Cruel Temptation: An Age Gap Romance (Cruel Beauty Trilogy Book 1)

by C Standing

  I pull my hands away. “Everything except the most vital piece of information. How am I ever meant to trust you again?”

  Not giving him a chance to dig himself out of this hole, I storm into the bathroom, and grab everything I see of mine.

  Rick stands by the door, blocking my path. “Don’t go,” he begs, advancing on me and crowding me against the vanity. “Don’t leave me.” The raw agony in his voice almost has me wavering. Almost. “Stay the night, and we can talk about this.”

  “The time for talking was a week ago.”

  His lips skim across mine, but I don’t return his kiss. I can’t. “I know it looks bad, River, but we aren’t married. Not in the traditional sense. I don’t love her. I never have,” he assures me. “She’s not my wife, not the way I want you to be.”

  I recoil at his words. “You’re joking, right?”

  He’s talking about getting married to me when he’s already married to that evil fucking witch? Is he out of his mind?

  “Do you seriously think I want any part of this?” I ask, pushing him away.

  “I’m not losing you, River,” he says, following me closely.

  With everything packed, I zip up the case and haul it off the bed. “How can you lose me when you never really had me?”

  “So that’s it? We’re not even going to talk about this?”

  After throwing on some clothes, I spin around, furious, that he’s making me out to be the bad guy. “Don’t you dare turn this around on me. You had every fucking possible opportunity to tell me you were married. Yet, you didn’t. You strung me along like some pathetic little lapdog, and I fell for everything.”

  “Goddammit, woman!” Rick grips my shoulders. “Stop being so fucking stubborn and listen to me. Yes, I married her. But it wasn’t romantic or heartfelt. It was a cold and rushed registry office ceremony. She bought the ring; I just paid for it.” That must be why he didn’t recognize it. “I didn’t care, River. I never have. Fuck, we didn’t even say vows. I wanted no part of it, but my parents insisted because our family had a reputation to uphold.” He kisses me again, but I still don’t respond. “Trust me, baby. I’ve hated every second I’ve been tied down to her.”

  “Why didn’t you just divorce her?”

  “Because she would’ve dragged my family’s name through the dirt, and my father worked too damn hard making our name the powerhouse it is to have it tarnished by her.”

  I feel myself starting to soften, and I hate it. “Why didn’t you just tell me that?”

  Rick shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders. “Because it never crossed my mind. I don’t wear her ring. She doesn’t share my last name. We don’t live together. She hasn’t seen her kids in years. Hell, aside from the calls and texts, I haven’t seen her in years.” His thumbs graze my cheeks.

  “She hasn’t seen them in years?” I know it’s the wrong thing to be worried about, but considering I had mine ripped away from me, I couldn’t imagine not seeing my parents for years.

  “Christian is eighteen, and he hasn’t seen her since he was ten. And Skylar is three, and she hasn’t seen her since the hospital placed her in my arms.”

  An unwelcome thought pops into my head.

  “When did you split up?”

  “Sixteen years ago.”

  My eyes bulge.

  Sixteen years?

  Jesus, that’s a life sentence, plus some.

  Wait a second…

  If Christian’s eighteen and Skylar’s three, and they split up sixteen years ago… did they sleep together again?

  “Wait. You say Skylar's three?”

  He nods.

  “So, if you ended things sixteen years ago, how is Skylar here?”

  Realization flashes in his eyes. “Skylar is the result of a sabotaged condom. Sadie came over to my house under the guise that she wanted to see Christian, but he was sleeping at a friend’s. It was late and I’m not an asshole, so I said she could stay in one of the spare rooms and leave in the morning. The next thing I know, she’s waking me up by rolling a condom down my dick.”

  “You didn’t stop her?”

  He looks over at my guiltily. “I hadn’t had sex in a while, baby. She was there and offering it, so I took it.”

  Christ.

