FRAUD: A Romantic Suspense Novel

by R. C. Stephens

  He cut me off. “I know. You are not a cheater. I wouldn’t want to put you in that position. I wouldn’t want to make you feel guilty. Does that clear things up?” His smile returned full force, causing my belly to stir.

  I exhaled. “It does,” I lied. He may have every intention of being a gentleman but my body responded to his in ways I didn’t understand. Or maybe I was only beginning to understand. One thing he said rang true: I didn’t want to be a cheater; it would ruin me.

  “Good.” He clapped his hands and put the jeep into drive. “We’re headed to Atlantic City.”

  My eyes turned wide, and I jolted forward in my seat. “I’m sorry. What?”

  Hayes laughed a hearty deep laugh. “You heard me. Don’t expect to sleep tonight.” He left the city and drove into the night.

  “Hey there, luv.” I felt a hand lightly brush my cheek. My eyes fluttered open.

  I shifted up my seat. “I’m sorry.” I yawned. “How long was I out for?”

  “The whole two-and-a-half-hour drive.” He chuckled. “Don’t fret. It’s good you got some shut-eye. I got to rest this afternoon. I have a fun night planned.”

  “Whoa. That signing really wiped me out. Thanks for letting me sleep.” I ran my fingers through my hair to smooth it out.

  “No need to thank me, Natalia. You looked peaceful.” His smile was sincere. He had this way about him, always saying sweet things.

  Hayes pulled into a spot and parked the car. “Let’s go.” I took my purse, placed it across my shoulder, and scooted out of the car. Hayes grabbed his black leather jacket from the back seat. He took my hand and began walking down the street with me.

  “Don’t read into the hand holding. I just don’t want to lose you,” he said, walking briskly.

  “Wait. I can’t walk that fast in these shoes,” I muttered, looking at my stilettos.

  “Oops. I did notice those when you stepped off the elevator.” His eyes heated.

  “I brought flats, let me put them on.” I reached into my purse. Hayes was smiling mischievously.

  “What else you got in there?” He leaned forward to take a peek.

  “Just the usual stuff.” I slipped on my shoes and held the stilettos.

  He took them from me. “Let me put them in the car so you don’t have to lug them around.”

  “Thank you,” I called as he ran back to the car.

  He ran back to me and threw his arm over my shoulder. “Much better.”

  “Huh! Why?”

  “Because you fit perfectly into the crook of my arm.” I knew Hayes wasn’t shy but I was also learning he was very comfortable in his own skin. I took a sniff of that sandalwood citrus scent as if I were addicted to it. In this moment he could take me anywhere, and I’d be game.

  We walked through the front door of a hotel, and I heard machines chiming and saw a large brightly lit sign that said: Casino. “I actually don’t gamble.”

  He laughed as if I said something funny. “I don’t gamble either. We are going to do things tonight we normally don’t do, all right?” It seemed simple enough, but given our situation the innuendo those words held had been anything but.

  “Okay.” I agreed. He removed his arm from my shoulder and guided me through the casino. We played the slot machines for about ten minutes and Hayes lost twenty bucks.

  “Let’s check out the tables.” He took me by the hand and pulled me forward. I’d heard these places pumped oxygen into the air. I felt very awake. Alive.

  “I don’t know how to play,” I admitted as if I were apologizing. I was clearly a boring person.

  “Me neither.” He shrugged.

  I had a sinking feeling that I had somehow become accustomed to apologizing a lot to keep Mark appeased. Like everything I did was wrong. This didn’t sit well with me. It felt more like a brick had fallen out of the sky and landed on me, keeping me pinned down.

  We stopped at a roulette table. “This should be easy enough.” He passed the croupier three chips and asked for them to be placed on the number four.

  “Why four? Is it your favorite number?” I asked as we watched the man spin the wheel.

  “This is the fourth time we’ve been together. That has to be lucky,” he said. It took me a moment to count the times we’d met in my head, and in fact it had been four, warmth blossomed inside me.

  “I pay attention to details, Natalia. It’s what I do,” he explained.

  My smile beamed as I looked at him.

