I’m having a hard time keeping my eyes off of Arianna. I’m trying my best not to stare, but she is so damn beautiful. Her smile lights up the whole room. Her high cheekbones are flushed, probably from the alcohol. She has the prettiest lips I've ever seen, and her laugh is contagious. My heart pounds every time she laughs at something I say. She’s pretty damn funny herself. I’ve had a lot of laughs tonight because of her.
Kyle is playing his part as loving fiancé. He’s gotten Arianna drinks, given her kisses, put his arm around her, all things a person does when they love someone. And, you know what? He may just love her. But he sure as hell can’t keep his dick in his pants. I just pray that he uses protection because who knows what kind of diseases he’s been in contact with.
Kyle’s phone bings and he calls a time out on the game to check his phone. He frowns then turns a regretful gaze to Arianna. “It’s work, I gotta go in.”
Arianna frowns. “Oh, what’s going on that they need you?” she asks, trying to sound innocent, but I can hear the suspicious undertone.
“Car accident, lots of victims,” he replies, without hesitation, but I still don’t believe him. By the look on Arianna's face, she doesn't either.
“But you were drinking,” Arianna argues. “How can you go in and treat people if you’re drunk?”
He chuckles. “Babe, I’m not drunk. I’ve been nursing the same beer this entire time.”
Arianna narrows her eyes at him as he stands. He leans down and gives her a peck on the lips. “See you later.”
“Okay,” she replies softly.
Really, what can she say? She doesn’t have any proof to accuse him of going anywhere else. Keith stands also. “I’ll walk you to the door. Gotta use the bathroom anyway.”
The two men leave the kitchen. Arianna immediately turns to me. “Follow him,” she hisses.
I raise an incredulous eyebrow at her. “Ahh, no.”
“What?! It’s your job!” she whispers ferociously.
“Two things, Beautiful. One, it’s my night off. Two, I’m drunk right now, not really a good idea to drive at the moment.”
She makes an aggravated noise.
“What the hell are you two talking about? What do you mean it’s his job?” Justin asks incredulously.
Jade sighs. “Duke is a private investigator. He’s been following Kyle to see if he’s been cheating on Arianna,” she explains.
Justin’s eyebrows shoot up as he looks at his girlfriend. “No shit?”
Jade nods sadly.
“Well, damn, Arianna. That sucks.”
“I just want to know. Duke, please, can you tell me what you know?” Her chocolate brown eyes plead with me.
I shake my head. “Now’s not the time.”
She bangs her fist on the table. Oooh, feisty! “Then when?”
“Tomorrow morning, I promise,” I assure her.
“Fine,” she huffs and crosses her arms over her chest.
Her very nice, very voluptuous, chest. I don’t know what size her breasts are but I’m thinking they are at least a D, if not a DD. I’d really love to bury my face…
“Duke,” Arianna snaps. “My face is up here.” Waving a hand in front of her face.
Shit! Was I really caught staring at her boobs like a high school kid? Damn, I am drunk. Jade and Justin snicker quietly across the table. I put my arm around the back of her chair and lean in close to her ear.
“You should take it as a compliment. You have gorgeous tits,” I whisper in her ear.
Arianna gasps, palms my face, and shoves me back. I chuckle when I see that her cheeks are flushed bright red.
“Pig,” she huffs.
I shrug non-apologetically.
Keith returns and we go back to playing the game. After about an hour, I take a bathroom break. I wash my hands and open the door to find Keith leaning against the opposite wall. I frown at the look in his eyes. It’s lustful and it’s directed at me. Shit.
Before I have time to say or do anything, Keith is on me. He shoves me up against the wall and crushes his mouth against mine. Holy fucking shit! I flail for a second before I get a grip on the front of his shirt and shove him back with enough force that he slams back against the opposite wall. I drag my forearm across my mouth.
“What the fuck, man?!” I squawk.
He pushes off the wall and stalks toward me again. “Don’t tell me you don’t want this,” he purrs.
