Текст книги "Lie to You"

Автор книги: J. C. Valentine

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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 12 страниц)

Turning my head, I look up at him with longing. Glancing down at me, a frown pulls at Rebel’s mouth. After slathering on another coat of aloe, he places the bottle on the bedside table beside the half-empty two-liter and lays down on the other pillow facing me.

His dark eyes lock with mine, concern reflecting back at me. “Did I hurt you?”

I shake my head.

“You’re upset with me.”

“No.”

“Then what?” he asks, his voice pitching low to match mine.

The words I want to say hover on the tip of my tongue, threatening to spill free. But I hold them back, almost desperately, because even I know how stupid it would be to let them out. Rebel and I are too new with too much still left to figure out, too much still unresolved. I bite my tongue, choking the words down.

Then I tell him what I concluded a week ago, right after I had sex with his brother and right before I slinked from his bed under the cover of darkness. “I choose you.”

THIRTEEN

Rebel’s reaction to my decision wasn’t exactly what I expected. Okay, I had no idea what to expect from a man who’s about as closed off as a bank vault. But if the endless night of wild, animalistic sex is any indication of how he was feeling, then I suppose he was pretty damn thrilled with my choice.

That leaves me with the problem of enacting my plan. Admittedly, it’s not very solid or well-thought out. I’ve gotten as far as driving to my destination and scoping it out with a very clichéd set of binoculars done up in green camo I picked up in the sporting goods section of Walmart.

I am sitting in my car down the block from Rebel’s apartment working on a half-baked theory. I have no idea who Florence is outside of the first time I met her at Mirage. To say my knowledge of her is limited is a massive understatement. All I really know about her is that she had some type of relationship with Rebel that may or may not be current, that Ransom knows about her in some capacity, too, and that the last time I saw her was in their apartment.

It’s a Saturday and my only day off. I don’t even know what I am going to do. I have zero plans except to sit here and monitor the building. If Rebel knew what I was doing, I would venture to guess that he wouldn’t be a happy camper. Something tells me that he doesn’t appreciate having his privacy violated. Plus, the latest status of our relationship suggests that each of us has placed a certain amount of trust in one another.

Trust that I am currently destroying with every minute that I continue sitting here.

When I think about it like that, I feel kind of disgusted with myself. Lowering the binoculars, I sigh. What the hell am I doing, spying on my…boyfriend? Lover? It dawns on me that we haven’t exactly labeled whatever it is we have going on here. If this were Ransom I was talking about, there would be no question about it. He already claimed me as his girlfriend when we were still a closely kept secret.

I sigh again. When did my life become so damn complicated?

Oh, right. The night I accepted an invitation to a mysterious man’s hotel room.

I wonder what it might have been like had I never met Rebel. I would have missed out on some great sex, that’s for sure. But I still would have met Ransom. Would not knowing Rebel have changed our paths? Would we have still gotten together? That’s the thing about history. There’s no way of telling how it might have played out had our choices been different. We’re left with making the most out of what we know now.

Still, I don’t think I would change anything. My choices have taken me to some great places. While some of the details could be better, I can’t say I regret anything.

I have Rebel. I have the possibility of more. With him, there are no guarantees, and probably a lot more uncertainties than if I had chosen Ransom, but there something inside of me that tells me Rebel is the real deal. He’s a puzzle, but he’s also a man who goes all in, and I want that. I need that.

So, rather than continue to sit here like a jealous girlfriend, I toss the binoculars into the passenger seat, turn on the ignition, and blend into traffic.

After stopping off for an iced coffee and a greasy cheeseburger, I head for home. I’m nearly there when I realize that I am being followed.

The silver BMW stands out like a sore thumb. It may be a classic looking sedan, but it’s rich and flashy and to me, unmistakable.

As is the driver.

Ransom takes no measures to hide himself from me, pulling up so close to my bumper at the red light that all I can see is his face in my mirror.

Well, then. Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today. The thought of beds makes me remember how I left him the last time I saw him, and that I’ve been stanchly avoiding him ever since.

I have to give him credit, though. Ransom still holds a key to my apartment. Therefore, he could have abused that privilege and barged in on me anytime to demand answers, but he’s kept his distance.

I guess that time is over now.

Knowing I have to answer to him, I lead us in the opposite direction of my apartment, stripping away any possible temptation and placing us in neutral territory—a nearby playground.

