Love, Lies, and Deception

by L. P. Dover

  Alec gazed warily at me. “The date was the day she died. It appears someone from my past has come back to haunt me, or better yet … seek revenge.”

  After the recent news, Alec and I didn’t feel like going back upstairs to my apartment, so I texted Emily and told her that we wouldn’t be able to make it back. Alec was on the phone for most of the time while I sat watching some of his old surfing videos from when he competed. It was something to keep my mind off of what was going on. I was in awe of the way he moved across the swells.

  Mesmerized by the television, I didn’t pay attention when Alec came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “You do know you’ve been watching these videos for three hours, don’t you?”

  I gasped. “Has it been that long?”

  He laughed. “Yes, it has, but it’s okay. I’m glad you like them.”

  I took the remote and shut off the television. “Who did you talk to?”

  Alec sighed. “I called my parents, my lawyer, and one of my dad’s closest friends who happens to be a private investigator. He’s going to see if any of Lindsey’s family or friends is in this area. I don’t know how they could’ve found me.”

  “Did she have a boyfriend that would want to get you back for her death?”

  Alec shook his head. “No, she didn’t have a boyfriend, or at least that’s what she told me. Back then I didn’t care if the girls I was with had boyfriends, husbands, or other lovers, Marissa. I just didn’t care.”

  “Well that’s comforting,” I snapped sarcastically. My jealousy flared, but I let it go, trying hard not to remember the pictures I saw of him with all those different women. “So what did your parents say?” I asked. “Do they want you back in California?”

  When he didn’t answer right away, I knew what his hesitation meant … he was leaving. “When do you go back?” I asked softly, trying hard to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.

  Alec stroked my hair and pulled it to the side so he could place a warm, gentle kiss to the back of my neck. “I need to get back there as soon as possible. I’m leaving in two days, but I want you to come with me.”

  “What?” I shrieked, turning around to face him.

  He took my face in his hands. “Come with me. I don’t want to leave you here.”

  I frowned, wishing I could go. “I can’t, I have exams and graduation.”

  “You can come after graduation, Marissa. You can bring your friends if that’ll get you to come to me. Just think of it as a graduation getaway. I can teach you to surf, and we can go sailing or whatever you want to do. We can spend the summer together, just you and me.”

  “Where will we stay? With your parents?” I asked. I wanted to meet them, but I definitely didn’t want to spend my summer at their house.

  Alec laughed, and for once it sounded carefree. I could tell he was excited about going home, but I didn’t want him to go. “No, Marissa, we wouldn’t be staying at my parent’s. I do have enough money to have my own house you know.”

  “Hey, I didn’t know. You never told me you still had a house there,” I remarked, throwing my hands up in the air.

  Pausing, I stood there and really thought about where I’d be going. It was somewhere that I wasn’t accustomed to, and somewhere that definitely wasn’t like the place I grew up in. My shoulders sagged and I sighed, shaking my head. “You know I’m not going to fit in there, Alec. Are you sure this is what you want? I wear flip flops, not stilettos. The press will tear me apart if they see me with you.”

  Alec’s gaze darkened. “Yes, this is what I want. I don’t care about the press or what they have to say, Marissa. I love the way you are, and there’s nothing I would do to change that. You’re going to have all those girls out there jealous as hell when they see you even if you are in your T-shirts and jeans.”

  Taking my face in his hands, he traced his tongue lightly over my lips. He moaned deep in his throat, gripping my hips. “Please say you’ll come with me. I need to hear you say you’ll come.”

  Biting my lip, I peeked up at him through hooded eyes. Hoping he’d catch my meaning, I ran my finger up his arm and teased, “Well, then I guess you better stop wasting time if you want me to come.” The fire in his eyes told me he knew what I meant. The night might’ve been ruined by unknown threats, but at least I had him … if only for a short while, I had him.

