With another chuckle, Sebastian crossed the room, leaning into Jude and giving him a nose full of his understated pine and bergamot cologne. “You look good,” he whispered, tickling Jude's slightly stubble chin with his breath.
“Thank you,” Jude croaked. Sebastian’s subtle gesture rooted Jude to his spot and had him seeing stars.
“You’re welcome,” Sebastian's lips brushed against Jude's jawline as the man turned away and focused on the third person in the room. “Mom, do you need anything before I go?”
Her features soured. “You act like I can't take care of myself,” she pouted. “I’ll have you know that I was an adult long before you were even born.”
“I know you were, Ma. I just want to make sure you're going to be okay for the next couple of hours. If you need anything, the neighbors are here for you, and I'm only a phone call away. If you can’t reach me, then I will leave Jude's number here so you can call him instead.”
Sebastian's mother frowned more. “Oh, don't be so overprotective. I will be fine tonight,” she insisted.
“All right,” Sebastian resigned, then turned his full attention to Jude.
“Ready?” Jude asked, losing himself in Sebastian’s gaze.
“As I'll ever be.”
***
Chapter 9
Jude
When Jude's SUV pulled up to the front door of the establishment, Sebastian climbed out, walked around the vehicle, and opened Jude’s door, extending his hand to the other man.
Jude smiled and fit his hand into Sebastian's, stepping out of the vehicle beside him. “You’ve done this before,” Jude murmured as they linked arms and walked towards the entrance.
“Maybe,” Sebastion smirked.
“Maybe?” Jude prompted.
“Yeah, I used to accompany Benjamin to these types of things all the time.”
“Of course. Benjamin.” Jude let out a controlled sigh. “How is he?”
“I wouldn't know. I haven't talked to him.”
Jude held back a smile at Sebastian's confession.
Servers greeted them as soon as they stepped inside the building, offering drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Jude declined both, and Sebastian simply nodded to the workers, allowing Jude to lead him through the crowd.
“It’s going to be a whole lot of small talk,” Jude explained as he leaned into Sebastian and wiggled his fingers to people too far away for a full conversation. “Things such as the stock market, real estate, and who’s most recently filed for a divorce. They will be very curious about you, too.”
“About me?” Sebastian furrowed his eyebrows, and a charming frown touched his face.
“Yes, about you.” Jude chuckled. “You are very interesting because no one's ever met you before. So, naturally, they need to know everything about our relationship.” Jude waved at another person.
“They’re not owed any details, you know.”
“I know.” Jude smiled. “What's between us is between us. No one else.”
“Exactly.”
As they continued inside the room, the first person they encountered was Holly, Jude’s secretary, and she smiled.“Hey, Jude. I didn't think you would make it tonight, especially not with a date.” She drew out the last syllable, a tease in her voice.
“I'm giving a speech, apparently, so I couldn’t miss it. Holly, you remember Sebastian, right?” Jude touched his hand to Sebastian’s shoulder, squeezing it and leaning more into him.
“Oh, Mr. Ward.” She smiled politely and extended her hand to him. “It's good to see you again. Jude told me about your mother being in the hospital. How is she?”
Sebastian cleared his throat, glancing at Jude before regarding the woman again. “She’s well, thanks. She arrived home Thursday and has been on a lot of pain medication, but overall, she's doing very well.”
“That's good to hear. I hope everything continues to go well for her, too.” Holly's lips spread into an honest smile, then she touched Jude's shoulder. “I will catch up with you later. I see a delicious food tray coming in, and I want to get the first pick before everyone else breathes over everything.” She chuckled and breezed past the two men.
“There will be a fair amount of small talk before we settle down for whatever presentations there are. I'm giving a speech, but it should be later in the evening after some of the festivities, so you won't be left alone too quickly,” Jude explained after Holly strolled away from them.
“It’s no problem. I'll be fine for a few minutes without you.”
“Awesome.” Jude smiled.
“So, who are these people?” Sebastian motioned to the crowd.
