Dirty Little Secret: A Billionaire Romance Duet - Mika Lane Page 0,28

to help me fit in. And maybe provide some info this time.

“So, earlier, I asked you how long the club had been around. Why did you not want to talk to me?”

He shifted on the sofa, turning to face me. “Huh? Oh, I don’t know anything about the place, really.” He ran a finger down one of my bare arms, stopping at the crook of my elbow. My nipples sprang to attention.

I suppressed a shiver. Tickling drove me crazy.

He reached past my mask for a piece of hair and fingered a long curl, twisting it around his finger. “What’s your name again, gorgeous?” His eyes washed over me, leaving me weak.

“B. I go by B.”

Shit, this guy was hot.

Remain focused. This was work.

“I mean, I have a real name. That I use in the real world.” Why was I babbling?

“Um, yeah, I figured B was just your club name.” He smiled. Goddamn those dimples. “B, I’d like to kiss you. Would that be all right?”

“I suppose so.”

“You want to take off your mask first?”

“No. No, I do not. But thank you for asking.”

He gave a small laugh and leaned in. He was so close the heat of his lips radiated, even though we’d yet to make contact.

Shit, what was he waiting for?

His velvety lips fell on mine, and they tasted so goddamn good. Sort of like expensive scotch and something minty. Falling into him, I parted my lips to taste his tongue.

It was beginning to seem like journalism was a great profession. I giggled into his kiss.

He drew back slightly. “Did I tickle you?” He looked so sincere.

“A little. It’s okay.” And my mouth fell on his again to do some exploring of its own. Heat rose through my core, and all thoughts of work fluttered away. I squirmed in my seat, my panties soaking with my pleasure.

“Well,” the bartender said abruptly, looking at his watch.

Huh?

He stood. “I’ll see you next time, then?”

“Um. Yeah. Sure,” I said.

“Super.” He smoothed back his hair. “Have a good night.” And he was gone.

What a weird freaking place.

Chapter 19

Varden

I pulled the Audi into my parking garage and locked my mask in the glove box, double and triple checking that it was secure. Yeah, I was that insane about my privacy, I’ll admit it.

On the way to the penthouse, I leaned my head back against the elevator wall. Why did I do this to myself, stay out late when I knew I’d be exhausted the next day?

Light glowed from under the guest room door, and the TV played a game show. I knocked lightly.

“Beau? You up?” I called.

A stirring sound came from the other side. “Yeah, c’mon in,” he answered in a groggy voice.

He clicked off the TV and propped himself up in bed, running his fingers through his shoulder-length hair. He pulled an elastic off his wrist and gathered it into a short pony tail.

“Guess I fell asleep.” He looked everywhere except at me. “I’m sorry about this, you know, everything.”

“Yeah. What happened?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. I was out and felt really down, so stopped by a bar. I was gonna have only one…” His voice trailed off.

I sat on the edge of the bed. “You know it doesn’t work that way.”

He ran a hand over his face. “I know. I fucked up.”

“Well. You want some water or juice?” I offered.

“Nah, I’m good.”

The shit he’d gone through. Kind of broken my hard as stone heart.

“Hey, I can pay for you to go back to that rehab place you liked. It was much nicer than that halfway house you’re in right now,” I offered.

“I know. I appreciate it.” He nodded, then finally looked at me. “But you can’t just keep throwing money at me and my problems. It’s not that simple.”

This was a familiar conversation.

“I don’t throw money at you. I want to help.”

“Var, you are a fucking rock star, and I’m your loser little brother. It’s just the way it is. You can’t spend your way out of this,” he said.

“That’s bullshit and you know it. We might just as easily have ended up in each other’s shoes. You could have been the successful one, and I could have been the one who’s a mess. So much of life is a fucking crapshoot.”

I looked my brother and saw the scared little guy I’d left behind when I escaped to college. At that moment, I hated myself more than he hated himself, if that were possible.

There was nothing fair about life. Not a goddamn