Love in Disguise

by Lyssa Cole

  “Look, Deanna. I’m sorry. I can’t help being curious.”

  Her eyes water, her bottom lip quivering. “Trust me, Alicia. Please.”

  I nod. What does she know? Her reactions scare me. What’s going on in this place?

  “I have to meet Mr. Dorsey for my review in about ten minutes. Do you mind staying? I’d feel better that way. I’ll give you a ride home after.”

  She nods, pats my hand, and goes back to the break room. I know she hates the bus, especially in the cold.

  I finish the last of my cleaning in record time, remove my apron, toss it in the laundry, and fix my clothes and hair. I grab my purse, take a deep breath, and go knock on Mr. Dorsey’s door.

  A second later, the door swings open, Mr. Dorsey standing there with his suit jacket off, his shirt unbuttoned on the cuffs and a few down his neck. He smirks at me, his eyes traveling downward.

  “Come in, Miss Rego.”

  I swallow over the lump in my throat. Let’s get this over with.

  The chair in front of his desk looks like it came from the closest dumpster, mystery stains on the fabric. I grimace as I take a seat, making sure not to touch the arms.

  The door closes behind us before he takes his seat across from me. He leans forward, his hands crossed on his desk. His eyes roam the length of me, and a shiver runs through me. Not the good kind.

  “Are you happy here?” His voice drips with sex, and I recoil back, passing it off as adjusting in my chair. Ew.

  I nod, a few curls bouncing in my face. This damn hair.

  “Good. I haven’t had any complaints. The customers seem happy.” His eyes bore into mine, and I wish the floor would open and suck me down. Anything is better than this awkwardness.

  “That’s great.” I twist my hands in my lap.

  “I wanted to offer you something.” His dark eyes shift toward the door then back to me. He picks up a toothpick from his desk and slides it into the left side of his mouth, his tongue circling it.

  I ignore his clues and focus on his words. “What’s that?”

  “It’s slow here sometimes during the day. And I feel terrible you lose out on money when you have such talent.” He rubs his fingers across his lips before pulling the toothpick out and rolling it through his fingers. “We have special clients who come in at night. You know, sometimes schedules can be complex and these certain individuals need night time appointments. Would you be interested in joining us at night?”

  My gut is screaming no. Special clients? At night? I understand having night hours. A lot of places do to accommodate those who work during the day. But the way he said special clients has me thinking he means something else. Something sexual. Something I want no part of.

  “I’ll think about it and let you know. I’m helping take care of my sick mother right now, so my schedule is tight.”

  He nods curtly, and his eyes flash. I sense the sudden tension, the shift in the air. “That’ll be all then, Miss Rego. Keep up the good work. I’ll call you for your next shift.”

  I stand and smile. “Thanks, Mr. Dorsey. Have a good night.”

  He doesn’t answer yet picks up his phone, his fingers flying on the screen. I hurry out. I can’t get away fast enough.

  “You okay?” Deanna asks when I enter the break room. “What happened?”

  I shake my head as I try to catch my breath. “It’s nothing.”

  Her eyes pierce mine, and she chews on her lip while she assesses me. “Doesn’t look like nothing,” she whispers and walks toward me, stopping when she’s in front of me. “He’s awful, I know. That’s why I said keep your nose clean. He’s a dangerous man.”

  Her words run chills down my back. What did I get myself into here?

  “Let’s go.” Deanna pulls my arm toward the door.

  I grab my jacket off my chair and I’m out.

  We’re not two steps outside when I collide with a rock-solid mass. A very warm rock-solid mass.

  “Whoa, whoa. Are you okay?” a deep voice rumbles. Why does that voice sound familiar?

  I step back and gather myself, my body thrown off balance. When I look up, I gasp. “You? What are you doing here? Did you follow me or something?”

  He holds his hands up. His eyes dart to Deanna, who glances between the two of us, a mask of confusion frozen on her face. “No. I didn’t follow you. Why in the world would I want to follow you?”

  His snarky tone irks me. He crosses his arms as he stands tall, a defensive stance that pisses me off more.

