When Fake Changed Everything
Page 6
“Hey Gabriel, I didn’t know you were coming. Why didn’t you email me? You could have come to mine before the party and we could have all come together.”
Todd’s arm encircled my waist and I was tucked into his warm body. Glancing up at his face, my brows rose in question. His face was shuttered but his arm remained around me.
I shook my head, not at all sure what his problem was. I glanced back to Gabriel when he started to chatter.
“I would have, but it was a last-minute thing. I only confirmed I was coming yesterday and when I rang your office I was told you were out sick. So I wasn’t sure you’d even be coming tonight.” His voice trailed off as his gaze moved behind me and a look of longing crossed his pretty face.
I tried to turn to see who he was looking at, but Todd held me captive. “What…” I struggled to move away, “…are you doing?” I was a little more breathless than I should have been from my body rubbing against the hard muscles of Todd’s when he finally released me. His head lowered towards me, his eyes demanding answers. “Who is this man and why would you be inviting him into your home?”
I was shocked into stillness.
He’s jealous! Todd was jealous of Gabriel.
“He’s… a friend… nothing more,” I stuttered, embarrassing myself when my face flamed at the look of relief that flashed over Todd’s before he could conceal it.
A satisfied smirk replaced the relief and made me itch to give him a swift kick to the balls. Instead, I moved my attention back to Gabriel who was no longer looking behind me but staring at both Todd and me.
“So who is this?” he asked, an impish grin on his face as he gave Todd a once over.
Not feeling as smug, I moved back and tucked myself into Todd’s side and put a proprietary hand on his chest. “This is my boyfriend, Todd.”
Gabriel’s face lit up with happiness that I knew was genuine. We’d had many a conversation about finding boyfriends.
“Wow, if you don’t mind me saying, he’s a real daddy bear.” His expression turned dreamy and I couldn’t help but laugh when Todd choked on the drink he’d just taken a sip of.
“Yes, he is,” I quipped back, giving Todd a saucy wink.
“Stop it the pair of you,” Todd spluttered, placing his drink back on the bar. “I’ll leave you two to catch up while I find a restroom.”
He strolled off and Gabriel fanned his face. “You really hit pay dirt there.”
“I know,” I preened, unable to stop the happiness welling up inside me from spilling out. “He’s always been it for me.” I sighed at the reality of what I’d confided to Gabriel.
“Well, make sure you keep a tight hold on him. A man that can put that amount of happiness on your face is hard to come by, and I should know. I’ve been searching for years for my pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”
He sounded so miserable that I placed my own drink down to give him a hug, “You’ll find your man, he’s out there waiting for you, I promise.”
Gabriel sighed into my ear and hugged me back. “Let’s hope so,” he said as he pulled back.
Several colleagues strolled up and started chatting, so we let the conversation drop. I picked my drink back up and listened with half an ear, chipping in every now and then while I waited for Todd to return.
After several drinks, and feeling a little more merry than normal, I persuaded Todd to dance with me when the DJ put on a classic song by Beverley Craven. As we swayed to the music, I nestled my head on Todd’s chest while he held me close. I wanted the song to last forever as the words hit a chord inside me.
The thought that Todd would be leaving me in a few short days sat there, waiting to remind me at every turn.
When the song ended and a dance song came on, I let Todd lead me back to the bar.
Todd
“I NEED TO USE THE bathroom. I’ll be back in a minute,” Jamie slurred cutely as he swayed, righted himself and walked off unsteadily.
As I made to follow, Gabriel clutched at my arm, stopping me. “Whatever you do, don’t hurt him,” he said, his expression deadly serious.
Having watched him and Jamie over the last couple of hours, the jealousy I’d initially felt at Jamie suggesting Gabriel come to his home had waned. It was evident that there was nothing more than friendship between the two men. And I could see he was genuinely concerned about Jamie.
I gave the people lingering nearby an assessing glance before answering honestly. “I love him. I’ve loved him for more years than I care to think about. I won’t hurt him. I’d rather cut my own arm off than do that.”
Gabriel giggled and clutched at my arm. “I don’t think Jamie would like that. I’ve seen the way he’s been eyeing your arms and those bulging muscles.” He licked his lips, his own eyes raking over my upper body. “I don’t blame him in the slightest,” he said in a sexy drawl.
I untangled myself from him with shaky hands, sweating a bit too much for my own liking. I waved him off, “I’m just going to check on Jamie, see if he’s alright,” I mumbled, making a fast retreat.
Nodding at several of the people that Jamie had introduced me to as they smiled at me, I carried on through the ballroom. My thoughts were on Jamie and how he’d been a little unsteady before heading to the restroom. I stopped and searched the packed room behind me to check he hadn’t returned and I’d missed him. When I came up empty, I also noted that Brent was missing. I ran from the room and went straight to the restroom.
Bursting through the door, my mind processed what I could see in an instant. Rage so powerful it shook my whole body, held me in its thrall. It gripped me by the throat, stopping me from being able to speak. My hands were already reaching for the slimeball who had a tearful Jamie pinned to the wall next to the sink. Yanking Brent’s hands from Jamie, I barely had a chance to catch him as Jamie’s legs gave way.
