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.”

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 kind of thing, preferring to only date high-end escorts. Even if he’s no longer mine, I do still have some sense

that got out, it could crush him,

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

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

“He’s twenty-six, actually.”

now. A single dad to twins and running a huge corporation? That’s

Believe me, I know.

thing is, he makes it look so effortless. Sure, he has Francine, but still. My runaway

mama?” she asks, leaning

She was .

“Excusemewhat?” she blurts out.

“She was a—”

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

custody of

because she was too coked up to care about her

wasn’t like

it. I don’t want Bianca to think any less of Dominic for the situation he was in. Or even Sara, for that matter.

care of her. He

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

know.” I moan, burying my face

nothing wrong. Dominic is the

I say, my

Give me one good

him.” I press my hands

ten seconds of silence. I peek through my fingers to see Bianca studying me while she absentmindedly

have to? I feel like all I do lately is ruin things. I used to think I had my shit together. Armed with my fancy new degree, I was on the fast track. I was going to storm the business world, take care of my

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 . . .