The Billionaire Secret 2 (Billionaire, BWWM, Interracial, Romance) Read Online Free

tell me you can’t dance, Blake Hanley.”
    “I’d be telling you a lie, then” he told her as he swung her around and tried to dip her. There were too many people in the way, so she was only a few inches away from him. The lights were dim, but he could see the twinkle in her eyes as if it were a bright, sunny day. She was inwardly laughing at him, and he felt embarrassment well welling up. There were things even a billionaire wasn’t good at, and not enough money on the planet could turn him into a man who could sweep a woman off her feet just by dancing.
    “It’s okay. I love you anyway.” He felt warmth spread through him when he realized she meant it, and a shiver began from the base of his spine to the nape of his neck. He hoped he’d never stop feeling that when she told him she loved him.
    “And I love you,” he whispered to her as he brought her up out of the tiny dip. He pulled her close and put his hands on her hips, felt warmth when she wrapped her arms around his neck, and rested his forehead against hers. They breathed each other in as they swayed back and forth to the slow beat of a blues song. It had been one a song Julia had convinced Blake to allow to be played at the party.
    The overhead lights turned from a pale white glow to blue and then back to white. The theme was classic New Year’s Eve with sparkling decorations and champagne flutes with the year making up the stem. He’d thought it was cheesy, but Aiyana had liked it when they’d walked in, so he’d decorate every year like this as long as she was with him.
    “Excuse me, but would you mind if I cut in for the next dance?” It was a deep male voice and as soon as the words sunk in, Blake felt a flash of jealousy.
    “I’d love to,” Aiyana told the man as she stepped away from Blake with a shy smile. When he turned to face the man who had interrupted the last bit of the dance, he realized it was Richard Updike, one of the department presidents.
    “Richard, it’s good to see your enjoying the party.” He held out his hand amicably and shook with the older gentlemen. While he wasn’t afraid Aiyana would leave him anytime soon, he’d just thought he’d have her all to himself that night. Not wanting to seem overly jealous or overbearing, Blake stepped back and wished them well before he returned to his seat.
    Julia had chased away the man she’d been talking to and was nursing a glass of red wine. Before she realized he’d returned, she almost looked disappointed, but the look changed to a teasing interest when she caught sight of him. “You’re back so soon? You didn’t step on her toe, did you?”
    “Nothing like that, but I might step on Richard’s.” He knew he could be candid around her and smiled to let her know he was joking. “Why so sad?”
    “Why ever would you say that?” She smiled harder, yet he saw the waver on the one corner and knew it to be false. He waited; she persisted, and finally caved as she took another sip of her wine. “I couldn’t find a date for the party, and I think I’m one of the only one here without one. Am I really that repulsive? Tell me, do my teeth look bad? Do I stink?”
    She made a show of lifting up her lip with one finger and simultaneously sniffing in the direction of her armpit, making her look like a demented monkey. He couldn’t help himself smiling and shaking his head.
    “It could be the resemblance to a chimpanzee in your mannerisms,” he joked, but he saw the flash of hurt in her eyes and instantly regretted it. Before he could think about it, he reached across the table and took hers in his. There was warmth, but never a spark between the two of them. It was just a friendly gesture of comfort. “You’re perfect, Julia. Don’t let a bunch of stuck up chimps in suits make you ever think you’re not.”
    There was a moment before she withdrew her hand and put it in her lap as she rolled her eyes. “You’re such a sap sometimes,” she told him. “But thank