Indecent Exposure

by Faye Avalon

  He shifted a little, and lifted her chin with the tip of his finger. “Better?”

  She nodded. The immediate panic was over. Although there was worse to come, for now she would enjoy these last few hours with him. “Sorry.”

  “No apology needed. I’ll get us that drink.”

  He shifted from the bed and strode over into the living room. Bereft of him, Gina hugged her knees to her chest and heard the chink of crystal as Mitch poured their drinks. She wished more than anything she could tell him the truth, confess everything, and have him believe she had been an unwilling participant. More likely, he would believe she had been happy to set him up for another embarrassing fall, just like she had in college.

  If she told him, Costas would release that video, her mother would be disgraced and politically ruined and she herself would have to face the backlash. She would lose clients of course—and okay—she would probably gain new ones out of curiosity, but she didn’t want clients who were only interested in her notoriety. She didn’t want to be some sort of freak show.

  Being the daughter of a mayoral candidate, she had already received unwelcome attention from the local press, but it had been patchy and discreet. She could imagine how everything would intensify and escalate if that video got out. Stills from the film would be plastered across national and international newspapers, because the world’s press loved scandals involving political figures and their wayward offspring. While her mother wasn’t exactly center stage in her own right yet, her glamorous persona and the fact she’d been courted by several illustrious men put her well and truly in the public eye.

  Gina couldn’t bear to humiliate her mother that way, but the thought of betraying Mitch hurt more than she believed possible. He didn’t deserve it any more than her mother did. If anyone deserved to take the heat, it was her and her alone. But things weren’t that simple.

  She hugged her knees closer, not looking up until Mitch came in. Smiling, he walked gloriously naked across the deeply piled carpet. She longed for his warmth, his safety, his protection. If only she could close her eyes and then wake up to find everything that had happened with Costas had been one long, dreadful nightmare.

  Mitch handed her a brandy glass, then settled next to her again. Wrapping his free arm around her, he drew them both back against the headboard.

  He touched his glass to hers. “Here’s to our last night in Paris.”

  It seemed horribly prophetic and mirrored her morbid thoughts. Maybe on some level, he knew that things were about to change between them, but more likely that was just her guilty conscience. “I’m sorry for everything, Mitch.”

  “No apology necessary. Not everyone likes indulging in bondage play.”

  She’d meant the apology to cover more than her meltdown, she’d meant it to embrace her treachery. She prayed that some day he might remember her words, and realize that she meant them from the bottom of her heart.

  He met her gaze, his expression serious. “There’s no point doing something we both aren’t into. Your pleasure is my pleasure. If you’re uncomfortable with anything, then we won’t do it. It’s that simple.”

  His words made her feel more wretched. She was so bloody ashamed of herself. Why in heaven had she spent all these years with men who would never in a thousand years say to her what Mitch had just said?

  She’d engaged in bondage play many times over the years, but after Costas, she didn’t think she would ever feel comfortable with it again. “Thanks for being so understanding.”

  He took the glass from her hand, and placed it along with his on the side table. With her in his arms, he snuggled down beneath the sheets and drew her close until they were face-to-face, limbs entwined. “How about we just snuggle for a while? As long as I’ve got you in my arms, I can live.”

  When he winked, she smiled. “We can do more than that. I’m not going to freak again.”

  He snaked his hand down her hip and her body shivered its response. “I’m glad you came this weekend.”

  She laughed softly. “Do you mean as in came to Paris, or more of a carnal meaning?”

  His hand covered her backside. “Both. But right now, let’s go with the latter.”

  “Good answer.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Unable to sleep, even after Mitch had added two more orgasms to her tally for the weekend, Gina lay in his arms and waited. When his breathing deepened and his muscles went lax, she moved slowly out of his hold and slipped from the bed. Her heart was a lead weight in her chest, and an overwhelming urge to weep almost consumed her. She was about to lose him.

  On legs as heavy as her heart, she walked to where her bag lay on the chair. When she heard the rustle of sheets, she glanced around and noticed that Mitch had shifted and now lay on his back. Assured he still slept, Gina turned back and dug in her bag. She retrieved her phone and switched it to camera mode before moving back to the bed.

  Her breath hitched as she stared down at Mitch—his arms flung above his head, his hair ruffled from her busy and desperate fingers, his abdominals flat and toned. The sheet lay at his waist. Gina knew she had to get the shot of him fully naked or Costas wouldn’t be satisfied. Anything less than full frontal and the photo would be worthless, he’d said.

  Her blood ran cold at the potential damage Costas intended to inflict. For sure, he had something despicable in mind, but her every attempt to question him about it had fallen on deaf ears. Her only job, he’d told her, was to get him what he needed.

  The ache in her heart deepened as she continued to watch Mitch. Her hands shook so much, she almost dropped the phone. Even as she tried to steady her breathing, the air caught in her lungs and tightened her throat.

  She couldn’t do this.

  Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to think. What could she do? How could she put a stop to this? There had to be a way. Except there wasn’t. Had there been a way, she would have figured it out by now. Her anxious deliberations would have yielded some alternative scenario.

