Dirty Little Liars

by Missy Lynn Ryan

  Ty stared at her hand as he processed this new development. A sly grin spread across his face. He pulled Juliette close and kissed her forehead. “Consider me impressed. Did you work that whole thing with the table and the brochures too?”

  Juliette nodded. He kissed her again then took the key from her and squinted down at the number.

  “I’ve never been so happy to spend the night in what might possibly be the world’s shadiest hotel,” Juliette said.

  “This isn’t so bad. Trust me, I’ve seen worse. And there’s no indication that they charge by the hour.”

  They walked to the last door on the far side of the motel and stopped at room 12A. Ty stuck the key into the lock and pushed open the door. He hesitated before entering, as if he expected someone to jump out and yell, “Surprise!” But that didn’t happen. He reached for the switch on the side the wall. It clicked on but there was still no light.

  “She was right. No power.”

  Juliette pulled out her cell phone. She still didn’t have a signal, but the phone was fully charged and the white glow of the screen gave them enough light that they could enter the room without running into furniture.

  From what she could tell, there was a large dresser on the left side of the room with an ancient box TV set and a small ice bucket. To the right was the largest king bed she had ever seen. Though it might have just felt that way at the time, considering she really, really wanted to find two doubles.

  In the back was a bathroom. The sink and mirror were in a little alcove that was open to the rest of the room. The shower and toilet at least had a door with a lock.

  “So you’re going to sleep on the floor, right?”

  “Not a chance in hell,” Ty said. “I’m pretty sure they don’t vacuum the carpets in a place like this.”

  “Don’t be such a snob,” Juliette said. “I’m sure it’s clean.”

  “I’m a Republican. I’m allowed to be a snob.” He collapsed on the corner of the bed. “Yep. I’m good right here. Unless you want to sleep on the floor. By all means, be my guest.”

  “You’re getting the bed wet,” she scolded. “That’s most definitely your side.” Juliette stepped past him and headed for the bathroom. She was cold and wet and anxious to get out of the heavy clothes that clung to her skin. If they had been at a nicer hotel they might have had spare robes, but here they were lucky to get clean towels.

  Juliette turned back to face Tyler. “Here’s the thing,” she said. “I need to know that you are going to be on your best behavior tonight.”

  Ty grinned. “Aren’t I always?”

  “I mean it. I’m cold and I’m tired and I’m pretty sure I am going to come down with some kind of pneumonia if I don’t get out of these clothes.”

  He froze.

  “So I’m taking a shower. And when I am done, I am going to dry off and sleep in one of these towels. Maybe while I’m doing that you can make some kind of pillow barricade to divide up the bed.”

  “What are we, fourteen?”

  “I’m serious. Nothing is going to happen tonight.”

  Ty shrugged and watched her disappear into the bathroom.

  Chapter 10: Nighttime Rituals

  Even in the dark the hot shower was like a little piece of heaven. Juliette let the warmth soak into her like liquid sunshine. If she could have, she would have stayed in the shower all night. At least then she would be warm. But that wasn’t possible, nor was it fair. What if Ty wanted to take a shower and she used up what little hot water they had?

  The thought of the senator naked was enough to make her jerk the faucet in the “off” direction. If she started lingering over images like that, this was going to be a very, very long night. Juliette traced her hand along for the shower curtain and pulled it aside so that she could climb out. Then she reached for the dingy towel and began to dry off.

  Five minutes later she was standing with her hand on the doorknob. She checked the towel for the fifth time. It was knotted and secure. And there was no way in hell she was going to let it come off. Still, she couldn’t make herself step out into the room where Ty was waiting. Maybe she should put on her old clothes again.

  One look at the ice-cold and sopping wet jeans and she tossed that idea aside. She might as well go stand out in the rain again if she was going to do that.

  Suck it up, Juliette.

  She turned the knob and pulled the door open.

  The silence in the room was almost as unnerving as the dark. For one horrifying moment she thought perhaps Tyler had left. Maybe he came to his senses and went to find another room.

  But when she called out his name, his cell phone snapped on.

  “Jesus. You scared me.”

  “Sorry.” Ty sat up on the bed and then stood. “I was just enjoying the quiet.” He moved toward her. Juliette fought the instinct to grab hold of her towel. “How was the shower?”

  “The water’s hot,” she said. “For now.”

  He moved past her without a second glance and stepped into the bathroom.

  Juliette hesitated, then, feeling a little stupid for not trusting Tyler to behave, she made her way to the bed.

  The moment she sank into the lumpy mattress, all of the anxiousness and exhaustion piled up inside her. Once again she was alone with Tyler. Completely off the grid and putting everything she longed for at risk.

  Juliette climbed under the blankets and tucked herself between the sheets. She chuckled softly as she bumped into the pillow barricade Ty had created. He had listened. Though some part of herself wondered if the fluffy border would be enough to keep them apart.

  She closed her eyes and let herself drift off in the darkness.

  She stirred when the mattress shifted beneath her. “Ty?” she called out. Though she wasn’t certain why.

  “Yeah?” he answered. Her heart fluttered at the sound of his voice.

