The Cut of Deception

by Alexx Andria

  “That was incredible,” she admitted, bursting into laughter at the cliché nature of her statement. She turned to regard Dillon and found him grinning. “I mean it. I know I don’t have a whole lot of experience but that was…well, pretty damn awesome. Do you think we could do it again soon?”

  He feigned exhaustion but she could tell that he would be more than ready to rise to the occasion if she so much as snapped her fingers. She giggled. Who knew she’d be the one to turn into a raging sex machine? She supposed with the right person anything was possible. She sighed happily, content to forget everything but the things that made her content and that included the forgotten food Dillon had brought. She jumped up and brought the tray to the bed, surveying his selection.

  Yum. All manner of assorted expensive cheeses and crackers with grapes and pears. “Even the snacks are fancy,” she murmured mostly to herself as she loaded up a cracker with the cheese array. Dillon followed her lead and tossed a few cheese slices into his mouth with a few grapes, too. “So,” she said amid bites. “Tell me something about yourself that isn’t dark and depressing. Something nice.”

  Dillon made a show of thinking and then coming up empty, which prompted her to throw a grape at him. Dillon laughed and dodged the flying fruit. “Hey, what can I say I was the black sheep of the family. I take that responsibility seriously.”

  “Of that I don’t doubt. But there has to be something you can share with me that isn’t terrible or depressing.”

  Dillon grinned and popped another grape, chewing slowly. “There was that time I saved a puppy from a tree on our property…”

  Her eyes widened with sympathy. “You saved a puppy?”

  Dillon graced her with a semi-serious patronizing expression. “Come on…dogs don’t climb trees.”

  “Oh. Well, how was I supposed to know? I’ve never actually had a dog. We could never afford a pet and then when I moved out on my own it didn’t seem fair to the dog that I worked such long hours. I didn’t want the dog to get lonely sitting in my apartment. Worse, I didn’t want to come home to dog poop everywhere.”

  “You poor thing. No dog? Ever? That’s borderline child abuse. Every kid should have a pet of some sort.”

  “What was your dog’s name?”

  “Randy.”

  “Randy? That’s a bartender’s name. Why’d you name your dog, Randy?”

  “I found him on Randy Street.”

  “Really?”

  He laughed. “No, not really,” he said, admitting with a mischievous grin. “He was the horniest dog I’d ever known. Even after he was fixed he would hump anything that moved. It got to the point where I thought maybe he had a problem. But he was just a dirty little terrier was all. I loved that dog. He was the best.”

  “How long did you have him?”

  “All though high school and some college.”

  “Did he die of old age?”

  “Unfortunately, no. He got hit by a car.”

  “Aww…I’m sorry. That sucks. How come you never got another dog?”

  He sighed and popped another grape. “Same as you I guess. Too busy. Didn’t want the dog to be alone while I worked an 18-hour day.”

  She sobered. He was a workaholic, just like his brothers and yet he didn’t work for Buchanan Enterprises. “Do you miss your family?”

  “I miss my granddad. You would’ve liked him. He was an ornery old bastard who liked to pinch the asses of fine ladies and didn’t know the meaning of ‘politically correct.’ He always made me laugh. I think we’re a lot alike and maybe that’s why we got along so well. My granddad built Buchanan Enterprises from the ground by being ruthless in business, but even though his competitors called him a bastard, or worse, they knew him to be a man of his word. If nothing else, Granddad earned their respect. He didn’t care what others thought or said about him; he lived by his own code. When the rest of the family turned their back on me, Granddad never did.”

  “It must’ve been hard to be cut off from family,” she said.

  “Yeah, it was at first. But I found my own way eventually. Granddad always kept tabs on me, made sure I was getting food in my belly and a roof over my head. Although, he had a messed up sense of humor. Before I started making my own money, he used to put me up at various hotels. Except I think he got a kick out of finding the shittiest rat hole he could find just to hear the horror stories later. But, I have to admit, staying in those crappy hotels created a drive in me that I never realized was there until I was forced to rely upon it for survival. I guess, in a way, he did me a solid by making me stay in those terrible places.”

