Deception (A Stalker Novel Book 2)

by Brittany Crowley

  The crazy part? I wish I could be that person for Cross because he’s the whole package. All the growly commands, passionate kisses and his loyalty makes me want to run into his arms and commit my soul to him.

  God, would you listen to me?

  I get to the door of my hotel room and slide my keycard in place. The light flashes green and I tiptoe inside the room, praying Sky stayed with Marcus last night.

  “Where have you been young lady?” She asks sleepily from her bed.

  “Would you believe I’ve been gambling all night?”

  “Not even close. I saw you maul Cross and pull him from the casino, you hussy.”

  “Can you forget you saw that?”

  She stares making my skin itch. Sky is a great interrogator and I should have known she wouldn’t drop it.

  “Fine, I went back to Cross’s room last night. Happy?”

  “Depends, did you play Monopoly or give him the ride of his life?”

  Now I’m the one glaring at her. “I think you know the answer to that?”

  She sighs. “I do, especially with your given wardrobe choice for this morning. Are you guys a thing now?” She asks with a little smirk on her lips.

  “Absolutely not. It changes nothing Sky, you know how I am. Cross is…” I think on it, how to explain how I feel about him. “He’s a great guy, the best even. But I don’t have it in me to be in a relationship. I don’t do monogamy.”

  “You could try.”

  “And what? Hurt him in the process as I try to see if I can fall in love with him? It’s not fair.”

  “I’d say you’re almost there, you’re just too blind and pigheaded to see it.”

  “Listen,” I say frustrated. “Just keep this between us. Nobody has to know, nothing needs to be weird.”

  The blanket next to Sky pops up scaring the bejesus out of me when Marcus emerges with a shit-eating grin on his face.

  “Oh girlfriend, you fucked Cross and liked it! Can’t wait to tell my man he rocked your world.” He rubs his hands together maniacally.

  “Shit, what the hell Sky?”

  She has the decency to look remorseful. “I thought he was sleeping. Sorry.”

  “Just friends, huh?” I question trying to divert the conversation to them.

  “Best friends.” They fist bump causing me to roll my eyes.

  “Whatever.” I walk to the bathroom and shut the door in desperate need of a shower, listening to the duo chuckle at my exit.

  It’s inevitable now. Cross is going to find out more than I intended him to and he’ll take it as the green light to pursue me.

  My phone chimes and I see a text from someone I haven’t talked to in a few weeks. It reminds me why I don’t do relationships and stick to promiscuity. One-night stands don’t ask for a back story, it keeps things simple and I have no desire to share my shit with anyone.

  Ray-Ann: I need your help.

  Chapter 3

  Cross

  “Sooooo... How was your night?”

  Glancing up from my pancakes, I level Marcus with a disinterested glare. “Same as yours.”

  He snorts and raises his coffee cup in a toast. “Amen to that brother.”

  Shaking my head, I go back to my food and decide to ignore all that is Marcus Trainor for the next few minutes. For someone that drank the bar dry last night, he’s looking particularly chipper. And smug. I feel my eyes narrow.

  “You slept with someone?”

  “Oh, hell fucking yeah. Well, not so much of the sleeping thing…”

  I force the anger back down and try to remember this is my friend. He can do whatever he wants. It has nothing to do with me. He can see me visibly struggling and a look of worry creases his face.

  “Hey man, I know you and Sky have gotten kinda close, but I didn’t think there was anything else going on.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  He fidgets in his seat. “Look, me and Sky are on the same page. We hook up, we fight, she mocks my awesomeness… it’s all good.”

  It takes a moment for me to get to grips with his words, but I feel my shoulders relax the moment I understand. He’d been with Sky, not cheating on her. Although, cheating isn’t exactly the right word to use. They don’t have a relationship exactly, just an understanding but still. It makes my insides churn to see someone being betrayed. It always has. I fight to keep my mind from falling into the past and smirk at the puce colored dude across from me.

  “I care about her. She deserves more than your shit.”

