Exquisite Betrayal (6 page)

“
Oh, it is.”

“
Is your family there as well,
then?”

Her eyes darken and her smile fades. “Nope.
Just me.” She tries to act nonchalantly, but there’s a bit more to
this. My brain tells me I shouldn’t, yet my heart pushes me to dig
a bit deeper. There’s something about this girl that makes me want
to learn more about her.

“
So is your family
elsewhere?”

“
Yeah, my mom lives in Atlanta.”
That’s all I get. She’s so abrupt, I can tell she’s not into her
mom and doesn’t want to talk about it, so I change the
subject.

“
What do you do in
Spartanburg?”

“
Boy, you’re a nosy one, aren’t
you?”

“
No, just curious about the gorgeous
lady I’m talking to.”

“
Slick.”

“
Excuse me?” She surprises me with
that.

“
That’s a slick line.”

My voice deepens. “That’s not a line,
Fallon.” And it isn’t. I’m not one to use lines on girls. The fact
is, I don’t hang in bars and pick up women, at all. It’s not really
my scene. It actually makes me quite uncomfortable and it truly is
the last thing I want to do.

Her lips part and I have to quash the
urge to put mine on them. I tense with the effort it takes, briefly
pondering these feelings. She’s raw beauty standing in front of me
and she’s exquisite. There’s nothing made up about her. All the
pieces of her fit together like nothing I’ve ever seen; those deep
red locks I'm itching to wrap around my fingers, silky smooth
bronze skin that I could spend hours touching and kissing, eyes
that shift from slate to silver when she's annoyed. It’s her mouth,
though
—
that luscious plump,
sexy mouth—that’s my nemesis and I know it will lead to my ruin.
But I don’t care… I’m past caring. I can feel the scars of my past
launching from my chest as I stare at her. My heart is beating so
loud in my ears that I'm sure she can hear it.

“
So, are you going to tell me?” I’m so
much more than curious about her now.

She clears her throat. “There’s not much to
tell.”

How can that possibly be true? Someone that
looks like her has to lead an exciting life.

“
Oh, come now. You don’t expect me to
believe that? For starters, I bet you have a remarkable love
life.”

She laughs derisively. “Oh yeah. That’s a
good one.”

Now I’m perplexed. “I find it hard to
believe that you don’t.”

“
I don’t really give a damn what you
believe.” She crosses her arms.

“
No, it’s apparent you don’t. So what
do you do then? Your career?”

“
You’re really trying to make me feel
good, aren’t you?” she snorts.

She’s difficult to figure out. “I’m just
trying to get to know you.”

“
Maybe you should stop asking me
questions then.”

She’s quite touchy. I’ve hit on a sore
point, however I don’t know why. “It’s kind of hard to get to know
someone if you don’t ask them questions.” Her expression softens a
bit and then her shoulders slump.

“
I’m sorry. I’m being a jerk. I guess
I was put off by the way you left last night and then all of a
sudden you show up all nice and everything. I don’t usually act
like this. The thing is, I don’t have a job right now. Well a real
job. I do have a temporary job waiting tables. I just graduated
from college, so I’m looking for a permanent one… you know, a
career kind of job, but I’m not having much success.”

Ah, she’s a little out of joint because she
needs a job. I get that. “I’m sure you’ll find exactly what you’re
looking for.”

Her brows shoot straight up. “I doubt that.
That’s not the way my luck runs, so I don’t think it’s gonna start
happening now. I’m just hoping for something soon to help me start
paying off my student loans.”

“
And your degree? What’s it
in?”

“
Creative writing and English
Lit.”

“
So what’s your dream job?”

Her eyes soften and she smiles. I can’t help
smiling in return. That’s how I want to see her look all the
time.

“
I would love to become a professional
book reviewer or critic. I’ve always loved reading and writing.
That’s one reason I started blogging,” she explains.

Now it all makes perfect sense. I get why
her reviews are so well written and on point. She understands the
process of the novel itself.

“
I’m assuming you’ve sent your resumes
to all the right places then?”

“
Sure. But those jobs are close to
impossible to come by. I’ll have to earn one of those. In the
meantime, I’ll do anything to work my way into one. Still, it’s
tough getting a foot in the door.”

My brain starts churning ideas. I have
some connections through my agent and publisher, though I can’t let
on the real reason for
how
I
have them. “I’m a freelancer, you know. Maybe I have some contacts
that might be able to help. I can look into it. Are you able to
relocate?”

“
Yeah. Anywhere.”

“
Let me see what I can do.”

“
Why? Why would you do this for me?”
She eyes me with suspicion.

That was a good question. I never do things
like this for anyone. “Because I like you Fallon.” That admission
shocks the bloody hell out of me.