Heart-wrenching sobs cut at what little control I still held on to. I glared at Brent, “If you value your life, I’d leave now before I lose what little control I have left.” I barely recognised my own voice with the anger palpable in every word.
Then the fucker jeered, “You’re welcome to him, he kisses like a dead fish.”
I took a second to prop Jamie against the wall before I barrelled across the short distance between us, roaring in fury.
He’d dared to kiss my Jamie. The fucker had laid his lips against what belonged to me. The barbarian inside me wanted to beat his chest, but instead, I took hold of the fucker in front of me and l slammed him against the wall, making the tiles rattle. Still not happy, I did it again, pleased when his head bounced off the wall.
“Did you kiss Jamie?” I ground out between gritted teeth.
The guy, not getting the picture, growled back, “When it’s on offer, of course I did.”
He didn’t get a chance to say more, I could already imagine what he’d done to my poor Jamie. My fist slammed into his nose. Bone ground against bone, the grinding under my fist giving me a tiny sliver of satisfaction. This increased when blood spurted from the now swelling nose and dripped down his face.
Whimpers coming from behind me stopped me cold. I dropped the sack of shit to the ground, my hands shaking as I took hold of Jamie, lifting him up. “Can you hold on to me, Bluebell?” I asked, working on controlling the rage that wanted to do more than land one punch.
His mascara-stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes wavered from me to Brent, before he nodded and wrapped his trembling arms around my neck. He jiggled and wriggled against me before wrapping his legs around my waist. His neck buried in the crook of my neck as his sobs continued to cut at me.
Without any regard for the threats now pouring from Brent’s mouth, or the two men stood gawping in the doorway, I barked, “Move,” uncaring how rude I was being. When they did move, I stalked out of the door and through the lobby, keeping Jamie tucked tightly against me. My chest heaved from the effort to keep it together. The door in sight, I headed straight out and into the brisk night breeze.
“Bluebell, please just let me go for a second so I can get in the cab and take care of you.” My earlier promises came back to me, and my shoulders slumped in defeat. I’d let him down. I’d allowed that fucker to hurt my Jamie. My eyes watered as Jamie finally let go. My suit jacket and white shirt were now covered in make-up. Not that I cared, I planned on throwing them straight in the bin, but then I recalled how Jamie’s eyes had devoured me when he’d seen me. Maybe I was being a bit hasty.
I shook my head at my own thoughts and shut the door, going around the hood to get to the other door. Inside the truck, I never got a chance to take hold of Jamie, he was already climbing into my lap.
He sniffed and hiccupped. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t stop him from kissing me. You won’t hate me, will you, for being too weak to stop him?”
A ball of emotions clogged my throat at his teary-eyed confession and the worry written all over his black-smeared face. At a loss as to how to explain my feelings and my anger right then, I gave him several gentle kisses to show it didn’t matter a damn to me.
I licked at the seam of his lips and encouraged him to open, hoping that I could wipe away any remaining worry or thoughts of Brent touching him. When he exhaled into my mouth, I swooped in with my tongue and caressed his, eliciting a low moan. I teased and nibbled on his mouth until he was gasping and squirming to get closer to me. With his backside nestled firmly against my cock, he couldn’t miss the effect he was having on me.
Knowing if we continued, I’d embarrass us both in the cab of my truck in front of the fancy hotel, I pulled away. “Let’s go home.”
He gave a reluctant nod that released some of the tension in my body. “I promise we’ll get to finish this. But we need to get you home.”
As if he’d just realised where we were, his face paled when he glanced out at the hotel. I took hold of his icy hands and clasped them in mine. “Look at me.” When he did, I continued, “It’s okay, you’re safe here.”
“Yes… but I won’t ever be safe at work again,” he choked out on a sob, before he buried his head in his hands, his shoulders trembling.
“We’ll figure it out,” I stated, more confidently than I felt. I wasn’t sure what else to say, when in reality Jamie was probably never going to be able to go back to the job he loved unless Brent left or was sacked. And as no one had seen the altercation other than me, I wasn’t sure whether my word would stand against the dick, especially after I broke his nose.
Sighing, I made sure Jamie was buckled in before we headed out of the car park. The drive home was only broken by Jamie’s sniffs and the occasional sob.
The sombre mood from the drive followed us into the apartment. I suggested I run Jamie a bath. At his nod, I left him in his bedroom to strip. Once the bath was filled with his favourite smelly bath bomb, I went to get him.
A groan rumbled up my chest at the sight of Jamie bent over removing his underwear. His backside flexed as he stood and turned to face me. The lamplight cast beautiful shadows over his slim, gorgeous frame. My gaze roamed down over his small rounded belly, down to his soft bare cock that hung nestled between his legs.
I held myself still, sensing he wasn’t ready for what I wanted to do to him after the night he’d had. As much as I knew if I pushed, he’d come to me willingly, there was still Brent’s actions affecting us. And I wanted our first time to be shrouded with love, not hate.
