Page 20 of Down & Dirty

But explaining to Skylar that thanks to Nicki’s sex tapes another Hollywood type wasn’t going to save my sponsorships was more than I could stomach, even with her looking at me with those deep searching eyes.

“It’s just not, okay?”

“You’re so dramatic. Are you going into acting next?” She pulled back in exasperation, finishing off her drink as she signaled to the bartender for another.

I laughed even if it earned me another scowl. She was funnywhen she drank. Lighter. More animated. I’d take this version over the stone-cold mercenary she was normally. I chuckled again at that thought;Skylar Stone, Stone Cold.

“I just don’t feel the need to air my dirty laundry,” I swiveled her way, “least of all when I’m not the only one with something to hide.”

Whatever had soured her mood earlier, it wasn’t the nothing she brushed it off as. The woman was entirely too capable of making grown men cry to look as defeated as she had in that moment.

Skylar rolled her eyes, but I spotted the way her shoulders sagged. “It’s nothing nearly as intriguing as international models embroiled in scandal.”

“You just can’t help yourself, can you? What is it about my modeling contracts that pisses you off so much? Do you wish you were as pretty as me?”

“Iamas pretty as you.”

“Prettier,” I shot back, watching her cheeks get even redder. I raised my eyebrows as she sat struck silent. She’d undoubtedly think I was just teasing her, but it was the truth. The woman wasn’t just pretty; she was gorgeous.

Skylar mumbled something under her breath, but I turned back to the game. I’d come into this bar to try and pick up a woman and see if I could put Cass’s plan into action straight away. Skylar was cock-blocking me so hard at this point I should have just thrown in the towel.

“You are such a child,” she finally muttered, spinning in her chair to look me in the eye. “If you must know, my arrangement with my ex is about to change, and I’m not exactly in the best financial spot to make that work.”

Yikes. Skylar’s ex was Tommy Bridges, and suddenly I knew why she’d looked familiar to me that first day at the OTM offices. I’d seen her and their son at the races for years. Tommy had been a pretty good rider when he first started out. But as happens with a lot of guys, the temptations that show up with success distractedhim. He placed well enough to be on a team, but his shot at being on the top were long gone.

Still, he had to make more money than Skylar did working for her brother.

“What’s that mean? Is he trying to take your son...” I didn’t remember the kid’s name.

She shook her head. “Micah. No. It’s not about custody, thank god. He’s just got himself a shiny new fiancée and the claws are already coming out.”

I made a quick mental note, adding this scenario to the running list of reasons I kept for never getting seriously involved with anyone. Who needed the added stress of kids and custody battles? No thank you.

“He’s getting married?” I didn’t know the guy well, but that wasn’t part of the vibe I’d gotten.

Skylar smirked, nodding her head on a hollow laugh until a few strands of her bangs fell into her staggeringly cool blue eyes. Paired with her blond hair and red lips, she looked like a sultry version of what I remembered of Cinderella from when I was a kid.

But only if Cinderella was less sweet and shy, and more stubborn and sexy.

I shook my head to dislodge the dirty version of a children’s story I’d accidentally conjured.Inappropriate, Cory.

“He found himself a nice yoga instructor from New Jersey. Geena.”

“Big hoops and leopard print?”

“Yep.”

“Yeah, seen her around.” The woman had been nice in passing, but she was so different from Skylar it was hard to imagine the same guy being into both of them.

“Anyway, that’s my big secret. Now, dish.” She leveled me with a humorless stare as she lifted her drink.

It took a painful amount of effort to keep my eyes up, instead of watching as she slipped her tongue out to lick her lips again.She had to know what she was doing. All women knew that was a move, right?

But no matter how enticing she was making herself, I really didn’t want to get into the specifics of my sponsorship issues with her. This little conversation had been fun and all, but I hardly knew Skylar. Trusting her with any part of this felt entirely too risky. I had little doubt she’d use anything I told her against me with OTM if it meant helping her brother. She would have no qualms about throwing me under the bus.

And I kind of liked that about her.

I stalled, taking a long drink of my beer, and for the first time all night, something went in my favor.

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