Underneath It All (Sexual Misconduct Volume II) by Bethany Bazile Read Free Book Online

mirror, a smile forming as she glided the red tip of the lipstick over her lips. I flicked the long red locks off her shoulder and kissed her there. She shivered.
    “ Don’t start, Xander. I have an appointment in less than hour.”
    “ I only need ten minutes,” I whispered.
    S he shook her head, her eyes dancing with laughter as our gazes met in the mirror. I raised an eyebrow. She laughed and stood. “No, Xander.”
    S he dropped a quick kiss on my lips, then went into her closet to finish getting dressed. She came back out a few minutes later, balancing on one red fuck-me now heel as she slid on the other. Her dark-gray skirt clung to her curves and stopped right above her knees, and the matching jacket was slung over her arm.
    “ Come with me.” She looked at me, her blue eyes uncertain. I’d been trying to convince her to come to California with me for a week. The film I’d produced before going into rehab was up for an award, and I needed to be there, even if it was only for the weekend.
    “ I don’t know, Xander.” She glanced up at me as she fastened the last few buttons of her white blouse.
    S he was wary about putting our relationship out for public consumption, and I didn’t blame her. I knew bringing her to California could potentially put her under a microscope for public scrutiny. But regardless, I couldn’t picture leaving her for even three short days. We were in a good place, and I felt as if things were too good and the other shoe would drop soon. The closer I kept her, the better I’d be at deflecting any obstacles that came our way.
    “ It’s just one weekend.” She sighed. She’s going to give in soon. “I need you.”
    “ Fine, I’ll come, but if things get crazy, I’m hiding out in your condo.”
    I smiled and kissed her before she h urried out of the room, her soft scent lingering long after she pulled from the driveway.
    After she left, I showered and dressed, grabbed my leather jacket, and headed for the door. I stilled as it flung open and Ellie came through. She startled, then eyed me suspiciously.
    “ Ellie.” I greeted her cautiously. Last time we’d been here alone, things didn’t go well, but we couldn’t keep avoiding each other or Avery would know something was up.
    “ Avery’s car was gone so I thought you guys left.”
    “ She left about half an hour ago.”
    She nodded, then proceeded to walk past me.
    “ You know you don’t have to sneak in after we’re gone. This is your home.” I admit it made me a bit uncomfortable to come to Avery’s house with everything going on with Ellie, but Avery insisted. It looked suspicious that I was always trying to talk her into staying at my place when her house was closer to her office.
    Ellie turned around and glared at me. “I know this is my home. I can’t help it that I’m not as cold as you are. I feel guilty about all this.”
    “ You think I don’t?”
    She raised an eyebrow. Skeptical.
    “ Don’t think just because I’ve grown accustomed to guilt that I’m immune. I hate keeping this from her, but what will we have accomplished by telling her? That she should’ve never trusted her heart to me. That she’ll never open up again.”
    She shook her head slowly, scrutinizing me through narrowed eyes. “I can’t figure out if you’re bullshitting me or if you’re completely different than the man I knew.”
    I looked at her with her oversized T-shirt and long blonde braid down her back and smiled. “Seems like we both were completely different people when we met.”
    She nodded, turned, and then continued on to her room.

Celebrity Status
    Avery
     
    When I received my trust fund at twenty-one, I always thought I’d travel the world and see all the places I dreamed of. My determination stood in my way. Regardless of how big the trust fund my parents left me had been, I’d always wanted success more than riches. The one thing having money helped with was opening my own practice.
    When I think of all