Deceitfully Yours
Bethany Bazile
Copyright © 2013 by Bethany Bazile
All rights reserved.
Warning: No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Prologue
You know that moment when you realize you’re in so deep no amount of climbing will get you out of that hole? Well, I surpassed that, and at some point I stopped trying to climb out. I became someone I barely recognized, a deceiver.
Some people say you don’t have to play the hand life deals you, but sometimes life lands you into such a fucked-up situation that you’re too scared to even pull out the ace card you’re keeping up your sleeve. Fear can be a very compelling factor. How can anyone change what she hates about her life when she’s frozen in fear?
Chapter One
Kylie
The lights are dim, soft jazz music drifts through the restaurant, and the wine is exquisite. My date gently caresses my hand on the tabletop with his fingertips as he gazes into my eyes. I smile innocently at him and pretend to be flustered. The setting screams romance and love, but this is far from that. This is my job, and he is my client, only he doesn’t know it. He’s part of my plan, the victim in my next ploy. As much as he thinks I should be concentrating on him, I can’t keep my gaze from wandering to the table a couple of feet to his right. The man at that table is my real mark tonight.
Jude Baxter is not an ordinary man. He calls attention to himself without even trying. His suit is over the top, like something a runway model would wear. The jet-black, silky material clings to his body and shows off the extraordinary contours of his physique. The gray shirt under his jacket hangs loose, and enough buttons are open to make a V shape on the bottom and display his crotch. I love a man with snuggly fitting pants. That’s a man who’s not afraid to show off his greatest asset, and I’m his rapt audience.
Jude shifts his gaze toward me without stopping his conversation with the man opposite him. He tilts his head slightly and lifts an eyebrow. I’ll get what I want from him in no time at all. He’s already made contact; now all I have to do is reel him in, then figure out how to get rid of the guy sitting across from me. I can’t even remember his name at this point, and it’s not necessary because I’ve caught the attention of the man who’s the real reason I’m here tonight.
“Would you like dessert, Kylie?”
“Huh?” I ask as I bring my attention back to my “date.”
“Dessert?” he repeats.
“No…no, thanks.” I glance back at the other table, and he’s now leaning back in his chair, making no effort to pretend he isn’t staring at me like I’m his next meal. His head is resting on his index finger and thumb, like he’s contemplating a business deal. How to get the blonde at table number three? He doesn’t realize I already have him, and there are no negotiations necessary.
He smiles at me, and I shiver. That smile surprises me. Not because of how good he looks when he smiles, but because I know that smile. I perfected that smile. It’s the smile of a predator, and all of a sudden I feel like the prey.
Another man walks up to his table and stops to speak to him, breaking the silent moment of electricity that buzzed between us. The moment his gaze strays from mine, my heart starts to pound. I recognize the new addition to his table. I’ve never forgotten a client, and I know which ones to avoid, and I need to avoid Raul. I decided a while ago to call them clients. It helped me deny what I was doing, made me feel less guilty.
“Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom,” I mutter as I gather my bag and rush to the back of the restaurant. The restroom is as posh and stuffy as the rest of this place. I drop down on the plush lounger and try to figure out how I’m going to get out of here without Raul seeing me.
Raul was my in to a bigger fish. I needed to get an in to a very important man’s apartment, and Raul was his chauffeur and butler. He had the kind of access I needed. So I seduced and talked him into letting me into his boss’s home. Once I was in, everything else was easy. Raul was passed out, and I was leaving the apartment with the files I needed in less than half an hour. After that night I cut all contact and haven’t seen him since.
“Shit,” I grumble as I get up and walk to the mirror. I take my time fluffing my blonde hair and touching up my makeup. After a few minutes of unnecessary grooming, I’m brave enough to venture out of the restroom and hopefully slip from the restaurant unnoticed. The hallway appears to be empty as I step out, but I realize I’m wrong when someone pulls my arm and drags me around the corner. The dark corridor leads to an emergency exit. My assailant slams my back against the wall, then presses his thick arm against my neck.
“Kylie.” Raul smiles at me like he’s searched for me for the past year and finally hit gold. “Still up to the same tricks?”
I shake my head, wrap my fingers around his forearm, and attempt to push him away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Raul.”
“You disappeared on me. You slipped something into my drink and—”
“No, I didn’t.
“Shut up, you lying bitch.” He presses his arm against my neck until I’m gasping for breath. “The last thing I remember is you stripping down to your underwear, then giving me that drink.” He shakes his head as though he can’t believe he got taken by me. “What’s your scheme?”
