Heart of a Liar

by Ella Miles

  I look up, and Ivy is standing in a romper that barely covers her butt and reveals the top of her bra. My eyes pop open as I look at her. I had Ivy pegged all wrong. She isn’t a sweet, innocent girl. She’s a fierce firecracker, who is going to destroy me. I know it.

  Not if I destroy her first, the voice in my head says.

  Ivy devours me with her gorgeous dark brown eyes while I try to get my cock in check. But I know she can see how hard I am beneath my jeans when her eyes linger over it. I no longer care to take things slow. We are both willing to play with fire even though we know there is a good chance we will get burned.

  I walk over and grab Ivy’s hand as I rack my brain, trying to figure out where I can take her. I can’t even remember what my original plan for our date was. I try to focus, but all I can focus on are Ivy’s breasts bouncing as I pull her toward the door of her apartment. I force my eyes to focus on the door instead of Ivy.

  Think, think, think.

  I need to take her somewhere romantic. If we are going to fuck, at least I want it to be someplace nice, special.

  A hotel maybe?

  I try to think of the nicest hotel in the area, but my mind is blank.

  Food.

  I should get her some food first, and then we can fuck.

  Romper. Heels. Dance.

  I should take her dancing somewhere. I know that women who dress up like Ivy want to go out dancing.

  But, again, my mind is drawing a blank.

  Suddenly, we are at her apartment door. I open the door and step outside into the warm air as I pull Ivy with me. She shuts the door behind me.

  Shit. I don’t have long to decide what we are going to do.

  I glance at Ivy again. I’m not going to be able to think of anything else ever again.

  She smiles.

  Damn it, I love her smile.

  Love. That’s not a word I think I have ever used.

  But, God, do I love her smile.

  She giggles when I look at her like I’m going to devour her at any second. And, now, I’m thinking about how much I love her laugh. Because, damn it, I think I love her laugh, too.

  “What is going on in that head of yours?” she asks, cocking her head to the side as she looks at me like she loves my smile, too.

  “I’m thinking about how much I love your smile and laugh.”

  Her smile gets bigger. “And?”

  “And I have no idea where I was planning on taking you because all I want to do is taste that dirty mouth again. All I want is to fuck you.”

  I take a step closer to her. She doesn’t back away. I grin and tuck a strand of loose hair behind her ear before I let the back of my hand trail down the side of her face. She closes her eyes, and her breathing gets slow and steady, like she is trying to feel every tingle in her body.

  I lower my lips to hers before she opens her eyes. The kiss is supposed to be soft and gentle, just like how I touched her face. But I can’t control my lips any more than I can control my thoughts or my cock. My lips crash against her soft lips that taste like strawberries from the lip gloss she is wearing. My hands grab her arms and push them high above her head, and my body pushes hard against hers, needing to feel every curve and every inch of her smooth skin against mine. I feel myself pushing her much too hard against the door of her apartment, but she doesn’t seem to mind.

  She opens her mouth, allowing my tongue inside. Soft, quiet moans purr from her throat as we kiss. Her arms and body don’t fight me as I kiss her. Instead, they invite me in. Our bodies fit together as we kiss, and she moans louder when I push my cock into her stomach. It doesn’t feel like the second time we have kissed, and the first time we had a serious make-out session. It feels like we have been doing this for years but with a fire that hasn’t ever burned out.

  Still, this isn’t enough to satisfy either of us. But I can’t think straight. I’m much too single-minded and focused.

  First, I want her lip in my mouth. So, I bite her bottom lip and pull it into my mouth, sucking on it. Next, I want her neck. Boobs. Stomach. Pussy. I want to feel and taste it all.

  “We,” she says between kisses. “Should…ah, fuck,” she says as I kiss her neck.

  She pulls her arms out of my grasp above her head, and it’s like that one kiss flipped a switch inside her. Before, she could think, and she could talk. But, now, the only thing she can do is moan and kiss and breathe.

