First Lies (The Second Life Series)

by Jessica Cruz

  Without a word of acknowledgment, I grabbed my keys and unlocked the doors. As we stepped inside the brilliant foyer, I couldn’t help but notice the eerie silence that followed the echo of my footsteps. In the past, my entrance was always followed by my mother’s voice greeting me. Now, there was nothing. My gut twisted inside of me. I didn’t know what I was walking into.

  “Hello!” I cried as I walked further into the home. “Mom, are you here?”

  A moment later passed and I heard the sound of footsteps. My heart flurried with excitement, but I was immediately let down when I saw Rebecca, the housekeeper. She was an older woman with vibrant, white hair and deep set wrinkles. She was very thin and pale but lively and strong. Rebecca had been working for Dennis for as long as I could remember. She was the only person from his life before my mother that I actually liked, and if anyone knew where my mother was, it was her.

  “Ms. Ward, this is pleasantly unexpected,” she said with genuine enthusiasm. Rebecca was the biggest sweetheart. I had no idea how she could have tolerated Dennis for all of these years. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

  “Have you seen my mom recently? I’ve been trying to get ahold of her. I’m worried,” the words tumbled out of my mouth in a rush. My mom wasn’t here, neither was Dennis. Wes put his hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

  Rebecca nodded, slowly making her way down the grand staircase. Once she made it to the foot of the steps she said, “Yes, I’m sorry. I should have called you when I realized. Mr. and Mrs. Darth went to Miami for an unplanned vacation. She left her cell phone in the bedroom upstairs on the charger. I just spoke with Mr. Darth earlier today though. They’re having a wonderful time.”

  “Have you spoken to my mom?” I gulped. “Did she tell you she was okay herself?”

  “She’s fine,” Rebecca assured me. “It’s Miami. I only wish they had taken me with them.” She walked over to the closet and pulled out her jacket. “Was there anything else you needed, Ms. Ward? I’ve finished up for the day.”

  “No,” I said in a light voice. “I’m fine. Have a great day, Rebecca. It was nice seeing you.”

  “It’s always great seeing you, Ms. Ward,” she nodded her head to me and then Wes, holding his gaze a bit longer than necessary. The merriment left her voice as she said goodbye to him, but it fazed neither of us. A second later, Rebecca shut the door behind her, leaving me feeling unsure.

  Wes hugged me from behind, kissing my shoulder up to my neck. He breathed, “She’s fine. Relax. She just forgot her cell phone. This has all been a misunderstanding.”

  “It still doesn’t feel right,” I pulled myself out of his hold and tramped into the kitchen. I went into the freezer and took out a bottle of vodka. Then, I went into the cabinet to grab a shot glass. I needed a drink. This whole thing just wasn’t sitting right with me.

  “Do you want me to call Dennis? I can try to get ahold of your mom through him,” Wes offered, eyeing me as I poured the vodka into the glass.

  I didn’t respond to him right away. I took a swig of the drink and swallowed it down. I blinked hard and slammed the glass down on the countertop. Finally, I answered, “No, don’t call him. I don’t trust a fucking word he says anyway.”

  Wes watched as I filled up the glass again. He uttered, “What can I do? What will make you feel better?”

  I stared into those endless green eyes, and without a second thought, I grabbed another shot glass. I filled it up and pushed it towards him, “Drink.”

  He stared down at the glass for a moment, but then picked it up ande gulped it down. Good, we were even. I filled up his glass again, and we took the next shot together. This continued until the bottle was empty. My nerves settled and with that so did my inhibitions. Wes was looking better and better, which seemed like an impossible feat. I blinked hard, and everything changed. Alcohol always brought her out. The good girl wasn’t standing here anymore, but hey, Jersey Girls always have more fun anyway.

  We both stared at each other, knowing exactly what was going through the other one’s thoughts. He picked me up by my waist and sat me on the counter, pressing his hard cock against my underwear. I was already so wet for him. I wanted him inside me.

  Our heavy breaths matched one another’s as we gaped at each other with a predatory stare. He snaked his hands around my back, reaching for the zipper of my dress, but I moved myself out of his hold. I gave him a slight push and jumped down from the counter.