“These people are basically this town's royalty. I know it seems a little bit over the top, but everyone here controls a part of the city. They're quite proud about it, too. For example, you see that guy over there? The one with the young wife on his arm?” Jude tipped his head, still keeping a smile plastered on his lips.
“Yeah. What about them?”
“He and his young imported wife are the two richest people in the city. His family struck oil a long time ago, and they've been expert investors ever since. He's not actually any good at investing, but you don't need to be when your father’s done all the work for you.”
“Huh,” Sebastian grunted. “What about that guy over there?”
“Hm?” Jude tilted his head, following Sebastian's gaze towards a younger man with a mop of stringy blonde hair and a 500-watt smile. The woman on his arm wore a floor-length blue dress and a clearly paid-for smile. “Him? His name is Ferdinando.”
“Is he old money, too?
“Yes,” Jude mumbled, as the man in question met his gaze. Jude gave a slight wave and made a quick attempt to distract himself, but it was too late. Ferdinando and his date approached them, crossing a thickening crowd before stopping in front of Jude. The man’s smile didn’t waver as he extended his hand to Sebastian.
“Hello there. My name is—”
“Ferdinando,” Sebastian responded, shaking the other man's hand. “Jude just told me.”
“Ah. And you are?”
“Sebastian Ward.”
Ferdinando tilted his head. “Sebastian Ward of the Wards of Pittsburgh?” He quirked a curious eyebrow.
“Uh, no,” Sebastian grunted. “There is no relation.”
Jude winced and looked at the woman beside Ferdinando. “Are you going to introduce your date to us?” Jude offered her a smile.
“Ah, of course.” Ferdinando smiled. “Jude, Sebastian, this is Gianna. She is a world-renowned international model, and she just got a six-page spread in Vogue Italia.”
“Oh, how lovely. My sister recently did a maternity shoot for Vogue,” Jude offered. “She recently had a baby.”
“Ah! I believe I remember it. It was some time last year, correct?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“Anyway,” Ferdinando cut in, “Jude, you look good, but you looked much better after last year’s Run for Rheumatoid Arthritis event. Do you remember?”
Jude glared at the other man. He remembered. There were some things he would never forget. Ferdinando’s shit-eating grin soured the memory for him, though.
The man had been a decent fuck, but the situation had been the exciting part. With aching muscles and sweaty bodies, they had both mustered enough strength to stumble into a public bathroom and enjoy each other.
Ferdinando had slicked his hole with spit, and his very average-sized cock had slid into him.
Jude earned his orgasm after an extra dose of manual stimulation, but he spent the whole night conversing with high-profile investors and business owners with Ferdinando’s cum inside him.
He hadn’t forgotten.
“Yes,” he said tersely. “And will you be attending the run this year, too?”
“Haven’t decided yet.” Ferdinando looked at Sebastian. “Depends on if I’ll see you there or not.”
“I suppose you will have to wait and find out.” Jude shot him down. �
�It has been great seeing you again, but if you will excuse us.”
“Of course. Have a good night, Jude.”
“You as well.”
As they stepped away from Ferdinando and his scowling date, they stepped into a new conversation.
“Ah! If it isn't Jude Johnson, the third,” an older man greeted him. “I’ve been looking for you. Your daddy told me you were around here somewhere.”
“Well, you found me.” Jude's pleasant smile stretched into a real one as he slipped away from Sebastian and gave the man a hug. “It's good to see you.”
“Better to see you,” the old man chuckled. “And who’s this?” He looked at Sebastian.
“Oh, forgive me. Sebastian Ward, meet Charles Newton.”
At the introduction, Charles extended his hand to Sebastian and gave it a firm shake. “Good to meet you, son. Take care of this one, you hear?”
Jude laughed. “I can take care of myself.”
“That may be true, but there's nothing wrong with someone else taking care of you every once in a while.”
