First to Lie: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Unraveled Book 1)

by Marie Johnston

  “None of it will work. I’m still putting you out of business and ripping down that piece of shit your store is in.”

  “I’m learning not to expect much more from you.”

  “Sit down and enjoy the rest of the flight, Mara. You’ll have to find your own way home.”

  Wha— A pit bloomed in her stomach. “You’re leaving me in a strange city in the middle of the night?”

  “I’m sure some guy will come along and be willing to rescue you. Seems to be your thing.”

  He had all the power and I was helpless, stuck thousands of feet in the air. My eyes locked on the seat the farthest away from him and I staggered to it. Before I collapsed in it to cry silently to myself, I turned back.

  “By the way, my mom asked about you, wanted to know how you were doing.”

  Another wince.

  On the bright side, we’d fought most of the flight and I didn’t have to wait long to land.

  I supposed Wes would want me to get off first. Ugh, I didn’t want to face him.

  Don’t let him break your heart.

  Sorry, Mom.

  The plane touched down while I clutched the armrests. We taxied for a few minutes before coming to a stop. I’d come up with a game plan through my haze. I had my debit card and license. How much would a ticket cost? As long as there were signs pointing me to a ticket counter, I’d find my way home.

  What if private jets landed in an entirely different area?

  No matter. I’d foot the bill for a ride.

  I unbuckled and clutched my purse. Wes walked down the aisle. His ominous presence warranted a long black cape billowing behind him to the beat of “The Imperial March.”

  One of the pilots appeared and Wes spoke a few words to him. Then the door opened with a burst of cold air and he disappeared.

  Not even a look back. And I’d hoped for what?

  For Wes to not be the heartless prick he’d been the last hour, to show me some of the guy who’d tucked me in and curled up behind me.

  Would it matter? He’d proved what he was capable of.

  I pushed up, but the pilot Wes had spoken to walked toward me.

  “Ms. Baranski, Mr. Robson made arrangements for us to return you home.”

  I stomped my relief down but made a quick, rash decision. “I appreciate it, but all I’d like are directions to where I can buy a commercial plane ticket.”

  Confusion registered in the man’s expression, with a touch of worry. “I’m sorry?”

  “Mr. Robson has made it clear how he feels about me accepting anyone’s generosity. Thank you. I’m sure it’s been a long night for you as well.”

  “But Ms. Baranski—”

  “Excuse me.” I skirted around him but stalled on the first step. Lights from buildings and planes surrounded me and I could make out little in the dark.

  “Are you sure, ma’am?”

  “Positive.”

  He rattled off what I had to do to get to a ticket counter and I was on my way.

  Chapter 18

  Wes

  I relayed the story. Exhaustion weighed me down. The whirlwind and stress of business in New York, the flight delay back due to a storm, all piled onto sleepless nights.

  Flynn listened with ever-rising eyebrows.

  We sat in Canon’s office on a Friday night. I always kept my door shut, but tonight it guarded against the beat of the music that would add to my pounding headache.

  “She didn’t let you fly her back?”

  “Nope.” I recalled my pilot’s worried recounting of Mara’s refusal and the man’s resentment at being put in the situation of ditching a young woman in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar city. Guess I deserved it.

  “What if she’s telling the truth about everything?”

  “Are you on her side?” My friend’s hypothetical question was the same one that had been running through my mind all week.

  “Look at you, Wes. Bloodshot eyes, wrinkled clothes. If you thought she was a money whore, you’d be out on the floor, picking up your entertainment for tonight.”

  I stared at the floor. “She got to me, that’s all. She’s that good.”

  “Good enough to get her grandpa to leave her money,” Flynn said dryly.

  I flipped him off. “I wasn’t talking about that.” And Helen had warned me she didn’t have all the facts. “The professor, Sam, her employee, and her customers. She’s a user.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” Flynn’s tone wasn’t his usual confident one. “I don’t like seeing you like this. I’m worried about you, bro.”

