City of Sin

by Ivy Smoak

  "It's a good cause."

  "Who do you usually bring to these events?"

  "No one important in a long time." He smiled down at me. "Have you ever been to this hotel?"

  "What purpose would I ever have for going to The Plaza Hotel?"

  "Something fancy?"

  I laughed. "I haven't done anything fancy in a long time."

  "I heard the mattresses are exceptionally comfortable here."

  I swallowed hard. I loved when he talked like that. I wanted to be witty back. "We're pretty good without a mattress."

  "You don't have to remind me." He stopped outside the coat check. "Turn around, Bee."

  I turned away from him. He slowly pulled my coat off of me, tracing his fingers down my arms. The electricity shot through me even stronger than before. He pushed my hair to the side and kissed the back of my neck. "Truly breathtaking," he whispered. The heat of his breath on the back of my neck made my skin tingle.

  I turned around and watched him grab the tickets out of his pocket before handing both our jackets over to the attendant.

  "The hospital thanks you for your very generous donation, Mr. Caldwell. I hope you and your lovely guest enjoy the evening. You will both be at table three."

  "Thank you."

  The man opened up the door to the ballroom for us.

  I followed Mason inside. Whether or not I was breathtaking was questionable, but there was no question about this room. It was absolutely beautiful. All the decorations were adorned with gold. And the chandeliers were even more extravagant than the ones in the entranceway. There was a dance floor in the middle of the room, surrounded by ornately decorated round tables. It was like a room for a wedding reception, only way fancier than any wedding I had ever been to.

  "Come with me. I want to introduce you to someone," Mason said.

  I held onto his hand. I was suddenly incredibly nervous. All the people here were rich like him. If he hadn't bought me this dress, I definitely would have stuck out in the crowd. And not in a good way.

  "James," Mason said and stopped in front of a man I instantly recognized. He was that professor who had gotten fired from the University of New Castle. Although, I guess Mason said he had actually resigned. He hadn't changed at all. I never had a class with him, but I had seen him around campus. He was hard not to notice. He was ridiculously good looking. And he had this air of authority around him. It almost transported me right back to school.

  The two men briefly hugged and slapped each other's backs. It was funny when guys did that. They just had to make hugging masculine too. I couldn't help but laugh.

  Someone else laughing made me look away. It was the girl standing right next to James. She was really pretty. Her long red hair looked beautiful against the green fabric of her dress. She seemed to be tickled by the fact that they had slapped each other's backs too. She was staring up at James in the most loving way. I wasn't sure I had ever looked at anyone like that.

  I looked back at James as Mason and him ended their hug. There was so much warmth in the smile James gave her as he wrapped his arm back around her shoulders. I had heard rumors about their relationship at school. But the horrible rumors couldn't have been true. They definitely seemed to be in love. Not that I had much to compare it to. My parent's got divorced when I was really young. And my relationship with Patrick had ended in disaster. Marie and Carter were the only real couple I knew. And they seemed perfect for each other. But even they didn't look at each other like that.

  "Bee," Mason said and turned back to me. He wrapped his arm around my back so that his hand was resting on my hip. "Bee, this is James and Penny."

  "Hi," I said, and nervously shook James' hand and then Penny's. I liked that Mason kept his arm around me. It was like I was his and he was excited to introduce me to his friends. I always got nervous at things like this. But I felt comfortable next to him.

  "Bee actually went to the University of New Castle," Mason said.

  "I thought you looked familiar. What year did you graduate?" Penny asked.

  "A few years ago. In 2015."

  "Oh." Penny smiled up at James. "We had some overlap, then. We moved here in 2015. Maybe we had a class together?"

  "I don't know," I said. "I spent most of my time at the Sigma Pi frat house. My ex lived there. Maybe I saw you there?"

  "That must be it! One of my best friends lived there too. Tyler Stevens."

  "I knew Tyler!"