  Penny laughed, the rueful sound tickling him in places he’d thought were long dead. “Did you ever thank him for his blessing in disguise?”

  “Hell no. I told him payback would be when it was time to put him in a home and I found the crappiest nursing home to stick him in where they served up nothing but grape gelatin and stool softener sandwiches. He dared me to try it and he’d have my balls cut off and delivered to me.” Dillon chuckled at the memory of their ribald conversations. God, he missed that old man. “He was a card. Always kept you on your toes, that’s for sure.”

  “The twins never talk about anything personal with me,” Penny admitted, her smile fading. “Makes me feel as if I’m not truly a part of their lives, which seems an odd thing to say given our unique arrangement.”

  “Penny, you aren’t a part of their lives,” he said gently. “You’re a plaything. A toy that they purchased to use at their whim. You say they’ve been good to you, but what kind of men persuade a woman — a virgin no less — to sell herself to them? Doesn’t that seem like the opposite of good men?”

  She bit her lip, hating that Dillon’s logic made a certain amount of sense. Her papa would’ve condemned them on the spot for making such a filthy offer to his only daughter. If only to try to wipe away that look on Dillon’s face, she tried explaining her reasoning. “When I first started working for your brothers I was awe-struck by them but I was fairly certain that they’d never noticed me. I mean, you should’ve seen the women they often dated — in a word: gorgeous — and I, sort of, started to crush on the twins in the same way you would some unattainable movie star. When I was invited to the house, I never dreamed that it was for anything aside from work. Then, they made their offer and I was so star-struck at the time that I couldn’t help but say yes. By the time I realized what I’d done, it was too late. But the twins have been good masters. They’ve never been cruel or asked me to do anything disgusting and they’ve been good to their word as far as the money goes.” Dillon remained quiet and she worried that perhaps she’d made things worse but Dillon surprised her by kissing her deeply. She stared in wonder as he pulled away. “What was that for?”

  “Because I wanted to.”

  Penny smiled, liking the sound of that. “Feel free to do it again whenever you like.”

  “I will.” Dillon moved in and claimed her mouth, only this time harder, with more urgency. They kissed until they lost sense of time, taking time to linger and savor each other and when they finally pulled apart, Penny knew for a certainty that both were faced with the realization that things were changing between them, even if neither were ready for the complications. She needed to taste him on her tongue, wanted his cream to fill her mouth so that she could swallow every drop, retaining a small piece of him forever. It was silly, even borderline weird, but she desperately needed him before she lost him forever.

  She moved down his firm abdomen, pressing kisses against the slightly furred love trail that led her to his rapidly stirring cock. She lovingly slipped the soft, squishy head into her mouth, reveling in the musky taste of their lovemaking that remained from their last session, and gently coaxed the firm length to harden until it was ready and straining against her lips. She nuzzled the fleshy head, rimming the underside with the clever tease of her tongue, openly delighting in the grunts and moans that Dillon couldn’t hold back. Soon, his fingers threaded through he
r hair, and he was flexing his hips against her mouth, the pleasure too much for him to contain. A powerful ripple of arousal shook her to her bones as his breathing became harsh and his muscles strained against the urge to blow. “Quick, I’m going to cum,” he rasped with a moan as he attempted to persuade her to slip his cock inside her before he came. But she wanted to push him past that point of no return. She wanted to know what it felt like to harness that sexual power and bring the mighty Buchanan to his knees. “Ahh! Holy fuck!” he gasped, stiffening as his grip on her scalp tightened almost painfully but she was too aroused to care. She worked him harder and faster, sucking in an unfailing rhythm that sent him crashing into a wall of abject pleasure. Penny swallowed everything he had to give her in big, greedy gulps, nearly choking when the rush became too much but she wanted it all. Before the Buchanan brothers, she never would’ve imagined that she could ever swallow a man’s seed — the idea had been disgusting — but she felt oddly territorial about Dillon and thus, wanted every precious drop of his essence.

  Oh, how things had changed — how she’d changed. Would she ever be the same person she’d been?

  God, she hoped not.

