Imperfect Love: Liar (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Stephanie St. Klaire

  The bathroom door opening had her attention, followed by the front door. He must’ve gone for a run. She turned on her back, relieved to have a minute to get herself together. How on earth was she going to face him when he got back? How was she going to keep his cock out of her mind all day?

  When James suggested packing her battery-operated friend, she was mortified, thought it would be inappropriate. Now she was thinking better of it. This was going to be a long hot and bothered month.

  ***

  Their ride to work was quiet as they each dove right into work on their smart phones. It was just another ruse, however; neither was really working as they each had the other on their minds. Coffee’s first, then a parting kiss in the lobby, they followed their routine to a T. He asked her to lunch, but she needed to work through, especially since she hadn’t the day before as planned.

  Understanding as he was, there had to be a compromise because he wanted time with her, promising dinner out and a plan to meet in the lobby at five – more of their new routine. Before she could say one way or the other, he was gone. She looked forward to five…and the rest of the evening.

  Her morning flew by, full of meetings and brainstorming sessions with various members of her team. It was hard to stay on task and focused, but she managed. When noon rolled around, Nick exited the elevator with a sandwich in hand, surprising her. He didn’t say but a mere hello, kissed her head, and left, telling her to have a good afternoon and not to forget to eat her sandwich.

  Her first thought was that it was for show, to keep the ruse up, but there was nobody there to impress but her. He was just thoughtful that way. She was starting to wish it was all real.

  ***

  The rest of their first week together flowed just as smoothly. They were good together, read each other well, and enjoyed each other thoroughly. Living together was brilliant.

  Aching morning throbs from close contact as they slept side by side started their days. If they didn’t have lunch together, he had it delivered for her – clearly paying attention to detail because it was always one of her favorite foods. Late evenings at the office meant dinner out, but one night, he cooked. It was like they were a real couple who had been together forever.

  Friday was different from the rest of the week until they arrived at the office. He had a working lunch meeting and something to do after work, so he wouldn’t be riding home with her. She was disappointed, would have to think about why later, but understood that there was still work to do, and it couldn’t all be about them and the ruse.

  He did tell her not to make any plans for the evening and he would meet her at home. She was to dress casual but warm. She supposed that was his way of telling her they had plans after all. She wasn’t sure what affected her more – going all day without seeing him, that he planned a surprise evening, or that he called it home.

  Chapter 16

  Five came and went – there had been no sign of Nick all day. Not even in the lobby when she went to leave for the day, but the car was waiting for her as per usual. It felt different leaving without him, lonely. When she arrived home, he wasn’t there either, but why would he be? She was greeted by the dogs and glad to see their little faces, at least.

  The building dog walker had already taken them out a few times for the day, but she decided to leash up and go for a little walk, herself, to kill time. While out, she texted Nick, trying to gauge when she should be ready and where they might be going. Instead of texting back, he called her.

  “What are you doing?” he asked in a low sultry voice.

  “I’m on dog duty, across the street. You?”

  “Just wrapped things up for the day. I’m headed your way now.”

  Excitement brewed; though she saw him earlier that day, it felt longer, “Perfect. What should I wear. Define…comfortable.”

  “I don’t know. Jeans, a shirt…maybe a light jacket. It’s going to be cool this evening. Just don’t wear those sticks you walk on.”

  “Sticks? Most men like a woman in heels.”

  “Oh, I do love the sight of you in those things – this is just me being completely selfless. I’m thinking solely of you and your comfort. Back to the heels tomorrow,” he teased.

  “How thoughtful of you.”

  “I’m a thoughtful guy.” He laughed. “I’m almost home; see you in fifteen minutes.”

  Fifteen minutes! She hustled the dogs back across the street and up to the apartment to change. Opting for jeans with plenty of stretch, comfort, she paired them with a lightweight, off the shoulder sweater. A pair of stylish slip on sneakers later and some red lipstick, and she was ready. If she couldn’t get his attention with her sticks, she would with ass hugging jeans and a little skin. Bam and Bam!

  Peonies in hand, Cori was surprised to see Nick had already changed. He was in low hip slinging jeans that hugged his ass and thighs in all the right places, and a plain t-shirt, ball cap, and rich brown leather bomber jacket. If he didn’t look good enough to eat, he certainly smelled it. His signature rich handsome scent, co-mingling with the smell of buttery leather, had her tingling – also in all of the right places.

  He kissed her forehead and left her to put her flowers in a vase while he greeted the dogs. Her poor flowers were a little mangled because she wasn’t paying much attention to them, or the water she spilled trying to arrange them – her eyes were glued on the hot guy in the living room, who was rolling around with the dogs.

  They were out the door and on their way to who knew where, killing the time with safe and easy conversation about the day they each had, both ready for the weekend. The car ride was shorter than Cori expected, and she was a little surprised to see where they were.

  “The office? Why are we at Thorne; did you forget something?”

  “Nope.” He said with a big enthusiastic smile as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the car. “Trust me – c’mon.”