“He’s right,” Sebastian added, accepting Jude’s presence next to him again, and sliding his palm over the other man’s, lacing their fingers and squeezing his hand.
“I guess,” Jude pouted, glancing at the ground as his cheeks tingled.
“Uh-huh.” Charles chuckled again. “So what do you think about the stock market? It's been all over the place this year, and I've had more than one financial advisor tell me to pull my money out and invest it differently.”
At the quick change of conversation, Jude offered a knowing smile to Sebastian and then looked back at the older gentleman. He scowled. “The stock market always has ups and downs, but it's not a short-term game. It’s a long-form game, and you can't look at the daily numbers and make your decisions based on that. I hope you fired your advisor because he'll have you acting out of fear and losing all of your investments over a temporary setback.”
“Oh, I fired them,” Charles confirmed. “And it's too bad you're not taking clients because you’ve got a good head for numbers. You always have.”
“I’m not, but I will keep up with your portfolio if you wish. You’ve known my father for years, and you have been a true inspiration to me. It's the least I can do.” Jude smiled. “Send it to me on Monday, and I'll take a look.”
“Oh, dear boy, you're so busy. You don't have to take any time out of your day to look at my portfolio.”
“I enjoy it. It's no problem.”
“Well, if you insist. I can't say no twice to having a financial expert take care of my investments.” Charles beamed and looked toward Sebastian. “Does he take care of yours, too?”
Sebastian glanced at Jude, and Jude wet his lips, gears turning over a quick response to the man's simple question. “Uh no, I don't take care of his portfolio. We’re still in the ‘get to know you phase’. Handling someone's portfolio is a lot more intimate, and we’re only on our second date.” Jude exhaled in charming laughter, resting a hand on Sebastian's chest as he did.
Sebastian smiled down at him.
“Fair, fair,” Charles agreed. “When the time comes, you'd be a fool not to have Jude look at your investments. He's been watching the stock market since his tenth birthday when I gifted him a few shares of Microsoft.”
“You gifted a ten-year-old boy stocks?” Sebastian asked.
“Oh, did I, and his mother was angrier than a hornet’s nest.”
Jude laughed. “She was convinced your gift would make me grow up too fast, and to be fair, she was right. I spent much more time reading the newspaper than I did comic books or anything else.”
“Nothing wrong with having interests,” Charles corrected. “And I could see it in your eyes that you would enjoy the game of numbers. It wasn't a surprise to me at all.”
“So, what have you done with those shares?” Sebastian asked, peering down at Jude.
“I still have them, and they’ve grown tremendously over the years. At this point, I would be a fool to get rid of them, and the child in me wants to see just how much they grow by the time I'm sixty-five years old. They’ve already grown exponentially since I got them over fifteen years ago.”
“It takes an infinite amount of patience to leave the money in there, you know. I gifted my nephew stocks at ten years old too, and he pulled all the money out the day he turned twenty-one. He ended up gambling it all away in Vegas before having an Elvis themed wedding with the girl he met the same night.”
Jude laughed. “I'm sure it wasn't so bad.”
“True.” Charles snapped his finger. “On the upside, they're still married somehow, so I guess it was meant to be.”
Jude smiled. “See?”
“Anyway,” Charles prompted, “do I see Ferdinando over there?”
“It is.”
“I didn’t know he was back from his mission trip already.”
Jude shrugged but didn't say anything.
“If you’ll excuse me, I should go say hello and meet his guest.”
“Of course.” Jude smiled. “It was good catching up with you, and don't forget to send me your portfolio on Monday.”
Charles tipped his head and moved away from them.
“Stocks at ten?” Sebastian asked, and Jude blushed.
“Stocks at ten,” he confirmed. “I know it's not really cool, but I enjoyed numbers at that age, and I still enjoy numbers.”
“I think it's pretty cool.” Sebastian squeezed Jude's hand. “So, what's next?”
