Shared & Protected

by J P Books

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” said Deacon. “That’s rough. Especially at thirteen.”

  “Thanks,” said Avery, shrugging. “It was a long time ago, though. But enough about my sordid past. What about you? Do you like living in Asia?”

  Deacon nodded. “I love it. I thought I’d hate it, to be honest. I was a real all-American frat boy when I was young and I couldn’t believe my dad was sending me to the middle of nowhere. As it turns out, Hong Kong is very much not the middle of nowhere.”

  Avery laughed. “That must have been quite the shock.”

  “It was,” Deacon smiled at the memory. “I was such a young idiot. But now? I love it. I love the people, the food, the landscape. All of it. And, I mean, while China will always be my favorite because there’s so much variety that you can never get bored, I love everywhere I’ve been in Asia, from Japan to Singapore. I feel like everything I see is more interesting, more beautiful over there.” He paused and shot her a sly smile. “Except maybe the women.”

  Avery shook her head, laughing. “You’re shameless. And such a liar.”

  “Okay, okay, they’re beautiful too.” Deacon grew quiet and looked across the table at her. “Would you ever want to come with me one day?” he asked suddenly.

  “To Asia?” Avery gaped at him.

  “Yeah. Wherever you want. China, Malaysia, Thailand…you choose. Or we could do them all.”

  “I would love to,” she said. “You have no idea. That would be like a dream come true.”

  “Then let’s make it happen,” said Deacon. “I’m sure once this deal goes through I could arrange for some kind of work exchange or conference that you absolutely have to attend…” he smiled at her, reaching across the table to take her hand in his.

  Avery didn’t know what to say. She knew it was probably just a pipe dream, but the offer still made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “How do you like your mojito?” Deacon asked.

  “It’s pretty amazing,” Avery smiled, letting him change the subject. “I think they’ve outdone themselves.”

  “I’ll let Trevor know,” he said, nodding towards the busy bartender.

  Avery laughed. “And tell him that any time he needs to test a new mojito I’m here for him. Any time at all.”

  Deacon chuckled. “I’ll let him know that too.” Reaching out, he took Avery’s face in his hands and brushed her cheeks with his thumbs before he leaned forward and kissed her. “Is it wrong of me that I want to skip dinner and just head straight to a hotel?”

  Avery smiled, brushing her nose against his. “I’m going to start to think you only want me for my body,” she whispered.

  He laughed softly, “Not at all. I just want your body first and then your mind later.”

  Avery giggled. “Can I at least finish my mojito?” she joked.

  Deacon let go of her face and sat back in his chair. “I suppose,” he sighed.

  “So generous,” Avery replied, sticking out her tongue.

  But Avery couldn’t deny that she also just wanted to rip his clothes off, so she finished her mojito quickly and, as Deacon paid, nipped off to the bathroom to make sure her makeup hadn’t wandered.

  As she was retouching her lipstick, Selena came out of one of the stalls. Their eyes met in the mirror and Avery broke into a huge grin. “Hey! You’re off work tonight, too?”

  Selena stood completely frozen, clearly surprised to see Avery there. Then she smiled widely. “Yeah, I think Carrie is on tonight instead. Thank God. I am exhausted! Who are you here with?”

  Avery bit her lip. “Ummmm…”

  “Oh my God, are you on a date?” Selena’s big blue eyes grew even bigger.

  Avery blushed. “Maybe…” she replied.

  “With You-Know-Who?” Selena asked, raising her eyebrows.

  Avery nodded, her blush growing even stronger. “Yeah.”

  “Wow,” said Selena. “So it’s not just a one night stand?”

  Avery looked at her toes. “I dunno…I mean…I think I really like him,” she admitted. “He makes me laugh.” Then she smiled, “And he makes me come.”

  Selena chuckled. “And those are the two most important things a girl can ask for. Well, enjoy your night, baby. You naughty girl!” Selena gave her a peck on the cheek and wafted out of the bathroom in a haze of floral perfume.

  Once she was gone, Avery realized that she hadn’t asked what Selena was doing there. She shrugged at her reflection in the mirror. It was Selena. She was probably on a date with some amazingly attractive football player or something.

  CHAPTER 6

  Avery’s night passed in a blissful haze of sex and talking, wrapped up in the white duvet of the Hilton penthouse suite once more. Avery had never been so happy. She loved how easy it was to lie there, curled in Deacon’s arms, talking about everything and nothing as they kissed and he stroked her skin with his fingertips.

  The next day, Avery had the whole day off. She woke up late to the feeling of Deacon’s morning hard-on pressing against her ass. Smiling to herself, she rolled over and pressed kisses to his bare chest, working her way down to his erection. It wasn’t until she took the tip into her mouth that he gasped, waking up abruptly. Looking down at her, he smiled and she drew him deeper into her mouth.

  “Well, this is possibly the best wake-up call I’ve ever gotten,” he said, his voice still rough with sleep.