  “You had sex with your ex, just because she was there? Because it was convenient? So, on top of finding out you’re married, I’ll also have the stress of worrying you’ll get back with her?”

  He rears back as if I’ve slapped him. “Fuck, no. I’ve learned my lesson, and even if I wasn’t in love with you, I still wouldn’t go back to her.”

  I scrub a hand over my face. “Jesus, Rick. Is there anything else I don’t know?”

  “You know everything. Tell me you believe me, River. Tell me I haven’t lost you.”

  I gulp thickly. “I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “I have a lot to think about.”

  Defeated, he falls to the bed, his head hanging low. “I love you, River,” he says, hoarsely. “Don’t ask me to live without you, because I can’t.”

  I sit on the bed beside him, what’s left of my heart breaking for us. For our undecided future now lying in my hands. “I love you, too, Rick.” Wetness floods my cheeks. “But I have to go home. I need to think for a while, and I need you to give me space.”

  His watery gaze finds mine. “How much space?”

  I take his hand with mine. “I don’t know.”

  Blowing out a shaky breath, a lone tear falls as he looks down at our hands. “Why does this feel like goodbye?”

  Choked up, a sob leaves me as I lick my dry lips. “Because it is…for now.”

  Those beautiful green eyes, now glistening with emotion, snap to mine. “I can deal with for now.” Cautiously, he leans in and kisses me softly. “I’d wait forever for you.”

  Barely holding it together, I stand and press a kiss to his forehead. “Goodbye, City Boy.”

  With tears streaming down my face, I lift the handle on my luggage and leave.

  Three hours later, I’m sitting in my empty apartment with my phone in hand, throwing back my fifth glass of Jack since she left, and I feel so fucking lost.

  Everywhere I go, I’m surrounded by memories of her.

  The half-eaten breakfast we didn’t get to finish.

  The couch on the balcony where we first made love.

  The unmade bed and rumpled sheets from where I held her in my arms all night.

  The shower, my office, my car. Hell, all across the entire fucking city.

  She’s everywhere, and she’s not even here.

  I stare down at my phone, reading her text for the hundredth time since she sent it.

  Just landed

  Those two words should make me happy.

  Yes, she landed safely, but now she’s also over hundred miles and several state lines away from me.

  Glad you’re safe, baby

  I miss you already.

  Fuck, I miss her so much, I can taste it.

  I miss you, too.

  How the hell am I meant to give her space, when I can barely go three hours without seeing her?

  More importantly, why didn’t I just tell her about my arrangement with Sadie? I could’ve avoided all of this. Or then again, maybe she would’ve avoided me like the plague and I would’ve lost out on the best week of my life.

  Christ.

  Why did that bitch have to ruin everything?

  Talking of Sadie…

  I need to put an end to shit between us. It’s gone on for too damn long.

  Pulling up a number on my phone, I press call.

  “David, it’s Rick Blackley.”

  “What can I help you with, Mr. Blackley?”

  “I need info on Sadie Cavendish.” God, even saying her name makes me want to punch something. “Anything you can give me. I’ll pay you double if you get it to me by late afternoon.”

  “Sure thing. I’ll email you over what I find.”

  “Great, thank
s.”

  Hanging up, I toss my phone into the couch and collapse back into the cushions.

  My eyes close briefly and my mind drifts to River.

  Is she okay?

  Is she thinking about me?

  Does she miss me as much as I miss her?

  Fuck, this distance between us can’t end soon enough.

  It’s a little before six when the email comes through.

  Mr. Blackley,

  Enclosed, I have the information requested.

  If you require further details, don’t hesitate to contact me.

  David

  My eyes scan over the document.

  There’s all the usual info: name, age, and occupation.

  It also lists her residence as Battery Park.

  From what I’m seeing, my soon-to-be ex-wife has built up quite the résumé of corrupt dealings.

  Drugs.

  Leaked sex tapes.

  Alcohol.

  You name it, she’s done it.