“Ah.” Jude glanced around. “We have a family table somewhere, but I'm not sure where it is. And there you will meet my mother, my father, and possibly my sister. If I'm not mistaken, her husband is still out of town, so she may or may not be here tonight. She just had a baby, so sometimes she doesn't want to leave the house with her.”
“It makes sense. Babies are a lot of work, especially for a mother whose husband isn't there to help.”
“You sound like my mom now.” Jude laughed. “Baby Isla is cute, but my sister acts like she's the only person on the planet that has responsibilities, so it can get annoying.”
“Also understandable.”
Jude glanced around again before his eyes landed on another rare, but familiar face. He gave a little wave, but just like with Ferdinando, once the man saw him, he approached.
“Ah, Jude Johnson. Thirty richest men under thirty, huh?” The man repeated the facts, turning them over his tongue like acid. “If they hadn't started that list the year I turned thirty-one, I would've been in your place. You just barely made the list anyway.”
Jude crunched eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, if they hadn't been tallying your money along with your father's legacy, then you wouldn’t have been on the list in the first place. I, on the other hand, have made all of my money through my own hard work and dedication.”
Jude set his jaws as the man spoke, and the man fixed his mouth to continue, but Sebastian beat him.
“I'm sorry. We haven't formally met. My name is Sebastian Ward. And you are?” Sebastian extended his hand to the person in front of them and introduced himself in a casual baritone voice.
“Sebastian Ward of the Wards in-”
“Pittsburgh?” Sebastian finished again. “No relation.”
“Ah.” He shook Sebastian's hand. “Nathanial Hampton. It’s good to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, as well.” Sebastian offered a neutral smile. “What do you do?”
“I am a plastic surgeon. In fact, I corrected Jude’s sister’s deviated septum a few years ago when I graduated from medical school.”
“Plastic surgeon? Isn’t there a program where you can donate your services to low-income people who are born with genetic defects?” Sebastian asked.
“There is, indeed, but don’t you think we should avoid handing things to people? If they knew they could get whatever surgeries they wanted without paying for it, then there would be no incentive to
work.”
Jude opened and closed his mouth, sucking in a deep breath before defaulting to Sebastian. He recoiled from the conversation, and Sebastian slid his hand along Jude’s back, calming his jitters, soothing him, drawing his tension out.
“I disagree. Some of those surgeries would bankrupt them even with a regular job, but more importantly, we act as if people are capable of snapping their fingers and pulling themselves up by their bootstraps into a whole new world when most people are only a couple paychecks from being completely broke. Then they have a child.”
“Well, well, you’re one of those then?”
“One of what? A person who thinks about the community over himself? We are at a charity event, after all.” Sebastian narrowed his eyes, gripping Jude’s side.
“Jude, there you are.” His father cut into the conversation, and all three men turned around. “There’s been a change in the program. They want you to give your presentation sooner.”
“How soon?” Jude squeaked.
“In about ten minutes.”
“Oh! Well, I-Sebastian-” he stammered. The speech didn’t make him nervous, but potentially leaving Sebastian with Nathaniel Hampton had a high chance of ending badly.
The senior Johnson looked from his son to Sebastian. “You’re my son’s date for the evening?”
“Yes’sir. I’m Sebastian Ward.” He extended his hand.
Nathaniel looked between them, already strung-tight tension growing.
“Good to meet you, Mr. Ward. Hello, Mr. Hampton. How is your father? I heard he may be up for parole or a hearing in a few months?”
Nathaniel twitched. His eyelid jumped as he focused his attention on Jude’s father. “He’s fine, sir. A hearing on his appeal, yes. We are all hoping for positive news.”
Jude’s father gave a knowing smile. “You take care, Mr. Hampton.”
The four of them stood at an awkward impasse for five minutes longer than necessary. Jude refused to leave Sebastian with Nathaniel, and Jude’s father clearly wasn’t leaving, either. After another beat of silence, Nathaniel gathered the hint and stepped away from the trio, bowing slightly and taking his leave.
The Billionaire's Agreement (The Billionaire's Proposal Book 2) Page 7