Deceived

by Suzannah Daniels

  “I’m fine,” I assured him. “Just bruised my ego a little bit.”

  His mouth twitched into a grin. “How am I supposed to see you shake your ass if you’re sitting on it?” he teased.

  “So that’s why you wanted to take off,” I said, taking his bait.

  He leisurely skated behind me and wrapped his arms around my torso. He lifted me with ease, my feet dangling above the floor before he slowly lowered me until I was standing on my own. Instead of releasing me, he kept his arms in place, slowly propelling us forward. His chest pressed against my back, and tiny shocks of pleasure traveled to every nerve ending in my body. I stood rigidly in his arms, his close proximity making my brain unable to function normally.

  “Come on,” his deep voice beckoned softly in my ear as a ballad wafted through the cool night air. “If you’ve never been skating, then you missed out on the best part.”

  “What’s that?” I asked as we slowly stopped and he circled around, facing me. “The slow skates.” He pulled me into his embrace as he skated backwards.

  “That’s the best part?” I asked, allowing him to guide me. “I would’ve thought the best part was making out in the dark corners.”

  He laughed. “Touché.”

  I had never been more aware of another person than I was Cade. Despite the fact that I was wearing a jacket, I loved feeling the pressure of his hands on me, and I wondered if he would have done any of this tonight if it had been another girl sitting beside him at Whiskey Nights.

  Glancing up, I admired the clear night sky, the stars shining like diamonds on black velvet. The white lights strung around the rink gave it a festive feel, and even though we weren’t on a date, I knew that this night would be one that I would remember forever.

  As the song came to an end, Cade led us to the edge of the rink. He gazed at me as he stepped down, his hands still at my waist as I stood patiently on the platform. Our faces were now at the same level, and as he leaned in toward me, my breath hitched as I wondered if he might kiss me. “Don’t look now,” he whispered, “but I think Hawk and Amber found one of those dark corners.”

  I turned my head toward them, and he squeezed my waist to get my attention. “I said, ‘Don’t look now.’” A grin softened his angular jawline. “You’re not good at following directions, are you?” He drew back, increasing the distance between us.

  I smiled at his banter, trying to hide my disappointment that he hadn’t kissed me. Maybe he hadn’t felt the magic of the moment like I had.

  He squeezed my waist, lifting me off the edge of the ice and setting me on the ground. He held my hand until I was sitting safely on the bench. Maybe Cade had been doing nothing more than enjoying an evening with a friend. Maybe his close contact had simply been his way of ensuring my lack of skating skills didn’t result in a broken bone.

  Maybe, much like last night, he still considered us friends.

  ***

  The next morning, I woke up early and got ready to go to the gym. I’d been thinking a lot about my conversation with Lexi and contemplating a creative way to invite Cade to Ireland. Sitting down at the wooden desk in the corner of my room, I pulled out a small piece of stationery and tapped the end of the pen against my pursed lips. How could I phrase it to get his attention?

  After writing a few words, I stopped to read it. Unhappy with my invitation, I ripped it to shreds, tossed it into my box of recycled paper, and pulled out a clean sheet of stationery.

  I mulled the words over in my head before I finally let the ink flow.

  Cade,

  Single female of Irish descent

  Looking for fun with a tall, sexy gent.

  I’ll take you on a secret rendezvous

  Where everything is fresh, exciting, and new.

  Want to come with me to the Emerald Isle?

  We can relax, enjoy, and explore for a while.

  Ireland is gorgeous, its beauty unmatched.

  No money’s required and no strings attached.

  So if you want an adventure away from home,

  Pack your bags and send a text to my phone.

  Seren

  I read through it again. Okay, so I couldn’t be accused of being a poet, but it was definitely something out of the ordinary. Heck, the fact that it was handwritten guaranteed it was unusual. The art of the handwritten letter had gotten lost in the technological revolution, somewhere between email and texts. I started to read it again but decided against it. I knew what I’d do. I’d talk myself out of it.