It’s small, open to the street, and there are children everywhere.

Ransom is already walking toward me when I climb out of the car. He’s wearing expensive Oakley’s that hide his eyes completely, making it impossible for me to gauge his mood. Yet, I know he’s got to be pissed. I’d certainly be if I were in his shoes.

“A park, Joe? Really?”

Yep, he’s mad. I start walking toward a weathered picnic bench tucked beneath a maple tree. “Why were you following me?”

“Why were you watching my apartment?” he lobs back.

“Don’t you mean Rebel’s?” I say smartly. “I was performing a little light recon work. How did you know I was there?” I thought I had been careful. Parking my car at the end of the block made it difficult for even me to see the tall building, hence the binoculars.

“I was on my way back from my morning jog and I spotted your car.”

Looking him over now, I realize that he is indeed dressed for exercise. His sleeveless tank and loose shorts are soaked through in places with sweat. It’s information I would have known had I still been going on my daily jogs with him.

“Why the park, Joe?” Ransom asks when I fail to respond.

“I didn’t think it would be a good idea to do this at my apartment.”

“You wanted witnesses? Why? Because you think I might get violent?” He sneers, the idea clearly abhorrent to him. “I’m not that kind of man, Joe, and you’d know that if you gave me half a chance to prove myself.”

Uncomfortable with the inability to see his eyes through the mirrored shades, I cast my gaze toward the jungle gym where a couple of small boys are chasing each other. Someone must have tipped him off about my decision, and there’s only one person I can think of who’d do that. “Rebel?”

“Yeah, he couldn’t wait to tell me,” he snarls. “Why him, Joe? I thought we had something going. After last week, I thought you’d finally made your choice.”

“I did. I chose him.”

“Do you realize how little sense that makes?” he questions, his words laced with venom. “You have sex with me and then you choose him. Do you even know what the hell is going on in that head of yours?”

I glare at him, annoyed by his tone. “Having sex with you is what made me realize what I wanted. You and I? We were never going to happen, Ransom. It’s like Rebel said, I was his first.” The words flow out effortlessly and I realize in a sudden flash of clarity how true they are. Rebel captured me a long time ago.

“So that’s what it comes down to?” Tearing off his glasses, Ransom stares me down. “He had you first so he wins? What about what happened last weekend? Doesn’t seeing him with another woman influence your decision at all?”

“It wasn’t what it looked like. Rebel said—”

“Right,” Ransom says, cutting me off. “Because everything that comes out of Rebel’s mouth is the fucking gospel.”

“Shhhh! There are children here.” I look around, hoping none of them heard. Thankfully, everyone seems to be preoccupied with having fun, completely oblivious to our verbal sparring. “Rebel swears he doesn’t remember anything about that night, and he doesn’t know how she got in the apartment. But he’s going to look into it.”

“You know what’s funny, Joe?” Ransom says with a humorless laugh. “I never pegged you for being so naïve. Did it ever occur to you that she might have a key?”

It had occurred to me, which was why I was scoping out the apartment earlier. I was hoping—or rather, not hoping—that she would show up and I would catch her in the act of using it. Then I planned to take it from her—forcibly if I had to. Of course, this was all assuming she had one in the first place, which Ransom is now confirming she does.

“It doesn’t matter if she does or not,” I tell him, lifting my chin. “Rebel said they’ve been over for months.” I’m trying to be strong here, be reasonable and rational. I don’t want to leap to one conclusion after another. I want to believe Rebel, so I have to think before I act.

“Are you kidding me?” Ransom shakes his head as if he pities me. I clench my jaw, irritated beyond measure. “It doesn’t even matter that he’s been screwing his boss behind your back? That it’s clearly not over between them? You’re just going to stick your head in the sand and pretend that none of it ever happened? Pretend that we never happened.”

“What did you just say?” My blood is roaring in my ears now. I couldn’t have heard him right.

“Oh, he didn’t tell you?” Ransom’s lips curve up in a hateful smirk, making him look so unlike the man I’ve come to know, the one who was above such pettiness. It’s an ugly look on him. I would walk away from him this instant if I didn’t need to hear what he had to say.

“That’s right, Joe. Florence is his boss. She’s the one who sends him out on all those ‘business trips.’ Every now and then, she even tags along. I’m sure you can guess how they spend their time away.”