  Avery laughed, running her tongue around his shaft. Deacon moaned, one hand coming down to tangle in her hair. She took her time, enjoying his appreciative groans as she ran her mouth up and down his shaft, her tongue caressing every inch of his enormous cock.

  But, just as she was getting ready to take him into her throat, there was a knock at the door. They both frowned, sitting up.

  “Oh….Do you remember…did we order brunch to our room last night?” Deacon asked.

  Avery laughed. “Yeah, I think we did. We were pretty drunk. I didn’t think the concierge would take us seriously.”

  “Apparently he did.” Deacon looked down at his erection. “Would you mind…?” he asked.

  Avery nodded, smiling. Slipping off the bed she wrapped herself in one of the fluffy housecoats and went to open the door, while Deacon slithered back under the blankets.

  Room service brought in a trolley bearing an enormous amount of food: eggs benedict, waffles, whipped cream, fresh fruit, coffee, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

  “We ordered this?” Avery asked, tipping the young man who’d brought it all up.

  “Yes,” he said, checking his pad. “We had an order for the Supreme Brunch for two, to be delivered at 10:30.”

  “Of course, right. Thanks so much,” Avery smiled. Once he was gone she looked down at the food. “Holy shit, Deacon,” she said.

  “This is amazing,” he said. “I’m starving!!”

  Avery giggled and wheeled the trolley over to the bed. “Breakfast in bed is served!” she smiled.

  Lying in the massive bed, cuddling Deacon and eating waffles with whipped cream and fruit, Avery couldn’t remember ever being so happy. The sun came streaming in the enormous windows, warming their toes and making Deacon’s eyes glitter as he laughed. She didn’t ever want to leave.

  But, of course, Deacon had meetings and, eventually, they had to return to the real world.

  “I’ll text you about tonight,” Deacon smiled. “We can go out for pastrami sandwiches! I know this great deli.”

  “Of course you do,” Avery smiled.

  “I do!” he insisted, laughing. “I grew up here too, you know.” With one last kiss, he got out of the taxi. “I’ll see you tonight,” he said as he closed the door.

  The taxi took her back to her apartment and she spent the rest of the day cleaning up all the clothes she’d left lying around the night before. Then it was off to do her grocery shopping for the week. After that, she had plans to do some yoga and finish M
rs. Dalloway: bliss.

  That evening, while she was lounging on her couch reading, Selena sent her a text. Then another and another. Avery frowned. Selena was working the night shift tonight. Something must be up. Picking up her phone, she scrolled through the messages.

  Oh my GOD

  Deacon Wolfe just asked me to dinner tonight

  Such a SLEAZEBAG

  What is he trying to do? Sleep with the entire staff??????

  OBVS I said no babe

  I got ur back

  Avery’s frown grew. There had to be some mistake. Deacon had made plans with her tonight and he wouldn’t go around asking Selena out – would he? No, she told herself, he wasn’t like that. Then again, she’d only known him a few days. Who was she to say what he was like?

  She wrote back: What??? What did he say?

  After a second, Selena replied: That he’d been watching me all week and wanted to get to know me better. UGH who even says things like that?

  Avery felt tears sting her eyes.

  What a creep! Selena continued. Who does he think he is???? I’m so sorry bb!!

  Avery sniffed hard and shook her head. There had to be some mistake. But his proposition had been pretty clear.

  It’s not ur fault, she replied. Thx for warning me!

  Selena sent her a few hugs and kisses and went silent, leaving Avery alone with her breaking heart.

  A few seconds later her phone dinged again and Avery grabbed at it eagerly, hoping against hope that someone was going to fix this. It was Deacon and what he said didn’t fix anything.

  So sorry honey.

  Huge emergency with new Indonesia branch.

  Have to fly back asap.

  I’ll text you from my new phone when I land.

  I can’t believe this.

  I owe you a pastrami sandwich!

  I’ll miss you.

  Avery stared at the screen of her phone through her tears. She couldn’t believe it. Didn’t he have the balls to at least come out and say that he wasn’t interested anymore? That it had all been a lie? God, she’d been such an idiot! She flung her phone away, not caring where it landed and buried her head in her arms, sobbing. Somehow her life had gone from perfect to catastrophic in less than twelve hours.

  The next morning Avery arrived at the hotel with puffy eyes and red-rimmed nose. Janice looked up from the front desk. “Bad night?”

  Avery nodded, slumping into the empty chair next to Janice. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said.

  Janice nodded. “Okay then,” she said. “Oh hey, did you hear? Deacon Wolfe left yesterday. Had to fly back to Asia for some emergency. He was halfway through this big lunch with our owners. Can you believe it?”

  Avery looked at Janice, her eyes wide. “You mean he’s really gone?” she asked disbelievingly.

