by Chiah Wilder
“Kelsey, what the fuck are you doing here?”
She rolled her eyes and brushed away the tears from her face. “I deserved to see you in person, don’t you think? Especially after everything you put me through.” She lifted her chin, acting like she was on some kind of noble crusade.
Glancing at my desk, the stack of files reminded me how much work I had. Irritation pricked my skin. “What the fuck are you talking about? You’re the one who fucked my best friend, remember?”
“It wasn’t like that,” she whined, her voice taking on a childlike edge that just served to irritate me more. How in the hell did I ever actually date this woman? What was I thinking? Had I been that desperate to get laid that I had overlooked the obviousness of the fact that she was… well, kind of a nightmare?
I held up my hand. “I don’t want to rehash all this. It’s done and we’re finished. You need to move on. I’ve already given you enough of my time. I want you to get out of here and never come back, or I’m going to call security and get a restraining order so you can’t burst into this place again. Do you understand that?”
Her eyes narrowed to slits. “What’s going on with you and Cierra?”
It was as though she’d doused me in cold water. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” I replied, waving my hand to dismiss her, but she took a step toward me, a cruel grin cracking out over her face. She knew she’d found some ammunition that, in her twisted mind, she could use to manipulate me. But she was wrong. No one manipulates me. Ever.
She cocked her head at me. “Yes, you do. She was asking about you, you know. Asking what you were like. I know she likes you and I know you can’t resist a woman, no matter if they’re your type or not. I know you’re fucking her. I wonder what your grandfather or the board of directors would think about their CEO opening them up to a sexual harassment suit.”
I kept my face impassive. “Did you tell Cierra the truth about our breakup?”
She gripped the edge of the desk. “So it’s ‘Cierra’ and not ‘Ms. Duncan’ anymore?” A dry cackle burst through her lips.
“I’m going to take that as a no.”
“Actually, I told her you were a womanizing asshole. Did you really think I’m going to tell her the truth? Why would I do that? It’s not like you’re going to think about getting back together with me if I do.”
“You’re damn right about that, so your plan for us to get back together is nothing more than a pathetic pipedream. I have work to do.”
“Whoever told you I wanted to get back together with you is full of shit. I have plenty of men interested in me. I don’t need or want you.”
“Then why are you here? Did you think you’d try for a second chance at the family fortune? You’re so damn transparent.”
“It’s not like that, Trace. Give me some credit—”
“For what? For cheating on me and then coming back to me after Jason dumped you? Do you want credit for lying to Cierra about why we broke up and making me the bad guy?”
She lunged forward and pointed a finger at me. “This is all about Cierra, isn’t it? You’re such an asshole. And you know what? She still thinks you’re a bastard, and unless I tell her any different, that isn’t going to change. She trusts me over you, no matter what kind of bullshit you’ve been trying to pull on her to make it seem like you’re actually a decent person.”
She doesn’t know Cierra and I are dating. “You need to leave. I have a company to run and don’t have time for junior high antics.” I went behind the desk, sat on the chair, and began rifling through one of the files.
“You like Cierra, don’t you?” Bitterness laced her voice.
I looked up. “Yeah, I do. I think she’s amazing. She’s smart, funny, and beautiful, and she doesn’t pull anything close to the kind of shit you’re trying to do right now.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh please. She’s not a damn saint. Far from it. I know her better than you ever could, and I can tell you that she’s not what she seems. Let’s just say she’s not good enough for someone like you.” She looked intently at me, fluttering her long lashes in my direction.
“Cierra’s better than good enough. She’s everything I want. I’ve never met a woman like her.” That must’ve been the moment when everything really sank in for Kelsey, because her face twisted from flirtatious and forgiving into sheer, consuming fury over the course of a second.
“I don’t know what you see in her. She’s boring, she’s obsessed with work, and besides, she’s seeing someone else.” She laughed. “From the look on your face, you obviously didn’t know that. She just gushed about him to me the other day.”
My skin pulled as tightness set in. “Who the fuck is she seeing?”
“Cory. So you see, you’re letting yourself get hung up on someone who doesn’t care about you, and you’re acting like a fucking idiot in the process.”
I relaxed. Kelsey was pulling out all the stops. I knew Cory was history, so it was obvious Kelsey was lying and stabbing Cierra in the back in her desperate attempt to try and get back with me. How in the hell was Cierra ever friends with her? I leaned back in the chair and fixed my gaze on her. “I know Cierra went out with Cory. And she is dating someone—me. And this isn’t an office fling, or a passing thing. I love her and want to make a life with her.”
She rocked back on her heels as though I’d struck her a physical blow, and it took me a moment to realize I’d said I loved Cierra. The three biggest words I’d ever uttered had spilled from my tongue so naturally. I had really said I loved her. It was out there now, and there was no turning back. And that suited me just fine.
“You can’t be fucking serious,” she almost sounded like she was about to burst into hysterical laughter. Either that or tears; I couldn’t tell which one was more likely at that point.
“I’m dead serious,” I replied.
“You sound like you’re in a fucking romantic drama movie.” She sneered in my direction. “You’ll get tired of her real fast, and when you do, call me.”
