Alpha Billionaire Series

NICK

I went in search of my mystery Ishtaria. She had been there one second and gone the next. I felt like a salmon swimming upstream. Everywhere I turned I seemed to encounter a wall of people.

“Hey, Mithrandes, come over here!” Some guy waved me over.

Two girls in Ishtaria costumes gave me a judgemental once over. For a second I thought I was busted. My little game of how long before anyone recognized me was coming to an end.

“He's cute enough,” one of them said.

“Yeah, but Nick Sadler really is here somewhere. We need to find him. You haven't seen him, have you?"

I'shook my head. “Sorry to disappoint”

“Take a picture with us anyway. Your costume is pretty good.”

“So is yours.”

They preened at the compliment.

“You should get your picture taken with all the Mithrandes here tonight. Its like a Lions of Medea con. There are so many. I didn't think it was going to be such a popular costume. I should have come as—"

“You totally should have dressed like Luca from that other show. What's it called?”

“Luca?” her friend asked. “But he's Black. This guy isn't Black”

“Have a good evening, ladies.” I needed to get out of that conversation immediately.

I was faced with another bunch of more people. Still no curvy Ishtaria. I did run into a very drunk Mithrandes.

“You're too big." He smacked me on the chest and slurred his words.

“And you're too drunk”

I skirted another interaction with him and took the stairs two at a time thinking if I got some height, I would be able to spot her from above.

I didn't see her, but I did see that slime-ball Gabe who Isaac told me to avoid. And I saw Isaac talking to Marci Wolf. She kept touching him, and he kept shrugging away from her. I laughed.

Isaac was a very touchy guy. He loved to hug people and lean against them. If he liked them. The way he reacted to Marci reminded me of school kids trying to avoid cooties. I'd have to find out what that was all about later.

Someone grabbed onto the belt holding my pantaloons up. “Whoopsie. I almost took your pants down the stairs with me” The person, dressed as an androgynous grandfather clock, stumbled and sat down hard on their a*s. It was probably best, otherwise, they probably would have cartwheeled down the stairs on their neck.

My pants had stayed. “No harm, no foul. You probably want to go down that way."

They slid from one step to the next with a singsong “wee!”

My pants had stayed up, but the heavy belt was trying to pull everything off. I needed to adjust. The back hall was just as crowded as any other part of this place. The first doorknob I tried was locked. I continued down the hall trying knobs, looking for a room I could duck into and fix everything before I ended up showing my a*s, literally.

My hand landed on one of my last options. I heard a scream, with a distinct, “let me go; on the other side. I twisted and rammed my shoulder into the door. It gave way.

I had found my goddess, and she was struggling with a man. She looked up at me with pleading eyes. He clutched at his groin as if she nailed him. Good girl.

“Get your hands off of her!” I crossed the room and grabbed his wrist, wrenching his arm until he let go of Ishtaria.

“Get the fuck out of here, you cut rate wanna be. You don't even look like the character. Mind your own fucking business.’

I kept a grip on the asshole’s arm.

“Are you okay, miss?” God, her eyes were huge, the most amazing color of liquid blue, and utterly terrified. She gave me a small nod.

I dropped the asshole and pushed him back, getting him even farther away from the woman. That didn't last long. With a growl and a lunge, he came at me, hands extended like claws. Without thinking I nailed him with a fist to the face. He went down like a bag of potatoes. A heavy thump, and then he stayed there, lumpy and not moving.

Ishtaria stood there breathing heavily. Her bosom lifted and my brain went sideways. She was F*****g gorgeous.

“I'm Mithrandes. I needed to fix"— I gestured at my costume— “then I heard you."

She nodded and wafted her hand in front of herself, fanning more oxygen to her face.

“Kayla, thank you. Thank you. I can't believe how stupid I was. I had to use the restroom, and I met him earlier. He showed me the bathroom.”

I adjusted my belts and straps. “Don’t tell me he seemed so nice.”

“Oh, hell no, he was a total creep. I should have locked him out in the hallway. I just had to pee so badly."

She stopped and looked at me. “You look familiar”

I gestured at myself and the costume.

“Right, Mithrandes. I have a confession. I never watched the show. I need to get out of this room.”