  She inched closer to the wall of pillows.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She didn’t answer him. She didn’t have anything to say. Instead she reached her hand across the pillows, like a white flag. He scooted toward her and took her hand in his. Then they lay there like that. No speaking. Just being.

  Chapter 11: Sweet Dreams

  When Juliette awoke, her body was drenched in sweat and something heavy was draped across her waist. She glanced down. Ty’s fingers rested near her belly button. She should have moved them, but there was something extremely comforting about their presence. And he was so peaceful resting beside her. His breathing—slow and heavy. In and out. Rise and fall.

  A soft moonlight trickled in around the window shades. Juliette traced the back of Ty’s hand. She dragged her fingers over his knuckles and up to his fingertips as she wondered what time it was and if the power had been restored.

  She skimmed the rest of the room, searching for signs of electricity, but the alarm clock on the nightstand remained dark.

  Looks like power is still one of the many things we don’t have.

  Juliette wriggled in the itchy bath towel.

  Or clothes.

  While she was sleeping, the knot at the front of her towel had come loose, but the material still hung loosely over her body. She was hesitant to secure it. After all, Ty was asleep and she was fully covered by the bed sheets. Though her pillow barricade had seen better days—one flattened pillow was trapped beneath Ty’s body, the other had vanished.

  She squiggled out of her towel and tossed it on the floor then let out a sigh of relief. The worn sheets were like silk against her skin.

  Juliette imagined Ty lying beside her and wondered if he too was draped in a towel. Or perhaps he had simply slipped between the sheets with nothing on at all? His bare chest buried into the mattress and that perfectly round rear end caressing the sheets. His beautiful cock ready and free.

  Her stomach clenched and she let out a gasp of surprise.

  The air around her stilled. As if Ty was aware of her thoughts, he scooted closer, gripping her w
aist a little tighter, and she felt her heart skip a beat.

  Wake him up. Wake him up now!

  But she didn’t.

  And it would have been so easy. All she had to do was push him away. Roll him over and rebuild the wall of pillows. But she was drunk with power. Consumed by the rush of heat she got at the feel of him next to her, his warmth melting into hers. She barely resisted the urge to inch sideways and press herself more firmly against him. Though his body was more than tempting. She studied each inhale and watched his arm rise and fall with her own longing breaths.

  Nothing good would come of this.

  But her body disagreed. She closed her eyes and prayed for forgiveness just before pressing into the mattress and scooting an inch to the left.

  She paused, searching for any sign that Tyler was aware of her movements. But he remained still, his breathing unchanged.

  See there. It’s not the end of the world. Lighting didn’t strike you down.

  The entire right side of her body was now nestled against his and Juliette was quite certain Tyler was going commando. She grinned in the darkness as Ty’s body settled against hers. He showed no signs of being awake.

  With the length of him pressed against the curve of her thigh, she longed for the hot, sweaty sex they shared only a month ago. They had been strangers then, which had only made it hotter. Being anonymous meant she could do whatever she wanted, say whatever she wanted. And she had.

  The first time was fast: a sprint to the release. She had barely made it into the hotel room before Ty yanked her pencil skirt up to her waist and ripped off her white lace panties. She allowed his hands to explore her newly exposed skin and he groaned at the moistness already forming between her thighs. He kissed her deeply as he guided her farther into his suite. Though they never made it to the actual bedroom. Instead, they stumbled through the living room until they collided with a large mahogany desk. With a grunt of pure testosterone, Ty lifted Juliette up into the air and placed her on top of the desk. Then he dipped downward so that his mouth could replace his fingers.

  Juliette fell back against the desk, arching and swaying against the chilled wood as Tyler buried himself between her legs. She found herself dizzy with every earth-shattering flick of his tongue.

  Oh God. Juliette opened her eyes.

  Her pulse was racing in her ears, making it difficult to assess Tyler’s breathing. Was he still sleeping? What if he sensed the growing sexual tension inside her?

  The memory of Ty’s touch was enough to drive her crazy. She wanted to let her hand sink lower, but it was impossible with his arm still draped across her waist. He’s asleep. He wouldn’t notice anything if you don’t squirm around too much.

  No. It was tempting but completely inappropriate. She could not feel herself up with Ty lying right beside her. Out of the question.

  But the idea nagged at her. Her body practically purred at the memory of him. This was the next best thing to having him.

  She traced another finger over his arm and waited to see if he showed any sign of life. When she was convinced that Ty wouldn’t wake, she dropped her hand lower and let herself drift back into the glorious memory of him.

  It was next to impossible to constrain herself. Her hips wanted to thrust forward. Her back wanted to arch backward. She wanted masculine hands to explore her body and Ty’s succulent lips to kiss her skin.

  She froze and took in a sharp breath in an effort to control herself, then realized to her horror that the steady breathing beside her had stopped. Instead, there were raspy, short breaths coming much too fast for her liking.

  She didn’t have to open her eyes to know Tyler was awake. She felt the length of his hardness pressing against her thigh.

