The Billionaire Playboy's Regret (Lark and Max) novel Chapter 5

Her head was throbbing. She groaned and pulled a pillow tight over her head and whimpered when her mother’s voice filtered into her nightmare of a headache.

“Go away, Mom.”

“Sorry, honey. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. Considering the state of you when Riggs dropped you off, I was a bit concerned for alcohol poisoning.”

“There is a very real possibility I am poisoned.” She tried to lift her head and then let it fall back down with the pillow blackening out the bright lights of the room. She forgot to shut her curtains the night before.

“Bobbie used to joke her therapist’s name was Jack Daniels. I have a feeling you booked a hell of an appointment with him last night.”

“We had fun until Man-w***e Max showed up demanding we reminisce.”

“It’s been ten years.”

“Twelve and with luck it’ll be another twelve if there is a god in heaven to save me from myself.” She wiped the tear in the corner of her eye. She was feeling far too vulnerable as her mother slipped under the blankets and snuggled with her in the bed. “God, why on earth of all the people in the world, my stupid childhood crush has to be the guy who poses on the cover of GQ holding a dildo and looking sexy as f**k doing it?” She recalled Ollie telling her about his cover the night before and rolled her eyes.

Everly Hoffman giggled at her daughter’s words. “I think it’s saying a hell of a lot you’re more upset about seeing Max last night than you are leaving Douglas the night before.”

“Ugh,” she whined and snuggled against her mom’s shoulder. “I think part of it is why I’m so angry at Douglas. I took one look at Max and thought of the two girls who got into a fistfight in the cafeteria in senior year over who was going to get to blow him. What is wrong with monogamy? Why can’t a man commit to one woman, and it be enough? Men like Max and Douglas are everywhere, Mom.”

“You think they’re the same?”

“Yea, I do.” She inhaled sharply. “Seems like I have a type. Guys who can’t keep it in their pants.”

“I don’t know. I think there is a significant difference between a guy who makes it clear to anyone he is with he will never commit to them and plays the field and a guy who is in a committed relationship and f***s around.”

“Mom, I’m far too hungover to have a philosophical discussion on whether it makes a difference to my heart whether one is worse than the other. She has no business falling for either a player or a cheater. Besides, you’re biased.”

“Because Max is my godson?”

“No because he is your supplier of all the nasty s*x toys Fallon told me she stumbled upon.”

She giggled as her mother tickled her ribs for her comment.

“Hey, is this a private party or can anyone join?” Fallon’s voice carried out.

“We’re bashing man whores,” she lifted her head to look at her sister whose bright blue eyes were identical to hers and wiggled her fingers beckoning her to join them.

“I’m so in. I swear we were raised in an alternate universe or Dad, Olivier and Uncle Riggs are the last of a dying breed,” Fallon jumped into the bed, landing on the other side of Lark, and yanking the blankets over her shoulder. “A guy yesterday in my chemistry lab come up to me to tell me I was his new lab partner because he was commanding it to be so.To avoid an incomplete reading experience, visit Jobn’i’b.com. He introduced himself as ‘the third’ and I wanted to laugh in his face. Told me he could make all my college debt go away if I agreed to be his.”

Everly lifted her head with disgust over Lark’s head, “please tell me you told him to go screw himself.”

“Better. I mixed some compounds and smoked him out of the lab.”

“Where were the triplets?” Lark asked giggling.

“Ronnie was with his new girlfriend. Mori was probably banging a professor and LJ was likely videoing for her so they could extort him with it.”

“Fallon!” Everly glared at her.

Fallon shrugged, “don’t look at me, Mom. There is something inherently wrong with the Villeneuve genes. They’re my best friends and we grew up together, but they’re twisted as hell. Did you know Ronnie is constantly talking about how he has powers like his grandmother, and he can predict the future? It’s bullshit. He simply makes crazy stuff happen to suit his outcome, but he has the other two convinced and even Margot is starting to believe them. I love them but they’re insane. There is way too much of the Villeneuve Witch in their veins.”

“A lot of Moreno blood too,” Lark snorted. “Last night Ollie was channelling her grandfather far too well. I’m a hundred percent certain while we were in the car heading to the other club, she ordered a hit on a guy.”

“A hit?” Everly sat up in horror.

“Yeah.” Lark shrugged, “its par for the course for being besties with billionaires, especially ones who were personally groomed by Gael Moreno. He has mob connections, you know.”

Everly shook her head in disbelief, “you are far too laid back about all this.”

“I have nothing to be afraid of. My only fear last night was the hit may have been on Douglas. She wanted his balls on a plate.”