  “Don’t be. I’ll get over it.” I refused to admit that I’d fallen for Mara, but my words came close.

  “I was going to tell you to get out there and get back in the saddle.” Flynn leaned forward and whispered, “Bachelorette party. But,” he returned to concerned friend, “I don’t want you to do something stupid like elope with a fling because you have a broken heart.”

  I made a psssht sound. “I don’t have a broken heart. I don’t like her.”

  “Mm-hmm. In case I didn’t mention a bachelorette party, there’s one out there now and it’s calling me. Nothing like the always-a-bridesmaid-never-a-bride hookup.” Flynn left, but I didn’t miss the holy shit, dude, you’re a sad sack and I’m worried about you glance.

  I dove into my work. Pouring over shipment notices and orders, I was finally at a point where Mara wasn’t dominating my thoughts when my office phone rang.

  “Boss,” his bartender said, “there’s a hot chick here asking about you.”

  I was out of my office in seconds and weaving through the throng of people to the bar. What I saw when I approached slowed me to a halt.

  No Mara. Just Hailey in leggings and a low-slung top. With a frustrated grunt, I spun around and slammed back into my office.

  Mara

  I sat in my half-empty office and dabbed my eyes. It was the last game day. Chris had brought donuts again. Ephraim and Joe had each brought food and they’d lined up a goodbye potluck that had lasted until closing time.

  Choking on the overwhelming sense of loss, I’d escaped to my office.

  I hadn’t heard from Wes all week. Hadn’t expected to and had deleted his contact info from my phone.

  “Mara?” Chris called from the other side.

  “Come in.” Who cared if he saw me crying?

  He pushed open my door and his smile was understanding, and, dammit, I’d miss him.

  “I’ve been working on a proposal and looking for space. I…I emailed you a proposal if you’d seriously consider partnering with me.”

  “Oh god, Chris.” I scrubbed my eyes and cursed Wes for the eight-hundredth time in a week. If he hadn’t dragged my past through a mud pit, I might have considered Chris’s offer. “I’m really sorry. I don’t want to hold you back.”

  “I understand, but take a look and if things change, we’ll talk.”

  “I appreciate you not giving up on this place.”

  He shrugged and cut a hand through his shaggy hair. “A well-run comic store is hard to find. What you did with this place in less than three years is astounding. You have a good sense for business.”

  “I’d like to claim the success, but you and customers like Ephraim helped me a lot.” And Sam with his keen intellect and business experience.

  “No one ever does it by themselves. Don’t sell yourself short, Mara. You’re the one who led this operation and made the decisions.”

  “You don’t know how much I needed to hear that.” The complete opposite of the entire flight to New York.

  He looked regretfully toward the rest of the store. “I can’t believe next week is our last week. I guess I’ll see you Monday.”

  “I’ll walk out with you.”

  We wished each other a good weekend in the parking lot and then I was on my way home for a long night of job hunting and filling out applications.

  Chapter 19

  Wes

  I stared at the empty lo
t. The Heart of Downtown Mall was closed.

  The steep satisfaction I’d expected forty-five days ago was absent.

  Mara hadn’t tried calling me. No pleas for forgiveness, no fuck you, nothing but radio silence. As if I’d expected anything else.

  The weekend had been so utterly boring and here it was Friday and I faced another.

  Because I must be a masochist, I’d watched the entire run of Star Wars. Flynn had even popped in for a few movies. He’d left, saying he could feel his butt flattening as each new movie started.

  My driver texted me, asking if I needed a ride. Poor guy. He was starting to worry about his job. I kept driving the hybrid around. One day, I’d tell Helen to sell it, but for now, I…just couldn’t.

  No point in staring at an empty building.

  I took the stairs down to the ground floor because if Helen could track her steps and never use the elevator, I wasn’t about to push a button.