  I quickly added my phone number beneath my name. Carefully folding the note, I tucked it into a small envelope and scribbled his name on the outside of it. My mother was calling the travel agent this morning and tentatively setting the trip up in a couple of weeks. As soon as I received Cade’s answer, I would finalize everything. If he couldn’t go, I’d be scrambling to find a replacement. If he could, I’d have him call the agent and give her all the information she needed to book his airline ticket.

  A terrible thought flitted through my head. What if he didn’t have a passport? I’d have to push the trip back several weeks to give him time to apply for one. Thankfully, I had gotten one previously when my parents were planning on going to Ireland, but then my dad had gotten busy at work, and the entire trip had been cancelled.

  I couldn’t recall Cade ever mentioning any travel outside the U.S., but then again, I’d never asked him.

  Tucking the note in my purse, I grabbed my keys and headed out the door. Hopefully, I’d know by the end of the day whether he had a passport and whether he was interested in traveling to Ireland with me.

  When I arrived at the gym, I was surprised to find Paxton, Cade’s older brother, behind the counter, leaning over as he perused a stack of documents. Normally, Cade would be working the counter by now while Paxton retreated to the office. Since the two of them didn’t seem to get along very well, they stayed out of each other’s way for the most part.

  As I approached the counter, he smiled and laid down his ink pen. It was obvious that he and Cade were brothers since their appearances were similar. In fact, all the Mayfield brothers looked alike. Evan, the youngest, had the same dark hair, facial features, and physical build as his older brothers.

  “Hey, Seren, how are you this morning?” Paxton focused his full attention on me.

  “I’m good.” I scanned the gym, searching for Cade before I turned back to him. “Where’s Cade?”

  “He’s driving to Kentucky today to take care of some business.”

  “Oh.” That was unexpected and extremely unfortunate for me.

  “Can I help you with something?”

  I contemplated his question, trying to decide what I should say to Paxton, if anything.

  “If he was supposed to be your trainer today, I can take care of you.”

  “Oh, no.” I shook my head vigorously. “It was nothing like that. I just hoped I could talk to him for a minute.” I hesitated. “Do you happen to know if he has a passport?”

  Paxton paused a moment, clearly surprised by my line of questioning. “Yeah,” he said, crossing his arms over his muscular chest. “We all got one a couple of years ago when we went on a ski trip to Canada with a group of friends.”

  My relief was instant.

  Paxton cocked his head and looked at me suspiciously. “Is he planning a trip out of the country?”

  “No, well maybe. I don’t know yet. He won’t be in at all today?”

  Paxton glanced at the huge clock on the wall. “He’s supposed be by in a couple of hours to drop off some keys, but then he’ll be hitting the road. I think he’s in a bit of a hurry. You want me to give him a message?”

  Opening my purse, I pulled out my written invitation, wondering if I should entrust it to someone else’s care. I didn’t want to wait on Cade, and in some ways, it would be a lot easier to just leave the envelope instead of facing him as he read it. Of course, if I were present while he read it, I could do whatever it took to convince him
to go.

  Either way, I wouldn’t give up easily. I was determined to get Cade alone for two entire weeks, and I wasn’t coming back home until we had at least shared a kiss or a snog, as the Irish would say.

  “Could you give him this?” I held the envelope out, my eyes focusing on the script neatly centered across the front of the envelope.

  Paxton took it from me and studied it for the briefest of seconds before he agreed.

  I was locked in now. Soon, Cade would be reading my invitation.

  Chapter 3

  Irish Whiskey

  Seren

  Waiting was torturous. Arms and legs spread across the rack under tremendous strain kind of torturous.

  Maybe I should have waited on him at the gym. At least then I would have known what was happening.

  Sitting in my room, I stared at the résumé on my computer, making no progress. My nerves were tied in knots, and I couldn’t stop wondering whether he’d gotten the invitation yet, part of me wishing I had nixed that idea.

