His lips press together, his mind still lost in thought when I suggest, “How about we go for another swim?”
He grins and pulls out several bills, tosses them on the table. “Don’t bother putting on a swimsuit.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sunday, we got up late, lounged around the house, and ate takeout in between rounds of the best sex of my life. I can’t remember a day when I did absolutely nothing, but yesterday was perfect.
Today, I set an alarm and got ready for work, expecting Tim to drive me, but Kase walked me out to his garage, insisting he needs to stop by his office in Walton Towers.
He opens the passenger door to a shiny red Maserati and motions for me to get in. “Nice car,” I say with a whistle.
“Thanks,” he replies once he’s sitting next to me.
“What company do you work for?”
A tingle forms between my legs watching the muscles in his arm move as he shifts gears. “I own a company called Solar Core. I started it from the ground up. After ten years, it’s finally making enough money that I have about twenty people on my payroll.”
“That’s incredible.”
“Nah.” He shrugs off my compliment. “My parents were rich and didn’t bat an eye at sending me to Pepperdine University. My senior year, I researched a project as a part of my final. After I graduated, my professor ambushed me with the suggestion to pitch my idea to a few of his friends who were interested in investing in the concept. With the right money, connections, and years of working ninety-hours a week, the company finally turned a dollar. But…” He blows out a long breath. “If it weren’t for my parent’s money, I never would have had the opportunity.”
With my head resting against the seat, I roll my face to the side, pride for a man I barely know soaring through me. “My mom, her idea of making something of herself was marrying a man with money, when in reality I would have respected her more if she was working at McDonald’s for minimum wage. And my dad…” I shake my head. “That’s a story for another day. But for me, making something of yourself isn’t defined by how many zeroes you have in your checking account; it happens when you accomplish your dreams by standing on your own two feet.”
He takes his eyes off the road, bringing them to mine, softening in a way I haven’t seen before. With a deep breath, he looks back at the road, and the rest of the trip is made in silence.
We ride up the elevator, along with at least ten other people, all of which are wearing dress clothing, except Kase, who’s sporting a gray T-shirt, jeans, and black converse. When the doors open to my floor, I step forward only for him to tug on my hand. “Have a good day,” he says, brushing his thumb over my bottom lip.
“You too.”
With a skip in my step, I make my way to Dalton’s office with a huge smile plastered across my face.
Chapter Nine
Delanie
Dalton asked me at least half a dozen times why I was in such a good mood, and each time, I managed to evade answering him. Around noon, he brought in sandwiches from the deli across the street for lunch so we could “study” during our break. He gave me a sexy half-grin, pulled his chair next to mine, and surprisingly spent more time helping me study than he spent flirting. However, he kept his arm draped over my chair, and his leg brushed against mine like he was trying to start a fire.
Seconds after he suggested we grab something together for dinner, Kase sticks his head into the office, surprising both of us.
“Hey, babe, you ready?”
My mouth drops open at the same time Dalton’s eyes widen when he asks, “And you are?”
I fought the urge to scream at Kase to leave. After all, he’s good friends with the freaking CEO. I don’t want Dalton, or anyone else for that matter, thinking I’m with Kase because of who he knows.
“I’m here for Delanie,” Kase says with a challenge in his eyes. The two of them stare at each other for several impossibly long seconds. It’s Dalton who gives up first, turning to tuck papers into his desk.
“You’re here for me?”
Kase wraps his arm around my waist, and says, not very quietly I might add, “We left your car at your place on Saturday.”
Oh, shit. He’s right. I never once questioned how I was going to get home.
“I figured we’d grab something to eat on the way to your place.”
I glance at Dalton, who’s closely watching us. “Looks like I have plans after all. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Grabbing my purse, I walk to the door, pausing a second for Kase, who’s still in some type of stare off with Dalton. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah, babe, I’m ready.”
Babe. My heart beats faster than it should for this man.
The walk to the elevator and ride to the garage floor are made in silence. It’s not until his car roars to life that he finally asks, “Where to?”
“I can’t believe you did you that.”
“Did what?”
“We agreed to something casual, yet just now, it felt like you trying to mark your territory.”
“Delanie, that man you’re working with is a serial philanderer, and most of the women he sleeps with work at Thornton.”
My nose scrunches. “How do you know that?”
“My office is in the same building, and over the years, Dalton has made quite the reputation for himself.”
“Still…” I huff in frustration. “I wasn’t planning on sleeping with him, but that stunt you pulled is going to make work awkward.”
Ignoring me, he exits off the interstate and pulls up in front of a food truck with at least ten people waiting in line. Staring out the front window of the car, he says, “I’d tell you I’m sorry but I’d only be lying. The man wants to fuck you, and after the weekend we shared, it pissed me off thinking of you with someone else. Especially someone like Dalton.”
Flutters dance through my belly. “What exactly are you saying?”
He turns my direction and places his hand on my cheek, softly stroking his thumb back and forth. “I don’t know. I’m not really in the position to offer you anything but maybe…” He sighs.“I’m hoping one day that will be different.”