  “Ahh Penny,” Dillon said on a satisfied sigh. “A man could get spoiled by this kind of attention.”

  She grinned, happy to have pleased him. “Tell me I’m the best you’ve ever had — even if it’s just to massage my ego,” she half-teased.

  He sobered, his gorgeous eyes lighting with something that immediately took her breath away but it was gone in an instant and she wondered if what she’d seen had simply been her imagination. For a heartbeat, Penny thought she’d caught a glimpse of deep emotion behind those sultry eyes. Dillon rose up and pulled her roughly into his arms, clutching her possessively. His hands roamed freely across her body, pausing to squeeze handfuls of her large breasts as if he couldn’t get enough of her. She trembled at his touch as his hand sought the heat of her pubic mound. The sensitized skin leapt to life as his fingers grazed the damp slit between her thighs. “Penny, you are the best I’ve ever had,” he said quietly, his faintly ironic tone pulling at her. “That’s half the problem.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m not the right person for you, Penny. No Buchanan would be the right man for you.”

  Her heart stuttered painfully as old insecurities rose to jab at her. “Don’t you mean I’m not good enough for a Buchanan?”

  “I meant what I said.” His finger dipped between her folds and gently stroked the nestled nub, making it hard for her to hold onto sense or reason. “You deserve a man you could bring home to your father if he were still alive, a man who didn’t live in the shadow of ugly secrets.”

  “I don’t care about your secrets,” she said, squeezing her eyes shut as her breath quickened. “I want you, Dillon.”

  “No, you don’t,” he assured her in a fatalistic tone as he nuzzled her neck while slowly building the pleasure until she began to squirm. “I’m ruthless, cold, and cruel on my best days. On my worst, I’m unbearable.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she said, swallowing a cry as the sensations began to circle the target. “I…I…think you’re eaten by guilt and that makes you…ohhh, God…makes you think you’re worse than you…are. Ohhhh….that’s it, that’s it! I’m cumming, Dillon!”

  Sweet oblivion overtook Penny as she succumbed to the orgasm that Dillon had given her with the power of his fingers and settled with a deep sigh against his chest, melting against him as if her bones were suddenly made of powder. He brought his finger to his mouth and after inhaling her scent left behind, he popped his finger in his mouth and sucked it clean. She blushed but secretly enjoyed that he found every aspect of her irresistible. It seemed completely natural to lie naked together — and unlike the twins — Dillon was in no rush to leave. In fact, he seemed content to lie with her in his arms. In this place, it seemed possible to shut out the world and ignore all the reasons why they were embarking on a doomed journey.

  They showered together, enjoyed dinner, and then found themselves curled on the sofa, laughing and sharing stories like an old married couple. It was surreal and wonderful and Penny savored every stolen moment. Until, the front door crashed open and the twins strode in, looking angry as hell and ready to kill someone.

  “You bastard,” Vince snarled as soon as he saw Dillon and Penny cuddled up on the sofa. Penny flinched at the hard gaze Vince settled on her and actually shrank against Dillon for protection.

  “Sonofabitch,” Nolan swore under his breath, coming to stand beside Vince. “You just couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you?” Directed his question at Dillon, who seemed coldly amused by their show of rage. “Pretty proud of yourself, aren’t you?”

  “You’re early,” Dillon responded with a subtle irritation to his tone. “I didn’t think you were smart enough to figure out the ruse for at least two days.”

  “Yeah, well maybe you’re not as smart as you think you are,” Vince shot back, his eyes twin coals of burning rage. “That’s always been your problem…too damn full of yourself to realize you’re just like everyone else: fallible.”

  Penny nervously sat up and tried using reason before World War III broke out. “We need to talk,” she started but Vince cut her off.

  “There is nothing to discuss. Go to the car and wait for us there.”

  Penny looked to Dillon for backup but he was too busy staring daggers at his brothers. “Dillon?” she ventured, needing him to have her back. “We can all talk like adults, right?”

  “Penny,” Nolan said, quietly but firmly. “You signed a legally binding contract. You belong to us. Please do as Vince told you.”