  “I’m being rude,” I said, willing myself to keep my eyes off of his hard-on. “You’ve never been here before. I want to show you my bedroom.”

  Wes followed me wordlessly through the house, up the staircase, and down the hall until we reached a heavy door. I pushed it open, revealing the bedroom I had slept in maybe once or twice since my mom moved in. It was a large room with crown molding, pale gray walls, and cream furniture. There was a large bed encased in a canopy in the center of the room with teal bed sheets and matching drapes slung over the glass doors that led out to the balcony. Across from that was a book shelf that took up most of the adjacent wall where a television was mounted in the center. A wall length mirror took another wall; behind that was a walk in closet with a plethora of clothes that I’d never worn, still baring their price tags. The room was pristine. It looked like it was straight out of a magazine, but it had remained untouched since its design. I rarely ever slept at the Darth Mansion, so there had never really been a purpose to use this room…until now.

  Wes shut the door behind him and stalked towards me like I was his prey, but the fire in my eyes left him frozen in his tracks, unsure what I was thinking. I smirked, knowing the power I possessed over him, and sauntered closer, closing the gap of space between us.

  “Unzip my dress,” I instructed in a light voice. I turned around and lifted my hair for him to make his access to the zipper easier.

  Slowly, he pulled it down. Wes carefully helped me out of the clothing until I was standing in my black bra and boy shorts, coupled with sheer, lace thigh-highs and heels. I turned back around, so he could look at me. His eyes told me that his erection was getting bigger, and I hadn’t even touched him yet.

  “Are you mad at me?” I breathed while running my fingers along his chest, heading south but stopping just as I reached his waist.

  He sucked in a harsh breath of air through his teeth just as I let my fingers drop back down to my side. He breathed, “Why would I be mad at you?”

  “For leaving you yesterday and not getting you off first,” my hands traveled up his thigh, barely gracing his crotch on my way back up his seam, taking my time with the zipper and button.

  He released a chuckle, frustrated with the excruciatingly slow and delicate movements I was taking. Keeping his head faced up towards the ceiling, he started running his hands up and down my body, bringing them to my chest and feeling for my nipples with the pads of his thumbs.

  “I’m getting mad at you now,” Wes chuckled, his cock practically bursting out of his pants. “Shit, Adriana, I need you right now.”

  I pulled down his jeans, and he stepped out of them, simultaneously pulling his shirt off, revealing his tight body in those remarkable boxer briefs. He was trembling in anticipation, surrendering his total control to me.

  I pulled down his boxers with one quick yank. I grabbed the length of his cock and pulled it into my mouth. Wes momentarily lost his balance and took a clumsy step backwards, gripping the bed frame for balance. He pulled one hand off and put it to the back of my head, coaxing me forward to suck at a faster pace.

  He sucked in another breath of air as I concentrated on taking him into my mouth as far as he would go, occasionally pulling out to lick around his waist. I thrust him into my mouth over and over again, until he groaned, barely able to control himself from peaking. Slowly, I moved my mouth off his cock and pulled down my underwear.

  “Fuck me from behind,” I commanded while grabbing the bed frame and bending over as far as I could.

&nb
sp; Wes approached me from behind and spanked me hard. I yelped at the stinging contact. He grabbed my waist and started thrusting himself into me from behind, loosening my muscles with the shocking force. He dug into me harder and harder, filling me up with each delicious blow and cupping my breasts in his hands.

  He pulled out of me and threw me onto the bed, climbing on top of me and tearing at my bra until my breasts were freed. He slipped himself inside and continued to grind himself; the shaft of his cock teased my clit, building an orgasm.

  I gripped the bed sheets and screamed, bowing my back as the orgasm convulsed through my body. My legs trembled beneath him, fighting to close myself from him, but he wouldn’t let me. He used his powerful hips to stay in position, pressing himself onto my throbbing clit.

  As the last of my screams escaped my lungs, I opened my eyes; Wes’s eyes bore into mine with an animalistic stare. He picked up speed. Sweat trickled down his forehead. He groaned and pulled out, coming all over my stomach in thick spurts.

