His Command: (Billionaire Bound: Part 1) A Dark New Adult Romance Read Online Free PDF Page B

comments made by a pair of sticks, and Beth knew she shouldn’t turn around, shouldn’t engage, and yet she couldn’t help peeking over her shoulder to see who they were.
    One of them was even more bleach-blonde than Kylie was. And even thinner, in a fringe-covered white dress that barely covered her butt. Her eyes were criticizing, as she looked up and down Beth’s much more ample frame, but her sneer was practically the same as that of the brunette next to her, wearing a dress that looked more like bandages than actual clothing—and yet she still looked better than Beth did.
    “Go and get that bouncer out front, tell him someone’s trying to sneak in—just what do you think you’re doing?” The brunette was the one who spoke, her voice cruel. Mean girl in high school cruel, which was just what Beth needed tonight. The blonde obeyed, though, turning around and heading back out front.
    “I… I’m not trying to sneak in,” she tried to say firmly. “I was invited—I’m a baker, I made the desserts that Mr. Cavanaugh ordered, and he invited me.”
    “The desserts?” Her gaze traveled along Beth’s body, making her cheeks heat up. “Well, at least that’s a lie I could actually believe. Original. But like hell I’m supposed to believe that Ciaran actually invited you , even if you are just a baker.”
    The blonde was coming back around with the bouncer in tow, and Beth’s heart sank. “See, I told you. This girl is trying to sneak in!” Now the bouncer was scrutinizing her. Wonderful.
    “She says she’s the baker for the party,” the brunette sneered.
    “I am!” Beth protested. “Bethany Monroe, from Bethany’s Brownie Bakery. Look, I’m probably not on your list or anything, but I am—”
    The bouncer interrupted her. “Bethany Monroe? Yeah, Mr. Cavanaugh did actually tell me that you’d be here.” The two girls spun on him in disbelief, while Beth blinked.
    “He did?”
    “Yeah, said it was important you were upstairs… Go ahead, I’m guessing you’re still setting up.”
    She wasn’t, but she also wasn’t going to stay around here with these girls who had no qualms at all with insulting her. “Excuse me?” the brunette growled, jutting one hip out and putting her hand on it. “This baker gets to go up now but we have to wait here for another half an hour?”
    “Yes,” the bouncer replied, unaffected by her attitude. “And if you have a problem with that, you’ll have to take it up with Mr. Cavanaugh, not me.” Beth took the opportunity and bolted toward the door inside before another snide comment could be made at her expense. The two girls were still making insulted complaints as she escaped, and it wasn’t until she’d made it back to the elevator that she realized she had left the trolley in the alleyway. Well… that was going to stay there. Maybe a homeless person would find it useful.
    Her thoughts drifted to the fact that Ciaran had told the bouncer that she was supposed to be here. That she was even… expected. Maybe there was something to Kylie’s theory about him being into her… Or he was just a way nicer guy than his strict suit and fancily tied tie led one to believe; who knew? There was a little relief when the elevator opened on the top floor again, though, letting her step out. The DJ had apparently brushed off Kylie’s interest in favor of getting ready, and so Beth’s blonde friend was looking around, and blinked to see her getting off the elevator, still flustered from her run-in with those girls outside.
    “Beth? Where’d you go?”
    “To throw out all those boxes.”
    “Oh.” That was the only response she gave, though, before sauntering off again. Beth pursed her lips and then moved to sit down so she could put her shoes back on. She made one last check of the dessert trays—noticing that two cupcakes had already been snatched—before she selected a corner of the room and went to post herself in it. Tonight, she was very much okay with