  The building receptionist was just picking up her bag. She threw me her thousand-watt smile. “Got exciting plans for the weekend, Mr. Robson?”

  “Absolutely,” I lied. “Have all keys been turned in from the Heart of Downtown?”

  “Two of the three. Arcadia’s keys haven’t been turned in yet.”

  I inclined my head in acknowledgment and walked out into air as cold as my soul felt.

  Mara

  My store was officially closed. Arcadia was no more. Technically, I didn’t have to be out until Monday. But I had interviews arranged all next week, so I was determined to clear out during the weekend. And since my visits with my mom were on Sundays, I’d spent my Saturday moving.

  A week ago, the place had been hopping with people and laughter. My lineup of gaming systems that hadn’t sold waited to be packed in the scattered boxes and hauled out. Between eBay and Craigslist, I planned to sell what hadn’t moved before the final shutdown yesterday.

  I went to push my bangs out of my eyes, but my hand fell to my side. How long to break the habit? Just before I’d come to the store, I’d had a hair appointment—no more pink, and a new sleek cut. I still had bangs, but they had been shortened and tapered into the rest of my hair, which fell to my shoulders. They’d cut a good three inches off but I could still do ponytails. I planned to finish hauling boxes home so that after my visit on Sunday I could look for professional clothing.

  After one load, I returned to the store and lifted more boxes and any small shelves I could fit into my car. I’d asked Chris to take as much of the furniture as possible, otherwise it’d have to stay and go down with the building. Or get sold and added to Wes’s massive fortune.

  So, it’d go down with the store.

  “Aw, man.” My favorite Batman leggings had a tiny hole. Perfect symbolism. Everything I loved was being destroyed.

  Making a slow circle, I considered whether I should try to load more. Some of the items were just too large and too heavy. Chris had said he’d filled his garage. So what was left was likely going to stay.

  The front door chimed and a sense of alarm raced through me. I’d backed my car as close as possible to use the bigger door, but I should’ve locked it.

  I wheeled around and my heart stopped at the last gorgeous man on earth I wanted to see. “What are you doing here?”

  Wes’s gaze swept over me and settled on my forehead. “What the fuck happened to your hair?”

  It looked nice! I patted it to make sure no strands were out of place. “Pink doesn’t scream young professional and I need every advantage during my interviews. What are you doing here?”

  “You didn’t return the keys.”

  “I have until Monday. Forty-five days.”

  His brows drew down for a millisecond. Hadn’t thought of that, had he?

  He wandered around the store. Did he see the same desolation I did?

  I studied his outfit. A CEO’s version of business casual. His slacks draped perfectly to his expensive shoes, and his pristine shirt was unbuttoned at the neck. No tie and the sleeves were rolled up. No coat despite the dropping October temps, but then he didn’t have far to go to track down the keys.

  I spun to the counter that used to house action figures and advertisements for Comic-Cons but was now empty and collecting dust. The keys rested on the top. I snatched them up, but when I turned, I plastered myself against the counter.

  Wes stood a foot away. “Your leggings have a hole.”

  “That happens.” I hated the breathless quality to my voice. Hate was too strong of a term, but extreme disappointment and serious dislike were adequate.

  “You got home okay?”

  “Obviously.”

  His gaze caressed my face like he couldn’t get used to my grown-up look. “How much did the ticket cost?”

  “More than I’d planned to spend. But thanks to Grandpa Kostopoulos, I covered it.”

  The blue of his eyes darkened a shade. “Why didn’t you just take the damn plane home?”

  I pushed off the counter and poked his rock-hard chest. “You know why.”

  He crowded me into the counter and placed his hands on either side. “It wasn’t a test. You should’ve let them fly you home.”

  I refused to cower, which wasn’t hard when he smelled divine. Not cologne, I’d noticed he never fussed with the stuff, but whoever washed his clothes chose good detergent.

  And I knew what he looked like naked. Gloriously naked and aroused and geez, it wasn’t helping.

