Free Holly's Crush: The Complete Trilogy by Bree Dahlia

lots of good food. Extravagant receptions served the best mini appetizers.
    Just when Holly thought she was in the clear, Brian-wise, she noticed him. He spotted her also and sashayed his way over. On his arm, like a high-priced accessory, was a cool blonde. Jack picked up on Holly’s tense expression and as a result, he firmly grasped her hand. She startled a bit, it was so unexpected, but she quickly relaxed and offered up a silent “thank you”.
    “Hello, Holly. So nice to see you again.” Brian gave her a peck on the cheek. “I trust you’re doing well. And who do we have here?”
    “This would be Jack.” Holly felt no need to elaborate further.
    “Hello,” Jack said. He released Holly’s hand just long enough to shake Brian’s, but then grabbed it again immediately afterwards and also pulled her a little closer.
    A look of amusement washed over Brian’s face when he noticed Jack’s behavior. Holly wanted to smack it off.
    “Nice to meet you. I’d like to introduce Elise – my fiancée.”
    Holly stared at Elise and then looked at her left hand, noticing the ginormous rock on her finger. Fiancée?  
    Elise smiled, revealing a mouthful of perfect teeth. All veneers, no doubt. Holly just knew her eyes said, “you had your chance, but now he’s mine.”
    After the introductions were completed, Holly couldn’t get away fast enough.
    “Fiancée?” Holly said, to no one in particular. “Wow, he works fast. Or maybe he was seeing her on the side while still with me. Prick.”
    “Are you okay?” Jack asked. He was still holding her hand, even though he didn’t need to be anymore.
    “What? Oh yeah – I’m fine. I was just hoping to not have to deal with him tonight. I left him for a reason and I just want to put it all behind me.”
    “Do you still have feelings for him?”
    “No, not in that way…I thought I loved him once; I did agree to marry him, but now I’m not so sure I ever did. He wasn’t always a jerk. He changed after coming into some money and taking over his dad’s company.”
    It was at this point that Holly fully realized that Jack was still holding her hand. Hope flooded through her, followed by confusion. She wondered if he was holding her hand because he wanted to or just for Brian’s sake.
    “Thank you for playing the boyfriend role earlier. I wasn’t looking forward to being the poor, pitiful woman who was all alone, while he’s strutting around with a brand new one.”
    “It was all my pleasure, Holly.” Not only did he still have her hand, but he was now stroking it as well.
    Damn, who knew that a hand could be an erogenous zone? Brian who?
    “So, enough about me. I’m curious – have you and Olivia always been so close?”
    “Pretty much. Our mother left us at an early age and there was always some kind of family drama going on. We looked out for each other. Even though she is my baby sister, she has always felt the need to take care of me. But that is a story for another day.”
    “Sorry about your mom, but glad that you guys have each other. She –”
    Buzzz…Buzzz…
    Jack frowned, looking at his cell. “I’m sorry, Holly. It’s work. I really need to take this call, but I shouldn’t be too long.”
    Jack left for a quieter spot in the back of the room, which allowed Holly some time to start psychoanalyzing everything that happened so far tonight. She didn’t get too far before Brian popped up, sans Elise.
    “I checked around, Holly. I know that Jack is not really your boyfriend. You can stop the charade now.” He ran a finger up and down her arm. It felt like a centipede crawling on Holly, and just as appealing.
    “First of all, don’t touch me. And second, Jack is none of your business.”
    “I didn’t mean to offend you,” Brian said, removing his hand. “Do you remember how good we were together?”
    She remembered his tiny pencil dick pumping away at her, with little regard for her pleasure.
    “What’s your point, Brian?”  
    “I just