  Opening her eyes, her throat contracting painfully, she reached down and curled her fingers around the edge of the sheet lying across Mitch’s waist. Holding her breath, she started to draw it slowly—oh so slowly—down, revealing his toned abdomen, his for-once flaccid cock, strong thighs and powerful legs.

  Forcing her hands to steady, she raised her phone. She held her breath and looked at the display screen. Everything within her squeezed, but she pressed the button. Mitch’s naked image was captured there and she stared at it through a blur.

  “You could have told me you wanted a souvenir.”

  At the sound of Mitch’s graveled tone, she jerked and the phone fell to the carpeted floor. While he hoisted himself up to rest on his elbow, she bit back the tears that threatened to fall.

  Oblivious to her distress, Mitch shifted and leaned over the bed to retrieve her phone from the floor. He peered at the screen. “Had I known you wanted a photo, I would have, shall we say, risen to the occasion.” He smiled, but when their eyes met, he frowned. “What’s wrong? Are you crying?”

  Swallowing, she glanced down at the phone he placed on the bedside table. Unable to speak, she turned abruptly and headed for the bathroom, unsure what to do next. She wanted to pack and get out of there before Mitch realized what she was doing. She couldn’t bear to see his reaction when he realized she’d betrayed him.

  Mitch must have moved like lightning, because he caught her arm before she reached the bathroom door. “Hey. I’ll admit it’s not the best photo I’ve ever had taken, but it’s not bad enough to make a woman cry.”

  His attempt to lighten her distress only served to make her feel more wretched. She shook her head. “You don’t understand.”

  Grabbing her other arm, he turned her to face him. “Then make me understand. What’s wrong?”

  All the strength suddenly left her, all the fight and reso
lve. She felt like a screwed up mass of emotion and she simply couldn’t think how to disentangle herself from the consequences of what she’d done. She made herself look at Mitch. Facing him was the least she could do considering her part in this whole debacle.

  But when she looked into his blue eyes, she experienced the first moment of clarity she’d had in days. In that moment, she knew she couldn’t do it. No ifs, buts or maybes. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—betray Mitch.

  If she told Mitch everything, he’d be furious, but she would gladly suffer his wrath. He was entitled. And whatever way she played it, she knew it was over between them, which meant all she could do now was protect him.

  As she deliberated, Mitch went over to retrieve her phone. He held it out. “Something tells me this is more than a little memento of our weekend.” His eyes were slits of blue glass. “Maybe you’d like to explain.”

  “Delete it,” she said firmly. “Do it, Mitch.”

  “Not until you tell me what the fuck is going on.”

  The fierce tone made her hesitate. She had no real idea how he would react, what steps he would take. For sure he’d confront Costas, and the last thing she wanted was for Mitch to retaliate and get hurt in the process.

  Was that what Costas wanted? Did he want Mitch to find out about the photo and strike back? Maybe that was his intention all along. To get Mitch to take a swing at him so he could haul him up on charges. A police record might certainly hurt Mitch’s reputation, likely much more than the release of a naked photo.

  Hell, she couldn’t think straight. All she knew was she had to try and prevent all hell breaking loose. Now that she’d seen the real Costas up close and personal, made brutally aware of what sort of man he really was, it wasn’t hard to imagine him taking the next step and actually resorting to physical assault. She also had no doubt he’d release the video regardless of whether or not she did his bidding, just to spite her.

  Perhaps there was no choice now but to tell her mother, seek her counsel, and pray that she would be forgiven for being so stupid.

  The thought of her mother knowing was so depressing she wanted to crawl into a hole and hide, but a tiny shimmer of optimism broke through the bleakness. Perhaps with her mother’s help, they might be able to find a way through this. Maybe then Mitch didn’t need to know about Costas’s threat, and there would be no reason for them to break up.

  Her heart skipped at the prospect, but since Mitch was waiting for her response, she took a deep breath. “I thought a photo would let me remember the weekend,” she improvised. “A memento of a great time.”

  His frown morphed into a scowl and she knew he wasn’t buying it even before he spoke. “A simple memento wouldn’t make your hands shake or drive you to tears.” He glanced down at the phone still in his hand. “Exactly what game are you playing?”

  The hope that shimmered in her chest dissolved into nothingness. She’d never been the best liar in the world, and it seemed her lack of skill in that area wasn’t about to improve anytime soon. From his reaction, Mitch wasn’t about to let her off the hook, and she realized she was living in a fool’s paradise.

  She couldn’t protect Mitch. Whatever way all this played out, he was going to get hurt. If she told him about the photo, he would go after Costas. If she didn’t, and the photo was released, he would go after Costas.

  The only option was to tell him the truth. That way she could reason with Mitch, tell him what she thought Costas really wanted and convince him not to react.

  Needing the armor of clothing to do it, she pulled on her panties and slipped a T-shirt over her head. “I have to tell you something, Mitch, but you need to promise you won’t do anything until you hear me out.”

  Since he didn’t seem inclined to give a response, but fixed her with a dark glare that made her stomach jump, she swallowed and nodded to her phone. “Costas Zarikas wants the photo. He intends to blackmail you.”