  He practically ran to the elevator – the one that led to the executive floors. Odd, she thought. When the doors closed, and he hit the button for the roof, she was even more confused and a bit uneasy. The roof?

  “You aren’t taking me to the roof so you can toss me over the edge, are you?”

  First, he chuckled, then his face straightened. “Wait, you aren’t afraid of heights, are you?”

  “That depends…am I plummeting to my death, or…”

  “No, you aren’t plummeting to your death.”

  “Then no, Blackthorne, not afraid of heights.”

  “Good!” he said, just as the doors opened, revealing the last thing she thought they were there for.

  “It’s a helicopter,” she said, awestruck. “A big one.”

  Nick couldn’t help but laugh at her surprise. “Yes, Cori. Helicopter.”

  She smacked his arm at the condescending, yet teasing remark, “Smartass. So, this is why you couldn’t ride home with me.”

  “I had a few details to work out for the evening to go as planned – called in a few favors. Are you surprised?”

  “Are we going in it?”

  “Well, we aren’t just going to look at it all night.”

  “Can we?”

  “Cori, it’s my helicopter…yes, we can.”

  He held out his arm for her to hold as he escorted her to their ride for the evening, “Of course, you have a helicopter. So what favors…”

  “You’ll see.”

  The pilot opened the rear door for the couple and Nick helped her in, holding her waist and giving her a lift, though he didn’t need to. She didn’t mind, however. Climbing in behind her, he scooted close and helped her buckle in before buckling himself and tossing an arm around her shoulders.

  They flew over the city, taking in all of the sights like they had before, only this time from the air. It was another adventure.

  “I can’t believe I have lived here as long as I have, and it all seems so new each time we go on an adventure. I think I work too much,” she admitted.

  “
Having fun, then?”

  She tossed her head back and giggled. “The time of my life!”

  After circling the Statue of Liberty, they flew east, or so she thought, given the sun’s location. When land disappeared and they were over water, specifically the ocean, she became nervous until she could see land ahead between the two front pilots’ seats. Where the hell were they.

  After circling an island, they started to descend on the front side, or west she assumed, if she was following along correctly. The island held a small town with several homes spread to its outer edges, the further out, the larger the properties it seemed. Their slow landing revealed a compound-like estate that screamed old money, which sat on the ocean, with sprawling lawns and a grand white and brick home displaying at least two American flags that she could see – this place screamed Americana. It also screamed rich.

  She was officially trapped on an island, and not a good swimmer. She trusted Nick, but not knowing where they were and having to rely solely on him and his helicopter felt a little claustrophobic and left her insecure. The ocean was to her back, the cape cod looking home directly in front of her – it looked every bit Blackthorne. Even the large cement pad they landed on had a giant mosaic design and built in cement benches bordering it with gobs of red white and blue flowers filling in.

  “Welcome to Martha’s Vineyard,” the pilot said, opening the door for Nick and Cori.

  “Martha who?” she shot back, unable to hear just yet with the propeller still slowing.

  The pilot smiled, “Vineyard, miss. Martha’s Vineyard.”

  “Oh, wow,” she said in a low voice. “I didn’t know this was a real place. I mean, I knew it was a place, just not…this. I just thought the president…and insanely…rich…oh. And I can’t believe I just said that out loud. Whose place is this, anyway?”

  “It’s my home…well…estate,” Nick answered.

  “Of course, it is. I mean your helicopter and your estate. The helicopter even has its own driveway thing.” Cori looked around, taking in the breathtaking views and lovely home, which was more of a mansion than anything.

  A large tanker drove their way on the paved drive that led to the helicopter pad.

  “Oh good. After you fuel up, why don’t you take a few hours off, Lyle. We’ll be ready to go sometime after sunset.”

  “You got it, mate,” he said in an interesting accent. “I’ll probably just visit with mum in the main house. It’s been a spell.”

  Nick nodded before leading Cori on a tour of the main house, telling her about its history and that of the island.

  “I like to come here to get away from it all. I turn everything off and just relax. No better place to do it.”

  “It’s gorgeous,” she replied, taking it all in.

  They walked through a narrow-enclosed corridor that had windows on both sides, to a building just off the house, opening the door to a collection of cars.

  “Wow.”

  “It’s a little overkill, but I like to have transportation for guests when they stay.”

  “That’s very generous of you.”

  He opened the passenger side door of a classic, root beer brown, Studebaker that not only shined, it sparkled. It suited him – as did the house and the island.

  They went for a tour of the town, seeing the sights as they went, enjoying each other’s company. There was something different about him here. Nick wasn’t particularly high strung; he was actually a pretty laid-back guy, but here, more so. She liked this side of him. Who was she kidding – she liked every side of him.

  An old home, or what looked like a home, sitting at the water’s edge on the north side of the island, came into view. As they approached, it appeared to be a small restaurant that was once, perhaps, a home. It was light blue in color, severely weathered, quite the hole in the wall. Not a place she would expect Nick to dine at. The old paint chipped, wooden sign said Crab Shack.

  “Want crabs? We can share them.”