  Wes collapsed next to me, and we both fought to catch our breaths. He kissed my forehead and then stood up, revealing his luxurious and naked body. He reached into the air, looking so pleased, “Do you have a towel in the bathroom?”

  I nodded, and he disappeared into the bathroom that was connected to my room, reappearing with a towel. He dropped it on my stomach, and I cleaned up his mess. I smirked, “You seemed to have enjoyed yourself.”

  “You make it hard not to,” he returned. “Put your clothes back on. I’m starving. Let’s find something to eat.”

  Wes twined his fingers within mine and kissed my hair. We were sprawled out on his bed, facing his TV, but we were hardly paying attention to whatever program was playing. Once we were done having sex, we rummaged through the refrigerator to make sandwiches and have snacks. After we sobered up a bit, we drove back to Wes’s place and crashed here. Now, we were in our own private bubble of euphoria. Nothing else mattered but us.

  “You should start keeping some clothes here,” he interrupted the silence between the two of us.

  I turned around, so we were facing each other, touching nose to nose, grinning from ear to ear. I couldn’t believe he just said that, “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah,” he returned the same stupid grin to me. There wasn’t a care in the world when we were together. “You’ve been sleeping here more often. It only makes sense. I don’t want you driving back and forth all the time if there’s a simple solution.”

  “Where would I keep my stuff?”

  He pointed across the room at a large, wooden dresser, “You can have one of the drawers. Keep whatever you want in that. There’s some extra space in the closet, too, if you need it.”

  “Thank you,” I blushed. Wes was incredible. He made all my problems disappear. He made me feel beautiful in this skin.

  “I have something for you,” he sat up and clicked on a light in the closet. As he rummaged through a few things, I couldn’t help but sit up and stare at his bare back and perfect butt. I collapsed back on the bed, never removing my gaze. Yes, that was all mine.

  “Sit up and close your eyes,” Wes said. I complied all too eager, thrilled with the prospect of Wes picking out a present for me all on his own. I could feel Wes getting closer to me; he was standing right over me. His breath was on my skin. He leaned over, and then I felt a cold metal fall down my neck as he clasped it behind me. “Open.”

  I opened my eyes and looked down. A silhouette, diamond-studded heart necklace rested between my collar bones. I pulled Wes into a hungry kiss. When I pulled away, I said, “Thank you. I love it.”

  “Good, you can wear it tomorrow night,” he said.

  “Tomorrow?” I questioned. “What’s tomorrow?”

  “I have an event to host at the bar. I’ll probably be there late. I figured you can hang out with me, and then we’ll come back here,” he said, staying down on his knees where he originally positioned himself to easily put the necklace on me.

  “Wes, I can’t do tomorrow,” I said. He cocked his head to the side in confusion. “I bought a ticket to Boston. I’m leaving in the afternoon.”

  “You’re going to Boston?” I nodded. “When the hell were you planning on telling me that?”

  “I told you I had to see, Nick. Did you think I was joking?” The harshness of his voice surprised me. It was extremely unwelcomed after receiving such a beautiful gift. “Don’t ruin this moment. You knew this was coming. I don’t know why you’re acting surprised.”

  Wes stood up and went to his phone. He started clicking something, remaining silent except for the occasional annoyed huff. Finally, he said, “It’ll be tough, but I can do it if we’re back by Wednesday morning. I can come with you.”

  “You weren’t invited,” I countered. It was hard to deny him, but I couldn’t bring him. This was just for me and Nick. I decided on a more delicate tactic as I twirled the necklace around my finger. “Nick and I could use some alone time. We haven’t spoken in a long time. Besides, you should be here. I’m not pulling you away from your work. I’m not going to end up being that kind of girlfriend.”

  “Boston’s a big city. Big cities can be dangerous for a young woman. I don’t know that I feel comfortable with you going there by yourself,” he said this while caressing my right hand, the hand I used to punch Dennis in the face. Guilt tactic. He was a very smart man, but it wasn’t enough.