I’m going to be sick. My mind is racing, backtracking through my conversation with Rebel. How could I have been so blind? So utterly stupid? I asked him flat out about her and he denied having any involvement with her. He behaved as if they had no connection anymore.

But that’s not true, is it? If what Ransom is saying is true, she’s his boss. She oversees everything. Rebel answers to her. Christ, he’s been inside her. So when Rebel said that he hasn’t seen her in weeks, he was lying through his perfectly straight white teeth, wasn’t he? Or is it Ransom who’s lying?

The whole thing is so wildly dysfunctional and beyond comprehension, it leaves me reeling.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask, my fingers clamping down on the edge of the table so hard they whiten at the tips. I finally made my decision, but what if it was the wrong one?

“It wasn’t my place. You had a choice to make. What would it look like if I swooped in and started filling you in on his backstory?” he asks. “I would have looked like the jealous lover trying to tarnish his brother’s reputation so I could win you over. It would have been the equivalent of me shooting myself in the foot right before the race.” Folding his arms on the table, Ransom leans in, dipping his head so he can look me in the eye. “You needed to figure him out for yourself and make your decision on your own.”

I’m torn between being mad at him and understanding what he’s telling me. Assuming everything he’s said is true, I get why he didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news. The recipient almost always ends up getting pissed off at them and runs in the opposite direction, and I know enough about myself to say that I would have been stubborn enough to do just that. But I feel like such a fool now.

Drawing in a steeling breath, I sit up taller. “Why tell me now, then? Why wait? You saw them together that night. You could have told me then.” He could have saved me from this clawing heartache.

“I told you, I thought you’d made your choice. How was I supposed to know hours after climbing into my bed, you’d return to his?” He’s angry again, and I can’t say that I blame him. “You left me hanging for a solid week, Joe. You left me wondering if I did something wrong, if you just needed some time. Then I had to hear from my brother that it wasn’t me you wanted after all?” He shakes his head, and all I want to do is reach out to him. I can’t seem to do anything right lately.

“I didn’t intend to string you along. I just needed some time to sort everything out and make sure I knew what I wanted first. Then I had to figure out what to say and how to say it. I’ve had a lot on my mind this week,” I explain. “If Rebel hadn’t shown up at my apartment, I probably still wouldn’t have said anything to either of you.”

“So what if I had shown up at your apartment?” Ransom challenges. “Was this a first come first serve situation? Did I just miss my window?”

His words feel like a slap in the face. “You don’t have to be so vicious about this. This is hard for me, too.”

“Yeah, only because you just realized that you made a huge fucking mistake.” Standing, Ransom puts his glasses back in place, shutting me out. “You’ve made your decision, and I have to respect it. All I can tell you now is good luck with my brother. You’re going to need it.”

Finalizing his words, he walks away and I find myself staring out across the playground wondering what the hell I’m going to do next. I think I might have chosen wrong, and now everything is a wreck.

Dropping my head into my hands, I close my eyes and retreat into myself, until the sun begins to set and the sounds of children playing grow scarce. Then I pick myself up, dust myself off, and head for home.

FOURTEEN

I’m digging myself a hole. I haven’t drummed up the guts to confront Rebel yet. I don’t know what I’m waiting for, but every time I see him, I end up biting my tongue. I hate confrontation, and it’s impossible to stay angry with him when he’s being nothing but sweet to me.

How am I supposed to yell at someone whose smile is so perfect and endearing?

Hanging out at the club all night, Rebel watched me dance, and then he waited for me to finish working the floor and collect my tips before escorting me home. He stayed the night, ravishing my body and mind with his powerfully addictive hands and mouth until we were both too exhausted to keep our eyes open. He’s infusing my every waking moment with his presence so that all I can think about is him.

As soon as the sun came up this morning, he rolled out of bed and made us a hearty breakfast of blueberry pancakes and fresh squeezed orange juice. Now, we’re in the back of a limo driving to God knows where. All he’ll tell me is that I’ll find out when we get there and to sit back and relax.

That’s impossible to do. I’m a person who thrives on having control, which I never have with Rebel. He knows this, which is probably why he’s so amused now.

Glancing away from the window, I catch him watching me from across the seat with that damning half-smile again, and I narrow my eyes. “You’re a little too happy about this. I demand to know where we’re going.”