  His head dropped lower, but I wouldn’t retreat. My eyes were glued to his lips.

  “You didn’t fire the pilots or anything, did you?” I asked.

  “Why would I do that? I’m not unreasonable.”

  I raised an eyebrow and meant to look around the room, but he covered the distance between us and captured my mouth.

  Holy Batman, how was I going to resist him? I held him to me by his collar and he deepened the kiss. His taste was as good as imprinted on my brain.

  His hands gripped my waist and lifted me to the counter.

  No, I was going to end it. Flattening my hands against his chest, I meant to push him away, but his hands drifted up my shirt to cup my heavy breasts and they all but screamed at me to let him keep going.

  Our tongues clashed, movements growing more desperate. I couldn’t pull away so I poured my anger into our kiss. Without breaking contact, he reached down to shove my left shoe off, and together we wrestled to get my leggings down. Only one leg was necessary without a shoe to block. I slid my leg free.

  Cool glass pressed against my ass. His tongue swirled against mine as his hand cupped my sex. His thumb found my clit and rubbed.

  The time we’d been apart felt like years of abstinence. I clawed at the clasp of his slacks. He didn’t release me to help but held me close.

  Freeing his shaft, I tilted my pelvis. He released my sex to shove inside and immediately started thrusting.

  My whine was needy and turned into a moan. Between his embrace and my legs wrapped around him, I was pressed against him so tight, I marveled he could move his hips.

  My climax rushed closer. I opened my mouth to pant. He did the same. Our lips were touching, but we were breathing into each other, using each other for support.

  “Oh god, Wes.”

  His shoulders went rigid before he pumped harder and it dawned on me, it was the first time I’d called out his real name during sex.

  I crested and clutched his shoulders. “Yes!”

  He growled my name.

  His hot release spilled inside of me.

  I gasped and my eyes flew open wide. His did the same.

  He looked down to where we were connected and panic raced through his expression. Mine probably matched.

  “You poison my thinking.”

  If real venom formed his words, I’d be more hurt than I was. But I’d been thinking the same about him.

  “I’m sure it’s fine. Wrong time of the month.”

  The doubt on his face was more hurtful than saying I
was poisonous.

  I sighed and scooted back. “I can notify your office when I get my period.”

  More than a little bitterness touched those words.

  He pulled out and stuffed himself back in his pants. I wiggled to the side to rearrange my leggings and pull them up, but he stepped with me.

  Craning his neck over his shoulder, he swore. My eyes flew wide. Anyone driving by had gotten a good show. It was night outside and while I only had one row of my fluorescent lights on, it was enough to spotlight us.

  Surprisingly, he helped me get my foot into my pants and lifted me down so I could roll them up.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled.

  “This doesn’t change anything,” he said roughly.

  “Didn’t think it did.” I couldn’t meet his gaze as I handed him the keys.

  I left him standing at the counter while I hefted the last box and walked out the door for the last time.

  Wes

  Helen listed dates and times.

  A week had passed since that Saturday night with Mara on the counter. No protection. I’d never gone without protection.

  It’d been glorious. She’d been all wet heat and her orgasm over my naked flesh was the best I’d ever experienced.

  “Sir?”

  “Say again.” Might as well not pretend I was listening.

  “Our legal team worked with the city and the permits are in order. Our demolition date has not changed.”

  “Fabulous.” No one could argue that an upgrade was in order, but…I’d have a hard time watching it get demolished.

  “We finished our investigation on Mara Baranski.”

  I cut a look over my shoulder. “Just leave it on the desk.”

  The thin file was set down without being opened.

  “Was there anything more?” I asked quietly.

  “Not really. No prom pictures or news clips. William Kostopoulos was her grandfather. I included financial data for Golden Meadows. I couldn’t get ahold of her mom’s medical records, obviously, but I printed off some information on multiple sclerosis.”