  Her leg twitched at the movement and both of them moaned in pleasure. The floodgates had opened and her resistance had completely shattered. She thrust her own hips upward, massaging herself with her fingers. Ty let out another groan and tightened his grip on her waist. He rolled her onto her side and inched forward so that he melted into the backside of her body. Then he dropped his hand lower, covering her small fingers with his own. Juliette gave him control, following his lead as he guided her own hand over the smooth skin between her legs and wound her like a tightened coil. His cock pressed into her from behind and she found herself oddly turned on by the sensation. She rubbed up against him, grinding and twisting, her moans filling the darkened room. He groaned loudly and inched her body toward the headboard.

  “I want to fuck you now,” he said.

  All Juliette could do was nod.

  Ty traced his hand down the length of her leg and lifted it up at the knee. Then he expertly slipped inside her. She exhaled deeply. The shock of his size made her body quiver and she cried out as he pulled himself back out.

  “You like that,” Ty said.

  Juliette nodded again.

  “You want more?”

  She answered him with her hips, dipping lower to meet him. He plunged inside her a second time. This time he stayed inside her, grinding against her ass one delicious inch at a time. Up and down, in and out, he was teasing her and she didn’t know how long she could take it.

  His hand traced the length of her inner thigh and he began to stroke her from the front, overwhelming her in a way that no vibrator ever could. She found herself thrusting down to welcome each of Ty’s jerks inside her. Juliette raised her hands to her chest, grabbing both of her breasts and rubbing her fingers over her nipples.

  Ty gained speed. His hands clutched her waist, steadying her so that he could slam inside of her with more force. She welcomed each thrust with a deeper moan. It was so much better than she remembered. He gave a final thrust and burst inside her. His wetness was enough to send her over the edge and she felt the dam inside her break. She cried out again in dizzying pleasure just as Ty bent into her. They froze as one, riding the wave of pleasure. After a few seconds Ty raised his head and began kissing her neck. He didn’t bother to pull out of her and Juliette was glad. She wanted to claim that magic penis as her own. As long as it was buried inside her, he was hers. But they couldn’t stay like that forever, and Juliette was sorry to say, she wasn’t the first one to pull away.

  Chapter 12: Regrets

  “I’m going to break up with her.”

  The her in that sentence would be Courtney. Well, at least he had the decency to not use her name. Still, the reminder of his current girlfriend doused any lingering fire between them. She didn’t want to think about Courtney because if she did, she would only be reminded of how much she had screwed everything up. No Courtney, no Dean. No Dean…no chance at the truth about her parents’ murder.

  Her animal instincts told her to screw Courtney. But that wasn’t a realistic option. She at least needed to hold out until she saw this thing through with Dean.

  “That’s a nice offer, but you know you can’t do that.”

  “I can do anything I want.”

  “No you can’t. You gave up that right the moment Governor Anderson appointed you as senator of Virginia. Now you’re running for re-election— something you didn’t have to do to get the job in the first place, I might add. You think breaking up with his daughter is the best political move?”

  Ty was silent as he processed her words.

  She reached out for him, desperate to see his face.

  “I don’t love her. She’s not you.”

  “You don’t even know me,” Juliette said.

  He grinned and brushed the side of her arm. “After what we just did, I think I know you pretty well.”

  “I’m serious, Ty. You have an amazing political future ahead of you. Like it or not, Courtney is part of that future. She fits into this world in a way that I never will. Hell, she’s practically Republican royalty.”

  His hand froze and he was quiet for a moment.

  What was he thinking? That she was right? That he was too good for her?

  Juliette continued speaking before she talked herself out of
it. “I’m not going to tell her about us. So your secret is safe with me.”

  “What if I don’t want it to be a secret?”

  She grabbed his hand and lifted it from her shoulder. “You’re a U.S. senator. You have to play by their rules or they’ll chop off your head.”

  “They?”

  “Take your pick. The Governor. The President. The RNC. The Media. The American people…”

  Ty was quiet again. She wanted desperately to know what he was thinking. The fact that he was putting up a fight made her feel victorious. She was his first choice. But Juliette couldn’t indulge in those feelings. Ty only knew her as Jules, the Art History major and campaign volunteer. He didn’t even know her real name, much less the fact that she was currently caught up in her own web of lies.

  “This isn’t going to happen again,” Juliette said. “You should get some rest. We have an early day tomorrow if we are going to get back to D.C. in time for the morning news cycle.”

  Chapter 13: Making Peace

  The morning was awkward. Juliette woke up early so that she could shower and change and then headed down to the front desk to see if she could swipe some candy from the vending machines when the office clerk wasn’t looking. Luckily the grouchy woman from the night before was not working the front desk. Instead there was an older gentleman with blotchy skin and graying hair. He wore a faded striped cardigan that looked as if it had been swiped straight from the Cosby Show. A pair of silver reading glasses was perched on his nose.

  Just her luck. Juliette smiled at the sight of the man. She might be able to get some sympathy this time around.

  The chime clanged as she pulled open the door and stepped inside. He looked up from his crossword and Juliette gave a hesitant smile before surveying the small room as if this were her first time seeing it.