“I don’t have a scheme. You passed out drunk, so I left,”
He moves in until his body is pressed against mine. “You walk around like your pussy is gold. Dangling it in front of men’s faces but never letting anyone close enough to taste it. Does your date know you’re a dick tease?” He seethes at me, his eyes wild with rage. He digs his other hand into my thigh at the hem of my skirt, then yanks my leg around his waist, and grinds his erection against me. The pressure on my throat prevents me from screaming for help. I push and shove at him, but my one hundred twenty pound body is no match for his six foot, two hundred fifty pound frame.
“I woke up that morning to you gone and my boss hovering over me. You cost me my job. Maybe I’ll get payback between these sexy thighs.” He smiles at me as he inches his fingers higher.
“Please,” I strain to say.
“What’s that?” He puts his ear near
my mouth and slightly loosens his hold on my neck.
“Please,” I beg.
He looks into my eyes and cocks his head to the side. “Please what? I almost don’t recognize you when you beg. What happened to the hardcore player who drugged me? You had to have a reason for doing that. What did you take?”
“I didn’t take anything. Did your boss find something missing?” I ask, knowing there’s no way he’d have known I took anything. I copied all the files and put everything back in its place. “Please, Raul.”
He chuckles then whispers into my ear, “Is this game not fun for you? Or maybe you’re begging me to fuck you.”
He grazes the shell of my ear with his tongue, and I whisper, “Fuck you.”
“No, you’re the one getting fucked this time.” He moves his hand off my thigh, and I can feel him fumbling with his belt. I close my eyes, but that only enhances the smell of alcohol on his breath and the cigarette smoke lingering on his clothes. I knew coming here tonight was a bad idea, but I couldn’t get out of it.
I haven’t actually slept with a man in three years, and this is not the way I imagined it happening again. My heart is pounding so fast I can hear it echoing in my ear. Moisture pools in my eyes as his arm presses harder into my neck. Just as the edges of reality blur, I hear my savior.
“Let her go, Raul,” he says. His voice is rich with a soft gravelly tone. It’s also intimidating and direct. I open my eyes and watch him stop beside Raul and raise both his eyebrows, challenging Raul to question his command.
Raul loosens the hold he has on my neck. “This is personal, Mr. Baxter. She drugged me and left me—”
“Why would I do that,” I snap, all of a sudden feeling a lot braver with someone else around. “You’re just a glorified chauffeur. What could I gain from drugging you?” His forearm presses back into my neck, and he growls at me.
“Raul.” With that one word Raul steps away but doesn’t stop glaring at me. I turn from him and finally get a look at the beautiful man from earlier. I knew he would look even better up close, but my God, he's unreal. His dark hair is short and straight, but he somehow mussed it up on top to give it volume. It would take me an hour to get my hair to look so good, but I bet he rolled out of bed looking that way.
His eyes are a dark, sinful chocolate, and a light dusting of five o'clock shadow covers his perfectly chiseled jaw. Under the beard is probably his only imperfection. A small scar runs from under the right side of his chin and ends under his lip. His beard is not thick enough to cover the scar, but it distracts attention from the jaggedly healed cut. If anything, the scar enhances his looks. It gives him a dangerous flare, and it matches the fierce look in his eyes.
“Go get the car, Raul,” he says without moving his eyes from me. Raul grumbles as he walks down the hallway and leaves us alone.
His gaze runs over my body like he’s taking in something he just made a bid on. “You’re a troublemaker,” he declares.
“No, Raul is a liar.”
“Maybe, but I doubt it. You look like the type of woman who makes men lose common sense.”
“You don’t know me.”
“You’re right.” He puts his hands in his pockets and a concerned look crosses his face. “Are you all right?”
I run a hand through my hair and stand up from my slumped position on the wall. “I’m fine. Thanks for that.”
He shrugs his shoulder and turns away from me. “Stay out of trouble,” he says before striding down the hallway.
This is not how I intended this night to go. Things got really crazy; now all I want to do is go home. I stop at the table, make a quick excuse, and escape a date that is no longer necessary.
Jude
After a day’s worth of Raul driving me around a congested Portland, I can’t wait to jump into my car and get home. The decision to live so far from the city was simple. I love how peaceful it is living on the outskirts of the city.
“The woman in the restaurant a couple of days ago…What do you know about her?” I ask Raul as we pull up in front of the hotel.
Raul looks over his shoulder and smiles. “Kylie Weber…I know she’s good. She’ll wrap you around her finger while keeping you at arm’s length. If she’s willing to give you the time of day, she’s up to something. If you’re looking for a quick fuck, then look somewhere else. She’ll take what she needs from you long before you even see what’s underneath those panties.”
