Page 33 of Sweet Addiction
I tip my chin up in defiance, refusing to back down. I will not let this man win. Rome Beneventi is not going to be the one who outs me. Not after the lengths I’ve gone to and the hoops I’ve jumped through to keep this secret.
No. He doesn’t get to take this from me.
“Guess you got what you wanted from that night after all.A name.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Beneventi. I didn’t get anything from you besides a few lukewarm orgasms my vibrator could have given me in less time for less work.” Lies.Total lies. But the punch hits. I see it in the corners of his narrowed eyes. “Fuck you, Rome.”
“Been there, done that, Dillan. And trust me when I say there’s no need to do it again. But here’s the thing, princess. I need your help.”
“Fat fucking chance, Beneventi,” I snap so fast, my voice nearly cracks.
“We’ll see about that...” Rome looks around the front of the shop and pulls a copy ofA Crown of Stars and Ruinfrom the display on the front table, the one Kaleigh insisted we have since the book consistently sells out. “An interest in constellations. Maybe I should keep reading and see what else you took from that night.”
I fist my trembling hands and let the bite of my nails tearing into my palms ground me. “I didn’t take anything from you.”
“You’re using my name,” he growls through gritted teeth and slams the book down on the counter. “My. Name. Give it up, Dillan. We both know what you did. Who the fuck knows why you did it, but you did. And you fucked up. Come on. Theia damn DeLaurentiis. You might not have wanted anyone else to know.” He leans down and gets in my face. “But you wanted me to know. You left a damn trail of breadcrumbs. A fucking sky full of stars for me to follow to figure it out. Well check-fucking-mate, Dillan. I figured it out, and unless you want the rest of the world to know it too, you’re going to help me.”
An eerie cold calmness washes over me. The calm before the storm. The storm you know is coming to destroy everything you’ve built.
“What do you want, Rome?” I push the words past my lips, barely above a whisper.
A muscle ticks in his stubbled jaw as he watches my knuckles turn white from the tight fists my hands hang in. “I want to know what you’re willing to do to protect your secret.”
I shake my head as tears I refuse to let fall burn the backs of my eyes. “Are you blackmailing me?”
“Let’s just say we both have a vested interest in you helping me.” And for the first time since he walked through my door, I see a crack in his armor. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s there in the tired lines at the corners of his eyes.
I can’t believe this is happening.
Can’t believe he’s doing this.
“I hate you,” I whisper.
Rome flinches but covers it so quickly, I’m not sure I didn’t imagine it.
“You’re not my favorite person either, princess.” He watches me. Waiting, though I’m not sure for what. Maybe for the slap across the face that isn’t coming. Maybe for me to tell him to fuck off again. But whatever it is, he’s going to be waiting forever because I refuse to give him any kind of reaction. He must realize it eventually because the devil in front of me licks his damn lip and grins. “But you’re going to be my girlfriend.”
“Like hell I will...” No. No way. This is not happening. “Why?—”
“Sorry. Did you think it was a question?”
My mouth opens and closes as words fail me.
“It wasn’t. I need a girlfriend. I need the press to think we’ve been together for months. They need to think we’re in love. And I mean it, Dillan. They need to buy it. Completely. No doubts.”
“You’re insane. Certifiable,” I gasp, and the crazy fucker smiles.
Smiles. Like he’s getting off on this.
“Play the part, princess. Be my girlfriend in every way until my next fight is over, and I’ll keep your secret.”
“In every way,” I parrot back. “Fuck no.” Rage like I’ve never felt starts at the top of my head and washes down my body. “You will never touch me again, Beneventi. I made that mistake once.”
“Yeah, no, Ryan. I mean in public. Be the doting girlfriend who’s madly in love with me and has been since the fall for anyone with eyes and especially a camera or a column. And I mean everyone. Our family. Our friends. Everyone. If they ask, we say we kept it quiet because we didn’t want to go public while Lucky and Lexie were going through hell.”
He’s serious. “You’ve thought about this.”
“You’re fucking right, I have. My career depends on this. Just like yours does. Play nice for the public. For the cameras. For anyone with eyes, like I said. And I’ll keep your secret.”