  Her hands go around my neck as she tries to pull me closer to her. I grab her bare legs and wrap them around my waist, like somehow having her fully in my arms is going to change something. But having her in my arms will make it so that I can carry her anywhere. She’s mine while I have her in my arms.

  And that is what I need right now. I need her to be mine. A feeling I never thought I would feel again.

  Suddenly, the door opens, and I feel myself losing my balance. I barely have time to try to turn as we fall to the floor in the entryway to her apartment.

  “You okay?” I ask Ivy.

  I did my best not to fall on her, but I know that I did little.

  “What are you two doing?” Skye asks.

  I look over at Ivy, who is lying on the floor next to me with the largest grin on her face.

  We both burst out laughing as Skye glares over us.

  “When I told you that I didn’t want to hear you, I meant it. I told you to leave, not barely make it out of our apartment and then make out so that I could see you.”

  I look at Ivy, not sure how to handle her friend.

  “We’ll go to my room,” she says, looking at me with lust in her eyes.

  I look up at Skye, like I have to ask her permission to take Ivy into her bedroom. To be honest, Skye scares the shit out of me.

  Skye just looks at Ivy with a raised eyebrow and hands on her hips. “Really, Ivy?” asks Skye. “You’re going to let this bum of a man do you without him even buying you dinner first?”

  Ivy doesn’t answer with words, but her eyes say it all. I stand up and help Ivy to her feet. And then I grab hold of each side of her face and kiss her again. My eyes close as I take in her lips. And kiss her again and again and again.

  “Jesus. Fine, I’m out of here. I’ll stay at my parents’ house tonight if you need me, Ivy. But just realize that you owe me one after this.”

  I open my eyes just enough to see Ivy waving off her friend, but she doesn’t open her eyes or stop kissing me.

  As soon as the door slams, Ivy’s lips pull away from mine, and I’m left wanting. Ivy grins again as she grabs hold of my hand and starts pulling me toward her bedroom.

  “What?” she asks.

  I shake my head. “Nothing. You are just nothing like what I expected.”

  “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

  “Both.”

  As I walk toward her bedroom, Ivy leading the way, I can’t take it anymore. I need my hands on her body. I need to have her now, not later. I scoop her up and carry her into the first room I see. I toss her onto the bed and then remove my shirt, watching her eyes grow heavy as they fall across my chest.

  “Like what you see, baby?”

  She rolls her eyes at me, but it doesn’t stop her from looking. “I like you much better when you don’t go for cheesy lines like that.”

  “I need you naked. Now.”

  Ivy bites her lip as she stares up at me. “Oh, yeah? And what if I obey you? What if I give in to your commands and do exactly what you want? Will you be out of my bed before I even wake in the morning? Will you lead me on for a few weeks to try to get all the sex you think you can get out of me? Will you call me up at random times, looking for a booty call but nothing else?”

  My eyes darken as I stare at her, lying on the bed. I push my pants and underwear off and watch as her eyes grow even heavier. Her breathing is fast, her body flushed. I can tell from everything in her body that she likes what she sees, and she wants this.

  So, despite her hesitation, despite her words saying that she’s s
cared that this is just going to be a one-time thing, she is still willing to do it because this is what she wants. She wants me now, just like I want her now. We aren’t waiting for anything.

  I crawl up on top of her still-clothed body and sit just over her hips. My hands slide on either side of the fabric of her romper, and I pull hard. The fabric rips as easily as if it were a piece of paper. I wasn’t expecting it to come apart so easily, just like I wasn’t expecting her to want me so easily.

  I lower my lips to the bare skin over her chest. I kiss gently, my lips barely brushing against her skin, as I hear and see her suck in a breath.

  “I don’t think I could ever give you up after this. I want this too much. I want to fuck you, and I want to love you. I want to take you to dinners so romantic that it’s fit for a king yet fuck you in the dirty bathroom, like the dirty girl you really are but only show to me. I want everything, and you’re not getting rid of me so easily.”