  “What’s that supposed to mean? I’ve had men follow me before!” I shout, crossing my own arms. I squeeze my hands together.

  Wait, that didn’t come out right. He smirks, and I can’t help but scowl at him. “You know what I mean.”

  “Uh, I’m not really sure I do.” He shifts his weight. “So, listen, can we talk? Tomorrow over dinner?”

  “Dinner?” I huff. “I don’t think so. I have no clue who you are.”

  Deanna chimes in, elbowing me in the side. “Why not?” she pretends to whisper. “He’s hot!”

  I shoot her a dirty look, seeing his stupid smirk out of the corner of my eye. “He’s an ass!”

  “Excuse me? I’m not an ass. And my name is Gabe, by the way.”

  “Oh, sorry. You’re a jackass. Let’s go, Dea—wait a second, what did you say your name was?”

  His runs his hands through his hair, his eyes shifting away. “Gabe.”

  I think back to when Mia introduced us and the name wasn’t Gabe. I clearly remember it being Peter. “Who’s Peter then?”

  His eyes snap to mine and his hands clench at his sides. “Peter? Oh, uh, that’s my other partner. She must’ve mistaken us.”

  I narrow my eyes. He’s obviously lying, his hands clenching in and out of fists along with his feet that won’t stop shifting. I cross my arms. Deanna elbows me, and I shoot her a look.

  “Why didn’t you correct her then?”

  “Look, I just want to know if we can talk, that’s all.”

  I’m not giving this liar the time of day. He can find out whatever information he’s looking for from someone else.

  “No, we can’t. Don’t ask me again.” I storm off, my car not close enough.

  Deanna trails behind me, offering Peter, I mean Gabe or whatever the hell his name is, a sheepish apology.

  Damn her. He doesn’t deserve sorry.

  I hit the car fob. The lights flash and the car unlocks. I slide inside and as soon as my door is shut, there he is. Banging on my window.

  Deanna gets in the passenger seat, a goofy grin on her face.

  “What’s your problem?” I ask him as I start my car. I roll down my window and shoot him an evil glare. “What the hell do you want from me?”

  He leans in, resting his arms on the car door. “Dinner. That’s all I want.”

  “Why?” His closeness clouds my brain, his delicious cologne making my mouth water. I grip the wheel. Focus, Alicia. Don’t let him swoon you.

  But damn, does he make me lose focus.

  I shift in my seat, his hot breath landing on my face.

  “Why not?” he answers.

  God, he’s infuriating.

  “Maybe. If you decide on your real name, let me know. I need to go.” I wave my fingers at him, throw the car in reverse, and he backs out of the way as if he’s afraid I’ll run his toes over. I just might.

  He hands me a card from his pocket just before I pull my foot off the brake, and I say nothing as I roll my window up, the car rolling backward. I toss the card into the cup holder, and Deanna grabs it, reading the words.

  “This card says the name Gabe,” Deanna states.

  I don’t care what it says. That guy is a demanding jerk. He doesn’t deserve my time.

  I take off and when I look in the rearview mirror, he’s still standing there, watching us leave.

  Dinner? Is he crazy?

  “Get him, girl.” Deanna giggles, and I roll my eyes.

  My life
can’t be complicated by a guy. Not when my mom needs me.

  Besides, guys suck. They win you over, get you to trust them, then break you by stomping all over your heart.

  I’m all set with that bullshit.

  I’m happy without a man. And that’s all there is to it.

  Chapter 7

  Gabe

  “Dinner? You asked her to dinner, boss?” Joe munches on a fry and sips his soda.

  “Yeah, stupid, I know. It just sorta slipped out.” I shrug before piercing my salad with my fork. Joe and I had a long day, trying to find out information about the hair salon. So far, we’ve come up pretty empty.

  We hit the gym and then met back up for dinner after going back to our townhouses for showers. Luna had been alone for hours, and I hated making her wait too long.

  “How does something like that slip out? I’d know if I was asking a woman to dinner or not.” Joe bites into his burger, the messy concoction falling apart in his hands.

