One Night With A Billionaire(60)

Instead, Daphne looked happy . . . almost manically so.

She wondered if she should say something to Cade. Or would it come across as pettiness and jealousy instead of concern?

“We’re heading back to the hotel,” Ginger said, distracting Kylie. “You coming with?”

“No, uh, I think I’m just going to, you know, stay here for a bit.” To her vast embarrassment, her cheeks kept getting redder and redder.

“Uh-huh,” Ginger said, clearly not buying the lie. “See you tomorrow, then.”

“Right,” Kylie said vigorously. She gave her a thumbs-up. “See you then.”

Ginger just rolled her eyes, picked up her own bag, and headed out with the others. It left Kylie in a curious predicament. Exactly how would she sneak out without alerting Daphne, who was currently clinging to Kylie’s man?

And Jesus, what was wrong with Kylie that she was thinking of him as her man? He wasn’t even paying a lick of attention to her, standing across the room with Daphne’s posse. She doubted he’d notice if she exited and disappeared for the night, too.

He was probably bluffing about the panties thing, too, right?

Theoretically.

But even as she pondered making a swift escape, her cell phone buzzed. She checked the screen.

Cade: Go outside and head to the limo. My driver knows to expect you. I’ll follow in about five minutes. When I get in there, if you’re not there, I’m presenting Daphne with your still-wet panties.

God, he didn’t play fair. Even as she thought it, she felt a shiver of desire. Why was she so insanely attracted to this guy? Why was it that having sex with him and being around him was suddenly trumping all common sense? It was maddening.

She should man up and confess to Daphne that she’d slept with Cade. Twice. And she might have married him by accident. And then let him go down on her in the janitor closet. But no, they were done. Really and truly. And she didn’t want him, despite the fact that she’d promised to send him dirty selfies.

It would all be totally aboveboard if she just told Daphne, right? And maybe she wouldn’t get fired. Maybe Daphne would still be on her manic shit and she’d laugh it all off. Maybe the best time to tell Daphne something bad was when she was on whatever uppers she was on. Brightening, Kylie looked over at Daphne’s small group.

As she did, Daphne knocked a drink out of someone’s hand and shot him the bird. “Get out of my party, asshole.”

Everyone around her looked shocked. The room got quiet again, a sure sign that Daphne was lashing out unexpectedly.

Kylie swallowed. Okay. Maybe now was not the time after all.

As she watched, Cade leaned in and murmured something in Daphne’s ear. His gaze caught Kylie’s from across the room, and he oh-so-subtly pointed at the door.

Yeah, okay. For now, she’d go and have fabulous forbidden sex with the sexy rich guy. Like that was a hardship. She just wouldn’t think about the bad things that could happen, like sending a junkie into a downward spiral . . . or losing her job and her senile Nana getting kicked out of her nursing home.

Not that Cade, Mr. Money himself, would let that happen. He’d probably swoop in and try and pay all her bills to rescue Kylie. But damn, she would be a horrible person if she just rolled over and let him. If she just threw her hands up and allowed herself to be a burden to him.

She didn’t need rescuing; she needed to make better choices in life.

Besides, if she did let him swoop in and pay for everything, what was to stop him from holding that stuff over her head? Bad enough he had her panties. And then what? Throw the money in her face every time they disagreed? Remind her constantly that she owed him?

That she was a burden? And then when he was tired of “supporting” her, would he toss her out on the street, too, leaving her humiliated and alone?

No, it was best if Cade didn’t know about her Nana and wasn’t involved, no matter how “easy” it might be to confess her money woes to him and let him handle things.

So she quietly slipped out of the room and headed to the front of the concert hall.

As was becoming familiar to see, a stretch limo waited at the curb in front of the building. The driver was leaning against the car and he straightened as Kylie headed toward him.

“I’m with Mr. Archer,” she told the man.

He gave her a surprised look, and Kylie felt a flare of annoyance. What, a fatty like her didn’t deserve a hot, wealthy guy? She hated seeing that expression on people’s faces. Maybe that was why she was pushing so hard against Cade as he tried to get closer to her. At what point was he going to up and realize, Oh, Kylie’s not all that attractive, and dump her? Everyone else seemed to be waiting for him to wise up, so why not her?