  She takes several deep breaths as she contemplates what I said. I know she thinks it’s a line. Just something men say to get into her pants. I meant every word, but I know it will take more than words to prove that to her, especially after what I’m going to do to her later.

  “What are you waiting for? Fuck me.”

  I grin. “Oh, I plan on it.”

  I slide the romper off her body, and then I reach back into the pocket of my pants and pull out a condom that I never thought I would use tonight. I stare at her body in her lace bra and underwear.

  She leans forward and reaches her hand behind her back. “I seem to remember you saying that you wanted me naked.” She undoes the hook on her bra and then pulls it off. She slips one leg and then the other out of her underwear and tosses them to the floor. She looks at me with a smirk on her face. My heart stops as I just look at her.

  “Goddamn it.”

  She raises an eyebrow at me.

  “I can’t believe you’re mine.”

  She looks at me, confused. “I’m not yours.”

  I look at her seriously. “You are tonight.”

  And then I flip her over hard, sucking the breath out of her. Because I know that I can’t fuck her while looking her in the eyes. Not tonight. Tonight isn’t about romance. Tonight isn’t about love. Tonight is about the first time I get to claim her body before I claim her soul and hope that she survives it.

  I slip the condom on and then grab her hips, loving how plump and curvy her ass is in my hands. I reach one hand up between her legs, ensuring that she is as wet as I think she is. When I get confirmation, I push my cock inside her.

  She groans. Half-pain, half-pleasure. My head comes down, and I kiss her shoulder as I wait for a second to ensure the pain ends quickly.

  “You’re huge.”

  “You’re tight,” I moan happily against her neck.

  I don’t wait for her to catch her breath or to ease the pain for more than a second before I drive into her again. I grab hold of her hips and slam hard into her gorgeous ass as I thrust inside her.

  “I need—”

  “More,” I finish for her.

  Her head nods gently as she pants just a little. I give her more. I push in deeper, filling her completely, as her breathing speeds up.

  “I need—”

  I reach my hand, finding her clit between her folds and running my thumb across it.

  “Yes…th-hat.”

  I feel her building and growing and tightening around me, and thank God, because I won’t last either.

  “I need—”

  “Faster,” I say as I move faster.

  I don’t know how I know her so well, but I do. I know her body. I know what she needs. I know everything, just like I know that I am desperate to have her forever.

  “Come, baby,” I whisper in her ear just as I feel her clench and unravel all over my cock.

  Her orgasm pushes me into my own. And then we collapse on the bed, both breathing heavily.

  She smiles as we lie face-to-face, our noses barely touching each other. She has the most beautiful grin on her face, like she knows something that she can’t wait to tell me.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  She bites her lip, contemplating answering me, and then finally says, “This isn’t my bedroom. It’s Skye’s.”

  Present

  I come in the shower, just thinking about that night and how perfect it was. And then I went and fucked everything up. And then Skye, as I’d suspected, made my life a living hell after she discovered that I fucked Ivy in her bed. It’s not as bad as whatever she’s going to do to me now that I’m back in Ivy’s life, no matter how short-lived it’s going to be.

  I turn off the water and grab the towel before stepping out of the shower when I hear a high-pitched squeal. I look down and see Sophie hobbling away from under my feet. Shit, I forgot she was down there.

  I walk over to her, bend down, and scoop her up. “You okay, girl?”

  She immediately begins licking my face. I smile and place her back on the ground before I start walking toward my closet to get some clothes to change into. As I do, I notice that Sophie, who is following me, has one of her feet raised.

  I scoop her back up into my arms. “I guess it’s another vet visit for you.”

  I’m just not sure if seeing Ivy again so soon is a good idea or not.

  7

  Ivy

  This can’t be happening. That’s all I can think when I get off the phone at the vet clinic. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening.