I pushed back and rose to my feet. “Did Cierra ever tell you about chewing me out at Beta the night you and she were there? I know you saw me, and she came up to me and reamed me about not treating you right. That’s the kind of woman I have, and the kind of friend you have, Kelsey.”
Kelsey grinned slowly. “She told me and I thought it was dumb. She’s always fighting injustices. She actually spends her free time helping people who won’t get a job. Unbelievable. She’s such a sap.”
I grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the door. “I’ve given you way more time than you deserved. Have a good life, and leave Cierra and me alone. The next time you attempt to contact me, there will be consequences you won’t like.”
She jerked away from my grasp. “Don’t touch me. I’m so done with you. And no matter what happens with you and her, she’ll always wonder if you cheated on me. She trusts me, and she’ll never have full confidence in you. And that’s the way it’s going to stay because I’m never going to tell her the truth.”
And then I heard a knock at the door.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Cierra
I bolted up the stairs as fast as I could manage in four-inch heels as I launched myself toward Trace’s office. I heard the loud pounding of my heart and the blood rushing around my ears as I tried to make sense of why Kelsey was in Trace’s office. Thoughts of the two of them kissing stabbed my brain, and I screamed out “No!” in an attempt to banish them. My voice reverberated around the stairwell, filling my ears. My instinct told me that Trace wasn’t dating Kelsey behind my back, but my insecurity imagined all sorts of things to torture me. My legs pumped beneath me as I continued running up the stairs.
I pushed open the heavy metal door and paused to catch my breath. Kelsey always managed to look impeccable without a hair out of place. I’d never seen her without makeup, not even when we’d gone river rafting in Utah several years before. Prior to the trip, Kelsey had been s
o freaked out about having anyone see her without it that she got permanent makeup for her eyebrows, eyelids, and lips. There was no way I was walking into Trace’s office sweaty and disheveled. I finger-combed my hair, blotted my sweaty face, and reapplied my lipstick and gloss. With shoulders thrown back, I walked toward his office.
I stopped and took several deep breaths along the way, trying to slow my beating heart. As I approached, I heard Trace’s and Kelsey’s voices filtering out. I glanced at Chandra, who smiled weakly at me and reverted her attention back to the computer screen. I went closer to the door and stopped. The words took form through the wood, and I stood there listening to Kelsey’s voice, the one she used when she was trying her hardest to get something. And I could hear Trace too—angrier than I’d ever heard him, his words dripping with venom as he threw them in her direction. And what I heard them saying was eye-opening. Relief washed over me as I realized they were arguing, not making passionate love. I never really questioned it but sometimes those damn doubts were experts at invading my mind.
I went closer and pressed my ear to the door. The heat building on my face told me I was turning all shades of red as I glanced over at Chandra. She smiled, then turned back to her computer. Trace’s voice telling Kelsey that they were through warmed me, but when he mentioned that he broke it off with her because he found her cheating on him with his friend, my blood ran cold. Kelsey lied to me. She’s been playing me all along. She’s been trying to keep anything from happening between Trace and me. Trace’s voice remained cold, and that was when she turned on me.
And boy did she trash me. The things she said were cruel, self-serving, and hurtful. It was like a slap in the face, throwing me off-balance. How could a friend say such horrible things behind another friend’s back? She was trying to paint me in the worst possible light to Trace.
At that point, I was ready to burst in and tell her exactly what I thought of her when Trace said the three words I’d been dying to hear—“I love her.” In that moment, the pain of Kelsey’s betrayal melted into happiness. Hearing those words from him was the most exhilarating high I’d ever felt. I felt like dancing and sharing my euphoria with everyone. I looked back at Chandra but she was still staring at the screen. How had she not heard the words that would forever change me… and Trace? Change us? Pure joy and love coursed through me and I couldn’t take it any longer, lifting my knuckles and rapping on the door.
The two voices inside fell silent, and I heard Trace’s familiar footsteps as he headed over to the door. It sprang open a second later.
“Who is it?” Kelsey demanded, an edge to her voice. Then she craned her neck around Trace and laid her eyes on me. They widened at once. “Shit.”
“Yeah, shit,” I agreed, stepping over the threshold and pulling the door shut behind me, figuring that everyone else in the office would do well to be kept out of whatever drama was about to unfold. “What the hell is going on in here?”
“How much did you hear?” Kelsey rounded on me, her tone edgy and irritated, as though I’d interrupted something important.
“Enough.” I met her gaze steadily. I still felt as though she’d punched me in the stomach as I tried to make sense of everything I’d heard her say.
Kelsey leaned against the desk and turned her attention to Trace. She lifted a finger and pointed in his direction. “It’s him. He’s the one who’s getting between us. If he had never come into our lives, we’d both be having a martini and talking about what jerks men can be.”
I stepped closer to Trace and slipped my hand in his. “It’s not Trace. It’s you. You’ve been lying to me about him all along so I’d think he was an uncaring jerk who hurt you.”
Kelsey looked at me, tightening her lips like she knew and had half accepted that I was on to her.
