I rush to them and plead, “Can you help me please? I’m locked out of my room, and these men are bothering me.”
They pause from their amorous embrace to stare at me. I suck in a startled breath. It’s Lucas Alessi. One of the owners of one of the most famous fashion houses in the world, Alessi Fashion, and the boy who ruined my senior year. Our brief encounters lately—due to me being good friends with his sisters-in-law, Harper and Alyssa—have been nothing but hostile. Normally, he’d be the last person I’d ask for help, but with the paparazzi hounding me, I’m desperate.
The men are too busy taking photos of me and yelling out questions to notice Lucas and don’t pay him any attention.
Without letting go of the woman, Lucas takes in the scene. A huge grin spreads across his face. He knows I’m in trouble, and he’s enjoying it. “I’m sorry, I’m busy.”
He pulls a keycard out of his pocket and taps it on the lock of a door. He steps into the room, and the woman follows him. She’s no help either.
Lucas turns around and grins. “Good luck out there.” Then the door closes in my face.
Bastard!How can he leave me like this? Tears sting the backs of my eyes and burst free. I cover my face with my hands. Backing away from the paparazzi until I feel the wall pressed against my back, I slide to the floor and drop my head on my knees.
If watching a video of Darren having sex wasn’t humiliating enough, this tops it all.
I’ve reached rock bottom.
Chapter Two
LUCAS
The grin on my face drops as soon as the door closes on Penelope’s distraught face. What the hell has happened to have the paparazzi out for her blood? Whatever it is, she can handle it herself. If she thinks I’m coming to her rescue, she can think again. She doesn’t deserve my help; not after what she put me through in high school.
“Was that Penelope Aldin out there?” Angel asks. Is that the name she was born with or her stripper name? Who even cares? I brought the raven-haired beauty to my hotel room to fuck, not to get to know her.
“Yeah, it is.” My jaw clenches like it does every time our paths cross. Now that she’s become close friends with my sisters-in-law, I’ve seen her more lately at family events than I want to. I banished her from my mind years ago. With her getting involved with the family, it’s only making me relive the past. And the pain she caused.
“Should we help her? She looked upset. Do you know her fian—”
I hook a hand around Angel’s waist and pull her toward me, interrupting whatever she was going to say. The last thing I want to do is talk about Penelope Aldin.
“You can go out there and help her. What I want to do is fuck. So, what’s it gonna be?” I ask.
Angel bites her bottom lip with indecision. To help her decide, I cup her ass and trail my tongue along her neck.
“I want to fuck,” she says breathlessly.
“Good answer,” I mumble against her neck.
Spinning her around, I pin her against the door. I lift her arms above her head. Her ass wiggles in front of me, and I grind my cock against her, pulling a moan from her. Just as I’m about to remove the tiny piece of glittery, gold fabric wrapped around Angel’s body, the muffled sounds of Penelope’s name being called repeatedly can be heard from the hallway. For fuck’s sake! With Angel pinned against the door and ready for me, Penelope’s name is the last name I want to hear.
Trying to block the commotion outside, my hands roam along Angel’s hips and up her torso until I reach her breasts. I pull down the top of her dress, and her large, firm tits fall into my hands. She cries out when I massage them and tweak her nipples.
“Penelope! Penelope! Give us the story!”
“Penelope! Will you take him back?” The muffled voices continue to interrupt me.
Blowing out a frustrated breath, I lean over Angel’s shoulder and look through the peephole into the hallway. Penelope is curled up on the floor with four men surrounding her taking pictures. My stomach twists into a tight knot. As much as I hate her, I hate the paparazzi more. What they’re doing is fucking disgusting.
Why the hell isn’t she getting away from them? She said she got locked out of her room. Surely she can get another key at reception. Or are those fuckwits stopping her from leaving? If that’s the case, this is fucked up. No one should feel trapped.
“Excuse me.” I move Angel to the side and open the door. “Penelope,” I call. She doesn’t respond. Probably can’t hear me over the noise the assholes are making. “Penelope,” I yell.
At the sound of my voice, her head snaps up. Tears are sliding down her flushed cheeks. Her eyes are red-rimmed and wide with fright. I nod my head for her to come to me. Without hesitation, she scrambles to her feet and takes a step toward my room only to have her path blocked.
I propel from the doorway and barge my way through the assholes. “Get out of the fucking way!”
When I reach her, I throw my arm around her shoulders. Turning toward me, she buries her face in my chest. Her body is shaking in my arms. I nudge the men out of my way to get back to my room.