  "Wait who was your boyfriend?" asked Penny.

  "Patrick Huff."

  "I don't recognize it. But I'm sure I ran into him. Although, I didn't spend that much time there. James took up most of my time." She smiled up at him again.

  "Maybe we shouldn't talk so much about our exes, Penny." James said.

  Penny laughed. "Sorry." She looked up at Mason. "Sorry, Mason, I didn't mean to remind your girlfriend of her ex."

  "Very funny, Penny," Mason said.

  I wasn't sure what was so funny. But I didn't want to dwell on it.

  "What did you major in, Bee?" James asked.

  "Marketing. And I had a minor in advertising."

  "I'm surprised I never had you in one of my classes."

  "Yeah, I always tried to get in, but your classes filled up so fast. I heard you were a great teacher."

  He laughed. "I wasn't that great. You didn't miss out on anything."

  "You were great," Penny said. "He was definitely the best professor I ever had."

  "That's just because you were sleeping with him," Mason said.

  Oh my God. I was about to apologize for what Mason had said when Penny started laughing again.

  "You're probably right," Penny said. "James was definitely the highlight of my time at the University of New Castle. And everything after that too." She looked a little embarrassed when she said it. But her embarrassment seemed to evaporate when James leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek.

  "I still have to do the rounds," James said. "Want to come with me and we can spare our dates the boredom?"

  "Sound like a plan," Mason said. "I'll be right back, baby." His hand slid down my hip and he lightly squeezed my ass before walking off with James.

  Oh my God. Did he seriously just goose me in front of all these people? I hoped my face wasn't as red as my dress.

  Penny turned to me. "I can't believe you're from Delaware too. I never meet anyone who grew up where I did."

  "Me either," I said. "It's quite the transition moving here."

  "Yeah it is. But Central Park is really nice."

  "That's what I always say to everyone whenever I miss having a lawn."

  Penny laughed. "Me too."

  "Do you ever miss it?"

  "Home? Or having a lawn?"

  I laughed. "Both, I guess."

  "Sometimes." Penny looked over at James again. "I've found that the company is more important than the location."

  "I just have to say that you and James are the most adorable couple I've ever seen."

  She laughed.

  "What?"

  "He does not like being called adorable. You know, I don't think I've ever seen Mason like this."

  "Like what?" I asked.

  "The way he looks at you. I've never seen him look at anyone that way. I think he really likes you."

  "Why did Mason say 'very funny' when you apologized for reminding me about my ex?"

  "Oh. Nothing really."

  "Come on. Us Delaware girls have to stick together."

  She smiled "I don't know. His reaction to what I said was more so about the fact that I called you his girlfriend I think. It's just that Mason doesn't really date. I've known him for almost two years and I've never seen him with the same woman twice."

  "Really?" I looked over at him and James. I had never seen him like this before. He looked like he was in his element, making small talk with these people. Maybe I didn't know him as well as I had thought.

  "But you shouldn't let that bother you. Like I said, I've neve
r seen him like this before. He seems different."

  "I feel like every time I'm with him he's different."

  "Every time?"

  "We've been on a few dates already."

  "See. You have nothing to worry about. You two are already dating."

  "We haven't really discussed that yet."

  "Sometimes you just know."

  "Like with you and James?"

  "It wasn't easy with us either. I mean, he was still married when we met."

  So that part was true. "I guess. I feel like there's still so much I don't know about him. It's hard to let myself fall when there are so many uncertainties."

  "I still learn new things about James every day."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah. I mean, I haven't even met his parents yet."

  "But you've been dating for a really long time."

  "Mhm. Every time we make plans, they cancel at the last minute. I guess I'm just not exactly their first choice for their son."

  "I'm sure that's not true."

  Penny laughed. "No, it is. James is way out of my league."

  "I'm completely out of my league with Mason too!"

  She laughed again. "I am so glad that you are with Mason. Now we can finally go on double dates. Whenever he comes over, I feel like I end up being the third wheel."