Yeah, he purred.
I swallow back the bile that rises in my throat. I clearly have no problem with gay guys, hell, look at my best friends, but I really did not enjoy that kiss and I don’t want to experience it again. I hold my hands out in front of me to ward him off.
“Whoa, Keith. I’m not gay, or even bi. Guys are not my thing,” I state adamantly.
Keith hesitates, his eyes scanning my face as his brows furrow. “You’re not gay or bi?”
“No.”
“But you hang out with Tucker and his boyfriend,” he says, as if it means I should swing that way, too.
“So? They’re my best friends,” I tell him.
“I really thought that you were gay, or at least bi curious,” Keith says, his eyes narrowing at me.
I shake my head. “No, I’m not.”
A sly smirk curls his mouth, his glassy gaze dipping to my lips. “Are you sure? Maybe I can convince you.”
“No,” I say firmly. “I like women. No men for me.”
His bottom lip pops out and he pouts. “Boo. You’re no fun. That was the whole reason I invited you over. I thought maybe we could do the friends with benefits thing.”
“Ahhh, no. Definitely not. Are you gay or bi?”
“Gay. Always have been.”
“Wow, I would’ve never guessed.”
He shrugs. "I can usually spot another gay guy. Guess, I was wrong this time."
“Listen, I’m sorry, but I just don’t swing that way.” I sigh.
Keith nods in understanding. “Okay. I understand. Sorry I kissed you.”
“Yeah, I need to go wash my mouth out with beer, fuck you very much,” I scoff.
Keith laughs. “I hope we can still be friends. I didn’t mean to make it awkward.”
“Nah, dude. We’re cool,” I say and hold out a hand.
We shake hands then head back downstairs to the kitchen. I’m feeling fairly sober after being attacked in the hallway. I sit back down next to Arianna and finish off the last of my beer.
“After we finish this game, I’m gonna go,” I say.
“Yeah, us, too,” Jade murmurs then yawns.
Arianna looks over at Keith. “Guess I’m spending the night. Kyle drove us.”
“I can take you home,” I offer.
Arianna’s pretty eyes swing to mine. “Yeah? Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
She smiles slightly. “Okay, thanks.”
~ Arianna ~
Duke and I say goodbye to my brother about an hour later before Duke leads me out to his car. It’s a nice car. It’s a black, completely tinted-out, Nissan Maxima. It’s not overly flashy and it is probably overlooked a lot of the time. Exactly what he needs in his line of work.
“Are you sure you’re all right to drive?” I ask.
I guess he looks okay. He’s not swaying or slurring or anything like he was a few hours before. He glances over the hood of the car at me, his expression serious.
“If I wasn’t, you wouldn’t be getting in my car right now,” he says earnestly.
I nod. I trust him. There’s something about him that commands my trust. From the moment I met him, I’ve trusted him one hundred percent.
Duke was hilarious tonight. I could not stop laughing. The guy was insane. I wish Kyle had his sense of humor. Kyle is very dry and a little boring sometimes. Duke is so far from boring. And that smile of his, phew…it had my heart racing a few times. I don’t think that Kyle has ever made my heart race with just his smile.
And on top of being funny, th
e guy looks so damn sexy tonight. He's wearing a snug fitting green plaid button down shirt that makes his hazel eyes look greener than normal, and it also shows off how thick his biceps are. I'm surprised the seams don't burst open. His square jaw is scruffy, giving him a rugged, bad boy look that he pulls off extremely well.
I give Duke directions to my place as he drives. The ride over is quiet, but it’s a comfortable silence. It only takes fifteen minutes to get to my house, which is actually Kyle’s house. I moved in a few months ago. Duke finds a spot out front and parks then opens his door and gets out. I’m confused as to what he’s doing. I frown as I watch him trot around the front of the car before stopping next to my door. He opens it and holds out a hand for me. I blink up at him stupidly for a moment before taking his hand and getting out of the car. Since when do guys do that?