  It’s just my fucking luck that there’s nothing solid here I can use to get her out of my life for good.

  That is, until I see something that catches my eye at the bottom.

  Wait a goddamn second…

  What the hell is this?

  Three years ago, she was caught red-handed stealing designs from one highly acclaimed fashion brand, and selling them to a rival for an extortionate amount. She was charged with theft, but the case was quickly dismissed after she paid off a dodgy cop to get rid of all evidence and not go public.

  Fucking hell.

  This is it.

  This right here… is my golden ticket.

  “Where to, sir?” Philip asks from the driver’s seat.

  “Battery Park please, Philip.”

  It’s time for this bitch to get a taste of her own medicine.

  After sweet-talking my way into the building and tipping the concierge a hefty amount for his silence, I find myself outside her door.

  I crack my neck to the side, ready to go to war.

  “Sadie!” My fist pounds on the door. “Open up, I know you’re in there.”

  Seconds later, the door opens and I have to avert my gaze, because in front of me is a desperate woman wearing nothing but an extremely sheer night dress.

  Jesus Christ.

  “Could you please put some clothes on?” I barge past her, shielding my eyes.

  “Took you long enough to find me,” she purrs, draping her arm across my shoulders. The stench of alcohol on her breath makes my eyes water. “She left you, didn’t she?”

  Rolling my eyes, I remove her arm and step away from her. “Cut the fucking bull, Sadie. You know why I’m here.”

  “What do you want?”

  “I want you to stay the hell away from me and the people I love,” I growl. “This little obsession you have with me has gone far enough.”

  “Obsession,” she cackles, folding her arms over her chest. “It’s sweet that you think I'd go to all these lengths for you. This has nothing to do with obsession, Rick. It’s all to do with this.” She rubs her fingers together.

  “Money?” I bark. “You drove away the woman I love for money? Are you fucking kidding me!”

  Her lips tip up in a cunning smile. “How else was I meant to get you here?”

  Fucking hell.

  I scrape a hand over my stubble. “You’re not getting a fucking dime out of me.”

  “No?” She bats her eyelashes innocently. “Then perhaps we should give your little girlfriend a call. See how she feels about her boyfriend being in his wife's home just hours after she leaves the state.”

  How the—?

  “Yes, I have contacts as well, sweetheart. You’re not the only one who can pull strings.”

  Fuck this.

  Bracing my hands on the kitchen counter, I narrow my eyes at her. “You want to play, we’ll play.”

  “I’m glad you’re finally seeing things clearly.”

  “Oh, I’m seeing things crystal fucking clear. I should’ve divorced your ass years ago and had you committed.”

  “Oh, please. White is so not my color.”

  “No, but orange is.” Her eyes dart to mine, and just for a second, I see a flash of panic.

  Brushing it off, she flicks her hair over her shoulder, sighs, and holds out her fingers, inspecting her nails. “You have nothing on me.”

  “No?” I slam my phone onto the counter. “Because this seems like a whole lot of something to me.”

  “Where did you get this?” she hisses, her eyes frantically darting across the screen.

  I can’t help but chuckle.

  How the mighty fall.

  “That doesn’t matter. All you need to know is I have it.” I see her finger hovering over the little trash can in the corner.

  Seriously?

  “Delete it if you want. I have it saved to every possible place I can think of, plus I have copies of this at home. Go ahead,” I taunt her. “Make my day. Delete it. That’ll really prove your innocence.”

  Huffing, she throws the phone back to me. “What do you want?”

  “It’s simple. You, gone. I want every fucking trace of you erased from my family’s life. You stay away from me, you leave my kids alone, and if you even think of going after River, I’ll hit send on this and sit back and watch as it goes viral. Then it’ll be bye-bye to your career, and quite possibly, your life.”

  There’s no doubt in my mind she’d get jail time for this.

  “I never want to see you again, Sadie. You understand? If I do, I’ll have you put in cuffs before you can say Vogue.”