  He holds his hands up in surrender. “I hear ya buddy, but as long as she’s willing to slum it, I’ll take it like a man. Hell, give her a strap-on and I’ll bend over and take it like a woman.”

  “Good to know,” the woman in question laughs as she slides into the booth next to him.

  He shrugs and slips an arm behind her. “It is what it is.”

  “Ugh,” comes a muttered sigh as a warm body slips in beside me. My body tenses as Sydney’s leg presses against mine. The scent of raspberries hits my senses and like always, I’m overcome with the urge to pick her up and run away with her.

  “I’ve seen enough of your ass for one day.”

  For a second, I think she’s talking to me. My focus snaps back to the present and a multitude of retorts threaten to break out. That’s when I hear Marcus laughing.

  “Chicks say that to Cross all the time.”

  Her hand lands on my thigh beneath the table. Not seductively, almost reassuringly. “I think every woman in existence would rather look at Cross’s ass than your face Marcus.”

  He gasps theatrically and turns to Sky for support. She laughs and shoots a wink in my direction. “I’m with Syd on this one. I mean, have you seen his ass? I saw his naked ass in the shower in the Caribbean and can I just say, ‘oh my fucking god’. You’re gorgeous Marcus, but you ain’t that gorgeous.”

  An unexpected laugh booms from my chest. God, I love that woman. The hand on my leg tightens almost to the point of pain. Looking up, I glance at her profile and can see the tightness to her eyes as she glares at Skylar. Sputtering curses fly my way from the oaf opposite me too, just to add to the strange moment.

  “His naked ass? You saw his naked ass? What the fuck?”

  Sky pops a piece of his bacon in her mouth and gives a sassy shrug of her shoulder. “It was an accident but come on! Have you seen him? He’s a sexy samoan god, all tribal tattoos and muscles…”

  She fans herself, putting on a show while the green tinted guy next to her mock gags then puffs out his chest.

  He leans in and whispers in Sky’s ear and from the way her eyes widen, I know I’m done with this conversation. Instead I take another huge bite of my breakfast and focus on the woman next to me. She’s quiet, hands clasped together on the table in front of her, eyes cast down. She looks preoccupied, a far cry from the jealousy she showed a few moments ago. I had been all set to tease her but something in the way she’s holding herself has me wanting to comfort her instead.

  “You ok, Blue?”

  She jumps slightly even though I spoke quietly. She turns in her seat and props her arm along the back. “Just thinking.”

  Tilting my head, I study her. She’s beautiful, a timeless classic all trussed up in blue hair and attitude. A walking contradiction. My gaze roams over her jade green eyes, her high cheekbones and wide lips. Her hand slides down the leg of her jeans and I can’t help but follow the line down past her small but perfect chest, her tapered waist with abs begging to be licked and on to her long legs. Legs that have been wrapped around my waist, my head.

  Fuck, she’s perfect. She’s the opposite of my type, nothing about her has any semblance to the few women I’ve given my time and attention to but damn if she isn’t under my skin. Even now, looking anxious and tired, she’s all I see.

  But she doesn’t see me. Not yet.

  “I’m here if you need to get a handle on it.”

  She cocks her head to the sid
e and rests it on her fist. “Who said I needed to get a handle on anything? I could just be debating what to order.”

  Smiling, I cut into the last few bites of my food. “You don’t worry about shit like that. You’ll order the coffee, the maple stack and a side of hash browns.”

  Her mouth drops open and I know I’ve hit my mark.

  “You think you know me, big guy?”

  “I do know you. You might not like it Blue, but it’s true. I know you. Just like I know when the waitress asks, you’ll pick something completely different just to show me I’m wrong.”

  She narrows her eyes. The server finally drops by and asks what the girls want. With a frustrated sigh, Syd orders what I predicted and slumps back against the seat. The move brings her closer to me, her leg cocked up to the side and practically draped over my thigh. I don’t react, don’t show her what having her so near does to me.

  “Does getting your dick wet usually bring out the cocky?” she smirks, a finger running along the inside seam of my cargo pants.