  Alec scooped me up and carried me to his room. “I’m not going to know what to do without you for the next week,” he said as he laid me down on his bed. Smiling, he slid off my shoes and socks while I unbuttoned my jeans. “But I’m sure you’ll be too busy with your exams to even think about me.”

  “I doubt that,” I retorted incredulously, sliding my pants down my legs. “I’ll be surprised if I even get anything done while you’re gone.”

  Alec lifted his shirt and pulled it off before discarding his jeans on the floor. I threw my shirt and jeans next to his, but kept my bra and underwear on. He climbed up on the bed, resting up against my side, and put his arm across my stomach. My body instantly responded to his touch, and I craved it; I wanted him inside me.

  “What will you be doing in California?” I asked skeptically. I sure hope it didn’t involve clubs, drugs, and women.

  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “First, I’ll spend some time with my family. They haven’t seen me in a while, so I know they’ll want to catch up. Second, I’ll meet with the investigator and see what he can find out about Lindsey’s past and who could be trying to sabotage me.”

  Being serious, but in a joking manner I asked, “You’re not going to the clubs and getting into bar fights are you?”

  Alec laughed and tickled my side, making me giggle and squirm away. “Hell no, you have nothing to worry about. I’ll probably spend most of my time surfing, and counting down the days until you show up.”

  “Good answer,” I muttered approvingly.

  Gliding his hand down my leg, he traced his finger over my inner thigh and then palmed me gently, making my breath hitch. He circled my nub with his thumb, and my underwear instantly grew wet. “Wow, that didn’t take long,” he chuckled huskily.

  I turned to him and bit my lip. “It never does when I’m with you.”

  “What time is your first exam in the morning?”

  I knew my schedule like the back of my hand. “Ten o’clock,” I replied.

  Alec and I both glanced at the clock and he winced … it was midnight. “It’s okay,” I reassured him. “I’ll ace it with only three hours of sleep if I have to, but right now I want you to make love to me. I need to feel you inside me.”

  Groaning, Alec ripped off my underwear and unhooked my bra. “It drives me crazy when you say things like that. I promise not to keep you up all night long.”

  He climbed on top of me and held my face in his hands as he spread open my legs. Without wasting any time, he entered me as deep as he could in one hard thrust. I cried out in both pleasure and pain, whimpering.

  “Fuck, this feels good,” he moaned, holding my knees up close to my body so he could push his cock in further. Alec’s mouth crushed against mine, devouring me with his tongue. He tasted salty from the beer he drank, but underneath all that was Alec … spicy and all male. He nipped my lower lip and sucked hard making it sting.

  Arching off the bed, I lifted my breasts in the air so he would show them some attention. They were heavy and sensitive, and all I wanted was for him to touch me. Alec purred, clutching my hands, and pinned them above my head.

  “Do you like it when I do this?” he asked, teasing a nipple with a flick of his tongue.

  “Yes,” I breathed.

  “What about this?” He bit down firmly, and sucked harder while pushing deeper inside me.

  I screamed out and rocked my hips against him, bringing the orgasm closer to the surface. “Holy hell,” I moaned, licking my lips and wishing I could touch him. He stilled between my legs and my orgasm slowly started to ebb. No, I want it to come back.
>
  “Tell me you want more and I’ll keep going.”

  “I want more ... please don’t stop.”

  With a wicked smile on his face, he picked up his frantic pace and let my hands go so I could touch him. Desperately, I ran them through his hair and grazed my nails down his back while my orgasm got stronger and stronger.

  Alec groaned, rocking his hips and moving them in a circular motion across my clit. “You’re so close. Shit, I can feel you getting tighter.”

  I wrapped my legs tight around his waist, and rocked my hips against his. “Harder, Alec. Oh, please go harder.”

  Alec grunted with the force of his thrusts and I instantly fell over the edge as my release exploded from the inside out. He grabbed my face and pushed his tongue in my mouth when his release had him spilling inside of me. Alec screamed out his pleasure, and held my gaze the entire time. It was sensual yet erotic how his eyes blazed with the fire inside of him.