  “Fine, but I need your assurance that you won’t send it anyway.”

  Yeah, I don’t fucking think so.

  “No assurance. You don’t deserve it after what you’ve put my family through. I guess, you’ll just have to heed my warning and pray I stay in a good mood.”

  “You’re a fucking asshole,” she seethes, shaking with anger.

  “Too fucking right.” I slide my phone back into my pocket and head toward the door. “Fuck with my family again, Sadie, and see what happens.” I pull the door open. “Sleep tight.”

  “How are you feeling?” Lydia asks through Zoom as Mali and I sit on my back porch, already on our second jug of her famous daiquiris.

  I swear, the girl doesn’t put any actual fruit in this thing, just food coloring for effect.

  “Miserable,” I grumble, casting my gaze out into the starry night sky.

  It’s funny, the stars don’t seem as bright here as they were in New York.

  Add that to the list of things I prefer about the big city.

  “Christ, woman,” Mali groans, dropping her back in exasperation. “If you’re this messed up over the guy, just call him.”

  I huff out a sigh and spear a glare to my best friend. “I can’t call him, Mali. That’s the point of asking for space. Space I specifically asked for.”

  I made the mistake of baring my soul to this bitch the night I returned home, and she’s been on my case ever since.

  “What exactly did he do again?”

  I run the tip of my finger around the martini glass. “He lied.”

  “About…?” Lydia waves her hands, gesturing for me to elaborate.

  “About having a wife.”

  Lydia’s eyes widen in shock. “Seriously?”

  “Yep.” I pop the p.

  “But,” Mali chimes in, sitting forward. “He did say they weren’t married in the traditional sense.”

  I direct my gaze at her in disbelief. “Are you kidding me right now? You’re actually defending him to me?”

  “Fuck, yeah,” she retorts. “Don’t get me wrong, I think the guy’s a dick for lying. But from what it sounds like, you were happier with him than you had been in a long fucking time.”

  “But the guy’s married, Mali,” Lydia interjects.

  “Thank you!” At least Lydia’s on my side. “Besides, weren’t you the one who took my phone
away from me all week so I wouldn’t be tempted to call him?”

  She rolls her eyes. “Because it was still fresh and you needed time to process.”

  I arch an incredulous brow. “It’s been a week, Mali; it’s still fresh.”

  “She’s got a point, Mali. I mean, he’s married,” she stresses. “Whichever way you cut it, that’s a pretty huge thing to lie about.”

  “Man.” Mali scoffs. “It’s no wonder you’re having marital issues if this is anything to go by.”

  “Hey,” Lydia says sharply. “I love you, but don’t bring my problems into this.”

  “You know what? Fuck that,” Mali snaps. “You’ve been having issues with Robocop for months, and instead of sorting it out, you bury your head in the sand. You’re my girl, baby doll, but you’re also a fucking hypocrite.”

  Oh Christ.

  Lydia’s eyes flare with anger. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means, you aren’t exactly in any position to give relationship advice when your own relationship is a fucking shit show.”

  “Guys, please don’t argue.” I sit forward, calling time-out on their fight. I look to Mali. “I’m not saying I don’t miss him, and I’m not saying I don’t still love him. It’s because I love him that this hurts so much.” I cradle the cool glass between my palms and look down to the decking. “I know you probably think I’m overreacting, but Lydia’s right. Hiding a marriage isn’t something I can forgive overnight. Hell, most people wouldn’t be able to forgive it at all.”

  “All valid points, bestie, and I’d agree with you one-hundred percent if there were genuine feelings involved between the two of them, but there weren’t. He fucked up, and from what you told me, he feels like shit. But he also apologized,” she points out. “All I’m saying is, give him the benefit of the doubt. Don’t let something incredible slip through your fingers over a misunderstanding. Otherwise, before you know it, you’ll be a miserable bitch for the rest of your life like Spinster Woman over there.” She motions to the laptop.