Irresistible Bachelors: Books 1-5 by Landish, Lauren (bts books to read TXT) 📕

I struggle to put a lid on my desire as I help her settle onto the couch and she looks around the room, her lips parting in surprise.

“Wow,” she breathes. She takes in the candles that I’ve lit around the room and the other little touches I’ve done, like the smooth classical music I have playing in the background. Nothing loud, just enough to ease the mood. “I’ve cleaned this room a hundred times. I don’t think I’ve ever imagined it like this. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I tell her, grinning, pleased by her reaction. I’ve taken great pains to set things up perfectly, giving us a breathtaking view of the surrounding area.

“Wine?” I ask, gesturing to the two glasses and the red wine bottle I’ve set out, along with the thick white candles. “It’s supposed to be the best in town.”

At my offer, she bites her lower lip, her eyes wide and dark. I know what she’s thinking. That she shouldn’t be here. That I’m just some player who’s going to fuck her raw and then leave. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We both can have a good time, even if it’s only for one night.

But what if it’s not? A voice in my head asks.

For some reason, having Brianna for one night doesn’t seem like it’s going to be enough. Though it should. I’m only here for a week and then I’m gone. She knows that, and you can’t have a meaningful relationship in that amount of time.

I push my troubled thoughts away, deciding the best thing I can do right now is make her comfortable.

“Come on,” I urge. “Have a glass. You’ve earned it. You work hard and need to relax.”

She nervously fidgets with her fingers for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. “Okay,” she breathes. “You’re right. I do deserve some relaxation with all the crap I have to put up with.”

You’d deserve it just for how gorgeous you are.

I grin at her. “I promise, you’ll enjoy this.”

I pour the wine, the dark red nearly the same tone as her dress as it gurgles into the glasses before I pass it to her, raising a toast. “To relaxation and less crap to deal with.”

She smiles, and I feel my desire and the troubling little other thing in my head both react to it. “To less crap.”

We clink glasses, and I take a sip, savoring the rich tones and dark flavors. I’m going to have to get a few bottles of this for home. It’s pretty damn good. But that’s probably because of whom I’m sharing it with. Brianna looks enraptured as she sips her wine before sighing deeply. “Thank you. I didn’t know if I would have the time to make it up here, so I’m glad I came now.”

The two candles give her face a warm glow as she takes a sip, and I’m once again impressed with how incredibly beautiful she is.

“I’m glad you found the time too,” I tell her with an easy smile, sitting next to her but giving her enough space where she doesn’t feel crowded. I could tell she liked it when I pushed up on her before, but this is different. The couch is just right. There’s enough space that we could touch, but we don’t have to.

“And your dress . . . you’re truly stunning,” I add. I love that she made the effort to dress up for me. It shows that she cares about what I think, if nothing else.

A blush shading her cheeks, Brianna sets her glass down, fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist. “Are you just playing with me?”

I shake my head. “No, ma’am.” My cock most certainly doesn’t think so. “You’re gorgeous.”

She drops her head to hide her furious blushing, her eyelashes fluttering. Judging by her reaction, she obviously isn’t aware of how gorgeous she is, which is a shame.

But when I’m done with her tonight, she’s going to know that she’s beautiful in every way.

“Thank you.” She raises her eyes to gaze at me. “You look handsome, too.”

I flash her a boyish grin. “I try.”

An awkward silence settles over our conversation, as if she’s embarrassed and can’t think of anything to say until she asks, “So . . . um, how is the movie coming along?”

She won’t think so, but I’m pleased by her question. A lot of women, after the glow of my celebrity fades away, only want to talk about how soon I’ll fuck them and how much money I have in my bank account. I barely know her, but I just know Brianna isn’t like that. She’s quality. I search for the words. “It’s a learning experience. I feel like I’m all over the place, forgetting my lines here and there.”

Because of you, I want to say, but that’s pushing it too fast. She’s not relaxed yet.

Her eyes go wide at my admission. I don’t think she expected me to be that honest. After all, she thinks I’m a cocky prick who thinks he’s the best. My reputation on the internet certainly says I am. “Really?”

I nod, shrugging. “I’ve been having problems connecting to my character since I first set foot on the set. It’s harder to pretend than it is to focus on the reality of some linebacker trying to tear my head off.” I chuckle. “It’s crazy, because when I first heard I’d be in the movie, I was like, I can do this shit. It’s easy. But nope. First day, I nearly kicked a dude’s teeth in.”

Brianna’s pouty lips part in horror. “Seriously?”

I nod, huffing out another laugh. “Yeah. Chipped his tooth. He’s probably somewhere right now sticking needles into my balls with his voodoo doll.”

Brianna lets out a laugh, a sweet sound that reminds me of honey. “That’s terrible!”

I nod. “Yeah, it was. I almost gave my agent a stroke when it happened.”

Brianna’s smile slowly