“I never lied about anything. I knew you were hung up on him and I just tried to warn you. We’ve been friends for years. Are you going to take the side of a known player you barely know over me?”
“Just tell me the truth about why you and Trace broke up.”
Kelsey clenched her jaw and squinted.
“Kelsey,” he prompted her, and her head snapped up, her eyes full of hatred.
“Oh fuck off and shut up. This has nothing to do with you.” She pushed away from the desk.
“It has everything to do with him,” I replied. Trace slid an arm around my waist, sending shivers up and down my spine. I leaned into him and caught his gaze. Tenderness and love radiated from it, and I loved him more than ever.
“You want to hear the truth? I’ll tell you the truth,” Kelsey said in a strained voice.
I’d been so pulled in by Trace that I’d forgotten she was there. I looked at her. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“You started this shit, Cierra, so I’ll finish it. I met Trace’s friend Jason and he hit on me. One thing led to another and we ended up having an affair. Trace came over one day and caught us. But none of it would’ve happened if he knew how to treat me. I’m not sorry one bit that I fucked Jason.” Defiance shone on her face.
“I feel sorry for you. I hope you find some closure and can move on,” I said.
She laughed dryly. “You feel sorry for me? Seriously? You’re the pathetic one having to run after my leftovers, but then you were never any good at getting your own men.”
I knew she wanted to hurt me, but I didn’t care anymore. “You have no idea how to be a friend. I can’t believe I put up with you all these years.”
Trace opened the door. “It’s done. Leave now or I’ll throw you out.”
She darted her gaze back and forth between us and grimaced. “You’re both pathetic.” She turned on her heel and stormed out, sheer fury written on her face.
Trace closed the door and pressed me close to him, and I buried my face in his shoulder. “How long were you standing outside eavesdropping?” He chuckled.
“Long enough to hear what I needed to. I wished you would’ve told me the truth about why you two broke up.”
His lips brushed across the side of my face. “You wouldn’t have believed me.”
And he was right. I had formed an image of who he was based on what Kelsey had told me, and I wouldn’t have believed him over her. But I was smart enough to see that the image I’d had of him had cracks in it that became bigger the more I got to know him.
“What else did you hear?” he said against the corner of my mouth.
My breath caught in my throat and I looked up at him as he cupped my face.
“That you love me,” I whispered.
His lips pressed against mine, then gently covered my mouth. The love that came from that one kiss brought tears to my eyes. I pulled back and buried my face in his chest, not wanting him to see me cry.
“I’m in love with you, Cierra,” he said softly.
Hearing the words through a door was one thing, but hearing them in person, wrapped in his arms, was quite different. Love, desire, and joy converged and shot through every inch of my body, leaving me a weepy mess. So much for self-restraint.
He wiped the tears as they spilled down my face. I stuttered to get the words out but failed. Trace gave me a tissue and caressed my back as I blew my nose, finally regaining my composure. I looked up at him and our gazes locked. “I love you too.” My bottom lip trembled as I fought to hold it together. I was such a sap. I was one of those who cried at weddings, endings of movies, and a slew of other things. A total lightweight.
He placed his finger on my lips. “I’ve never told a woman I loved her. You came into my life and showed me how much I was missing. You make me feel complete.”
When he dipped his head and kissed me, it was the most precious and intimate kiss we’d ever shared. My insides were mush, and I wanted nothing more than to be with him right then and there. “Can you come out to play?” I asked as I wrapped my arms around his neck.
He looked over my shoulder at the piles of files on his desk, and a big smile spread across his face. “Hell yeah.�
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He dipped his head and kissed me once again, more urgently that time.
Grinning, I pulled back and took his hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
And as I walked toward the stairs, he pulled me back. “Why’re you going that way?”
“The elevators were out so I had to take the stairs.”
“They’re fixed now.” He pulled me close, and as we walked toward them, hand in hand, I was the happiest woman alive.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Trace
Two weeks later
The sky was pitch black, and I looked at my watch. It was later than I thought. I rubbed my eyes and sent a quick text to Cierra telling her I was running late. She was volunteering at a women’s shelter that night and we’d made plans for her to meet me at my place. Grabbing my briefcase, I switched off the lights and headed down the hall.
Everything was quiet as a tomb, which was to be expected on a Friday night. I nodded at the security guard, and as I headed to the revolving doors, I remembered I’d left the Dowling file on my desk. I groaned and debated about going back. I’d been trying to snag that account for the past several weeks. My grandfather had been working to get Dowling onboard as a client for years, but he hadn’t been able to win him over. Meeting with Fred Dowling was huge, and I’d wanted to go over the key points of the campaign Velocity was proposing before our meeting on Monday morning. There was no choice—I had to go back up and get it.
The plus of being in a virtually empty building was that the elevators were fast. I hurried down the hall to my office, where I saw light spilling out onto the carpet. I paused, pretty damn sure I’d switched off the lights when I left. I glanced around searching for the cleaning people, but they weren’t on the floor; besides, it would’ve been impossible for them to have cleaned my office in the short time I was gone. Deciding I must’ve been mistaken, I ambled onward.
