by C. A. Mason
“The thing that bothered me the most was what it did to my parents. Hell, my old man spent his whole life taking criminals off the streets, and he had to visit his only remaining child behind bars. That really ate at me. That, and knowing you believed I could have done that to you, to those other women.”
She shifted, keeping her eyes fixed on the pastry. She tore off a small piece and popped it into her mouth. “Your parents have no idea you—”
“No, I couldn’t do that to them. It was my decision, my secret. I don’t want the cops on their doorstep, demanding answers about my whereabouts. I’ve already put them through enough. So I just disappeared. That was always part of my plan, to reinvent myself.”
“How did you”—she gestured to my face—“pull this off. I mean, not just the look, but everything. Everything about you is different, from your personality to your mannerisms.”
“I don’t know about that.” I leaned back as I reached for my coffee. “I’m still pretty intense. I had no idea I could still be possessive until you walked back into my life and proved I haven’t changed as much as I thought I had. All those old insecurities are back with a vengeance.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, frowning.
“Take last night for example. I couldn’t get the thought of you and him out of my mind.” When her hand froze in mid-air, I asked, “How was it by the way, your date?”
Before she could respond, her receptionist knocked on the door and poked her head in. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Maura, but these came for you.” She brought in a vase filled with fresh, multi-colored blooms. Winking, the middle-aged lady smiled and said, “Someone must think you’re pretty special.”
“Thank you,” Maura said, blushing. “You can just set them on the coffee table.”
I waited for the receptionist to leave before I glanced at the card sticking out of the arrangement. It read, Maura, Thank you for an evening I won’t soon forget. Josh
“I guess it went well,” I muttered, lacing my hands so I wouldn’t clench them into fists. I couldn’t shake the feeling there was a clock ticking, and I had to prove my innocence before it was too late.
“He’s a nice guy.” She cleared her throat as her eyes drifted to the flowers. “I like him. A lot.”
“Then you’ll be seeing him again?” I had no right to ask, but I had to know. Was he the guy who would take my place? The thought sickened me.
“I don’t know.” She closed her eyes, tipping her head back against the cushioned headrest. “I’m so confused about everything. I can’t help but think this isn’t the best time to be dating.”
“You’re probably right.” I was grasping at straws and she knew it, judging by her wry expression. “It might be best for you to take some time to focus on your career, what you want out of your life, before you get into another relationship.”
“Funny, I don’t recall you saying anything like that when I came looking for you the night of the birthday party.”
My lips curled into a half-smile. “It’s different with us. It’s not like you’re getting to know someone new, trying to figure out whether the chemistry is there. We already know it is. We have history together.”
“A dark and disturbing history.”
“No, we had great times that were overshadowed by one big lie.” I zeroed in on her eyes. “What you believe about that night, it’s a lie. The cops wanted someone to pin it on, and I made it easy for them. I was the last one to see you. We argued at the bar. My neighbor heard us fighting. It was no secret I was mad as hell and looking to settle a score, then you got attacked leaving my place. I’m the first to admit it’s damning, but it’s all circumstantial. They had no concrete proof it was me because it wasn’t.”
She took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. “Do you know how desperate I was to convince myself it wasn’t you? I didn’t want to believe you could do that to me. But what was I supposed to think? I didn’t think anyone else could have known the things he did about our sex life.” She shivered. “The details were so intimate, so graphic, things only you could have known.”
“I’ve been beating myself up ever since you told me that, angel.”
She glared at me when the endearment slipped out, but she remained silent, waiting for me to convince her of my innocence.
“Whoever did this to you…” It was tough to get the words out, but I had to. “I gave them the ammunition. I gave them information that fueled their sick fantasies. I hate myself for that.”
“I still can’t believe you would do that,” she said, her eyes downcast and shuttered. “I trusted you. I did those things because you wanted me to.”
“You wanted to too, Maura.”
“I know. I’m not denying I was curious, but I never expected you to tell your buddies about it. I thought I was special to you. I thought you loved me.”
It killed me to see what my thoughtlessness had done to her. If I could take it back or make up for my mistakes, I would. But the only thing I could do was try to restore her faith in me by finding the person responsible for hurting her. “I loved you more than anything, but you know how jealous and possessive I was. Knowing my friends wanted you only fueled that. I thought if they knew how much you trusted me, how tight we were, they’d back off and stop treating you like just another piece of ass.”
She shook her head. “That doesn’t make any sense. You told them about the things I let you do to me because you wanted them to back off and leave me alone?”
“Yeah.” I knew it didn’t make a lot of sense, but I had been desperate. “Hearing those assholes talk about how much they wanted to get you into bed made me crazy. They knew it; that’s why they said that shit. I had a few too many one night and started spewing off about the fact that you were mine, that I owned your body, possessed you in ways no other man ever had.” The conversation replayed in my mind as I tried to remember their reactions.
“You owned me?” she whispered, sounding breathless.