  Breathing heavily, he kissed me hard and collapsed on top of me, still staring into my eyes; he traced his finger over my cheeks and down to my lips. Softly and full of heartfelt longing, he whispered in my ear, “I love you, Marissa. I know it’s too soon, but I do. I needed you to know before I left.”

  My heart stopped for a split second and my breath hitched. He said it with such longing that if I was standing I would’ve gone weak in the knees.

  Leaning my head up, I grazed my lips with his and breathed him in. I was scared to feel so strongly for him, but I couldn’t stop my heart from betraying my mind. “I love you, too. It scares me, but I do.”

  He slowly pulled out of me, and the feeling of him gliding out had me wanting more. Alec held me tight and confessed, “It frightens me too, but at least we’ll be scared together.”

  We laid there for a few minutes and cuddled before taking a shower to rinse off. Once we were out of the shower, I changed into one of Alec’s T-shirts and a pair of his boxers. They smelled exactly like him, and I realized that once he left I’d have to sleep alone. I had gotten so used to spending every night with him that I didn’t even think about what it would be like to sleep without him.

  Alec curled against me and it wasn’t long before my eyelids started to droop. Sleep came swiftly, and I started to fall into a beautiful dream until I was jerked awake by a noise outside the window. My eyes snapped open and my heart thundered in my ears. I wanted to call out to Alec and wake him up, but I was frozen, staring at the window, waiting on whatever it was out there to show itself. Almost immediately, the sounds came to a stop and I finally saw what had awakened me. Outside, standing at the window, was a tall, dark figure glaring through the glass at me.

  I did what my body instinctively told me to do, I screamed.

  Alec jerked awake and grabbed me by the shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

  Frantically, I pointed to the windows, gasping, “Someone’s out there. He was looking through the window right at us. I heard the stairs creak on the fire escape and it woke me up.”

  “What the fuck?” he yelled, bolting out of bed. He ran straight for the window and looked out, gazing around in every direction. “Which way did he go? He didn’t go up to your place, did he?”

  I shook my head. “No, after I screamed he took off back down.”

  Alec ran to his bedside table and pulled out a 9 mm pistol that was hidden underneath his clothes. Quickly, he held it out to me and said, “It’s loaded, so if anyone other than me tries to come in here you shoot, okay?”

  Nodding and taking the gun, I agreed, “Okay, just be careful out there.”

  He pulled out a shirt from the drawer and yanked it on as he ran to the front door with me behind him. “Lock it,” he ordered.

  Immediately, I locked it and ran back to his room, standing in the darkened corner with the gun held tight in my hand. The only sounds I heard were the shaky rasps coming from my own lungs. My hands started to tremble as I stood there listening … waiting.

  For about ten long minutes, I stood there frozen and silent until the fire escape stairs creaked. Staring at the window, sweat beaded on my brow and my palms started to get clammy. My heart thundered out of control, especially when a shaded figure outside the window tapped loudly on the glass.

  “Marissa, it’s me,” Alec called out.

  Blowing out a shaky breath, I laid the gun on his bedside table and crept over to the window to open it. Alec was kneeling down with a terrified look on his face, and I stopped cold, feeling terror snake through my veins

  “Alec, what’s wrong?” I sputtered nervously. His face glowed in the moonlight, but when I stared harder it was because all the blood had drained from his face; he was scared. Alec climbed through the window and I noticed he had something in his hand. A piece of paper, maybe?

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  Alec climbed through the window—immediately relocking it—and pulled the blinds closed. “We need to call Detective Michaels now,” he expressed firmly.

  Even though it was three in the morning, Alec grabbed his phone and dialed up the detective. I couldn’t stop staring at that piece of paper in his hand, and with a heavy sigh, Alec reluctantly handed it to me.

  When the detective came over the line, Alec left the room and started telling him what just happened. Looking down at the piece of paper, which was wrinkled from Alec’s grasp, I could see something was written inside. Slowly, I opened it up—fold by fold—and gasped when the words became clear.