  "They are kind of cute together," I said and looked over at them again.

  "Do you know what I miss most about Delaware?" Penny asked.

  "What?"

  "Grottos Pizza."

  I laughed. "That is my favorite pizza ever. There's so many on the boardwalk that whenever I eat it, it just tastes like summer."

  "I know! Pizza here is great, but it doesn't taste like summer."

  Mason and James both shook someone's hand and then started walking back over to us.

  "Can I ask you something real quick?" I asked.

  "Of course."

  "Do you think Mason knows how to be in a relationship?"

  Penny hesitated for a second. "Yes. Mason is a really good guy. It just takes some time to get to know the real him."

  "Tell me about it."

  "Please don't worry about what I said before. I think you're perfect for him. I mean, look at how he's looking at you."

  Mason was staring at me. Maybe I was imagining it, but it wasn't that different from the way James was looking at Penny. Maybe this really could be more.

  "And you're lucky," Penny said. "You don't have to worry about meeting Mason's parents anytime soon."

  "What do you mean?"

  "After everything that's happened between them? They're not even speaking. It's been good for him, though. He seems more grounded now."

  Wait, what? He hadn't mentioned any of that to me. An ad executive made good money, but not great money. How were we here? How did he afford the dress I was wearing? Or the fact that he lived in a hotel? All that money couldn't be from his side business. Could it? I looked down at the dress I was wearing. Was it possible that Patrick had actually paid for this dress? The thought made me nauseous.

  "I'm going to steal her away now," Mason said and wrapped his arm around my back again.

  I almost jumped when he touched me.

  "It's always a pleasure," Mason said to Penny.

  "Always," Penny said. "It was really nice to meet you, Bee. And get Mason to give you my number." She looked back over at Mason. "Next time you come over, you're bringing her."

  "I think I can arrange that," Mason said.

  "It was nice to meet you, Bee," James said and stuck his hand out to me. "Like Penny said, you're welcome to our home anytime."

  I shook it. How does Mason have such nice friends? James and Penny seemed so normal. Everything I knew about Mason was anything but normal.

  Chapter 38

  Mason

  I steered Bee away from James and Penny. "You seemed to hit it off with Penny. Were you reminiscing about the University of New Castle?"

  "A little. Are you not speaking to your parents?"

  I pulled away from her slightly, but kept my hand on her hip. Damn it, Penny. "We had different opinions on how my future was going to play out."

  "How are we here, Mason? How do you afford all these nice things?"

  I pulled her onto the dance floor and grabbed her waist. "What do you mean? I have a good job."

  "I know you have a good job. But all this?" She looked around the room. "And you're saving up to start your own ad agency on top of everything else."

  "Yeah. I am. So what?"

  "What money did you buy this dress with?"

  "My money?" What the hell was she getting at? I grabbed her hand, spun her, and then pulled her in even closer than before.

  "Could you only afford this because of people who paid you for...services?"

  I laughed. She had to be kidding. Of course that's how I bought her that dress. And I wasn't sure why she was upset about it. She looked fucking fantastic. But I'd tell her what she needed to hear.

  "Okay," I said. "No, I'm not talking to my parents. But they're the only reason why we're here right now. They gave me the tickets." It was true. My parents donated money every year under Matt and my names. That's the only reason I had tickets. I didn't originally tell her that because she seemed to be eating up this good guy nonsense. It was a good charity. And I was glad it was under my name. I needed the good karma. "What, are you only with me for my inheritance?"

  Her face blushed. "No. Of course not. I just wanted to make sure Patrick didn't buy me this dress."

  Oh. So that's what she was upset about. She knew I took money from her ex. But Patrick hadn't given me nearly enough money to pay for what she was wearing. And that was an awfully pessimistic way of looking at it in the first place. "Would it make you feel better if I told you I still got money from my old man?" I didn't. But she didn't need to know that. What little money I did have left from him was dwindling fast.