It was no secret that I liked to dominate her in the bedroom. Our domination games were mild compared to those who were into that lifestyle, but they turned us both on. “You were mine.”
She listened to me, her breathing labored as though there wasn’t enough oxygen in the room.
I was getting hard just thinking about how much I wanted to claim her again. “I wanted you. All of you. Forever. Just the thought of another man having you made me want to inflict real pain.”
“You scare me.”
“What you feel for me scares you. You want to hate me because you’re still trying to convince yourself I was the one who hurt you. But there’s a seed of doubt, just like there’s always been, and you have a recent memory of how good it feels when I’m inside you. You can’t forget, no matter how much you might want to.”
“You lied to me. You tricked me. You used me. You pretended to be someone you’re not. Even if you are innocent, you’ve still given me plenty of reasons to hate you.”
“Do you?” I asked.
“Do I what?”
“Hate me?”
“Yes.”
“Liar.”
She smiled, actually smiled at me for the first time in what felt like forever. “Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?”
I smiled back. “You’re probably right. I love you, Maura.”
Her smile slipped. “Don’t say that.”
“It’s true. I know you don’t know how you feel about me right now, and I understand you’re angry and confused. You have every right to be, but help me to figure this thing out. Please.”
“Why should I?” she asked, lifting her chin and sounding defiant.
“Because I need to know you’re safe. Even if you decide you want nothing more to do with me when the truth comes out, at least I’ll know the person who hurt you is behind bars and can’t hurt you again.” I knew I had to be completely honest with her about my motives this time. “And I want to see my parents again. I want them to know I’m not
a fugitive anymore, that I’ve made a good life for myself. I want to make them proud.”
“It must be hell,” she said softly. “Being so close to them and not being able to reach out and let them know you’re okay.”
“It is.” After a long pause, I said, “So does that mean you’ll help me?”
“How?”
“I know it’s going to be hard. If there was any other way—”
“You want me to relive that night.” Her voice trembled. “You want me to tell you everything I remember about the attack, about what he did to me?”
My heart swelled when she said he. Whether she realized it or not, she was starting to accept that someone else may be responsible for raping her. “Please. I know I’m asking a lot, but—”
“You have no idea what you’re asking. I spend every day trying to forget.” She shook her head. “You have no idea.”
“Please, Maura.”
She nodded. “Not here. Not now.”
“When?”
I could practically see the wheels turning in that beautiful head of hers. She didn’t want to be alone with me, yet she knew we would need privacy.
“My parents are out of town. My brother’s staying at their house. We can meet there.”
“Are you sure?” I was surprised, given our history there, that she would choose that location.
“I’m sure.” She sat up straighter. “My brother’s very protective of me. If he gets a bad feeling about you, he won’t stray too far.”
I smiled. I hadn’t known her brother well, but I had a feeling I would like him. “Your parents’ house it is. Seven o’clock?”
She nodded. “I’ll, uh, grill something. Steaks, maybe?”
“Let me take care of that. Will your brother be joining us for dinner?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
It would make it difficult to have the conversation we needed to have if her brother was there all evening, but as long as she was agreeing to talk to me about what happened to her, I couldn’t very well question the company.
Chapter Three
I arrived at Maura’s parents’ house promptly at seven with a cooler filled with her favorite foods. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d cooked dinner for a woman, and I was looking forward to it. Maybe too much. I kept reminding myself this wasn’t a date. She didn’t even like me anymore, much less trust me, but that didn’t quash my hope that she would eventually come around.
Maura’s older brother, Jason, opened the door when I rang the bell. “Hey.” He grinned as he offered his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Blaise. I’m a huge fan of WFC.”
“Nice to meet you too, Jason,” I said, returning his smile. “Your sister and father have told me a lot about you.” I was always nervous when I met people from my past. Would they see something familiar that triggered a memory, prompting them to ask questions I couldn’t answer?
“Don’t believe everything my old man tells you,” he said, laughing. “He’s not my biggest fan.”
I thought of my relationship with my father. Even though my brother and I had disappointed him more times than he could count and made a mockery of our family name, he’d always had our backs, defending us if anyone dared talk us down to him.
“I don’t know about that,” I said, following Jason into the kitchen. “While he may not understand some of the choices you’ve made, it’s pretty obvious your dad loves you.”
Jason shrugged. “I guess.” He reached into the fridge and pulled out two Coronas. “Does this work for you?”
“Yeah, that’d be great, thanks.”
Jason popped the caps off both bottles and set one on the table in front of me.
“Your sister’s not here yet?”
“No, she called to say she was running late. She should be here in a few.” Jason leaned against the granite countertop, one hand curled around the edge, with one leg crossed over the other. “So you and my sister, how’d that happen?”
I guessed Maura hadn’t offered any details about our relationship to her brother, which didn’t surprise me. “She was planning a party for my company.” I set the cooler on the kitchen table before taking a long pull off my beer. I liked Jason, he seemed easy-going, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t suspicion brewing behind his questions. “We hit it off.”