  “I don’t know. It’s…it’s like my brain scrambles around her. I’m drawn to her, like she’s the key to some mystery I’ve yet to solve.” I move on to my steak, the red, juicy meat looking perfect. I need to find out more about this woman. Is she involved in the case somehow? Does she know she’s involved? My mind races with a million questions, none which I have the answers to.

  “Maybe you just need to get laid.” Joe laughs while he tries to put his burger back together.

  “Good one.” I smirk. I’ll admit it’s been a while. I’m growing tired of the one-night stands. Not that I’m ready for a relationship or anything. Fuck no.

  My head is way too messed up for any kind of relationship right now.

  “I’m thinking it’s weird how I saw her at the shelter and now at the hair salon. Makes me wonder who she is. Or if she has some information.”

  “You could be right. But for some reason, I think you’re lying out of your fucking ass, boss.” Joe points a fry at me while nodding.

  “I’m not lying, Joe. She could be a vital piece to this puzzle.” I throw a fry at him, a direct hit to his chest.

  Joe holds his hands up in surrender, laughing. “All right, all right. I’ll believe you. So, when is this fancy dinner date then?”

  “There isn’t one. She said no.” I grimace into my beer. I’m not used to being told no. Especially by the women variety.

  Joe whistles under his breath. “I never thought I’d live to see the day. A woman turned you down, boss? What’s the world coming to?”

  I laugh and throw another fry at him, this time hitting his head. “She’s sassy, that one. In all honesty, she pisses me off.”

  “I’ve heard anger leads to some passionate sex. Don’t rule it out, boss.”

  “Thanks for the tip, man. I’ll remember that.”

  The night is clear, the air cold but not freezing. Another month has gone by, moving the days into March, and the case is at a standstill.

  It pisses me off we aren’t allowed to leave. I need to take care of some shit. Avenge my friend’s death. Get to the bottom of the shit storm my uncle created.

  Last I heard, things had died down. Some crazy shit went down around Adam’s murder, blame and fingers pointing in every direction. Then, it’s as if people went into hiding. No one wants to take the fault for my friend’s death.

  I’m damn sure I know exactly who was behind it all. I’m not afraid to say it, either. I need to wait for the right moment.

  My cousin’s calls have dwindled, and it seems like every time I try to get him on the phone, he’s busy and can’t talk. He’s acting shady, and I don’t like it.

  I suspect something fishy is going on. I’m chomping at the bit not being able to go home and find out exactly what’s going on.

  I pull into an empty church parking lot, my rental truck quiet in the dark night. I park in front of the open lot, the sky clear for miles. I kill the lights and pull Luna close, her long tongue licking my face, and count the stars in the sky.

  Whenever shit got really bad when I was younger and I couldn’t take it anymore, I’d go outside and count the stars. Somehow it brought me comfort and that was enough for me then. A small slice of comfort in the fucked-up world surrounding me.

  My mind drifts to the case and how we keep coming up empty-handed. The shelter is dry as a bone. The woman who partnered up with me did a fantastic job pretending to adopt with me, but we found nothing incriminating. I searched for any little thing I could possibly use and nothing.

  Joe and I sniffed around the hair salon, watching the comings and goings of the business, but the only thing we could find was some days were extremely busy while others were a ghost town.

  When we first noticed how busy it was at night, I thought we’d finally hit something. But when we went inside and pretended to be customers, there was nothing strange happening.

  This guy is good, I’ll give him that. But there has to be a crack somewhere. Once the layers are peeled back, the crack will surface. And then I can make my move.

  I’m determined to make headway on this case even if it kills me.

  The woman who won’t leave my head has gone missing as well. She hasn’t been around the shelter or the hair salon since the last time I saw her.

  Luna barks and jumps off me, her tail hitting the side of the truck dash repeatedly.

  “What is it, girl?” I pat her head and peer out the window into the darkness. I can’t see shit.

  Luna goes crazy, barking her head off and jumping all over the cab of the truck.

  “Calm down, girl. It’s okay. Shh.” I pet her as I glance around.

  And then I spot it.