  “Why do you pay so much attention to details?” I asked, realizing it was an odd question. I knew we were all made up differently, but I wondered what made Hayes so attentive, because my husband was not.

  “My role in the Royal Navy. I was part of a special unit. I gathered intel during the war. I’ve been trained to pay attention to minute details. For example, see that man over there?” He tilted his chin to a man at the next roulette table, wearing a suit and sitting on a chair. He looked ordinary.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m willing to bet that he is an employee of the casino. He’s making sure the people at next table aren’t counting cards.” He leaned in and spoke quietly against my ear. As he spoke I watched the man, the slow movement of his eyes, how his attention was trained on the table next to him. How he probably saw the cards people were holding from the angle he was sitting at.

  “That’s impressive. What other special skills do you have?” I asked.

  “Oh, Natalia”—his blue eyes smoldered—“I’d love to show you, but I promised not to go there.”

  I punched him in the shoulder. “Not funny. I meant what other skills did you acquire in the Navy?”

  “Royal Navy,” he clarified. “I know what you meant. I just can’t help myself; I like to see you blush.”

  Yes, well, I like when you flirt with me. It’s a bit of a problem.

  “I usually count everyone that is in a room with me or at least people close to my vicinity . . . I turn my head to certain angles so I can also see who is in my blind spots. It’s annoying really. I’ve tried to stop paying so much damn attention all the time, but it’s a bloody tough habit to break. I was well-trained.”

  “I personally like your attention to detail,” I admitted.

  He smiled down at me. He opened his mouth to say something, snapped it shut, and continued to place bets.

  Hayes won a lot of chips. I didn’t know how many, but he must have quadrupled what he started with. “Blow on these,” he said, referring to the chips in his hand.

  I did.

  “Are you superstitious?” I asked.

  He gave me a wry smile. “Not at all, actually. I just wanted to watch those plump lips of yours form an O.”

  “Hayes!” I punched him playfully in the shoulder.

  “Your turn, Natalia.” He passed me some chips.

  “I couldn’t possibly play with your money.” I reached into my purse.

  “Here are five chips. Make them multiply, luv.” He winked.

  “I’m no magician,” I insisted.

  He gave me a meaningful look. “Just do it.”

  “Fifteen.” I placed my chips on the number and the man spun the wheel. My heart beat fast in anticipation. Hayes passed me a drink from one of the waitresses walking by.

  The wheel landed on my number, and I let out a squeal. “Nice.” He pecked my cheek, his lips sent currents through my body and I imagined his lips touching me everywhere. “I’m just heading to the loo,” he said.

  “Sure.” I smiled at his accent and use of the term loo.

  “Mum always used to say it’s the polite way to say it,” he said, almost like he’d been reading my mind.

  “I like it.” I patted his chest. It was hard, firm, wide. He turned away and I took my winnings and gambled some more.

  Number eleven was a winner, and I jumped up and down. I tried number seven and lost a few chips. Then I had the idea of going big or going home. It was the same thing I said to myself when I’d written A Birthday Wish.
I blew on my chips and placed them on lucky number twenty-one. I held my breath as the man spun the wheel. I was leaning over the table and drinking what tasted like rye and ginger ale from the glass Hayes had given me.

  “No fucking way.” I squealed then began to jump up and down when I felt a hand at my waist. I snapped back to see who was touching me and relaxed when I saw Hayes had returned.

  The croupier passed me a tall mountain of chips. “I see you’ve done well without me,” he said. He didn’t remove his hand from my waist. Instead I felt his thumb thrum back and forth. His touch was slowly undoing me, but I couldn’t let that happen.

  “Apparently.” I smiled.

  “Having fun yet?” he asked.

  “I’d say so.” I beamed.

  “Good. My mum always told me you should quit while you’re ahead, so next stop, yeah?” he asked.

  I loved how he made reference to his mother.

  “Yes.” I agreed, and we went to cash out. I wanted to give Hayes my winnings, but he wouldn’t allow it.

  We left the hotel for the cool fresh night air. “What’s next?” I asked, slipping on my jacket.

