Wicked Dirty (Stark World 2)

I know I should look away, but I keep my eyes on the photos, their sensuality only intensified by the feel of the man behind me. And when he eases me back to lean against him, I sigh with pleasure--and then jerk guiltily away the moment Cass calls out, "Laine! I had no idea you were going to be here!"

I raise a hand and wave, and as she hurries toward us, Lyle bends and whispers in my ear. "You don't have to jump away from me, Sugar. You're my girl, remember?"

"Right." I close my eyes, wishing I could will myself not to blush. Because now I feel even more like an idiot. I mean, I was genuinely aroused by his touch--but Lyle's words are a rather dispiriting reminder that for him, tonight is nothing more than another acting job.

Hell.

"You should have told me you were coming," Cass says as she reaches me, then shifts her attention to the man behind me.

"It was a last-minute decision," I say at the same time as Cass says, "Hey, Lyle."

She frowns a little as she looks from Lyle to me and then back to him again, and I wonder if she saw the way I'd been leaning against him, or if our positions had been blocked by the crowd.

Doesn't really matter, though, because even as I'm thinking those thoughts, Lyle puts his hands back on my shoulders.

"So are you two--?"

"Dating?" Lyle says. "Yes."

His fingers tighten on my shoulder. "For about three months now," I blurt.

"Really. Huh. Does Joy know?"

"Um, well, yeah." I swear I want the floor to swallow me whole, and I'm having to force myself not to turn around so that I can see Lyle's face.

"Lyle and I have been keeping it low key," I continue. "I'm not big on all this, um, hoopla. This is the first event he's taken me to."

Cass laughs. "Well, the hoopla tonight is awesome. I should know--Siobhan's been working her ass off. So you picked a good event to bring her to," she tells Lyle. Then she shakes her head, as if baffled. "Honestly, I was beginning to think you only went stag."

"Just waiting for the right woman," he says, then brushes a kiss on my head.

"Well, I'm on a quest to find Siobhan, but Laine, it's great to see you. And you," she adds to Lyle, "don't be a stranger."

She gives us both a little wave, then disappears into the crowd.

I deflate so thoroughly that Lyle has to hook an arm around me to hold me up.

"How do you know Cass?" he asks.

"My best friend Joy works for her." I squint at him. "You probably know Joy. She's the one who introduced me to Marjorie."

"Ah," he says. "And I'm guessing Cass knows none of that."

"Not a bit," I say. "Honestly, I can't believe she bought our little performance just now."

"Why wouldn't she?"

"Because I'm a terrible liar?"

He laughs, guiding me away from the wall and into the crowd. "That's not a bad quality, you know."

"Hey, you're the one who needs this to be believable. I'm just trying to do the job right."

"Method acting."

I pause to glance up at him. "Um?"

He flashes that sexy smile I've seen on so many magazines, only this time, it's meant only for me. "I mean you have to get into the role. It's not only on the surface like playing pretend, it's being the role. Truly being my girlfriend."