“I just got out a relationship. The last thing I need is to jump into another one, but you feel like a breath of honesty and that means more, you know.”
He drops his hand, his gaze darts to his lap.
“You set the bar pretty high for any guy to follow, not to mention Dalton is my co-worker. Regardless of what he wants, I don’t plan on sleeping with him.”
The corner of his mouth turns up with a half-smile, but he still makes no attempt to look at me. “If you want to sit in the car and pout, be my guest, but I’m hungry. And based off that line, this place must be good.”
Leaving him in the car, I make my way to the food truck, studying the menu. Less than a minute later, Kase is standing next to me. “You’ll want to try the Chops-n-Cheese.” I fight back a smile when his hand slides into mine.
Kase
After dinner, I convinced her to stop for ice-cream, doing whatever I could to prolong our evening, because the reality is, I’m the last person she should be with. Tonight was the reminder I needed. She’s trying to establish a life here, something I’m bound to fuck if she discovers my lies.
The thought of that bastard touching her has me gripping the steering wheel to the point of pain. I’ll deal with him one way or the other but I need to cut her free.
Parking on the street in front of her apartment, I leave the car running. A jerk move on my part, but it’s for the best. Especially after the weekend we shared, I need to make sure she remembers I’m an asshole at heart.
With my eyes glued to an old blue pickup parked in front of us, I don’t notice her hand until she places in on my knee. Her lips caress my cheek in a kiss that feels like an unspoken goodbye.
Good job, asshole. You made your point.
“I never dreamed of finding Prince Charming. My fantasies we
re always about meeting a man like you. Someone down to earth and real. A man who doesn’t sit back and watch life from the sidelines. Thanks to you, I refuse to settle for less.”
After she steps out of the car, she turns, gifting me with a smile that will most likely haunt me until the day I die. “Promise me no matter what road you take, you won’t stop living life to its fullest.”
Pivoting on her feet, she jaunts up the steps to her apartment with a swing in her step. Out of all the times I’ve watched a woman walk away, I’ve never felt like they were taking a piece of me with them until now.
Delanie is the forbidden fruit. The only woman I absolutely can’t have. Deep down, I wonder if that’s the reason I’m drawn to her. She’s beautiful beyond words while an innocence I’ve never experienced lingers in her eyes but the ugly truth is, she wasn’t meant to be mine.
Shifting the car into drive, I pull away from her building with a knot forming in my gut. Unlike Delanie, I can’t stop myself from glancing in the rear-view mirror, hoping to steal one last look.
Delanie
I don’t know what I did or said but I watched him physically shut down before my eyes. I thought when he joined me for dinner and even asked if I wanted dessert, I had read him wrong, but when one week turned into two and I still hadn’t heard from him, I knew it was time to move forward.
I’m no longer working with Dalton. Instead, Paula paired me with Mike Jones, a fifty-three-year-old married father of three. I know this because he nonstop talks about his family. I thought it was cute at first, but it surpassed cute over a week ago. I know everything about this man including how his wife takes her coffee (two sugars, one cream) and how he’s been battling hemorrhoids for several months.
I stopped in Dalton’s office a few times to talk to him, but he’s either not here or too busy. In a matter of one evening, I went from thinking I had two men wanting to date me to a big fat goose egg, and my confidence took a nosedive. If it weren’t for Brenna, California would feel extremely lonely.
Almost three weeks from the last time I saw Kase, our paths crossed. His eyes were glued to the phone in his hand as I was stepping off the elevator ready to head home. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve tried to convince myself he wasn’t as beautiful as he is, but my lungs quit working the second I spotted him. When he finally looks up, his eyes widen when they collide with mine.
People trying to shuffle off the elevator knock into me. Kase grabs a hold of my arm with one hand and keeps me from stumbling to the floor. I suck in a deep breath, feeling like I just ran a marathon.
The doors to the elevator he was waiting on close, but neither of us mutters a word. I don’t trust what I’d say if I did.
Another elevator dings, signaling the arrival of more people trying to make their way home. After everyone walks around us, Kase nods his head, a look of disappointment plays on his face. I can’t tell if he’s disappointed in himself or me. Either way, he steps inside.
Living life with no regrets, I give him my best flirtatious smile. “Have a wonderful evening.”
His eyes flash with a look of shock just as the doors close.
Kase Cole may not want me, but I think it’s time I find out who does.
Chapter Ten
Kase
My mother used to say, “You can lie to the world but not to your heart.”
I didn’t understand what she meant until now. I’ve fruitlessly tried to force thoughts of Delanie from my mind to no avail.
She thinks she ended up here—in California—in my life by chance, when that couldn’t be further from the truth. When the truth surfaces, she’s going to hate me probably more than I hate myself. But I tried avoiding her, and it’s not doing me a damn bit of good. If I want a fighting chance with this woman, then I need to ante up and go all in. I need to pull out all the stops, ensuring the ride is worth the fall.