  Janice nodded. “Yeah, and apparently the big wigs were so insulted that he left halfway through lunch that they’ve decided not to sell to him after all. I bet he’s going to be in trouble with his dad.” Then she frowned. “Wait, what do you mean ‘really gone’?”

  “Oh, I…uhh, nothing, I just—”

  But Avery didn’t get a chance to finish. Her manager’s manager, Clarice, appeared in the lobby. “Avery, there you are,” said Clarice. “I need to talk to you…privately.” She glanced pointedly at Janice. “Won’t you come to my office?”

  “Um, of course,” said Avery, getting up from her chair. “Is something wrong?”

  “In a manner of speaking,” Clarice answered unhelpfully, leading Avery across the lobby to her plush office.

  She and Avery sat down across from each other, facing each other across Clarice’s wide wooden desk. “I have been made aware of a situation that upsets me quite a lot,” said Clarice gravely.

  Avery frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Yes, I should hope you are,” said Clarice. “Do you have any idea what I’m talking about, Avery? Is there anything you’d like to tell me?”

  Avery shook her head. “No…I…have I done something?” Suddenly her confusion cleared. Had Clarice found out about her and Deacon? But how?

  Clarice sighed heavily. “I was sent this yesterday and felt it was my duty to inform the management of the situation. They agree with my judgment that it is unacceptable behavior. I want you to know that they support my decision.”

  “Okay…” Avery said, still unsure of what they were talking about. She tried to ignore the sinking feeling that she knew exactly what they were discussing. “What was sent to you?”

  Clarice pulled her laptop towards them, turning it to face Avery. She inserted a USB stick and opened the only file on it. A video clip opened. It was Avery and Deacon in the Doppelganger, on their second date. The footage wasn’t great - Avery suspected it had been filmed on a cell phone - but their faces were clearly recognizable. As she watched, her past-self laughed, looking impossibly happy, and Deacon reached across the table to take her face in his hands. He was smiling at her with so much love that Avery felt tears spring to her eyes. How could it all have been fake?

  But the clip kept playing and Avery watched Deacon lean forward and kiss her. She remembered that kiss. How soft and warm his lips had been. The happy crinkle of his eyes as he drew away again. How he’d caressed her cheeks with his thumbs. Avery’s heart squeezed painfully in her chest as she reminded herself that she’d lost all that.

  Then the video moved; the spy had got what they’d wanted. But just before the video ended, the camera briefly caught the other hand of whoever was holding it. It was a woman’s hand. She was wearing sparkly silver nail polish and two gold rings on her pointer finger. Avery’s heart constricted again. She knew those rings, that nail polish. She knew that hand.

  Selena.

  “Do you have anything to say now?” Clarice asked as the screen went black. She closed her laptop and pushed it to one side so that she could look Avery in the eye.

  Avery’s shoulders slumped. Selena had betrayed her. Selena, her best friend, whom she’d always admired and thought the world of. “No,” she whispered. “It was a mistake. I...We…I have nothing to say for myself.”

  Clarice nodded. “You’ll understand then when I tell you that we have decided to let you go. While we appreciate all your hard work and dedication over the years, consorting with a guest is a serious breach of hotel policy and one that cannot be allowed to go unpunished. I wish it weren’t the case, but there you go.”

  Avery closed her eyes. Deep down, as soon as the video had started, she’d known that this was where the meeting would end, but it didn’t stop it from being any less painful. “I understand,” she whispered. Her lover, her best friend, and now her job. She’d lost everything.

  “You’ll be paid for the next two weeks, in compliance with our termination policy, but you are to leave the premises immediately and not to return. Your services are no longer needed here.” Clarice looked at Avery and sighed. “I’m sorry it had to end like this,” she said finally. “You were the last person I’d have expected this from.”

  The disappointment in Clarice’s voice only made everything worse. Avery hung her head, unsure if she could get any more miserable than she was right at this moment. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

  Clarice nodded. “Then that’s all I have to say. You can go.”

  Avery nodded and slowly, brokenly, left the office. Her body felt as though it were made of lead.

  “Hey, Avery, what’s—”

  But Avery didn’t even turn to look at Janice, she just grabbed her purse and left. She knew if she looked back or made eye contact with anyone she would burst into tears there and then. And she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to stop crying once she started.

  On the bus ride home, Avery leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the window, watching New York go by. She couldn’t believe that Selena could betray her like that. No wonder she’d looked so shocked to see Avery in the bathroo
m that night. The last thing she would have wanted was for Avery to know that she was there at Doppelganger too.

  But it made Avery wonder. She’d thought that Deacon’s last-minute disappearance had been an excuse to get out of seeing her so that he could spend the night with another woman. But, if he’d actually had to go back to Asia, did that mean Selena had been lying about his advances too? Had she found out about his change in schedule – which wouldn’t have been hard, everyone gossiped like crazy at the Crosby – and used it to make Avery think that Deacon had cheated on her? Surely that was too much even for Selena.