  “You’re staying here, and that’s final,” I pulled my hand out of his grasp. “I’ve been there a thousand times. Nick will be with me, and you need to be here. I refuse to be the reason why you’re not there for your business. Plus, I’m not a child. I can take care of myself.” Wes opened his mouth as if he was going to continue to argue, but I put my finger to his lips, hushing him silent. “You have two options. You can either argue with me over something that won’t change, or you can fuck me senseless. Make your choice.”

  Wes stared at me through forest eyes. Doubt was cast over his face, but I remained firm about this one. He exhaled, deflating with defeat, and then nodded his head, “Take off your underwear.”

  Chapter 17

  “I still think I should come with you,” Wes gripped the steering wheel to his Range Rover, staring ahead into the endless parking lot of cars. He had spent the rest of last night, hinting towards reasons why he should come. This morning he had become bolder and less subtle, ignoring my disapproving glares. “I can rearrange my schedule right now. Adriana, it’s really not a problem.”

  We had just arrived at the Philadelphia Airport a couple hours before my departure as suggested by my travel guide. After booking a nonstop flight to Boston, it would only take me a little over an hour to arrive into the city, and after that, only a twenty minute drive to get to Nick’s apartment. If all went according to plan, I’d be with Nick for dinner.

  “No,” I said firmly, becoming mildly annoyed at his inability to drop this subject. If it weren’t for the millions of other things I had going on in my life, I’d become suspicious at his resilience. “Nick doesn’t even know I’m coming. I can’t show up with you, too.”

  “We can get a room together. It won’t be an inconvenience at all,” Wes said in a smooth voice. He must have sensed my annoyance because he shut his mouth before continuing his thoughts. Finally, he said. “I’m just worried about you going to Boston by yourself.”

  “As you’ve made perfectly clear a hundred times,” I snapped. “Wes, I’m a grown fucking woman. I can handle catching a cab to my brother’s place. I’ve done it a thousand times.”

  “That’s not what I’m worried about,” he brushed his hand through my hair. It was in a wild mess around my head. I really had put no effort into my appearance today, not when I was getting ready to catch a flight. I was dressed in a pair of jeans and a black, v-neck sweater, paired with my most comfortable gray Uggs and a matching scarf. “Nick hasn’t spoken to you in a long time. He won’t pick up your calls or respond to your emails. What makes you think he’s goi
ng to open up his home to you?”

  “He’s my brother,” was my only response. Everything Wes was saying made sense, but it didn’t matter. At the end of the day, Nick was still my brother. He wouldn’t leave me out on my ass in the middle of a city where I knew next to no one.

  “Just think about it Adriana,” Wes kissed my temple. He had such a way of warming me up when I felt like being as cold as ice. He tapped the heart charm of the necklace he had given me yesterday, a subtle reminder of how much he cared for me. “I just want to know what your game plan is in case things don’t go the way you’re expecting. Tell me that, and I’ll be supportive of you getting on that flight. I won’t say another word. I’ll just kiss you goodbye and miss you like hell until you get back.”

  Yes, it was possible Nick could ignore my arrival, but it was unlikely. I hadn’t even considered the possibility of him not talking to me when I arrived at his doorstep. Finally, I said, “It’s not going to happen, but if I was forced, I’d just get a room for the night. There are plenty of hotels to choose from, so I’m sure I’d find something. Then, I’d change my flight and come home early. It’s really not as complicated as you’re making this.”

  “It’s not complicated right now,” Wes shrugged, “but I just can’t think about you by yourself if he does that. You’d be alone in a huge city and hurt. I’d be here, feeling completely helpless. I don’t want you going through that alone.”

  “Well, it’s not going to happen,” I said sternly. “I know it may seem like Nick’s being an ass right now, but you don’t know him the way I do. I appreciate you being concerned for me, but I can take care of myself.” I caressed my hand along the side of his face and planted a soft kiss on his lips. “I’m not asking you to have faith in Nick’s actions. I’m asking you to have faith in my judgment and independence.”

  Wes pulled me to him, kissing me hard, like some part of him was never going to see me again. It still baffled me to see him acting like this, but I had put him through the ringer since the first day we ever met. I guess he deserved to be wary when it came to my actions. Neither of us ever really knew what to expect from me.