Page 15 of Dangerous Men (Fortune City Mafia #1)

ASHTON

God, she’s adorable. Her dance with Alec has left her all hot and bothered, and though she’s trying her best to hide it, she’s completely failing.

Sweet girl. She’ll learn soon enough that she doesn’t need to hide anything from us. She couldn’t, even if she wanted to.

But, because I can be a bit of an asshole and I love to stir the pot, I smile and let my fingers stroke the small of her back as I ask, “Are you feeling okay? You look a little flushed.”

Flushed is an understatement. Whatever Alec said to her, she’s a mess. Her lips are parted and ruby red, and her cheeks are glowing.

It’s so fucking adorable.

“I’m fine,” she assures me, giving me a shaky smile. “Just… It's a little warm in here, don’t you think?”

I chuckle in answer.

She lets me lead in our dance, and though I’m not nearly as practiced as Alec, I manage to not embarrass us.

I think.

“Did you know?” she asks me suddenly, and when I frown down at her, her lips thin and she shakes her head. “Of course you knew. What a stupid question. You work with him, don’t you? I’m the only one who didn’t know.”

“Know what?” I ask, puzzled.

“He told me his name was Alec ,” she says in a tight voice. There’s an unexpected edge to it.

“His name is Alec,” I tell her, confused. I glance around to look for him. “What do you mean, he?—”

I stop mid-sentence, a smile creeping over my face.

“Wait, you didn’t know who he was?” I ask, voice teasing. “You really had no idea?”

“None,” she confirms, sounding more than a little irritated.

I laugh, shaking my head at the glare she shoots me. “Sorry, Babygirl, I just… I assumed you knew. I mean… everyone knows Mason Sterling. He’s been on the cover of nearly every magazine in the city. And, yeah, of course I knew. I’m his CMO.”

Before she can ask, I quickly add, “Chief marketing officer. Don’t ask me too much about the job, though. I’m terrible at it. We have a whole team to do the actual work. I’m just a pretty face.”

I give her a wink, but it’s not ego making me say it, it’s just a fact. I’ve been there with Alec for most of those magazine shoots. Hell, I’ve even made a few covers, all on my own.

Not to brag or anything, but I’ve been named Fortune City’s most eligible bachelor for two years in a row.

Now the blush on her face isn’t from dirty thoughts. It’s from embarrassment.

My smile falters.

“Hey,” I stop moving, surprising her and a few of the couples dancing around us. Some of them glare at us as they pass. “Are you really upset?”

Sydney looks away and chews her lip.

“I don’t know,” she says .

It’s a lie. An obvious one. She’s holding herself back, and I don’t like that. I want all of her, not just pieces.

“You can be honest with me, Babygirl,” I say. “About anything. And if you’re upset, I want to know. So I can fix it.”

This time, she meets my eyes. She considers me for a few seconds, like she’s weighing her next words carefully.

“I am upset,” she finally admits. “It feels like he lied to me, even if he didn’t actually… lie about anything. He misled me. Deliberately. And I don’t know if I can trust someone who does that.”

I nod quickly, eager for her to continue.

“And it makes me feel…stupid, I guess, that I didn’t know.

” She huffs, crinkling her nose. “Plus, he’s been coming to my shop every day, and buying books, and talking with me, and I just don’t understand why .

I didn’t understand why before , and now, with this?

” She gestures around the room, looking flustered.

“He likes you,” I say. I mean, it’s obvious, isn’t it? “He comes by the store because he wants to see you.”

Snorting a laugh, she rolls her eyes. “Yeah, right. Because I’m so amazing, and special and?—”

“Stop.” I reach up and cup her face in my hands, eyes boring into hers because I can’t . I can’t listen to her finish that sentence. “You are amazing, Sydney. Never think you’re anything less. You’re perfect .”

She pulls back from me, out of my touch, looking stunned. “What?”

“You’re perfect ,” I repeat. And I need her to know I mean it. “You want to know why he goes by your shop every day? It’s to see you. Because he’s half in love with you already. He’s smitten . And that’s not a word I’ve ever used to describe Alec before.”

I’m not lying. Sure, he’s dated women before, but the obsession is new. The way he’s acting about her is new. She is special, and he recognizes it too.

Sydney shakes her head, looking incredulous. “But he doesn’t even know me. You don’t even know me, Ash. Neither of you do.”

I clear my throat. “He probably knows more than you think.” Not wanting her to dwell on that, or what surveillance he might have on her already, I add, “But if you think he doesn’t know who you are, you can let him get to know you.

If that’s something you want. But don’t tell me you’re not amazing, because you are .

I asked you to be honest with me. And that includes being honest with yourself. ”

“I just…” Sydney sighs, looking down at herself and shaking her head. “I don’t know what someone like him could possibly see in me.”

“Maybe ask him,” I suggest. “I’m sure he’s dying to tell you.”

She frowns at me, considering. Then her gaze catches on something over my shoulder, and she steps away from me. Whatever she was thinking vanishes from her face, like she pulled on a mask.

“Excuse me, I… that’s my friend,” Sydney says, pointing. “I have to go.”

Stay , I want to tell her. But I just stand there, like an idiot, while she walks away.