  Alec came into the room at the same exact moment I collapsed onto the bed, struggling to breathe. He rushed over and took me into his arms. “I am so sorry, Marissa. None of this would’ve happened if you never met me. Please say you forgive me for causing you all this pain.”

  He pried the note from my fingers and threw it on the bed. “I didn’t want you to see the note, but I need you to know how serious this is.”

  My teeth chattered as I shook in his arms. I felt sick, disgusted, and absolutely terrified. Whoever we thought was going after Alec was actually coming after me, and I was scared.

  “What are we going to do?” I cried. “We’re not safe here, or anywhere for that matter.”

  Alec rubbed his hand soothingly down my back and clutched me tighter. “No we’re not, which is why I’m taking you away from here. Detective Michaels wants us to bring the letter to him first thing and then we’re out of here. I need to get you away from this place until whoever is coming after you are found. I’m going to call my parents and get their help as well. They have connections that the police here don’t have.”

  “Wait … no,” I argued, pulling out of Alec’s grasp. “I have exams this week and graduation. If I leave I won’t graduate. I’ve worked too hard to have it taken away from me.”

  Alec sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “Well, maybe the detective can get in touch with your professors and have you take them all tomorrow. I’m sorry, Marissa, but when it comes down to either your life or exams … forgive me, but your exams don’t mean shit to me, you do.”

  “What am I going to tell my sister and my friends?” I asked hesitantly.

  Taking my face in his hands, Alec touched his forehead to mine and murmured, “You can tell them everything about me, and about what’s happened, I don’t care. Except the only thing you can’t tell them is where I’m going to take you. Only you, Detective Michaels, and I will know where that location will be.”

  “Where will we go?”

  He shrugged. “I’m not sure yet, but we’ll figure it out once we talk to the detective. Right now, we need to get our things packed up and ready to go. Once we get the go ahead to leave, I’m getting you out of here.”

  Nodding, I changed out of his shirt and boxers, putting on my T-shirt and jeans. The note was on the bed, so I folded it up and placed it in the back pocket of my jeans.

  Alec quickly scrambled through his closet and drawers, packing up two huge bags full of clothes. “I hate having to do this, but we’ll need your Jeep to get us out of here. Is tha
t okay? We won’t be able to pack everything if we take my bike.”

  Incredulously, I waved him off and rolled my eyes. “Of course it’s okay. I don’t want to die by a psycho killer, but I sure as hell don’t want to be road kill either. I’m assuming I’ll need my passport?”

  “Probably,” he replied. “When you pack up your stuff get it just in case.” Alec carried his bags to the living room and set them on the floor. “All right, once we get your things packed up it should be about time to get to the station.”

  Grabbing my keys, which were on Alec’s counter, we left to scramble up to my apartment. Cautious and quick, we hurried up the steps and I unlocked the door. The person who left the note had just been outside and there was no telling when he planned on coming after me. When I opened the door, what I didn’t expect was to see a tall, dark figure standing in the middle of my living room.

  For the second time that night, I screamed.

  Protecting me, Alec burst into the room and tackled the man that was standing in my living room. I scrambled around for the light switch and when I turned it on I saw Alec rearing back to land a hard, solid punch to the guy’s face. Once it registered who the man was, Alec stopped abruptly and stood up.

  “What the hell are you doing skulking around in the dark?” Alec growled, breathing hard. The adrenaline had us on edge, and the fear of knowing someone was after us had us really on edge.

  Exasperated, Justin stood up and picked up his phone that had fallen on the floor. “I was looking for my phone charger. What the hell is wrong with you two?” Pinning an angry glare at me, he said, “You know I’m always here. Why is it such a shock?”

  At that time, Emily came bounding into the room. “What’s going on? It’s like four in the morning,” she complained, darting her gaze between us and Justin.

  Justin rubbed the back of his neck and winced. “Other than almost getting the shit beat out of me … nothing’s wrong.”