  “Uh, this certainly looks like the place to get them. Or…what you already have…”

  “From the ocean, Cori.”

  “You got crabs from…the ocean?”

  “That’s where they live,” he teased.

  “Oh...OH! You’re being serious…real crabs. You want to eat crabs…from the…ocean.” “We flew all the way here for…dinner?”

  Nick shrugged. “Sure, why not.”

  “Nick, I would have been fine with Guido’s or a pizza,” she told him, overwhelmed by the extent he went to, just to take her to dinner.

  “Which is why I brought you here.” He nodded to the semi-rundown building. “You deserve this.”

  “I deserve…crab shack?” she laughed.

  “People come from all over the world for Crab Shack. Reservations are booked a year out, holidays two to three years out with a minimum deposit to hold said reservation,” Nick explained.

  “Here?” Looking at it again, she didn’t see the appeal. It lived up to part of its name – it was a small shack.

  “Don’t be fooled by its simple, low-key appearance,” he teased, opening the door for her to enter.

  “That’s exactly what I was thinking, simple.” He was selling the place hard, and she was actually buying it but enjoyed giving him a hard time.

  “Anyone who’s anyone dines here.”

  “Ooh, she said, looking at pictures on the wall as they passed through the entry – it’s the big white bibs with the angry crab on them, isn’t it?” Looking closer, she let out a snort. “The bib says, I got crabs at Crab Shack. Now I want one of those.”

  “They also cater – so to speak. They only do the most exclusive events, and again, book out years in advance.”

  “I feel like I know where this is going. Let me guess.” Tossing him a side-eye glance, she teased, “You know a guy – owes you a favor – you booked him for our fake wedding?”

  “Wrong. You forgot to say ‘of course, you do’ or ‘of course, you did,’” he said in a high-pitched voice before the shake of his head and look of disappointment he tossed her. “I know a guy – yes, a favor – didn’t book him…yet. I wanted you to try it first – what if you don’t like it?”

  “Nick. I don’t sound like that, and it doesn’t matter if I don’t like it.” She laughed, and lowered her voice to a whisper. “It isn’t a real wedding. Ssshhh.”

  “I know that. But still, how are you going to tell Winnie how great it is if you haven’t even tried it? This one will really piss her off. She was talking about it at the cake tasting.”

  “Then, let’s eat.”

  Nick introduced Cori to the owner, Milo, who presented them with a feast. He was joyful, passionate about food, and she could tell how much so with every bite. It was exquisite. There was food, wine, and of course, dessert that paired well with their hearty conversation and many laughs. This was a date and a place she would never forget.

  Driving back to the estate, little was said as they took in the stunning views the ocean and pending sunset provided. With the car back in its place in the garage, Nick grabbed a blanket from the nearby shelf before leading her out of the back door of the garage and in the direction of the beachy shore.

  When Cori begged him to slow down, his excitement hard to keep up with, citing that she was too full of crabs to run, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder and began to run. He laid out the blanket for them and plopped down in the middle, right behind her where she leaned and let him hold them both up.

  The minute her feet hit the sand, it was apparent why they were there. The fiery sky smoldered in golden shades of amber and copper as the sun settled behind the dark edge of the sea, eventually leaving them with only the light of the star lit sky. They sat longer than they intended, talking about everything and nothing while he peppered her in kisses, enjoying the night’s sky and ambiance it provided. It definitely was a night she would remember. It was going to be damn hard when this was over.

  ***

  The p
ath home mirrored that in which they’d come – all of the same sites as before, only now under the night’s starry veil. It was mesmerizing and probably the best date, or even day, Cori had ever had, or likely would.

  With the promise of a late-night snack in bed while they watched a movie, Nick made a quick run for champagne gelato, just around the corner. She had fallen asleep while waiting for him, so he stashed the treat away and joined her in bed.

  Since she was sleeping so soundly, he changed right there in the room, ditching his jeans and t-shirt for a pair of sweats. Stripped down to his boxer briefs, he caught her smile and saw that she wasn’t sleeping as soundly as he thought. Unembarrassed, he took his time and crawled in beside her.

  He pulled her close, relaxing into her and breathing in her scent when she whispered, “Thank you for the best day and most romantic date I’ve ever had. I don’t want this to end.”

  She was back to sleep as if she had been partly dreaming, and he kissed her forehead, “Then don’t go, stay…forever.”

  She let out a deep relaxed sigh before her soft little snore, which he found adorable, settled in. He hoped this was enough to keep her, but he’d continue to try until he knew she was his.

  Chapter 17

  It was the night of the gala. Nick and Cori had spent the day being lazy, watching movies, recuperating from their extravagant date to Martha’s Vineyard the night before, so they would have the energy to take on another extravagant event this night.

  They were so in sync with one another that the relationship had begun to feel real. It scared her because she knew better than anyone that all good things came to an end. Enjoying it while it lasted, she pushed her fears aside. She had never experienced anything like the life Nick was providing, and probably wouldn’t after it was over. Dominic Blackthorne was a once in a lifetime experience – not just the lavish things he provided but the man himself. He was extraordinary.