  If he had stopped by the gym when Paxton predicted, he would’ve had plenty of time to read it and respond.

  Maybe he was trying to figure out how to decline the offer. Then again, Paxton said he would probably be in a hurry.

  I stood and walked to the window. Little did he know I wasn’t taking no for an answer. I had to think. If he did decline, I needed to be prepared with a persuasive argument.

  My phone beeped with a text message.

  I turned and stared at it on my desk, the flashing blue light signaling an unread text.

  Wiping my sweaty palms on my pant legs, I walked back to my desk and picked it up. The blue light blinked. My finger hovered over the screen.

  I took a deep breath and pulled up the message.

  Lexi: Have you heard anything?

  Releasing a pent-up breath, I quickly texted back.

  No.

  I fell back on the bed with my arms sprawled across the mattress. Waiting for his answer was going to kill me.

  My phone dinged again. Lexi was making it worse. With every beep of the phone, my nerves ratcheted up a notch.

  Pulling myself into a seated position, I read the text.

  It wasn’t Lexi.

  My heart pounded as I stared at the number that hadn’t been programmed into my phone. I closed my eyes.

  It had to be Cade.

  Taking a deep breath until my lungs were completely filled with air, I read the text while I exhaled slowly.

  Cade: I’d be a damn fool to pass up an offer like that. And I agree to your terms. This secret stays between us. But let’s turn things up a notch, add to the excitement. We won’t even mention it to each other until we arrive in Ireland except by text. Deal?

  I squealed loudly as I hugged my phone to my chest. Cade and I shared a secret. This would be so much fun. As much as I’d hated waiting this morning, the next two weeks were going to be even worse.

  I quickly texted him back.

  Me: Deal. Call my travel agent and give her the information she needs to book your ticket.

  I sent him the phone number, then texted Lexi back.

  Me: He’s going!

  Lexi: Great news!

  Me: Don’t mention the trip to anyone yet. Okay? We’re keeping it under wraps for now.

  Lexi: Why?

  Me: Just don’t. We’re having a rendezvous, and I don’t want you to spoil it. You can talk about it all you like once we get back.

  Lexi: I think that’s really strange, but okay.

  Me: Not even Mason.

  Lexi: Fine.

  I trusted Lexi. I knew she would do as I asked. Disregarding my résumé, I pulled out my suitcase and began searching through my closet. I would need a raincoat and an umbrella. Ireland was known as The Emerald Isle because it was vividly green, and it was green because it rained frequently. I knew most days would be cloudy or rainy, so I would need relatively warm clothes, especially since I was accustomed to the hot and humid summers and mild winters of Tennessee.

  After carefully selecting clothes that I could layer, I neatly folded them and packed them in my suitcase. This trip was finally feeling real, and it was hard to believe that I’d be in Ireland with Cade in a couple of weeks.

  I needed to go to Francesca’s Frillies, the local lingerie shop, and buy some new pretties.

  Tingles of excitement ricocheted through my body. I took a quick shower, pulled my hair up in a sleek ponytail, and drove to downtown Creekview.

  Pulling into a parking place in front of the shop, I admired the feminine feel of it, the lacy items in the window, the white feather boas that added a touch of softness and texture, the front door painted a fresh coat of pastel pink.

  A bell chimed as I entered, and the owner, who was checking out a customer, called out a greeting. My attention was instantly drawn to a sexy black bustier laced with satin ribbon paired with matching panties and lace-top stockings, an ensemble guaranteed to make most men foam at the mouth.

  I instantly imagined the expression on Cade’s face if he were to see me wearing a hot little number like that.

  “Seren?”

  I turned my head to see Hawk’s fiancée, Amber Lawson, smiling at me, a pink shopping bag in her hand.

  “Hey, Amber. I had so much fun skating last night.”

  “Me, too.” She lifted the bag. “I just now got around to spending the gift certificate that Hawk got me for my birthday. I thought about saving it to get something special for our honeymoon, but I love this place too much. I couldn’t stay away one minute longer.”