  Tears stung her eyes as pure mortification washed over her. She hated being reminded so crassly of their arrangement, even if Nolan was only stating the bald truth. Penny suddenly felt Dillon’s stare and she turned to him, unsure. “I…” want you to stand up and defend me. Please Dillon, tell your brothers what I mean to you. But Dillon simply watched as if testing her.

  “Looks like your pet has a rebellious streak,” Dillon said, a cruel smirk on his beautiful face. “Maybe you should treat your pets with more regard.”

  “Stop calling me a pet,” Penny snapped, her nerves ready to fray as jaggedly as her heart. “Why are you acting like this?”

  “He’s acting like the bastard he is,” Vince said. “Dillon has always done what Dillon wanted, no matter the cost to anyone else.”

  “Tsk tsk, little brother. I’m not the only Buchanan with a penchant for wanting what doesn’t belong to him.”

  Vince’s face colored and he looked ready to bury his fist in Dillon’s mug. “Watch yourself.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re gunning for what’s been due to you for a long time.”

  Dillon started forward, his eyes glittering. “So ready to play the hero. Must be nice to be able to conveniently forget your part in Isabel’s death.”

  Vince’s gaze shot to Penny, then returned to Dillon to mutter tersely, “Stop dredging up the past. Some of us have no interest in wallowing in our own misery.”

  Penny couldn’t help herself and held her breath in the hopes that finally the mystery would be revealed about the woman before her. She needed to know what’d happened to Isabel, even if knowing ‘shattered her illusions,’ as Dillon had put it.

  “She was my fiancé,” Dillon said, his voice deadly calm with a razor’s edge of hatred and fury.

  Nolan looked away, the shame of whatever guilt he carried mirrored in his expression. “Dillon…let it go. She’s dead. Nothing we say or do will bring Isabel back.”

  “You’re right about that, little brother,” Dillon agreed. “But I think your little dove deserves to know what you did to her.”

  “Stop.” Nolan nearly pleaded. “Leave it be.”

  “What happened?” Penny asked tremulously. “What did you do?”

  But Vince cut in, silencing Nolan before he had a chance to speak again
. “Your hands are not clean, though you like to play the victim. Isabel never would’ve left you if you hadn’t thrown away any chance of a future with the family. You made that choice, not us.”

  “And you were right there to help her pick up the pieces, weren’t you?” he sneered. “Couldn’t wait to put your cock inside my woman and offer her your demented little deal except when you realized she was pregnant, you panicked and cut her loose. You’re the reason she took a swan dive from the roof. How you live with yourself I haven’t a clue.”

  Penny stared dumbfounded. “Isabel was pregnant?” Nolan swore under his breath before nodding. “Whose baby was it?” she whispered, unable to believe how much that revelation hurt.

  Dillon barked a hollow laugh. “Who knows? She was stuffed with plenty of Buchanan cock in her brief tenure on the Buchanan payroll. It’s anyone’s guess.”

  “Stop it,” Penny said, wincing at Dillon’s callous remark. Even though she sensed it came from a place of raw pain, she hated that he wielded his pain like a weapon. “Just stop.” She moved slowly away from Dillon, not sure what to think or feel. She hated to see how quickly he changed, going from loving and sweet to rude and mean in a space of a heartbeat. She needed time to think. She rose slowly and Nolan gathered her into his arms protectively. Penny shivered at the narrowed stare Dillon sent her.

  “Such a good little pet.” Dillon’s subtle smirk cut her to the core. “Your papa would be so proud.”

  “Stop it,” she cried, hating that Dillon was being so unkind to her when she’d done nothing to deserve his cruelty. “What is wrong with you?”

  Vince shook his head, disgust in his tone. “He only cares about himself. He’s always been that way. Get your things, Penny. We’re leaving.”

  Penny spared one last glance at Dillon and she knew the image of him, lounging in a deliberately casual position with a fuck you smirk on his face, would haunt her dreams. He’d used her to get back at his brothers. Somehow, deep down, she’d feared that his motivation hadn’t been pure but she’d clung to the hope that she was wrong.