Beauty and the Billionaire

Jackson snorted. "What I'm describing is worlds away from what a stripper saves her money for. You think she's going to earn enough to appear in polite society?"

"I don't think Dana Maria is interested in polite society. She knows exactly who she is and doesn't care what other people say."

"But you do," he said. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be testing out this idea of staying in Vegas on every person you meet."

"I might not have Dana Maria's confidence, but I'm getting there," I said. "That's why I'm not narrowing my options down to the safe path."

"That's not confidence," he disagreed. "That's the long term affect of being stared at by men. She thinks she's in control, she thinks she confident, but she's really just begging for attention."

"You were paying attention to her when I arrived," I said. I swallowed and wished I had the words back.

Jackson laughed and poured himself more wine. "Like I pay attention to the label on a wine bottle. Then, I drink what I want and toss it away. And, trust me, there are better vintages than her."

He smiled and I knew it was supposed to be a compliment. I smiled back and sipped my wine while my skin crawled. Jackson was perfect on the outside– a handsome gentleman, a professional golfer known for his grace under pressure, and a widely coveted and charming date.

He just was not the man for me.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Fenton

As soon as we stepped out of the elevator, I noticed people looking at my sister. The looks on their faces said they had the exact same thoughts as Jackson just had up in the suite.

"You could have changed clothes up in the suite, Dee," I said. "I didn't mean to rush you out of ther

e."

"I'm perfectly comfortable," Dana Maria said. "Plus, it’s gotta be good for your reputation. Fenton Morris seen in broad daylight with an exotic dancer. Fits right into the image of the party boy fighter, doesn't it?"

"Except for the part where you're my sister," I said.

"Since when do you care what people think?" she asked. "Besides your buttoned-up roommate."

"Her name is Kya." I grabbed Dana Maria's arm and steered her through the gathering sea of interested faces. "Why can't you call her by her name?"

"For the same reason I'm not going to put on a conservative dress to have lunch with you. That's not me. This is what I like to wear and I don't call people by their given names unless they are actually my friends," Dana Maria said.

I yanked open the door of the waiting cab and tucked my sister inside. "You're telling me you wouldn't be more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt? Or a dress with less lace and tight straps?"

My sister shrugged. "Maybe, but I've got a gig right after lunch."

My shoulders tensed. "You need a chaperone?" I asked.

Dana Maria laughed. "No thanks, baby bro. I've got my own muscle. There's nothing for you to worry about."

She changed the subject, and I ended up telling her all about the fight and the after party. I stopped before I confessed anything about Kya, but somehow my sister guessed it.

"You know she'll just drop you as soon as she finds someone better," Dana Maria said. She twisted the wrapper to her straw around her finger and pretended it was an engagement ring. "Oh, you shouldn't have gotten such a big diamond! No, I don't mind that you're a balding lawyer because you are so rich and your family is so well known. We'll get married on the 13th green, and our lives will be just like a cardigan catalog."

I wadded up a paper napkin and threw it at her. "Very funny. But you don't know the first thing about Kya. She's different than she looks."

"I'm sure she is," Dana Maria said. "The only problem is that in the end, she's going to think she should marry someone that looks just as catalog perfect as her. And, when she realizes his surface doesn't match what he's really like underneath, she’ll find out she was dead wrong."

Her dire warning chilled me for a minute before I dismissed it. Kya was different and my sister was right, I shouldn't care what other people think. "You're only saying that because of Mom and Dad."

"What do they have to do with you and your girl from the good side of town?" Dana Maria asked.

"Dad was handsome, charming even, and Mom loved him until she realized all he cared about was himself," I said. "You think she was stupid for falling for him in the first place. Like she could have known he would just walk out on us one day."