The tension between the two of them made me uncomfortable, but I wasn’t going to say anything. I needed this job and Jude wouldn’t always be around, at least, I hoped he wouldn’t.

“But enough about us, let’s talk about you, Lacey. I love your name by the way. It’s very lady-like. It truly fits you. Women nowadays can be so gauche, but you, you’re so classy.”

Jude shot me a grin that clearly told me he was thinking of our encounter in the restaurant the other day or earlier when I was picking my underwear out of my butt. I narrowed my eyes at him and thanked his father for the compliment, although I felt it was borderline sexist.