Page 4 of Beneath the Fame

Arnez pursed his lips. “You trying to tell us the attraction isn’t reciprocated?”

I took another drink. “No comment.”

“Now hold on, that wasn’t even a question though!”

“Sounded like a question to me,” I countered. “Cool, only three more then.Great.”

I couldn’t front—the rest of the night flew by because we were having a blast. I’d bet money Alec would be feeling the adverse effects of getting as lit as he was later, but I also got the impression he didn’t kick it like this often.

He probably needed the change of pace.

“Okay, laaaast question,” Arizona chimed in. “Ihaveto ask, Van, I’m sorry, but the world needs to know…you got your turn in the saddle with the man of my dreams, rhymes decadent like ice cream,” she sang, matching the cadence of one of his hooks. “I gotta know. Was it good?”

I took a deep breath, debating what I wanted to do. One more sip of that drink was honestly going to be the difference in a regular hangover and one from hell for me, I could justtell.

But did I really want to stir that shit up again?

I put the glass to my lips, ready to just suffer the next day, then…changed my mind.

“Yes,” I answered simply.

No elaboration.

Arnez and Arizona both screamed.

“I knew it, I knew it, I knew it,” Arizona shrieked happily—tipsy as hell too. “Okay, let me calm down, so I can ask Alec his last question. Okay.Whew. Okay, I’m calm.”

“Are you?” Arnez questioned, laughing, and she nodded.

“I am. I’m good,” she assured. “Okay. Alec…you already said you’d bust down MissGet Down on Your Knees and Pledge Allegiance to this Pussy,which…who could blame you, look at her,” she said. “But what I wanna know is…with your chance, and of course, her consent…what would be the first thing you’d do to Vanity?”

I made the mistake of looking at him while the question was asked—when he shifted his gaze to me, as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t look away.

To somewhere neutral.

Nope.

I was fully entranced as he ran a tongue over his lips, eyes brimming with lust as he unquestionably undressed me with his gaze, and then…smirked.

And took a drink.

“Oh shit, that means it’s too nasty for TV!” Arnez bellowed, sending a fresh wave of laughter over everybody.

This time, when my face got hot, I knew it wasn’t because of studio lights.

Alec Everett had made meblush.

ChapterTwo

VANESSA

“What, what, whaaaatttt?”

I mumbled, face buried in my pillow.

Even without opening my eyes, I could tell it was still dark in my room, which meant it had to be too late at night or too early in the morning for my phone to be going off the way it was. Frustrated, I pulled my face from the comfort of my silk pillowcase to look at the phone.

I realized then that my phone wasn’t chiming because of a text or a call.

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