Page 163 of The Morally Grey Billionaires Boxset

Abby

“Fucking hell, so he walked away from you?” Solene’s laughing features greet me from my phone screen.

I scowl. “It’s no laughing matter.”

“You have to admit, it’s funny, in a horrifying, I-can’t-believe-it kind of way. There you are, all naked and ready to be ravished by him, and he doesn’t even look at you?”

“Imagine that. And this, after he—" I firm my lips. I am not going to overshare everything he’s done to me. I’m not.

“After he—?” She quirks her lips.

“You know… After the fact that we’ve already slept together.”

“Aha, I knew it.”

“It’s not a secret or anything,” I mumble under my breath.

“I guessed it, but wasn’t sure, but now that you’re confirming it to me, OMG.” She waggles her eyebrows at me. “How was it?”

My cheeks heat. “I’m not going to tell you.” I tip up my chin.

“Aww, come on, at least, let me live vicariously through you, yeah? Considering I’m not getting any.”

I frown at her. “So, Declan—"

“Declan who? I haven’t seen him or heard from him in weeks.”

“And did you try to call him?”

“Been too busy trying to salvage my tanking career.”

“Eh?” I blink. “Aren’t you the next big thing to hit the charts? Tipped for Grammy’s new artist nominee of the year? I thought your new album was doing amazingly well?”

She purses her lips. “My first album topped the charts, which is why I embarked on this tour. By all accounts, the second one should have done great, too, only it doesn’t seem to have delivered on its promise.

The audience has been dwindling with each successive performance, and the organizers are threatening to cancel the rest of the tour. ”

“Oh, no.” I sit up in my bed. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“It’s not like you didn’t have things on your own plate.”

“I know, my stupid love life hasn’t been the smoothest sailing, but really, what you’re going through is important, too.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to hear about it.

” She half laughs, but her gaze remains troubled.

I scan her features and notice, for the first time, how pale she looks.

She’s not wearing any make-up, which means it’s serious.

Every other time I’ve spoken to her, she’s either been getting ready for a performance or for an interview or for another event. This time though, she’s still in bed.

“Don’t you have another concert to prep for?”

She looks away, then back at me. “They had to cancel this one because they didn’t manage to sell more than a quarter of the tickets.

What few fans I had left were pissed, and trust me, they didn’t hold back their ire.

You should see my social media feed—" She winces. “Or actually, don’t. It’s not pretty. ”

“Oh, Solene.” I shake my head. “I am so sorry I’ve been wallowing in my own troubles all these months.

It’s just, I thought everything was going so well for you.

Well, other than Declan. I knew you guys were struggling to find time for each other, but I thought it would all be worth it in the end, given how brilliantly your career was taking off. ”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. And the early part of the tour, the tickets to the concerts would sell out in seconds.

But somewhere along the mid-way point, they lost interest. It was around the time my second album dropped.

” She bites the inside of her cheek. “The critics panned it, which honestly, wouldn’t have bothered me if the fans had liked it, but they decided to turn their backs on it, as well.

Already, I’m being called ‘a one hit wonder’ and ‘the flavor that never was,’ to quote media headlines. ” Her eyes glisten.

“Oh honey, don’t listen to them. The world is quick to back a winner and look down on a loser. But inside, you know how good you are.”

“Am I, though?” She slides off the bed and begins to pace.

“I’m seriously beginning to question it.

When I came to LA, I was so determined to make it.

I had so much hope, and Declan helped me out so much.

I found success so quickly, I forgot what it was to struggle.

” She shakes her hair back from her face.

“Now, not only have I lost Declan, but also whatever it was that made my songs special. It’s like he was my good luck charm, you know? ”

“You’re talking about him like he’s already in the past.”

“Isn’t he?” Her lips turn down. “If he were thinking about me, wouldn’t he have called or texted once in all these weeks?”

“Maybe you should reach out to him?”

“And be rebuffed?”

“You mean like I was?”

She looks stricken. “It’s not the same thing. Cade’s trying to do the honorable thing by you. It’s not the same as Declan going AWOL. The only consolation is he hasn’t been seen with anyone else, so far—not in his social media feeds and not in the media… Yet.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’s holding out for you. He probably felt left out with how busy you’ve been.”

“Maybe.” She draws in a breath. “So, did my friend Penny get in touch with you?”

