Page 30 of Beneath the Fame

There wasn’t much Ididn’tlike about Alec’s appearance onLate Night with Greg Raymonde, but when he told that man, on live TV no less, that he wouldsmack the shit outta himfor disrespecting me?

Well…

Thatwas my tipping point.

I drowned out all the noise, even the encouragement from my friends, and made the decision that felt good to me and me alone.

Which was how I ended up having a lovely private dinner atVeilwith Alec.

We weren’t hiding really—we just wanted to be sure our privacy would actually be maintained this time, and this was how the people in Vegas did it.Veilwas an experience onto itself—extensive security vetting, private elevators, several restaurants to choose from, a small casino, and of course, the main attraction, which was the hotel.

Not that I was planning to need it.

The only area thatwasn’tultra-restricted was the lobby, which guests could easily circumvent. Secluded hallways led to cloaked entrances for everything, and every window had the coveted feature of obscuring the ability to see in, while providing an obstructed view out.

It was perfect.

Which was why I had zero qualms about being damn near in Alec’s lap as we had dinner—beautifully prepared gourmet surf and turf, flawlessly poured cocktails, and finally…back to the kind of conversations we used to have before the last few weeks had blown up.

Effortless ones, about everything, and not much of anything.

“So you’re serious?” I giggled. “I would’ve never taken you for a conspiracy-theory kinda guy.”

“I’mnotsaying I believe all of them—or eventhisone. Iamsaying…I understand the logic.”

I laughed even harder, leaning into his shoulder. “Alec,howis that not the same thing as believing it?!”

“Because Idon’tbelieve it, but I…Ibelieveitcouldhappen. Not that it did,” he explained, sipping the last of his simple bourbon and coke. “With the exact right conditions, you know?”

“Yeah,” I murmured, looking up at him from the position I was in. “I know.”

He stared back at me for a moment, then shook his head, putting his glass back down on the table. “What are you doing right now, Vee?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Vee? I’m getting a new nickname now?”

“I’m testing it.” He smirked. “How do you feel about it?”

“Well…nobody else calls me that…it’s short and simple…it could be a winner. It’s cute—like Shaw calling my friendEllie.”

“Cute wasn’t exactly what I was aiming for,” he said, reaching up to brush a tendril of hair from my face.

I grinned. “Change my mind about it then.”

“You sure?”

My eyes went wide. “I…don’t know, that question is a little alarming.” I laughed. “What does that mean,am I sure?”

“Are you sure you want me to change your mind about it being cute?”

“I was just saying something,” I admitted. “But now I’m curious.”

He wet his lips with his tongue, then dipped his head, speaking into my ear. “Your titties lookverysuckable in that dress, Vee,” he muttered, in this tone that rippled through me to land right between my legs.

Lingering.

“Shit,” I groaned. “I…see.”

“Good.”

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