Holding out my hand, he walked towards me with misery all over his face. When he reached me, I cupped his cheeks gently. Looking him directly in the eyes I spoke from my heart, knowing he needed me to be honest. “I love you.” His loud exhale and gleaming wide eyes forced me to keep going, to lay it all out there. “I have always loved you. I’m not sure when it changed from friendship to something more, but when you first asked me to be your boyfriend, I was so damn elated I couldn’t find my tongue. Then you shot me down faster than a hunter in deer season, with the whole fake boyfriend thing. Well, faking it for me changed everything.” I brushed my thumb over his parted lips and lowered my forehead to his, our eyes not breaking contact. “I love you Bluebell, and nothing will ever change that.”
Tears ran down his cheeks as he stared at me with a longing that made my heart tremble. He might have looked a frightful mess at that moment, but I couldn’t have loved him more.
Then he started to speak, and I was lost. “I love you so much. I always have. The moment you rushed to my rescue, I lost my heart to you. No one has ever come close to touching my heart the way you do. I live for these few weeks every six months when you come to be with me.” His eyes shut for a moment and he sucked in a big breath before they opened again. My stomach clenched at the light of conviction in his eyes. “Will you be my real boyfriend?”
Nodding, my mouth was claimed before I could get any words out. I chuckled against Jamie’s lips, “You know you’re supposed to wait till I answer.”
“You nodded, that totally counts,” he mumbled in between kisses.
How could I argue with his logic?
Six Months Later
Todd
GLANCING BACK AT THE CABIN, I couldn’t stop the smile from crossing my face when I heard the sounds of Jamie moving around. He was finally here with me. At times I’d wondered if it was ever going to happen. The last six months had been hard going. The commuting every other weekend to Jamie’s had left me tired and grumpy, but in the end it was worth every mile I’d travelled to see my man.
I wanted to pinch myself just to check it was all real, but the noises coming from my normally quiet home said it was. That I had ended up with the love of my life after pretending to be fake boyfriends for a party.
I hefted up the box marked kitchen from the truck we’d hired to bring all of Jamie’s things to my cabin. Our cabin. It’s ours now. I felt my heart wanting to burst out of my chest. It felt so big with my love for Jamie. I wasn’t sure how I could possibly feel more, but I did. Every minute I spent with him opened me up to what I’d been missing out on. After years of spending only a few weeks together, I’d only just realised how lost I’d felt when I left him to come home.
How had I kept my feelings locked down for so long? I had no clue, but now they were free, I wanted the world to know that Jamie was mine. The wonderfully bright, intelligent man, with his make-up and heels, belonged to me.
Dropping the box into my tiny kitchen along with the four others I’d carried in already, I shook my head. There was no way we were going to be able to fit everything in. I had a feeling in the not too distant future I’d be adding an extension to the two-bedroomed cabin.
A shout came down the corridor from the bedroom. My grin firmly fixed to my face, I strolled down to investigate. Life really couldn’t get any better.
Jamie
I shouted down the hall, “Can you come and help me lift this horrible rug?” Huffing, I wiped at the sweat dripping down my forehead. “This thing weighs a ton. What the hell is it made of?” I asked in frustration as Todd walked into his bedroom.
He glanced at the rug and then looked at me, shrugging his powerful shoulders, a massive smile lighting up his gorgeous face. “I have no clue. It was my grandfathers. This was his room.”
As if that explained it, he stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for what I had no clue. I pointed at the offending rug, “Well are you going to shift it? It’s not staying. The thing is ugly, and there is a funny smell coming off it.” I wrinkled my nose, sniffing at the air. “If we are going to be sleeping in this room, then it’s got to go.”
The undecided expression on Todd’s face got me moving. I gave h
im a flirty smile and fluttered my eyelashes.
His hands came up to ward me off. “You can stop right there with your sexy ways. We haven’t finished emptying the truck of all your stuff and the thing has to be back at the hire place by tonight.”
His gaze shifted to the bed behind me and I knew I’d won. It was three weeks since we’d last seen each other, and though initially I’d complied with his plan of unloading my stuff into my new home, our cabin. I’d then spent half an hour in a room being enticed by the smell of my boyfriend. What could I say? It had weakened my resolve.
The rug, though awful and definitely destined for somewhere other than their bedroom, had been just a ploy to get him in the bedroom, with the king-sized bed. A bed that had been giving me ideas since the moment I’d walked through the door and seen it.
In all the months we’d been dating, I’d only visited the cabin once for an overnight stay. Todd was forced to commute to me because of the harassment charges Brent had filed against both of us. It turned out he was a jealous ass who didn’t like to be told no.
The morning after the party, the police had knocked at my door to ask some questions. We’d gone to the police station to give our statements, which turned into the beginning of a five month battle that finally ended when one of Brent’s ex colleagues came forward. He’d seen the story in the newspaper and decided to tell his story of how Brent had harassed him as well.
It opened up a floodgate and several more men spoke out. It was enough to discredit Brent and get him to drop the bogus charges against me. His charges against Todd were finally dropped when Brent’s lawyer advised it would go in his favour and show him in a good light. It made no difference though, and he was fired and was now awaiting trial for sexual harassment charges.