Page 109 of One Big Little Secret

In fact, I fit right in with the sea of married or married-but-acting-single men. Once you know the jokes, the lingo, the backslapping, and the selfish, shitty attitudes from men who think they’re miniature gods, it’s easy to blend in.

Why, then, am I wanting to put on a show with Salem Hopper?

And why didn’t I just fuckingtellher my real motive for inviting her, besides leaning on the flimsy mentorship excuse?

It’s not like I don’t want to see her armed for success.

I do.

I want her to blind the whole world with how much she shines in this field, even more after seeing the way she forced a barbed smile for that clown of a woman.

Kayla Persephone.

Fucking pill.

I’m sick that she’s the only reason Salem came to us, this done-up plastic doll who looks like she needs a day off her movie grade makeup and a brutal reality check.

Fuck me.

I hated seeing Salem, stranded and having to pretend she owes her life to this vapid woman. She shouldn’t have to answer to anyone. Not when she has all the qualities to thrive.

Maybe that’s when it turned personal for me.

This weekend of hobnobbing with the big fish in my world can’t hurt, and neither can a little pampering. Maybe some downtime will give her ego the boost it needs to internalize her real worth.

She mumbles and twists in her seat, her head slipping down the inflatable pillow to my shoulder.

I freeze.

Shit.

This must be karma, right on time to meet my dumb ass for creating this predicament.

I’ve walked into this setup like a certified imbecile.

Now, here we are.

And here she is, all warm breath and dreaming flutters against my neck, dead asleep and trusting and so killingly beautiful I can’t look away.

I’m marooned in my seat, watching her like a kid looking through a toy shop window.

Control yourself, man.

Can I, though?

Or is it already too late?

Youknewthis would happen.

I thought separate rooms at the resort would help, knowing there’d be no opportunity to touch her then.

Trouble is, when she looked online and saw how expensive this place is at four figures per night, she demanded to know if my suite had a second room.

It did.

And that was enough for her to justify the savings.

So now we’re sharing a suite and I’m going to have to sleep with her right up in my space, only one wall away.

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