He shuts the door and walks me up to my front door.
“Thanks for the ride,” I say softly.
He shrugs. “No biggie.”
“Can you tell me about Kyle now? Since it’s just the two of us?” I ask hopefully.
I really can’t stand waiting anymore. It’s killing me.
He frowns. “Hang on, let me get the file,” he murmurs and goes back to his car. He opens his back door, leans in and grabs something before straightening back up and shutting the door. He comes back to stand next to me.
“Let’s go inside,” he says.
I nod and unlock the door. My heart has kicked up a notch. I’m about to find out if Kyle has been cheating on me or not. I lead Duke into the kitchen where he takes off his coat and hangs it on the back of a chair before sitting down. I also take my coat off and hang it on the back of a chair.
“Would you like something to drink?” I ask him.
“A glass of water would be great,” he replies.
I get us each a glass of water before sitting down next to him. I’m so nervous that I need to rub my suddenly sweaty palms on my thighs. Oh god, what am I going to do if he’s cheating?
Duke slides the manila folder over so that it’s sitting in front of me. “Everything is in here. Pictures, dates, times, phone numbers, and anything else I could come up with.”
Dread pools in my stomach.
“Does that mean…” I can’t even finish the sentence as I look up into Duke’s grim eyes.
“I’m sorry, Arianna, but he is,” Duke says sympathetically.
The words hit me like a ton of bricks and I just sit there. I don’t even know how to react.
“And it’s not with one person; it’s been a different woman every time,” he adds.
Different women? Not just one? That is somehow ten times worse. With a shaky hand, I open the folder. About ten photos are tucked inside along with other papers. I pick up the pictures and start flipping through them. Duke got some crystal clear shots of Kyle kissing and getting handsy with multiple women.
“Has he slept with all of them?” I whisper brokenly.
How dare he! How dare he do this to me?
“I can only assume so. He went back to all of their places after taking them out for dinner or drinks or whatever. And he’d stay there until morning,” Duke tells me.
My eyes well up with angry tears. “That fucking bastard,” I hiss.
I toss the pictures back into the folder and slam it shut. That’s when I lose it. I drop my face into my hands and bawl my eyes out. It hurts so badly. How could he do this to me? He’s supposed to love me! Duke tugs my chair closer to him and wraps his arms around me. I drop my head to his chest. He presses a kiss to the top of my head.
“I’m really sorry, Arianna,” he murmurs softly into my hair.
“Why? Why would he do this to me?” I cry.
“Because he’s a douchebag?” Duke offers.
I straighten up and look at him. He looks upset and pissed off.
“What did I do to make him feel like he had to go off and find other women to be with?” I whisper, my voice trembling.
Duke’s gaze hardens. He grabs the back of my knees and pulls me closer, making the chair scrape against the floor. He drapes my legs over his thighs before reaching up and grabbing my face. He tilts my head up, forcing me to look at him.
“Don’t you dare for one second think that you did something to make him do this. He’s a grown ass man and made the decision to cheat on you all on his own. He’s the asshole in this. You did nothing wrong. Do you understand me?” he rasps, his eyes locked on mine.
Eyes wide, I nod as best as I can with his hands holding my head.
“You are beautiful and funny and smart and independent, and he’s a complete idiot for not realizing what he’s got. He doesn’t deserve you. And you, sweetheart, you deserve so much better than him.”
New, fresh tears stream down my face. How can such a wonderfully caring man have also been hurt by such idiotic women? Could they really not see what they had either? Duke’s thumbs brush away the tears from my cheeks and his gaze softens. His eyes dip to my lips just before he leans in and places the softest, sweetest kiss there. My eyes flutter closed when he presses a little harder. My heart is doing flip-flops in my chest. I bring my hands up to hang onto his wrists as his hands continues to cradle my face, and I think that’s what makes him realize what he’s doing.
Duke yanks back, breaking the kiss and the spell he’s got me under.