  A car, about two hundred feet away from me. A person sits on the hood, wrapped in blankets.

  Damn, it’s too cold for that.

  I watch as a telescope is set up in front of the car, complete with a stand. The person fusses over the scope before settling down in front of it.

  I roll my window a bit, trying to get a better view. My eyes squint in the dark.

  Luna barks again and the person turns toward me. Or, should I say woman. The blanket falls from her head, revealing a head full of wild brown curls.

  My stomach somersaults. It’s her.

  “Come here often?” I call out to her while offering Luna her bone to distract her.

  “What are you doing here?” She jumps off the hood of her car, the blankets discarded beside her. She moves toward my truck but stops when she’s close, leaning back against her own car, crossing her arms across her chest.

  I study her profile. Damn, she’s gorgeous. Her wild hair, her eyes that are small and almond-shaped, her curvy body with just the right amount of thickness I can hold on to.

  My fingers dig into my legs as a shot of hot, pure lust comes over me. My mind drifts to her under me, her luscious body wrapped around mine. My hands trail down her waist, over her ass, losing myself in her.

  “Earth to whoever you are.”

  Her voice breaks my thoughts, my cock straining in my pants. I flush red and thank the stars it’s dark out. What’s wrong with me? I don’t turn red or get flustered. I’m acting like a damn wuss.

  “I came out to look at the stars with my dog here.” I point to Luna, who’s enjoying her bone entirely too much.

  “You have a dog?” Alicia’s stance softens, and she takes a step closer.

  “Yep. This is Luna. She’s been with me for five years now.”

  Luna’s head pops up, her tongue hanging from her big mouth. She’s a chocolate lab, a purebred I found abandoned that had worked her way into my heart and never left.

  “She’s adorable. Can I pet her?”

  She’s so close now I can smell her perfume, the light lavender scent soft and subtle. “Sure, but will you tell me your name first?”

  She laughs, her whole face lighting up. It makes her eyes wider, her crazy curls bouncing around her face. My eyes fall farther down.

  I want to kiss those lips.

  I want
to bury my face in her curls.

  “Alicia,” she whispers before taking another step closer.

  Alicia. I repeat her name in my head over and over, feeling it scramble my brain.

  “Gabe,” I reply.

  Alicia darts me a look. I offer her my pinkie, which she studies for a second before biting back a smile.

  “I swear.”

  She wraps her pinkie around mine and the warmth from her finger spreads up my hand and down to my core. I don’t want to ever let go…

  Too late. Luna nudges between us, and we both jump apart at the same time, the connection broken.

  Luna pushes onto my lap, begging to be pet by Alicia. She loves attention from anyone who wants to give it. I don’t think Luna can wait much longer.

  Alicia moves next to the truck, her hand finding Luna’s head a second later. Luna’s tail is flying, and she’s now on top of me, trying to get as close to Alicia as she can.

  We both laugh, which gets us wet, slobbery dog kisses as Luna gets more hyper.

  “Okay, girl, okay. I know you love new people, but you’re squishing me.” Alicia laughs harder while I move Luna off me and bend to grab her leash lying on the floor of the truck. “Let’s go for a walk and work off some energy.”

  I hook her leash and I’m out the truck door, Alicia watching us. The smile on her face tells me she’s under Luna’s spell, one I fall for all the time.

  “Want to walk with us?”

  She backs up toward her car. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  I shrug. “All right then. Enjoy your night.”

  I walk away from the cars, heading toward the direction of the church.

  “Wait!” she calls, and I stop short, Luna tugging on the leash.

  I turn to see her rushing toward me, struggling with the hood on her jacket, trying to trap all of her curls inside.

  “I can’t resist a cute dog.” She giggles, the sound as loud as laughter. It’s infectious, and I can’t help but chuckle myself.

  We take off, Luna sniffing every inch of the ground. We walk in silence for the first lap around. Alicia admires Luna and takes over the leash on the second lap.

  “Do you have a dog?” My breath puffs out, the night air getting colder.

  Alicia shakes her head. “No. I always wanted one, but my mom’s allergic.”