  “Are y’all going to Gulf Shores?”

  She ran her fingers through her long russet hair. “Yeah, for the weekend. When I left, Hawk was going to get gas, check the oil, tire pressure, all that stuff. He told me he’d be ready by the time I got back home.”

  “Have a safe trip.”

  “Thanks.” She paused. “I have something I want to ask you. I actually meant to mention it last night.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Would you be one of my bridesmaids? I probably wouldn’t have met Hawk if you hadn’t given me a ride that night.”

  “That’s a very nice way of saying that you wouldn’t have met Hawk if I hadn’t crashed my car while I was taking you home.”

  A smile broke across her face. “It only takes one moment to set off a chain of events. I feel like it was fate, that I was meant to be at that party, that you were meant to take me home, and that Hawk was meant to rescue me. I’ve never been happier.”

  I remembered that night in vivid detail. A deer had run out in front of me, and I had swerved to miss it. After losing control, I sideswiped a tree and rolled my SUV. Hawk and Cade had pulled us both out of my burning vehicle. Too bad surviving a fiery car crash hadn’t been enough to bring Cade and me together. I was a little jealous, but I would never let that detract from Amber’s happiness. “I’m glad you’re happy. I think we all deserve to find somebody that we can’t live without.”

  “I do, too.”

  “I’d be honored to be a bridesmaid.”

  She gave me a quick hug. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “Well, I guess I better go. Hawk should be home soon, and we need to hit the road.”

  I waved. “See ya later.”

  “Bye.” Her lips curved into another broad smile as she looked at me one last time and disappeared out the door, the chime ringing as she exited.

  Damn it. Reminded of just how lonely it could be when all of my friends had boyfriends and I didn’t, I snatched the sexy ensemble from the rack.

  I walked toward the back of the store, and a silky black blindfold caught my eye. I didn’t know whether I would cover my own eyes with it or Cade’s, but I knew I had to have it. Adding it to my purchases, I browsed the rest of the shop.

  After picking out some other pretties, Francesca in all of her voluptuous glory checked me out. As she scanned the items, I gazed at her appearance: her dark luxurious hai
r glistened beneath the fluorescent lights. Her makeup was expertly applied, and her pristine French manicured nails gave me the impression that she never washed dishes or scrubbed bathrooms. Everything about her screamed high maintenance. I curled my fingers into my palm and examined my own fingernails, which were trimmed short and totally natural.

  Francesca had a tiny waist and a large bustline, and even though I was more evenly proportioned than she, I shouldn’t have had trouble getting a man. So why didn’t it seem anyone was interested in me?

  I’d been waiting to see if Cade would make a move, and even though he hadn’t, I hoped the fact that he’d agreed to accompany me to The Emerald Isle meant that he was interested.

  A tingle of anticipation shivered along my spine, and I wished I could fast forward the next couple of weeks.

  Francesca thanked me and smiled as she handed me a pink boutique bag filled with the secret weapons that were guaranteed to catapult my friendship with Cade into a whole new territory.

  Overcome with giddiness, I drove straight to Whiskey Nights. Cade wouldn’t be there, but I was dying to talk to Lexi.

  I hurried inside and found Mason behind the bar in a deep discussion with Stormy, one of his bartenders.

  I stood by the counter somewhat impatiently while I waited for him to finish his conversation. “You want your usual?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

  “No, thanks. I need Lexi. Where is she?”

  A wide grin broke across his face, revealing his dimples. “Let me guess,” he said, leaning against the bar. “More girl talk?”

  “Yes. Now where is she?”

  “You’re awful eager. It must be some pretty damn good gossip if it’s gotten you this worked up.”

  I put my hand on my hip and glared at him. “Mason, in case you didn’t notice, you’re killing me. Now are you going to tell me where she is, or should I just start looking?”

  He chuckled. “Calm down, love. She’s in the office.”