“Shit,” he breathes and roughly scrubs his hands over his face before smoothing them through his short hair. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know what came over me,” he says roughly.
“It’s…it’s okay,” I murmur breathily. My lips are still tingling, and my skin is on fire, and damn, I want to feel his hands and lips on me again.
Duke pushes his chair back, which forces my legs to drop from his. He stands and grabs his coat. “I better get going.”
I don’t want him to go, but it’s probably best if he did. Because if he stays, I don’t know what I would do. I’m feeling vulnerable and I might do something stupid like look for comfort in another man’s arms. I am technically still engaged, and I would then be no better than Kyle.
I get up and follow Duke to the door. He opens the door and steps out into the landing. As he turns back, he gives me a devilish little smirk. “I lied, I’m not sorry about kissing you. But I am sorry that you were still engaged when I did it. That doesn’t make you a cheater, though, because I kissed you and you really didn’t kiss me back, so…”
I laugh. I can’t help it. He just has a charm about him that makes me have to laugh at everything he says.
He smiles warmly. “There’s that smile. Alright, Beautiful, good luck. Please, dump shit-for-brains and then call me so a real man can take you out on a date.”
I chuckle. “Thank you for everything, Duke. I really appreciate it.”
He shrugs one shoulder. “It was nothing. Just doing my job.”
“I know, but you did a good job,” I tell him.
He nods. “Thank you. Goodnight, Arianna.”
“Goodnight, Duke.”
~
Chapter Five ~
~ Arianna ~
I’ve been sitting at the kitchen table all night. There’s no way I’m going to be able to sleep after learning about Kyle's extracurricular activities. So, I wait, and think about everything I want to say to him. Finally, at six am, Kyle walks through the front door. My stomach rolls nervously as I wait for him to enter the kitchen.
Kyle walks into the kitchen a minute later with a confused look on his face. He’s wearing his scrubs, but I’m fairly certain that he changed into them before he came home.
“Hey, babe, what are you doing awake?” he asks.
“I need to talk to you about something,” I say as evenly as I can.
The hurt is ten times worse with him standing here in front of me. I can barely look at him.
“Okay, what’s up?” he replies, obviously not having any reason to think the worst. He sits down across from me.
I open
the folder, take out the pictures, and toss them onto the table in front of him.
“Care to explain these?” I ask.
Kyle frowns as he takes the pictures and flips through them. A multitude of emotions flash across his face: disbelief, guilt, anger…
“You followed me?!” he snaps, tossing the pictures back onto the table.
“No, I hired someone, but that’s beside the point! You’re cheating on me!” I yell at him.
“Arianna, it’s not what you think. I’m just getting other women out of my system before we tie the knot. Once we’re married, it’s just going to be you, baby, I swear,” he cajoles, reaching across the table for my hand.
I snatch it away and stare at him in disbelief. “You really think that I’m still going to marry you after this?!”
Hurt flashes in his eyes. “Ari, come on. I promise, this will end once we’re married. I will be completely faithful to you.”
“Do you think I’m actually stupid enough to believe that?” I ask incredulously. “How long have you been doing this?”
Kyle shrugs sheepishly. “Since we got engaged,” he admits.
My mouth drops open. “Are you fucking kidding me?!”
“Like I said, I just wanted to be with a few more women before we got married, and then I was going to stop.”
“Did you ever think for one minute what would happen if I found out?”
“Well, I sure as hell didn’t expect you to hire someone to follow me,” he scoffs. Does he not understand the seriousness of this situation?
“Kyle! You have been cheating on me for almost a year! We were supposed to get married in a couple of weeks! Don’t you understand how badly you’ve hurt me?!” I scream at him, losing what little patience I had left.
“I’m sorry, Arianna,” he says, but it really doesn’t do anything for me. I’m not even sure if he means that he’s sorry that he cheated or that he’s sorry he got caught.
"Did you at least use a condom? Or am I going to find out that I have an STD?" I grit out.
War Wounded (The War Trilogy #2.5) Page 4