“Hmmm.” He looked at me curiously. “She mentioned that party to me. It was before she ended her engagement with that douchebag, wasn’t it?”
I nearly spewed my beer. Yeah, Jason and I would get along just fine. “Yeah, it was just before.”
His blue eyes darkened with anger. “I heard what he did to her. That’s part of the reason I’m here. I wanted to make sure she was okay.”
“I think she is,” I said hesitantly.
“She must be if she’s already dating you.”
I couldn’t tell whether or not Jason approved of the idea of Maura dating me. “Things are complicated between us.”
“How so?”
Before I could respond, Maura’s voice rang out as she slammed the front door. “I’m so sorry I’m late, guys.” She swept into the room wearing a long blue dress with spaghetti straps and flat sandals. The dress was low-cut and tapered at the waist. She looked stunning.
“I got tied up at a site visit. We were trying to decide where to put the ice sculptures…” Her voice drifted off when she saw my eyes on her. Clearing her throat, she stepped forward and gave her brother a smile. She opened her arms to him. “Have I told you how happy I am that you’re home, big brother?”
He grabbed her around the waist with one arm and planted a noisy kiss on her cheek. “Just don’t get used to it. As soon as the old folks get home, I’m outta here. I just wanted to check on you, make sure you’re okay.”
She patted his cheek affectionately. “And I told you you didn’t have to come all this way, but I’m glad you did. I’ve missed you.”
Jason tugged on the end of one of Maura’s blond curls and grinned. “I’ve missed you too, kiddo.” He looked at his watch. “Damn, is that the time? I gotta get outta here.”
“Where are you going?” Maura’s eyes darted to me. “I thought you’d stay and have dinner with us.”
Jason chuckled and shot me a look. “Come on, Blaise doesn’t want his date’s brother hanging around. I’m sure he wants to spend some time alone with you.”
“Jason, we’d really like you to stay,” I offered, knowing that’s what Maura expected me to say, but I looked forward to spending some time alone with her. “I know you and Maura don’t get to spend much time together, and you’ve come all this way.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I have a date. Maura and I will have plenty of time to catch up before I have to head home.”
“But…” Maura ran a hand over her stomach. “How can you have a date? You just arrived yesterday.”
Jason grinned, shrugging. “What can I say? I work fast, sis.”
I laughed, which earned me a glare from Maura.
“It was nice to meet you, Blaise,” Jason said, shaking my hand. “I hope to see more of you before I head out.”
“I’d like that,” I said. I knew how much Jason meant to Maura, which meant he was someone I’d like to get to know better. “Hey, you said you’re a WFC fan, right?” I reached into my pocket and retrieved an embossed business card. “Call or email me. I’ll hook you up with tickets whenever you want.”
“Seriously?” He scanned the card before smiling at me. “That’d be really cool, man. Thanks.”
“My pleasure.”
Jason winked at Maura while hooking a thumb in my direction. “This one’s a keeper, sis. You should be glad you got rid of that other loser.”
Maura scowled at me as soon as her brother turned his back.
“If you’re not here when I get back, I’ll stop by your office tomorrow and take you out for lunch,” Jason said to Maura. “You cool with that?”
“Sounds great.” Maura brushed a kiss over his cheek. “
Have fun tonight.”
“Yeah, you too. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, which leaves it pretty much wide open.”
She smacked his shoulder as a blush crept over her cheeks. “Get out of here.” She watched him leave before she turned back to me. “I… uh… thought he would want to stay.”
“Are you uncomfortable being here alone with me?” I gestured to the cooler. “We can just stick this stuff in the fridge and go grab a bite somewhere.”
“No.” She shook her head hesitantly. “We’ll need privacy.” She lifted the cooler lid and peered inside, her jaw dropping as she took in the contents. “Wow, all of my favorites. I’m surprised you remembered.”
“I remember everything about you, angel.” My hands were itching to caress her, but I knew that wasn’t an option.
Ignoring my statement, she turned her back on me to wash her hands. Tearing a paper towel off the rack and drying her hands, she said, “What can I do to help?”
“Not much. I marinated the salmon at my place. We’ll just stick the potatoes and asparagus in the oven…” I pressed a button to pre-heat the oven. “They should be ready by the time I’ve grilled the salmon.”
She watched me carefully as I set the glass pans in the oven. “It looks like you know your way around a kitchen. I’m kind of surprised. I assumed someone like you would have a personal chef.”
“I do, but I’m not a slave driver. I give her the night off every now and then.” I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “Seriously, I like to cook when I have the time. It helps me to relax. Besides, it’s not easy for me to go out. People usually recognize me and start bombarding me with questions about my fighters.”
“I don’t know a lot about your business,” she admitted, propping her hip against the counter as I rinsed the romaine. “I mean, I did some research when your team contacted me about planning the party, but that’s about it.”
“What do you want to know?” I was relieved that conversation was flowing freely and that she seemed interested in my life. Maybe she was starting to believe my story and consider other suspects.