  “Not that I’ve noticed.”

  She laughs and leans closer. “I’ve noticed. Mr. Broody doesn’t usually have so much to say. In fact, the most I’ve ever heard you talk is when some part of you is buried in some part of me.”

  Chuckling, I place my utensils back on the empty plate and grab the hand that’s perilously close to my twitching cock. Her breath stutters as I slide her hand away, then bring it back up, closer and closer to where I want it.

  “Then I guess it’s down to you to decide if you like the sound of my voice Blue.”

  Chapter 4

  Sydney

  Never have I met a man that’s challenged me more. Verbal sling for verbal sling. He may be serious 99.9% of the time but his words are calculated and almost always have a greater purpose. Like now.

  Of course, I feed into him because I never back down from a challenge.

  My hand closes the distance to cover his eager cock and my fingers squeeze just enough to hear a growl in his chest. As I stare into his gorgeously caramel eyes, I see them darken, but still I hold his gaze. I trace the outline of him through his pants slowly, all while wishing we weren’t in public, had more time and that I wasn’t through with him and his rock-hard body. If it weren’t for Colby and Briella ruining the fuck buddy arrangement for me, I’d give that a go. Feeling Cross become larger beneath my hand by the second has me wishing we could do no strings, but our friends proved when sex is casual and aplenty you always catch feelings.

  And Cross clearly already has feelings. That’s not me being cocky, it’s evident to anyone with eyes when they see us together.

  With my lips next to his ear I whisper, “Too bad it was a one off. The thought of pulling your pants down and riding you until you come would almost be worth the dirty things you’d whisper in my ear.” Then I pull my hand away but keep our eyes locked. “Almost.” I smile slyly then turn and jump back into the conversation with Marcus and Skylar.

  When I hear Cross’s frustrated sigh, I internally high five myself knowing this round went to me. He needs to know nothing else can happen and at least after being with him last night, things seem to be hovering at a low level of awkward. We can continue as friends that have seen each other naked and move forward with our lives. The sexual tension may kill me, but I’ll deal. Cross gives fantastic sexual tension just from looking at me.

  “Shut the hell up! No way. You most certainly cannot wrestle an alligator and win.”

  “It’s the facts sweet cheeks. Look at these.” Marcus flexes his biceps then places an overexaggerated kiss on each. “These babies are made to do manly things like wrestle gators.”

  “This I’d love to see.” I state. “Are there gators in Vegas?” I grab my phone to Google when Marcus pulls it out of my hands.

  “Hold on there, let’s not get too crazy. I need to train or some shit.” He looks down at my phone and for a second shock crosses his face. “No fucking way, why the hell is someone named Ray-Ann with a picture of you and the goddess Ray-Ann Woodley calling you? Please tell me it’s the hot as hell blond I fantasize about while rubbing one out?”

  I quickly pull my phone out of his hands and walk away from the table. She couldn’t have worse timing if she actually tried.

  “Hey Ray.” I answer.

  “Sydney! I’ve missed you so much.”

  “Yeah so much you don’t return my calls.” I laugh but its void of humor.

  “Don’t be like that. I’ve been getting ready for a world tour, mom and dad must have told you. It’s for charity.”

  “Yeah, but you could have said something.” I add some snark into my voice because it’s not ok. I’ve been leaving her messages and texting for the past few weeks without so much as a text in return.

  “I’ll make it up to you.” She promises.

  I take a deep breath remembering there’s more important things to get down to. “Explain your text. Why do you need…” She cuts me off.

  “Hey, why don’t you meet up with me. I’m in Vegas for a friend’s party this weekend, then I can get you a ticket to come to LA. Some things like what I text you, need to be discussed in person.” There’s a nervous tone to her voice I rarely hear.

  “How nice of you to offer.” I roll my eyes. “Listen, I’m busy with work but I’m actually in Vegas right now if you have some free time.”

  “Of course, I have time for my sister!” She gives me the name of her hotel and promises to text when she’s in her room so I can head over.