  “You hungry?” He slipped his hands into his front pockets. I was disappointed he wouldn’t be able to touch me now.

  “I could eat.”

  We walked by a corn dog stand. “You up for a corn dog?” he asked.

  “Um, I don’t know. I can’t remember the last time I ate a corn dog.” I laughed, tilting my head to the side.

  “Perfect. Remember we’re doing things tonight we wouldn’t normally do so this fits the criteria. I’ve never eaten a corn dog in my life.”

  We walked over to the stand and Hayes purchased two. We found a spot on the boardwalk and sat on a bench.

  “This isn’t half bad.” He laughed, taking a bite.

  “It’s gross.” I chortled. Still I ate my corn dog and enjoyed looking at the goofy faces Hayes made while eating his.

  “I enjoy watching that mouth wrap around that phallic symbol,” he said.

  It took me a second to realize what he meant, and when I looked down at the corn dog I saw it resembled a penis. “You’re bad.”

  “I never claimed to be good.” He raised his brows.

  “You have a dirty mouth,” I snickered.

  “You have no clue.” His nostrils flared, and heat warmed my belly.

  I took a deep breath.

  When we finished eating Hayes went up to the corn dog stand and bought another. “Hungry, are you?” I joked, but then he walked over to a homeless man lying on the side of the boardwalk and gave him the corn dog and five bucks. My heart burst a little further.

  I took him by the arm, and he looked at me reverently. “Where to next?” I asked.

  “The night is still young.” He winked. We walked down the boardwalk until we reached a dark door with pulsing music coming from the inside.

  “We’re going in there?” I asked my voice a little shaky.

  Hayes nodded.

  “I don’t remember the last time I was in a club. It may have been 1999.” I laughed loudly.

  “I was seventeen in 1999,” he said, his lips twisting.

  “Don’t remind me.” I patted his chest.

  “Why not? You make it sound like I’m a lad. We’re only six years apart. I’m a man, Natalia,” he said, reminding me with his deep sexy voice.

  “I’m very well aware.” I swallowed hard. I needed a distraction. “Come show me this club.”

  Taking him by the hand we passed the bouncer at the front door. Hayes guided me straight to the bar.

  “First we drink. Then we dance,” he said. He leaned on the bar, and it didn’t take long for the bartender to walk over to him.

  “What can I get you, sugar?” she shouted over the loud music.

  Hayes looked at me, contemplating. “Four shots of tequila.”

  My eyes widened. His words from earlier rang in my mind. Tonight, was about doing things I would never do. That seemed like trouble.

  We did two shots of tequila each, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted more.

  “I’ll take a Scotch, neat. And my friend here would like . . .” He waited for me to fill in the blanks.

  “I’ll take a blow job,” I said, and Hayes coughed into his hand. “Two please.” I showed two fingers since it was loud. I turned and gazed at him with mischief in my eyes. I reached into my purse and Hayes tried to stop me. “This is on me,” I insisted.

  The bartender brought our drinks. I took one in my hand and passed the other to Hayes.

  “Here, this is the only blow job you’ll be getting tonight.” I winked.

  He gave me a naughty look. “That was good.” He shook his head.

  “That was for the corn dog.” I snickered.

  “You aren’t making me want you any less,” he said.

  “I wasn’t going for that.” The look on his face was priceless, and I knew I was playing with fire, but we were just playing and I was having fun.

  He took his thumb and wiped the corner of my mouth. “You have whipped cream.” He licked his thumb. My thighs clenched together. I was tipsy. He threw back the remnants of his drink then we hit the dance floor.

  What had I been thinking? Dancing with Hayes was a fantasy come true. The way our sweat slicked bodies moved together was sinful. He allowed his hands to roam over my body. Up my back, at my waist, down my ass. He’d given my ass a good squeeze more than once.

  My arms wrapped around his neck as lights flashed around us. The music wasn’t what I was used to, but it was fun, lively, an addictive pulse that made me want to keep moving. Or maybe it was my dance partner. We stopped for more drinks, water, and more shots. I was wasted. So was Hayes.