“Of course” I opened the door. She brushed past me. She smelled of warm citrus and heaven.

“If you don't watch the show, can I ask why the costume?”

She brushed it at her hips as she looked at herself. “My cousin got it. Said it was the only..” she faltered before smiling up at me. Alight blush tinged her cheeks. “It was the only costume left in my size.”

She said the words as if she didn’t want to admit they hurt.

“Well, I think you look stunning. I always thought Ishtaria should have been a curvier woman to have attracted the king of a barbarian horde.”

“Hey, dude!” Another Mithrandes stopped in front of us. “We need a picture!”

He stood between me and Kayla. Reached out and snapped a selfie. “You know Nick Sadler is around here somewhere. I I find him, I'll give you a shout-out, we can get a pic’

“Sounds good” I gave him a tilt of my head kind of nod as he walked off.

Kayla turned around and watched him for a minute before turning back to me. Her brows furrowed together making a dimpl right above her nose. It was the most adorable expression.

“What?”

She looked at me incredulously. “That guy Ken said something back there too. Don't these guys know who you are?”

“What do you mean?”

She laughed, and her smile illuminated the entire room. “They don’t know you're the actor, Nick Sadler. You're in your own costume, and they don't think it's really you."ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“And you figured it out? You didn’t watch the show, and you figured it out?” Damn, she was smart. Smart and sexy.

She shrugged. “My cousin showed me a picture of you, not in costume” She lifted her hand and ever so tentatively touched my cheek. “Your bone structure. I think I'd recognize you if you were painted blue”

“ve been blue before. Played an alien extra in Guardians of the Galaxy. You think you would recognize me?”

“Yeah, I do." She turned and held her hand out to me.

Islid my hand into hers, not sure what to expect. The bolt of electricity I felt with her touch was definitely not expected. But also, not a surprise. This woman was flipping all of my switches.

“Nice to meet you, Nick”

“Sh, I don't want anyone to know.”

“So, you dressed up as your most famous character?”

I gave her a look. She seemed to know a lot about me for someone who didn’t watch the show.

“My cousin and her friends could not shut up about you. They dressed me. I'm taped in. How weird is that?"

She gestured at her costume, and it gave me an opportunity to openly ogle her and all of her perfect curves.

“They think you're super-hot. They would probably pitch a fit right now if they knew you were speaking to me."

I opened my mouth to say something.

“Ym aware I am a pariah as far as Hollywood cool goes.”

“Would you be surprised if said I don't give a fuck about Hollywood cool?” I hated that she felt out of place here. Hell, I felt out of place here. “Look, we clearly belong in each other's company, at least for the evening. You are the Ishtaria I would have liked to have been cast opposite.”

“I could use a party companion. I got ditched by everyone I came in with. And I hate to say this, but most of the people here are not like you.”

“Incredibly handsome, and yet still completely unrecognizable?”

She giggled and my c**k jumped at the lyrical sound of her laughter. It wanted more. I wanted more.

“Nice. Funny. You don't seem like you are here to prove anything. I met Marci Wolf"

“I'm so sorry,” I said before I thought. Maybe she liked Marci. I shouldn't have let my personal opinion out.

Kayla sighed. “Oh good. It was so awkward. So, it's not just me?”

“What did she say?" I was prepared to go to battle for this woman's honor. Even though I knew Isaac would skin me alive. Kayla's nose twitched up. She shook her head. “Nothing obvious. More passive-aggressive than anything else. A lot of this party is passive-aggressive”

“I think this party is outwardly aggressive. Look, do you want to get out of here with me?” I found a large plant and a column that created a small, secluded space. I backed Kayla into the recess. I stood close, maybe too close for a “nice guy’

“I want to get out of here, but not for the same reasons you do.”

“And why do I want to get out of here?” I ran my knuckle down the side of her cheek with one hand while the other stroked the skin of her arm. I leaned in. The urge to kiss her was automatic. Her lips were soft and silky. She made a small humming noise.

When the kiss ended, she looked up at me with those big eyes of hers. And bit her lower lip. “fm... I can't”

“You aren't that kind of girl. And I should have paid better attention.’