* * *
Delanie
Walking into the kitchen, ready for work minus the earrings in my hand, I find Brenna lending against the kitchen cabinet eating a bowl of cereal.
“Do you work this weekend? I was thinking maybe we could grab dinner and a drink somewhere?”
She sits her bowl down and yawns. “I’m working tonight, but I’m off tomorrow. Roan asked if I wanted to go to Stella. Feel like joining us?”
My nose scrunches, revealing my real answer. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
I’m ready to get out there, meet new people, and to hopefully put some roots down in this city. But I’m not cut out for the type of man I’d find at Stella. I want more than just sex. I want to go out on a date, hold hands in public, meet someone who’ll make me laugh while making me feel safe.
“I know he’s your boss, but he’s not going to treat you any different if you decide to go.”
“Sorry, the idea of going to a place where people meet to have sex with the man who runs the company I work for will make for some awkward moments at the water cooler. But I’m glad to hear things are going well with you and Roan.”
“I like him, but…” She shrugs. “I don’t know. I think our relationship ran its course. I haven’t seen or heard from him in ten days, then yesterday he texts asking if I wanted to meet him.”
I envy how carefree Brenna is toward life and especially men. Unlike me, she hasn’t spent the last week and a half moping around the apartment.
“Maybe he was out of town?”
“Or maybe he was with his wife?” She rubs her hands over her face in frustration. “It shouldn’t bother me. I knew the stakes when I got involved with him, but he told me they were over, and if they’re not…”
“Believe me, I understand. When Carter admitted he had slept with someone else, it was the fact that he was lying—had been lying to me for years—that bothered me the most.”
She looks down, avoiding my face when she says, “Sometimes people lie to protect the ones they love.”
“No, they don’t. That’s just another lie so they can protect themselves.”
Her eyes flare. “Are you telling me you’ve never lied to anyone?”
“White lies? Yeah, sure, but not about anything important.”
The air in the room goes weird while she stares at me, a pained expression painted on her face. I can tell she wants to tell me something, and if I had to guess, it’s probably that she knew Carter was cheating on me back in high school, and that’s a conversation I rather not have.
Slipping my earrings in, I grab my purse off the floor by the door. “I better leave or I’ll be late.” I can forgive Brenna for not telling me about Carter, but I’d rather live in a blissful state of denial. Why damper the relationship we have today over a man who’s not worth the time of day?
“Delanie,” she says in a panicked voice.
“Yes?”
After several long seconds, she gives me a weak smile. “I’m sure this won’t surprise you, but your mom is still calling me daily with hopes you’ll talk to her.”
A bitter sound rips from my chest. “I’m sorry. I’ll unblock her and tell her to leave you alone.”
“It’s not a big deal. I enjoy messing her. I just wanted you to know.”
“Thanks.”
I should call my mom before she does something crazy like purchase a plane ticket to California.
Friday dragged like a snail high on NyQuil. When five finally rolled around, I darted to my car like I was being chased by a pack of dogs.
Juggling the bottle of wine I picked up on my way home in one hand with my head practically shoved in my purse while I attempt to fish out my keys with the other is the reason I didn’t spot Kase leaning against the apartment door until I ran straight into his chest.
Our eyes lock as he places a hand on my waist to study me.
“What are you doing here?” Not meaning to, my voice comes out as a breathily whisper.
He smiles. “I’m hoping to take you out for dinner.”
My guard immediately goes up. I’ve al
ready played this game with him and I have no desire to continue. “Thanks, but I’m not interested.”
He turns to his side, his smile widening. “Not interested?”
“Is that hard for you to believe?”
“Actually, yes.”
I throw my hands in the air in frustration. “There’s more to life than a good-looking man who’s great in bed. I’ve wasted the last ten years of my life on a guy who did nothing but jerk me around. I’m not about to waste another second doing the same thing.”
While unlocking the door, out of the corner of my eye, I notice his smile dim.
“And that’s exactly why I tried to stay away, but I can’t.”
“Well, maybe you should,” I hiss. I have no idea why he thinks he’s not good enough for me, but maybe it’s time I trust his instincts.
Once the door is unlocked, I attempt to step around him and inside, but he moves with me, shutting the door behind him.
I toss my bag on the floor with a groan. When I look back at him, he’s staring at me wearing what I’ve come to expect as his normal attire. Dark jeans and a comfortable shirt, which today happens to be a Dodgers T-shirt.
“Kase, I like you. When you’re not being flaky, you’re a pretty nice guy, but I think whatever we shared has run its course.”
“Run its course?” he repeats like he’s testing the words and finding them wrong. “I tried to figure out what it is about you I’m drawn to. The chase?” He holds up a finger in the air. “Your innocence?” He adds another finger. “Your selflessness? Or maybe it’s the fact that those blue eyes are enough to bring me to my knees.”
My throat tightens, but it doesn’t matter; I’m at a loss for words. He takes a step then another toward me until he places his hands on my neck, tilting my head back. “We were destined to meet each other. I don’t know why, only that we were and right or wrong, I’m done fighting something I can’t control.”
Kase Of Deception Page 7
