Romans de Whitney Drake

Luca and I left the Super Nova at a silent but filling breakfast. I had never seen so many wonderful things included in a buffet. I kept my diet light: fruit and yogurt. I had a rehearsal this afternoon and a performance later in the evening, and didn't want anything too heavy on my stomach.We walked through the halls of the Super Nova alone. Luca had his eyes on his phone while he was texting someone furiously. I walked a few steps behind him, trusting that he knew where he was going.And trusting that he was taking me somewhere safe.Luca took a hard left and put his phone back in his pocket. I followed, noticing that the crowds were slowly disappearing the further we walked.He suddenly stopped at a door marked with his initials, LM."Go through the door, I'll meet you later. I have some business to take care of here before I leave."While I may not have seen Luca's house yet, I knew he did

My body froze; it was all I could do to keep from trembling.Hearing the words escape his lips made everything happening feel so much more real.And that was terrifying."Luca, why didn't you bring her by sooner?" Rosie beamed as she took my arm and led me away from Luca."You go visit the boys, darling," she shouted back to Luca as she hurried me towards a group of women. "I'll introduce her around."I glanced over my shoulder to see Luca waving goodbye to me.He wasn't going to rescue me.He wanted to see me drown among these women."Have you been to the SuperNova before, Sienna?" Rosie asked as we approached the women."No," I admitted, still overwhelmed by my surroundings. "This is my first time in."Rosie stopped and turned to face me."Sienna, how did you meet Luca?" Something shifted in her demeanor. She had been bright and bubbly a moment ago. Now it was as if she were a mother bea

It worked.Somehow, against all logic, it actually worked.Luca left the dressing room, and I went home after changing into my more comfortable clothes, taking two buses from the Cashmere Crown to my apartment on the north side of town. It wasn't much, but it was all I could afford when I first moved to Vegas.I unlocked the steel screen door, then the reinforced front door behind it. Once inside, I locked everything again before getting ready for bed.What was I supposed to do when Luca eventually saw that I lived in the worst part of town inside a tiny studio apartment filled with mismatched Goodwill furniture?I decided that could be tomorrow's problem.I skipped my entire night routine and collapsed straight into bed.I blinked, and suddenly the night was over.No dreams. No real sleep.Just morning.And voices inside my apartment.Fear locked every muscle in my body.Who was in my house?How did they get in?And...were they talking about my coffee pot?I held my breath and list

His body froze against mine."What did you say?" Luca's voice lost its silk and became steel. Every word came out precise and controlled, as every word was deciding my fate. I hooked my feet together behind him, keeping him close to me while I spoke. "I know what you did last night, Luca," I whispered seductively into his ear.He broke from my embrace and backed up into the room. Surprise sharpened his features before his gaze darkened."Who are you?""I am exactly who I said I was." I crossed one leg slowly over the other."What were you doing up there last night?""Entertaining a party. Exactly what you said I was doing.""Well then -"I cut him off with a tilt of my head. He was fearful, and exactly where I wanted him."What? Did you think I didn't exist until you found me on the floor? That before that moment, there was no Sienna?"His expression barely changed, but somehow the room felt colder. I could feel fear creeping up my chest, but I pushed it back down. Luca went q

The music hit first.A slow swell of brass and piano rolled through the theater while the curtain stayed drawn, teasing the audience with anticipation. Behind it, under the heat of backstage lights and the smell of hairspray, I stood frozen in position like a loaded weapon waiting to fire.Then the spotlight snapped on.The crowd erupted.I stepped onto the stage in six-inch heels and enough rhinestones to blind someone under direct lighting. Feathers brushed against my bare shoulders as I moved in formation beside the other dancers. Our smiles were polished bright enough to hide every bruise, blister, and bad decision that had brought us to Las Vegas.People think showgirls are just beautiful women in glitter. They don't understand the performance.The discipline.The way your body has to become music before the audience even notices you.Every movement needed precision. Every turn had to look effortless. The audience wasn't supposed to see the hours of rehearsals that left our

"Why is this girl on the ground?"Luca's voice lowered into something dark and lethal. He didn't raise his voice, and somehow that made it worse."Just like you, she's a buzz kill." The blonde-haired man was drunk. Even from the ground, I could smell the alcohol oozing off his skin. "So you did this to her?" Luca questioned quietly.The man didn't respond, but instead took two steps forward towards Luca like he had forgotten who he was dealing with.Lucas snapped his fingers once.The room exploded into motion.Two officers entered the room.The blonde man was tackled to the ground next to me.I scurried backwards to not get tangled in the scuffle.The blonde man was handcuffed and taken from the room.Luca calmly adjusted the sleeves on his jacket."Gentlemen, another suite has been prepared for you on floor 57."The rest of the guys in the room quickly moved out and towards the elevator. I started to lift myself off the ground when I noticed a hand was extended to me.The same h