I blink. “Oh yea, she did. I’m going to meet her for a drink soon.”

“She’s my sister Olivia’s really good friend and was working in a play in Sicily until recently. She’s not new to London, but she’s embarking on a new career as a chef, so she could do with some moral support.”

“From being an actress to a chef?”

Solene laughs. “Penny can be single-minded when she sets her mind on something, and right now, she’s decided she wants to be a chef. I promise, you’ll love her.”

“I’m happy for all the women friends I can gather around me right now. Strength in numbers, and all that.”

“Tell me about it. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know who I could share the problems of my career and my love life with. You’re my ride or die. You know that, right?”

“Aww.” Tears prick my eyes. “You’re going to make me cry.”

“No, no, we can’t have that. You can’t afford to wear a tear-stained face for what you’re going to do next.”

I narrow my gaze. “What am I going to do next?’

Her eyes gleam. “You’re not going to let the big, bad wolf walk away from you, are you? I mean, surely, he must be in a lot of pain. Literally.” She guffaws.

“I sure would hope so. He deserves it, the wankhole.” Especially going by the size of the tent in his pants when he walked away from me. “It’s not like I didn’t offer to help with that, but once he makes up his mind, it’s difficult to change it, apparently.”

“Difficult, but not impossible.” An evil look comes into her eyes.

“Uh, oh, what are you thinking Solene?”

She quirks a finger at me. “Come closer, and I’ll tell you.”

I creep up the corridor toward Cade’s room.

This is such a bad idea, but when Solene dared me, I wasn’t able to say no.

Also, let’s face it, I’m not getting any sleep tonight.

I tried to get myself off with my vibrator, but it only made me yearn for his cock.

So, I gathered my courage and left my room.

Cade made sure to give me the room at the farthest end of the corridor from his.

He’s really trying his best to keep to this newfound commitment to not touch me.

I understand he made a promise to Knight, but even if he hadn’t, Knight’s his best friend, and when we did sleep together, he would have been aware Knight wouldn’t be very happy with it.

So, I’m not quite sure what’s changed now.

Perhaps, he thinks I’m still in shock from when the intruder burst into my apartment and it’s too soon for me to get intimate with anyone.

Maybe, he simply wants to give me some time to recuperate.

Only, I don’t need it. All I want is to feel his weight on me, his thickness between my legs, the touch of his fingers trailing across my skin, and his tongue swiping over my lips as he kisses me.

My nipples tighten, my belly trembles, and dampness pools between my legs.

I reach the door to his room, push it open and step inside.

The drapes are pulled back and the moonlight streams in, illuminating the empty bed.

Huh? I glance around the space and notice the light streaming through the crack between the bathroom door and the frame.

I walk toward it and pause outside the partially open door.

The sound of the shower running reaches me.

Hmmm… Why is he taking a shower so late at night?

I lean in, push against the door and it swings open.

I glimpse him in the shower cubicle. He’s braced himself with one hand splayed against the wall, while the other is moving up-and-down, between his legs.

Between his legs? Oh! Heat flushes my cheeks.

Pinpricks of awareness pepper my skin. Oh, my god, oh, my god, is he… He can’t be, he can’t.

And yet, there’s no mistaking that Cade is jacking himself off. A cloud of lit fireflies take flight under my skin. Oh, my god, Cade is pleasuring himself, the most erotic scene I’ve ever witnessed. His movements get more frantic, and the sound of his gasps reaches me over that of the shower.

Then, as if to help me, he lowers his free hand and switches off the shower, before once again, propping his palm up against the wall. In the silence that follows, he throws his head back and grunts. “Fuck, Abby. Fuck.”

He groans, then his shoulders shudder as he comes.

Oh, my god. He’s jacking off to me. He’s taking care of himself because he was so damn aroused by seeing me naked.

But he didn’t want to fuck me, so instead, he decided to fuck his hand?

My pussy throbs, my thighs spasm. I take a step back, then hesitate.

Should I walk in and surprise him? And then what?

He said he wasn’t going to fuck me, so I’m going to surprise him now, and then what?

Be turned down again by him? No, no, no.

That’s the last thing I want. Best to leave before he notices me.

I turn, head for the door, only my foot catches on the carpet.

I stumble and almost fall, then right myself.

I hear a sound behind me, and break into a run, but he calls out from behind.

“Abby, stop!”