“So you decide to rape her in the back of a restaurant to get underneath her panties?” I narrow my eyes waiting for Raul to try to justify his actions.
Raul looks back with panic in his eyes. “I wasn’t going to rape her. I was just trying to scare her into telling the truth.”
“The next time you decide to ‘scare’ another woman, I’ll make sure your boss at the livery company finds out about your tactics.”
“It won’t happen again, Mr. Baxter.”
The situation she got herself into with Raul is a bad sign, but after three days, I still can’t seem to shake her from my thoughts. When I caught her watching me, I knew I had to have her. I haven’t played with anyone in a while, and my cock has been twitching in anticipation from the moment I laid eyes on Kylie. I was prepared to court her, but after the incident with her and Raul, I knew I should steer clear.
I step out of the car and walk swiftly into the hotel. The restaurant to the right of the entrance has already begun to fill up with diners and the happy-hour crowd. The restoration of this hotel took almost two years, but the results make the time and money spent worth it. The design was influenced by the Italian renaissance. Most of the intricate artwork on the arched ceiling was chipped and had to be restored. The marble floors throughout the lobby and the reception desk are new.
To the right of the reception desk I slide my keycard into the slot and the glass doors open. At this late hour most of the offices are empty other than the night manager’s. My office is at the end of the hallway.
I quickly drop my briefcase and grab everything I need before I head toward the bay of elevators in the lobby. As soon as I hit the button to take me down to the parking deck, I hear someone call out.
“Hold the elevator.”
I push the button to hold the doors open. The moment I see her I can’t hold back my smile. What is she doing here? Unless…
“Are you following me?” I ask as Kylie steps into the elevator car. She leans against the opposite side and smiles at me. “No. I was meeting a friend at the bar.”
I’m not sure if she’s telling the truth. This is a little too coincidental, but it only makes me think this was meant to be. The doors slide shut, and the tension builds quickly. Her skirt is way too short, and her top frames her breasts perfectly. Her smile is mischievous, daring me to make a move.
“So you didn’t know this is my hotel?”
“I knew it was your hotel, but I didn’t know I’d run into you.” The doors slide open to the underground parking deck, and she steps out, walking past me with a seductive sway.
“Have dinner with me.” I follow her in the opposite direction from where I’m parked.
She turns around, smiles, and then shakes her head at me. “Are you asking me or telling me?”
I move in closer to her, reach out, and glide my fingers over her neck. She shudders beneath my fingertips. “Will you have dinner with me?”
She doesn’t answer. She lowers her gaze and watches as I move my fingers over her collar bone.
“Do you feel that?” I ask. I know she feels it. The attraction between us is intense.
“Meet me in the restaurant tomorrow at six.” I don’t wait for her to answer because I know she’ll come. Raul’s claims of her being off-limits sexually are ridiculous. Heavy layers of lust had cloaked us moments ago. She wants me as much as I want her. The only games Kylie will play with me will involve her being trussed up with ropes, begging for mercy.
Chapter Two
Jude
She’s late.
I glance at my watch for the third time. My patience is getting thinner with every passing minute, and I think it shows as I sit alone drumming my fingers.
“Mr. Baxter?” The waiter stops next to my table. “The guest in room 2100 called down and left a message for you, sir.” He hands me a small note than walks away.
Took longer than expected. Will be down shortly. Kylie
I didn’t realize she was already in the hotel. Curiosity gets the best of me, and I leave the restaurant and go to the reception desk.
“Tiffany, did you happen to check in a young blonde woman this afternoon?” I ask the young receptionist. “Striking green eyes and a beauty mark above her right eyebrow? Room 2100?”
“Umm…yes, sir, I did.”
“Was she alone?”
She looks curious about my inquiry, especially since I’m adamant about our guests’ privacy, but she doesn’t question me. “She came in with a young man.”
“Thanks.” I turn toward the elevators.
The usually speedy elevator seems to move in slow motion, stopping intermittently every couple of floors for other guests. By the time I’m strolling down the hallway toward room 2100, I’m enraged with myself for charging up here like she belongs to me, but that doesn’t stop me from knocking on the door anyway.
Kylie answers the door in a gray, business-style dress. High neckline, belted waist, and a hemline that ends right above her knees. She’s fluffing her hair and seems surprised to see me.
“I was on my way down,” she says as she struts back into the room, leaving the door open for me to follow. She stops in front of the bed and pulls a pair of pumps out of an overnight bag.
“Hey, Kylie, can you pass me my bag?” A man appears at the bathroom door wrapped in a towel, and Kylie smiles shyly as she tosses him a gym bag. I’m stunned into silence, staring at the bathroom door even though it’s now shut.
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