His left eyebrow arches up. “You demand to know?”

I tip my head. “Yes, demand.”

Stretching out his long legs, he smirks. “Be patient, pussycat. We’re almost there.”

“You’re abducting me, Rebel. I have no qualms about rolling down this window and screaming for help,” I warn him with a playful lilt as my finger twitches over the automatic window button.

“Gerardo,” Rebel barks, directing his attention to the driver behind me.

“Sir.”

“Would you please place the child lock on the windows?”

“Yes, sir.”

Gaping, I flick the button, testing it. The window doesn’t budge. “Was that necessary?”

“You threatened, I answered.” He shrugs casually. “Now sit back and behave.”

“Treating me like a child now. Check,” I mutter to myself, just loud enough for him to hear me.

“Check?”

“Oh, I didn’t tell you?” I say, feigning innocence. “I’m keeping a list of grievances. It’s getting quite long.”

“Is it now?” Leaning forward in his seat, Rebel’s large hands cover my bare knees. His eyes dance with humor as he stares into mine. “I’ll have to ante up soon, then. Can’t have my best girl working herself into a tizzy.”

I know he’s being playful, but his choice of words is poor. “Best girl” reminds me that I may not be his only one. Just the thought of Florence ruins my good mood. Casting my gaze out at the passing city streets, I bite down on my tongue until I taste metal.

“Did I say something wrong?” Rebel asks, his voice holding a note of concern.

Shaking my head, I tell him, “No. Just wondering where you’re taking me.”

Rebel doesn’t say anything right away, piquing my curiosity. Turning my head, I glance up at him to find him already looking at me. I smile shyly and my eyes dart away again.

“Forgive me, but I was under the impression we’d agreed to trust one another. Was I wrong?”

Once again, I’ve managed to upset him, but damn it, he’s upset me, too. I refuse to feel guilty about that. “Not where I’m concerned, no,” I hedge. My blood pressure is starting to rise and no matter how hard I try to bite my tongue, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to keep it up.

“What are you getting at, Josephine? And don’t say nothing, because I can tell you’re hiding something.”

I feel his onyx eyes boring into the side of my head. Coupled with the hard edge in his voice, I know I’m treading on dangerous waters. I don’t mean for it to happen, but the words I’ve been avoiding spill out of their own accord.

“Why didn’t you tell me that Florence is your boss? Or that she has a key to your apartment? You speak about how we’re supposed to trust each other, but you flat out lied to my face when you said I’m the only woman in your life.”

Shit. If possible, his eyes grow darker than I’ve ever seen them before. They’re not just black, they’re an abyss, a black hole that threatens to suck everything around it into its vortex and destroy it.

“Florence doesn’t have anything to do with you and me. She’s not a factor here.”

I hear Ransom’s voice in my ear saying different, and my blood boils. “The hell she isn’t. She’s smack dab in the middle of us.” With her still in the picture, I’m certain I can’t be. It will hurt like a sonofabitch, but I will walk away.

Heaving a tired sigh, Rebel reaches across the seat and hits a button on the door panel. A tinted window slides into place behind me, dividing us from the driver and creating a private enclosure for us to argue freely.

Still watching out the window, he says, “Like I said, we’ve been done for months. As soon as I came to my senses and realized what a mistake it was to be involved with a coworker, much less my boss, I ended it. The only reason I didn’t say anything was because of this. You would have thrown a fit just like you are now, and what would it have accomplished?”

I gape at him. “Trust, maybe? If you’d been forthcoming from the start, I might not feel like I can’t trust you now.”

“Come on, Josephine,” he says, casting me a doubtful look. “You decided not to trust me long before you knew she was my boss. Telling you would have just added fuel to the fire.”

“What fire, Rebel? I’ve been nothing but patient and understanding from the get-go. I wouldn’t be sitting here if that wasn’t true. If anyone has trust issues here, it’s you,” I accuse. “You’ve been withholding from me from the beginning, so don’t blame what’s happening now on me.”

“Then who should I blame it on? My brother? Because he’s definitely got something to do with it. Trust me on that.”

“If you’re referring to him ratting you out, then yeah, he has a lot to do with it. At least he has the balls to tell it to me straight.”

Rebel glares back at me. I can see the muscles in his jaw clenching as he considers me.