  “Alright, I’ll see you soon Ray.” I go to hang up but stop when I hear her.

  “Wait, listen… thank you for getting back to me so fast. I know I’ve been absent recently.”

  “No worries. I’ll see you in a bit.” I hang up the phone and tears sting my eyes realizing how much I’ve missed her. I quickly duck into the bathroom, fix my makeup and head back to the table. A table that stops talking the second I sit back down in the booth. Marcus has a huge smile plastered on his ugly mug, ok he’s not really ugly but we can pretend.

  “So Syd, anything you’d like to share with the class?” Then he starts humming an unmistakable tune and my head whips to Sky who holds her hands out in surrender.

  “Hey, he practically figured it out himself.” She defends herself. “He’s always saying you look like an Emo Ray-Ann…”

  “Goth Ray-Ann, get it right.” He waggles his eyebrows.

  She shoots him a warning look. “The point is, he’s always said you look like her apart from the blue hair and dark makeup, it’s hardly a stretch that he’s finally guessed it.”

  I rub the bridge of my nose with my fingers. “Listen, it’s not a big deal. Ray-Ann Woodley is my sister.” I shrug my shoulders and dive into my food that had been delivered while I was absent.

  “But your name is Sydney Parker.” Marcus challenges.

  Then if I didn’t already want to throttle Sky, I want to after her next comment. “Woodley is a family stage name.”

  “Family name?” Cross asks nudging me in the shoulder. Sky’s face falls realizing her mistake right off. She stuffs her mouth full of food and eyes me with amusement. I’m gonna kill her.

  We all eat in silence as my pending family story looms over us. My cell phone vibrates on the table and I quickly grab it hoping it’s someone to take me away from a conversation I do not want to have.

  Ray-Ann: I’m here.

  Thank Christ. “I’d love to continue this conversation, but sadly I must leave.” I hightail it out of the restaurant with my breakfast plate in hand. Don’t judge me, I’m starving after the night I had. I wolf it down at the hostess desk and hand her the plate, then I’m on my way to my sister to figure out what in the hell she’s gotten herself into this time.

  ***

  I smile approaching Ray’s hotel door. “What’s going on Dave?”

  “Syd? What are you doing here?” When I get to him he bends and wraps his arms around me.

  “Visiting my sister of
course.” I smile. “How have you been?”

  “Good, same old, same old ya know.” Dave’s been my sisters personal guard for over a year and worked with my family for a long time, but even now I struggle being warm to him. Probably has something to do with the way he stares at my ass.

  “I’ll catch up with you later.” I kiss his cheek and head into the suite.

  “Damn, is this how the other side lives?” I laugh as Ray comes around the corner running straight for me. I catch her in my arms as we hold one another for dear life.

  “Promise me we’ll never go this long without talking again.” I whisper into her hair. When she pulls back I realize it never gets less freaky looking at the mirror image of yourself.

  Ray’s my twin.

  Every feature on us is identical. Same wide set mouth, same cute little button nose, same green doe eyes. When Ray made it big on the Country music circuit people wouldn’t leave me the hell alone, so I changed the one thing I had control over. My hair. I love my indigo locks and if I wanted to take it a step further I would have cut it into a jagged bob, but I love my hair too much. Besides, unless we’re standing right next to each other like we are now, it’s rare for anyone to notice we’re sisters, let alone identical. She’s all blond, sparkling glitter and sequins, I’m all blue, dark eyeliner and ripped jeans.

  I guess you can say I’m anti the family business. Not only is my twin country music’s fastest climbing sensation, but my parents form the duo Sunday Rain and my brother is a big-time producer in the music industry.

  As you can see, I’m the black sheep of the family, trading in my cowboy boots and sequins for combat boots.

  “Promise.” Ray whispers wiping at her eyes. She pulls me to the couch and sits so we’re practically on top of each other. “It’s so easy getting caught up in everything. I promise to do better.”

  I look around the suite and realize she’s completely alone. Way out of her norm since she hit it big. I’m usually fighting off her crew for some of her time when I’ve visited in the past year.