  In that moment, he looked even more dangerous than Costas, but the difference was she wasn’t scared of Mitch—not physically. He wouldn’t hurt her that way. But the way he could hurt her was far more devastating.

  “He expects me to hand this over so he can use it against you, blackmail you into giving him whatever it is he wants.” Gina shuddered in a breath as Mitch remained silent. “If your reputation is threatened, he thinks—”

  “How the hell is a naked photo going to threaten my reputation, exactly?” Mitch spread his arms wide and stood proud in all his magnificent glory. “Take the fucking photo. Tell the bastard to do his worst.”

  “You don’t know him, Mitch. He’s dangerous.”

  “He’s a fucking moron if he thinks releasing a damn photo will make me react.” He snatched up his pants and yanked them on. “And what’s in it for you, a nice fat paycheck? Or maybe you’re just happy to do lover boy’s bidding.”

  Her heart squeezed painfully. “It’s not like that.”

  “No? Then how about you tell me how it is?” He pulled on a shirt. “Because I’m damn sure I don’t know the woman standing in front of me right now.”

  That hurt more than she could say and her mind went into freefall. How much should she tell him? Would he believe her? He’d caught her taking the photo, and although she’d told him to delete it, would he believe she had decided to do that anyway? And what if she told him that as soon as Costas realized she’d refused to do his bidding, her bound and tied naked body would be plastered all over the internet? What would he think of her? Bad enough he thought her a scheming cheat, but to have him think of her as a cheat and a slut… That would destroy her. She couldn’t bear to have him think so badly of her.

  She had to try and convince him that she’d made the decision to delete the photo before he’d found it. She snatched up her phone and held it up to him so he could see image deleted scrolled across the screen.

  “That’s supposed to make everything okay?” Venom lay thick in his tone. “You lie to me, pretend you’re attracted to me, sleep with me for God’s sake. And it’s all fucking pretense.”

  “It wasn’t pretense.”

  “The plan wasn’t for you to lure me into bed? Then how the hell else were you supposed to get the photo?”

  She shook her head, trying to find the words to explain how it really was. But she realized Mitch’s assessment was pretty accurate, and undeniable. Except for one thing.

  Okay, she had lied to him, slept with him to get the photo, but she hadn’t pretended to be attracted to him. She’d always been attracted to him, but she hadn’t expected to fall so hard along the way that her heart ached with the contemptuous way he now looked at her.

  “I slept with you because I wanted to.”

  His laugh was scornful. “Convenient. That must have made it a little easier to go through with your plan.”

  “I’m not going through with it. I can’t do that to you. But you must realize that it won’t stop Costas from finding some other way to get what he wants from you.”

  “He can fucking try.”

  “He will. You don’t know him.”

  “Oh, I know the bastard well enough. I’ve had the displeasure of dealing with him before. So don’t you worry your scheming little head over it, he won’t get the chance to so much as breathe on me or my reputation.” He sat on the side of the bed and pulled on shoes. “And if he decides to use another woman prepared to let me fuck her so she can get what she wants, he’ll be wasting his time.”

  “Mitch, it wasn’t like that.”

  “Strange that you only decided not to go through with it after I’d caught you taking the photo,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “Maybe Plan B slipped into effect, the one that says if you’re caught you can flutter your eyes at me, say you’re sorry and it wasn’t like that. Then I’ll take you back to bed, fuck you senseless, and wait for you to screw me over some other way.”

 
He finished buttoning his shirt, then stood and snatched his keys from the side table. “I suggest you get some sleep. You’ll be taking the first flight home in the morning.”

  With which he flung open the door, stormed out and slammed it shut.

  Gina wanted to go after him. She needed to explain. But how could she? From what he’d just said, he probably wouldn’t even care that she herself had been blackmailed. Maybe he’d think her a naïve fool who didn’t have the ability to see she was being used by a scumbag like Costas.

  In the cold light of day, what she’d done to Mitch was unforgivable. She couldn’t blame him for his reaction and for the way he despised her now. She despised herself.

  She just had to try and salvage what she could from this whole mess. Hopefully, she could alleviate the repercussions from the ensuing fallout and stop them hurting the people she cared about most.

  Her mother. And Mitch.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Gina went straight to her studio from the airport. She hadn’t seen Mitch since he’d left after their altercation the night before. Breakfast had arrived at seven the next morning, with a note from reception advising her that she’d been booked on a flight to London and a cab would shortly arrive to take her to the airport.

  She could barely remember packing, heartsick when she realized that Mitch’s clothes were still in the wardrobe. His shaving kit still in the bathroom alongside her washbag. She’d left him a note saying how sorry she was for everything, but had resisted the need to tell him she hoped one day he would forgive her. He wouldn’t appreciate her sentiments and would probably see them as empty words.

  They were far from it. She wanted with all her heart for him to forgive her. For him to let her apologize, explain. Except she was still not able to explain anything to him. She was barely able to explain it to herself. Right from the start, she’d known Costas was bad news, but that self-destruct button she seemed to have, the one that pushed her into situations and relationships that were wrong for her, had been operating at full tilt.