  "No. I don't know. Yes?" She looked so flustered. But she kept her hands clasped behind my neck. She wasn't trying to run out on me again.

  "Bee." I touched the side of her face. "I bought you this dress. Because I really like you. And I wanted to come here tonight with you. I don't want to talk about my parents or Patrick. I want to focus on us. Because I'm really loving us."

  "I'm really loving us too."

  Of course you are. "And since you're a gold digger, you'll be happy to know that one day I will inherit millions from my parents." As of right now, I wouldn't. I was sure they'd come around once I started my own successful company though. "But at that point, I'll already have millions of my own." At least that was the truth. Because I'd do anything to make it happen. Except for following Matt's advice. I wouldn't use Bee for information. That was where I had to draw the line.

  "I'm not a gold digger, Mason."

  "I know. At least, I hope you like me for more than my money." I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

  "I like you for a lot of reasons," she said.

  "You do, huh?"

  "I'm here, aren't I?"

  Shit. She remembered last night perfectly. What else had I said?

  "Ladies and gentleman." There was a stage off to the right of the dance floor and the president of St. Sabela's Children's Hospital had just taken the microphone. "As you all know, without all of your generous donations, we would not be able to continue the groundbreaking research that gives children the chance to be children. The gift that you have endowed is impossible to put into words. So I'm not going to bore you with a long speech."

  Everyone laughed.

  "Without further ado, it is with great pleasure that I announce that dinner is served. Here's to a fun night."

  There was a loud smattering of applause.

  "Shall we?" I said. "Or are you planning on sprinting out the door?"

  "I think I'd rather stay."

  "I was hoping that would be your answer." I reluctantly let go of Bee's waist. I liked the feeling of her hips beneath my hands
.

  She looked up at me with her beautiful brown eyes as she unwound her hands from the back of my neck. I grabbed her hand and lead her over to table three. Matt was already sitting there, staring at us. I knew he was about to embarrass me, but I was still excited to introduce Bee to him. It had been a long time since I had introduced a girl to someone in my family.

  "By the way, you're about to meet my brother."

  She smiled. "Which one is he?"

  "The one that's almost as handsome as me."

  "I call you handsome one time, and now you're all conceited about it."

  I laughed and stopped next to Matt's seat. "Bee, this is my brother, Matt."

  "It's nice to finally meet the girl that my brother is so infatuated with."

  I would have been pissed at him, but Bee seemed to be pleased by what he said. Maybe Matt wouldn't try to ruin this for me.

  "You're just as pretty as the pictures," Matt said and put his hand out for Bee.

  "Pictures?" Bee glanced at me.

  "Yeah. You do realize that my brother is stalking you, right?"

  What the fuck, Matt?

  Bee laughed.

  Apparently she thought Matt was joking. Which was good. Because I was borderline stalking her.

  "Is he a serial killer too?" Bee asked. "He kinda has that serial killer vibe to him."

  "What is that supposed to mean?" I said.

  "Nope, he's not a serial killer. Just a stalker," Matt said. "That dress looks amazing on you by the way. Much better than on the mannequin."

  "Thanks." Bee's cheeks looked rosy as she glanced up at me again. "You two go shopping together? That's cute."

  "Cute? I wouldn't classify us as cute." This girl was getting the wrong impression of me. I needed to turn this thing around. I pulled her seat out for her and put my hand on the small of her back.

  "Thank you," she said and sat down. I pushed her chair in and sat down in between her and Matt.

  "So you work at Kruger Advertising?" Matt said. "Tell us all about that."

  Shut the fuck up. He was fishing for information that I didn't want. He was going to ruin this whole thing for me. And I was so close. I was hours away from claiming her pussy. Matt was not going to screw this up for me.

  "There isn't much to tell," she said. "I'm trying to work my way up, but right now I'm just a secretary. It's not exactly exciting work."