Seven Nights of Sin (Penthouse Affair #2)

Presley

“Wait, let me get this straight. Austin was like a spy?”

Bianca sits across from me in a small café a block away from our apartment. Her hands are tightly wrapped around her tea mug, her fingernails a deep navy blue. She leans forward like an angsty preteen, hungry to eat up some hot gossip.

“That’s really not the important part,” I say with a sigh.

I had my reservations about telling her any of this . . . but who else is there? It’s not like I can tell Michael. He would blame himself for any pain he’s caused me. He’d also freak out if he knew about my finances, but he needs to focus on school. Plus, he would think it’s somehow his fault that my life is such a colossal shit show.

No. There’s no way I can share any of this with him. It would break him.

I breathe in the steam of my herbal tea, willing it to calm my buzzing nerves.

“Hello? Are you still there?” Bianca’s gazing at me with a confused expression.

I blink. I’d completely zoned out, spiraling down into the pit of my despair. Bianca reaches over and places a hand on mine. She squeezes it tightly, as if to squeeze the thoughts right out of me.

“Sorry, B, what did you say?”

“I asked if you were okay.”

I laugh, feeling anything but okay. “Honestly? No.” I let out a long, slow exhale. “I’m freaking out.”

“Because of the job, or because of your hot boss who hates you?” she asks before taking a sip of her tea.

“Both?” I say, my voice tight with the tears I refuse to cry.

Bianca rubs her thumb across the back of my hand in a sweet gesture of comfort. I look into her eyes, searching for any bit of wisdom she may have to offer. I’ll take just about anything right now.

“No situation is completely unsalvageable. Take me back to the beginning.”

meeting Dominic in the bar on that fateful night. About how my heart practically leaped out of my throat when he proposed the arrangement. A two-week arrangement of being his fake girlfriend. I don’t tell her how well-versed he is in this

the media with that information. I know I can trust her—we’ve been besties since we were freshman roommates in college. But still, if that got out, it could crush him, and he’d know I was somehow involved with it getting out and that would damage our relationship beyond repair. It’s already hanging on

how nervous and insecure I was before I realized that I’m a natural actress around men with heavy wallets, men who are capable of cinching a million-dollar deal over appetizers. And then, how electric every touch and caress felt when Dominic and I became physical. And finally, the

Bianca interrupts me. “Wait! He’s a dad? He’s

“He’s twenty-six, actually.”

to twins and running a huge

Believe me, I know.

he makes it look so effortless. Sure, he has Francine, but still. My runaway thoughts are interrupted

the mama?” she asks,

name is Sara. She was . . .” I swallow. “An

“Excusemewhat?” she blurts out.

“She was a—”

up an escort?” Bianca leans back in her chair as if to let this new information breathe in the

custody

was too coked up to care about

wasn’t like

of Dominic for the situation he was in. Or even Sara, for

to take care of her. He wanted to do the

I’m sorry. I’m in hyper-defensive mode because my friend is hurting. This is all just so crazy. And honestly, who else

know.” I moan, burying

you did nothing wrong. Dominic is the

my voice

Give me one

feelings for him.” I press my hands over my

silence. I peek through my fingers to see Bianca studying me while she absentmindedly picks off her nail polish. She’s waiting for me to say more,

storm the business world, take care of my brother, be everything to everyone . . . and now the only fast track that I’m on is to become the world’s hottest mess of a failure. And it’s only

arrogant, unfeeling. Hot, but totally insufferable. And then he completely surprised me. He has this side of him that’s so incredibly gentle and considerate. And when I got a glimpse of that—hell, when I got a piece of it myself—it . .