“Are you going to tell me what Florence—your boss—is doing with a key to your apartment?” I question. “Or is that asking too much?”

With great reluctance, he bites out, “She has a key because she owns the building.”

I feel my eyebrows shoot up into my hairline. “She’s your landlord? Jesus, talk about shitting where you eat.” And I’m sure he’s feasted at her table more than once. My stomach drops at the sickening thought.

“If you’re determined to fight with me tonight, then maybe I should turn the car around and take you home.”

I laugh, because I’m too pissed off for words. Crossing my arms over my breasts, I stare blankly out the window. “That’s great. You do that.”

I wait for him to give the instructions to the driver, but Rebel falls silent as death. Time seems to pass at a sluggish pace, and the tension in the air surrounding us only grows thicker with each passing second.

I want out of this car. The curiosity and excitement responsible for getting me in it with him in the first place has been replaced with animosity and a serious need to be alone. Rebel is not my favorite person right now. Far from it, actually.

“Do you know the difference between you and me?” Rebel asks, his voice a low, thick rumble.

I don’t bother answering him because I know he’ll tell me anyway.

“I don’t give up that easily.”

Rolling my eyes, I reply in a defeated tone, “Just take me home, Rebel. I’m not in the mood to play your games.”

“I agree. I’m not in the mood to play games either. So I’ll tell you what I’m going to do.” Inching closer, Rebel seats himself directly across from me. From my peripherals, I can see him watching me. “I’m going to take you to this exclusive shop I know and I’m going to buy you a dress. You’re going to wear it to accompany me to dinner, where you’ll put on an award winning smile while I introduce you to some colleagues. Then, I’m going to take you home and fuck you blind and we’re going to forget this tiff ever happened.”

“You’re a real piece of work, Rebel,” I say through a huff of laughter. “I can’t believe you think I would do anything you want right now.”

“I believe it because I know you.”

My head whipping around, I level him with an icy glare. “Listen close, Rebel. I’ve said this once and this is the last time I’ll say it. You don’t know shit about me. I’m not your little pet, I’m not a toy, and I will bite the hand that feeds me, especially when it belongs to an overconfident pig like you.”

The bastard has the nerve to smile as I say this. My hand twitches in my lap, itching to reach out and smack him.

“There’s my saucy little vixen,” Rebel purrs, and the look he gives me is so dark and sexy, my stomach flips. His hand delves between his thighs and begins stroking his hard length through his trousers. “Why don’t you come over here and let me help relieve you of some of that aggression?”

“Ah! You’re so infuriating!” Shifting in my seat, I bang on the partition. Moments pass without answer, and I pound my fist on it again.

“You’re wasting your energy. Gerardo answers only to me.”

“So I’m your prisoner now? What do you think you’re going to do, Rebel? Drive around the city until Stockholm’s sets in?”

“If that’s what it takes,” he says casually, completely unaffected.

Outraged, I open my mouth and release a bloodcurdling scream that leaves my ears ringing. Yet, still, Rebel rests easy, staring at me through that eternally cool façade. “Fuck you, Rebel,” I snarl. “Just fuck you. Take me home, right fucking now, or I swear I’ll throw myself out of this car.”

Rebel is across the seat and has me in his arms before I can blink. He takes me by the shoulders and turns me to face him. “You listen to me, Josephine,” he growls. “As much as I enjoy it when you’re feisty, I’m finished with this stubborn, dramatic bullshit. So shut your mouth and listen up.

“I went to a lot of trouble setting this evening up, and I’ll be damned if it’s going to be ruined by baseless conjecture. I’m calling the shots tonight. You’ll do what I say and follow my lead. Whatever you want to fight about, save it for later. Are we clear?”

Admittedly, Rebel is a little scary when he gets like this. The unrelenting look in his eyes leaves no room for argument. He’s determined to get his way and he’s willing to hold me hostage to do it.

Knowing the only danger he poses is to my sanity, I decide it’s probably best to play along. Rebel wants me on his arm. He wants to show me off to a roomful of coworkers. Fine by me because, it occurs to me that in this instance, being complacent is working in my favor. I have a good feeling that a certain redhead will be in attendance and I intend to use this opportunity to my advantage.

Rebel’s taking me into the heart of the lion’s den, only I intend to be the lioness…and I’m out for blood.

Smoothing my features out, I meet his waiting gaze and tell him, “Crystal.”