  Taking my phone out of my purse to check the time, my eyes bulged out of their sockets when I saw it was three thirty in the morning. Holy shit!

  “Come on admit that was fun,” he said, a little out of breath.

  “That was fun.” I smiled stupid drunk. “What now? Neither of us can drive.” I flopped my arm around his neck.

  “Nope. Can’t drive,” he agreed with a lazy chuckle. This didn’t seem to bother either of us. We left the club and went back to the boardwalk. I was far from steady in my ballet flats. There was a cool chill in the air. “We either get a hotel or we sleep on the beach.”

  I wasn’t sure if he was joking.

  “Beach,” I answered, knowing a hotel room would be trouble for the two of us in our state.

  “Beach it is,” he agreed. He took my hand and led me off the boardwalk. When we reached the sand I reached down to remove my shoes. “Shit! It’s cold,” I squealed.

  “I would think so. This is New Jersey not South Beach.”

  “Very funny, luckily I have enough booze in my veins not to care,” I said in a chiding but playful tone.

  “That’s good, beautiful. Would you mind if we popped a squat here in the sand?” He stopped walking and fell to the ground.

  “You’re seriously drunk.” I leaned over and waved my finger, almost touching his nose.

  “By the looks of it you are too.” He tried to grab my finger and missed.

  “Hey,” I chided.

  He burst into more laughter and so did I. When our laughter fizzled, we both stared at the dark ocean in front of us. I inhaled a long breath of the salty air.

  “Yeah.” Hayes exhaled and leaned back on his elbows. “Beach is perfect.”

  We sat quietly for I didn’t know how long, since I didn’t want to look at my phone. I wanted to savor the time. Enjoy the feeling of no responsibility.

  “Tell me something.” I leaned on my side and looked at him.

  “What do you want to know?” he asked. “I warn you. I’m loose-tongued when I’m drunk.” The corner of his lips turned up.

  I was a little too transfixed on him. “Warning heeded.” I smiled.

  “Shoot.”

  “Do you have a girlfriend?” I asked, unable to help the curiosity burning throu
gh me since my arrival.

  “I wouldn’t be with you like this if I had a girlfriend,” he said, and I winced. “Shit. I didn’t mean it like that, Natalia.”

  “It’s fine.” I waved him off, my movements dramatic and exaggerated.

  “I had a girlfriend. A second year poli sci major. We dated for nearly a year. Laura was fun, but she wanted to party all the time and do these girly things. We just didn’t connect at the end of it.”

  “And after Laura?” I asked. His relationship history intrigued me, maybe because I felt how attracted he was to me and I needed to understand if there was a pattern.

  “Huh! After Laura I dated . . .” He paused.

  “What is it?” I asked, suddenly more intrigued.

  He fingered his lips contemplating.

  “Well?” I pushed.

  “After Laura I had an affair with a junior professor. There were strict non-fraternization rules against that sort of thing with me still being a student,” he explained.

  “What happened? Why did it end?” I asked.

  “It was purely physical. We never reached a point that we could sit and talk and discuss something that wasn’t related to psychology. I didn’t want that for myself, and Serena didn’t either. I also may have spoken to Shay, and he told me you were planning a trip to New York.” He winced and I sat upright.

  My mouth hung open. “Did you break up with her because of me?” My face scrunched up. I was very confused.

  “I’m loose-tongued right now. I warned you.” He tried to play it off.

  “Hayes?” I said his name, but it was more like a question.

  “Yes, Natalia. I’ve thought a lot about you over the last number of years, and I didn’t want to be attached when you arrived, regardless of the fact that I knew nothing would happen between us. I don’t think we are ready for this conversation,” he said with a hint of warning.

  His words made me dizzy. “You’re right.” I wasn’t ready to have that kind of talk.

  “So, she was older than you?” I asked, referring back to the professor because in my drunk mind I needed to process what his affair meant.

  “Yes, she was,” he admitted, albeit hesitantly. “I prefer older women. I don’t usually connect with women my age.” I could see that from the first time I met him. He was an old soul. I wondered if his childhood had formed him that way. He stared at me, waiting expectantly.