  I never thought, when I became a vet, something this crazy could happen to me. I thought being a vet was going to be all rainbows and happiness. Yes, I knew there would be the occasional death, the occasional sadness, but I knew how to handle that after my parents died when I was quite young. I had faced death time and time again. I wasn’t worried about dealing with death or owners mourning their pets. I just never thought I would have to deal with this.

  A tear rolls down my cheek as I realize my life could be changed forever. Skye puts her arm on my back, trying to reassure me, but there’s nothing she can do to make this any better. Honestly, she’s scared, more so than I am. Her life is just as much at risk. It doesn’t matter how close Skye and I are to each other. There is nothing either of us can say to make it any better. The only difference between us is that I cry and show my emotions while Skye hides it, only showing a hint of fear in her eyes that only I can see.

  Our intercom system buzzes. I click the button on the phone to answer the intercom, and Cynthia’s voice comes on loud and clear into my office where Skye and I are gathered around my desk.

  “I have a patient for you, Skye.” “Okay. Give me five minutes. Who’s the patient?” Skye says.

  Cynthia’s quiet for a minute, and then she says, “It’s Luca. He says it’s an emergency. Something about the puppy’s leg.”

  Skye and I look at each other in frustration. Luca is the last guy that either one of us wants to deal with today.

  I press the button for the intercom. “Are you sure he doesn’t want to see me?” I ask.

  Cynthia says, “No. He specifically asked for Skye. He was very persistent.”

  I sigh. “I’ll deal with Luca. You shouldn’t have to deal with him, Skye.”

  “No way in hell am I letting you deal with that asshole. Not today, not after everything we’ve been dealing with.”

  I shake my head as I get up from the desk. “I’m dealing with Luca. Let Cynthia know that I will be there in a minute.”

  I head to the restroom where I can quickly check my face and make sure that the tears are gone from my eyes. I don’t want to let Luca know that I’ve been crying. My tears are quick to dry merely because I’m thinking about how angry I am with Luca for coming here again just one day after he was here previously. Just one day. He has some balls to come here, and I’m not dealing with his crap—not today, not ever again.

  I don’t care about ho
w I look today. I’m wearing my scrubs that I usually wear and tennis shoes. I would actually prefer it if he were repulsed by me.

  I shake my head. No, that’s not what I want. I want him to find me so hot that he’s desperate for me. I want him to hurt after what he did to me. I want him to see that I will never be his again. I want him to see me happy and in love with another man. I want anything but what my reality really is.

  So, I spend a second pinching my cheeks and applying a little lip gloss—not for him, for me. I will not seem weak in front of him. I will not feel stupid or blind ever again.

  And then I walk out of the restroom like a girl on a mission. As I walk, I realize I didn’t even ask Cynthia which exam room she put him in. So, I have to poke my head inside two rooms filled with other patients. I apologize quickly each time before moving on to the next. I begin to expect another stranger when I open the door to another exam room and see him standing there, cuddling his puppy.

  I don’t expect what I see when I open the door. I was expecting to see Luca with a perfectly healthy dog, thinking he came in today just to torture me or to try to get Skye on his side. I wasn’t expecting him to be scared and genuinely concerned about his dog. But that is what I see when I walk into the room. Luca is tightly holding the puppy against his chest. His eyes are focused on the dog, his body tense.

  I shut the door and begin walking toward them. “How is she doing?” I ask.

  Only then does Luca look up from his puppy and notice that I’m in the room.

  “I’m not sure. I stepped on her foot on accident. She hasn’t been walking on it since.”

  He doesn’t ask me why I’m here instead of Skye. It’s clear that part will come later. Right now, his only concern is the puppy’s leg. Although I think he’s probably overreacting, I’m happy to see him finally care about something other than himself.

  “Here,” I say, holding out my arms to take the puppy from him.

  He hands the puppy over to me. She immediately starts licking my face and squirming in my arms.

  I set her on the table and start doing a quick physical exam, checking that all her major organs are working correctly before focusing on her leg. As I examine her leg, I don’t find anything that seems broken or suspicious.