All Chapters of Bright Lights Billionaire: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Four Days LaterEthanShe wasn't herself for the rest of the week, or at least not the girl I'd come to know in a short period of time. Her cockiness had waned, her confidence dimmed. This odd need to protect her rolled over me about halfway through the week, and I had to try hard to pull myself back. What I thought was going to be a great time together ended up being awkward and tense.By the weekend, I was worn the hell out."All right buddy. You're up for this one." Frank popped me on the back as I stood beside the scene they'd recreated of a beach party. Extras milled about everywhere, looking casual as if in the throes of an actual party on the beach. Riley was beside Deza and had her arms over her chest. The faraway look in her eyes haunted me."Right. Watch how it's done." I wagged my eyebrows and caught a glimpse of a smile from her. Deza rolled her eyes and motioned for me to get to it. It was almost time to break for the day.Marco walked up to the bar and glanced back at me

RileyWe'd parted ways after a few more minutes together, which was for the better. I was close to agreeing to just about anything he wanted. The goal was to build my career and give Mr. Ethan Lewis a good dose of reality, but it seemed like he was pulling me into fantasy instead.The text I got shortly after getting back to my room and flopping down on the bed was a request for me to have dinner with him. I laughed at the thought of him trying to get through dinner without hitting on me, talking about his greatness or moving the conversation toward his cock in some manner or form. The guy’s modesty hadn't seen the light of day - ever.I shot him a note back that I'd be in the kitchen at six and we could grab something to eat. After laying down the rules about the evening, I curled up in the bed and let my mind go wild. I'd not been daydreaming about what the night would have looked like if we were lovers in an old-fashioned movie for more than ten minutes when Deza walked in."You aw

EthanShe looked like an angel in her dress and dainty brown sandals. It was going to be a long night of keeping myself in check. The fact that she was being sweet was gnawing at the part of me that wanted romance and love over sweaty hot shower sex. That guy was still there too, but he was getting sucker punched by the toga-wearing cupid inside my chest."So tell me a little more about your school program. Are you graduating with drama as your major, or did you go a different route?" I wanted to take her hand, but it would be too intimate. I'd ruin the evening later for sure with a dumb-ass move. I'd hold off as long as I could until then.She glanced over at me, stealing my breath. "I'm a drama major. I thought I might go into international business, but I just couldn't force myself to give up on my dreams of acting one day." She shrugged. "I figured I would graduate in May with my degree and change agents. If I could score the right one, I might have the chance to get in front of t

RileyThe air was so damn hard to breathe as we worked our way through the rest of dinner. We moved the conversation back to my time at UCLA and talked a little about Liam too. I tried to stay away from anything that might give him the ability to flirt too much. I was already raw from reading his bio, then getting the flower and now having him watch me like an animal might its favorite prey.My body was heated, my pulse spiked to the point of discomfort, but like any good actress, I put on a mask and made it through dinner."You ready?" He smiled and got up, moving around to help me out of my chair."Absolutely. That was fantastic." I took his hand and moved behind him out of the restaurant. It was comical how many times I heard his name whispered as we moved out the back door and back into the sand."We should practice your kissing scene with Mr. Less-than-Confident. That way when you go to do it, you can close your eyes and see me instead." He kept my hand tightly in his.Indecision

RileyShe didn't make it. The truth of my reality played through my mind over and over as I sat in a coach seat on the quickest flight I could get back to Los Angeles. My fingers were sore from my picking at them, my fidgeting having quickly gotten out of control.I'd barely had time to change into something more appropriate for being seen in public before racing off to find Frank with Ethan trailing behind me. He wanted to come with me, but they wouldn't let him. It was better this way. I didn't need to try and hold myself together in the face of yet another loss in my life. I would have tried with him there, but that wasn't fair to me, or my mother. No matter how many battles we had fought between the two of us, to lose her was devastating."Coffee miss?" A flight attendant leaned down and gave me a warm smile.I nodded, unable to muster more than a soft murmur, "Please.""You're shivering. Should I get you a blanket as well?" She stood back up and waited on my reply, but I wasn't