The Billionaire's Mask (Book #1) - Unedited Version

Chapter 19

ALAYNA

I wake up with a gentle squeeze on my shoulder. I groan as I feel the discomfort at the back of my neck. I massage the painful part lightly and gaze up at the window. It's still dark. We are already on the mansion's front porch.

"We're... home?"

I shift my head to Brandon's side, and his glacial eyes are watching me. "About thirty minutes ago," he responds hoarsely.

"What time is it?"

"Three in the morning."

"Oh." I look away from his eyes. I'm already melting. "So, should we... should we get inside now?"

"Yes, but you and I need to talk." He steps down the car first. I follow after him and head to the mansion.

The only shade of light illuminating the hallways are the warm lights mounted on the walls, and it's very quiet. The only sound I can hear is Brandon's light footsteps and the thuds of my heels as we stroll towards the twin staircase.

Brandon abruptly stops in the middle and looks over his shoulder.

"You are going to wake up everyone in here."

"Sorry. I'll take it off."

"Hey," he hisses, "I didn't tell you to-"

I bend down and pick up my heels.

He exhales. "I said you didn't have to."

We stop in front of his room, and he lets me go in first. He walks straight to his bedroom and takes his jacket off, leaving only a black T-shirt. I notice how he is more muscular than I last saw him. He sits on the bed.

"Sit." He taps the space beside him.

I slowly step closer and sit quietly. I can't say anything.

"Are you just going to sit there?" he begins to ask. "Speak."

I look up at him. He is already gazing at me.

"I didn't expect this," I say. I couldn't exactly complain. I admit that I miss him, but I am unprepared for this. We haven't talked for a month, and now he is expecting me to say something.

"I know you have a lot of questions. Now is your time to ask."

"Well," I cleared my throat, "... how did you come outside?"

"Oliver helped me. I wasn't supposed to come out until..." he pauses.

"Until?"

He tenses up. "What's with you and Cassius?"

"Didn't Oliver tell you? He was occupied." I try to avoid his eyes.

"I know when someone is lying to me, Alayna," he says softly. "Do you like him?" he asks, his voice calm, but dejected.

"No, it was nothing." I shrug. "Look. There's still a lot of things I don't understand about you. You lift me, and then you bring me down the next. I am not ready for that kind of relationship. Cassius was already there to join me. He is available and-"

"Available?" He laughs humorlessly. "Interesting."

I sigh hard and shut my eyes. "I mean he was there to dance with me-to talk, and I had fun. Something I know that you don't do," I say in all honesty.

"Ah, and what else is there that I cannot do? Touch you? Go out to the club with you?" He shakes his head; a pinch of disappointment is marked in his eyes. "And to summarize it all-you like him, am I wrong?"