Wicked Dirty (Stark World 2)

"I think I will." I tap the placard. "I'm intrigued by the idea of a live part."

"Intrigued is good," Kelsey says. "I'm nervous."

It takes me a minute, and then I understand. "You're the one performing?"

She nods. "I assumed you knew."

"The original plan was for Kelsey to be anonymous," Lyle tells me. "There was a social media leak."

"That happens," Wyatt says, his eyes on Lyle. "You can't control what gets out there."

Lyle says nothing, and I glance at Kelsey, who's frowning slightly, as if she's working out a puzzle. I have a feeling that puzzle is me.

Before I can think of what, if anything, I should say, Wyatt glances at his watch. "Sorry, we need to go do a quick system check. Laine, it's great to meet you." He points to Lyle. "I'll see you Wednesday, right? At Noah's send-off?"

"Seven o'clock. I'm there," he promises, then we finish up the goodbyes, and they hurry away, pausing now and then as they cross the room to speak to other guests.

"Send off?" I ask.

"A friend of ours is moving to Austin."

I nod, thinking, and he tilts his head, his expression amused.

"Okay," he says. "Tell me."

"There's nothing to tell."

"Bullshit."

"You don't know me well enough to read my thoughts."

He reaches across the table and takes my hand. "Nonsense," he says, then lifts my hand to kiss my fingertips. "I'm your boyfriend. I know you better than anyone."

I shiver, more undone by his words than I should be. But I'm starting to realize that I like the way it feels to have a boyfriend. Someone by my side who has my back.

Not Lyle, of course, because I'm not a fool and I know this is just pretend, no matter how much zing there might be between us. But being with him has shined a spotlight through a gaping hole in my life. A hole I'd been carefully ignoring because I have so much else going on.

But now...

Well, now I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to ignore it anymore.

"Laine," he presses. "Tell me."

I sigh. "Nosy much? Fine," I add before he can push again. "I was just thinking how unexpected you are."

His brow furrows. "How so?"

"I guess I'd assumed you were a loner. But here you are, surrounded by friends. And it's just, I don't know..." I trail off with a shrug.

"Because of the girls," he says. "Because I pay for sex, you assumed I was a guy who just lived in his own little world."

I bite back a wince. "Well, yeah. Sorry."

"It's okay. I get it." He takes a sip of wine. "Relationships are hard in this business. And I'm at a point where my career could explode. So I don't ... let's just say I'm focusing on work, not dating. Does that make sense?"

"Sure. Like you said, with what you do, it would be extra hard to get close to someone. You never know if they want you for your connections."

"Exactly," he says, and I nod as if I completely understand.