And it seems to shock the hell out of her,
too. Her mouth opens and closes several times, as if she wants to
say something, but then decides either she has nothing to say, or
can’t find the right words. In the end, she half smiles and
nods.

“
How about a dance?” I ask.

She agrees, so we walk out and move to the
fast beat. Her arms are in the air and her eyes are closed. I’m
more than glad because it means I can stare at her, uninterrupted.
She’s facing me at first while her chest and hips have me in a
trance. Or so I think. When she spins and her back is towards me, I
get the full view of her lovely arse and feel the wind gush out of
my lungs.

Before I know what’s happening, my arms
reach for her hips and I pull her against me. My body is
electrified by her touch. If she’s shocked, I can’t tell because
she stays with me and we finish the song that way. I can’t release
her afterwards, though. I hold her tight against me with her ass
rubbing my dick, and it’s almost too much for me. I’m sure she can
feel it through my jeans. It’s wedged between the cheeks of her
bum; I still can’t force myself to release her, however.

My hand fans over her stomach and it’s all I
can do not to slide it beneath that flimsy shirt of hers. I can
smell her perfume, all citrus and flowers, as I breathe her in. The
groan I want to release is being held back with every ounce of
control I have, but it’s so bloody difficult.

The music changes again, this time to a slow
song. I spin her in my arms until we face each other. Her eyes lift
to mine and it’s all there for me to see. However it’s those parted
lips that reel me in more than anything. The heat and want are
pouring out of them. My head dips and I’m licking them before I’m
even aware of it. Her breath takes mine in as she inhales. I know I
am so screwed. The reality is, I knew it before, though I didn’t
admit it.

Why does he always end up wherever I go?
It’s impossible to avoid him. Even though he’s perfect and all, if
he keeps pulling this crap of getting me all worked up and then
running out on me, I’m going to lose it.

When he spins me around, those green eyes of
his consume me and I want to tear his clothes off right then and
there. I can feel the strength of his arms as he pulls me close.
His touch sends fire scorching across my back that dives straight
between my legs. My panties become damp. Shit, that’s never
happened to me before. I can’t stop staring at his mouth, those
full lips that I’m dying to suck, because I know any second now,
he’s gonna let me go and walk away. This time turns out different,
though.

I’m suddenly tasting whiskey and peppermint
as his tongue plunges into my mouth. And, hot damn, it’s a heady
combination. Not a bit of my mouth escapes untouched, either. I
never knew a kiss until Ryland. My arms don’t creep, they don’t
inch, they suddenly latch around his neck like it’s a lifeline and
I’m drowning. In a sense, I am. I’m immersed in him… in his lips
and tongue as they move, suck and kiss me as though he means it.
He’s not playing nice; he’s pulling out all stops here.

I clench him to me and my hands are in his
hair, tangled in dark blond waves of thickness. When the music
stops, I only know it because he breaks off the kiss. We’re still
wound together like twines of a rope as he whispers to me, “I think
we need to move away from here. We’ve drawn a bit of attention to
ourselves.”

“
Huh?” I couldn’t care less, but I
look up to see dozens of eyes on us.

He threads his fingers through mine and then
we head to the back bar where he orders us up another round. I
can’t speak, I’m still blown away. He is so fuckable that he has me
tied up in knots; my body on the verge of imploding with the
sensations I’m experiencing. My vision is distorted by his
extraordinary sexiness. Every nerve ending screams for his touch
while the hollows of his cheeks beg for my lips to kiss them. His
eyes are like magic the way they tunnel straight into my soul.

My heart thrums and electricity shoots
through me as he plays with my wrist by skimming his fingers back
and forth. I shiver. His hands could have me on my knees, begging,
in seconds if he only knew.

“
Cold?” He hands me my shot and my
drink.

I shake my head and thank him.

“
You’re beautiful. Almost
unbelievable.”

His words are unexpected and I nearly choke
on my shot.

“
You’re surprised.”

It’s not a question but a statement. I nod.
My dorkiness emerges and I can’t speak due to the burn of the
tequila. What I want to do is scream, however then I’d really look
like a moron.

“
You okay, love? Your face is quite
red.”

“
Yes.” It comes out as a hiss and he
starts laughing.

“
Tequila a bit rough then?”

I nod and he laughs again as he pats my
back.

“
Whew,” I’m finally able to get out. I
down quite a bit of my vodka drink, beginning to feel the effects
of the liquor as my buzz kicks in.

“
So, where’d you learn to kiss like
that?”

The question catches me off guard, so I
throw it back. “From you.”

Green eyes widen and then he lets loose a
good belly laugh. “Then I must be a bloody good teacher.”

“
Or a good leader and I’m a good
follower.”

His eyes darken and those thin, golden
striations brighten as he stares at me. My fists are clenched
because it’s taking that much restraint not to run my hands through
his thick, wavy mop of hair, or to slide them under his shirt and
feel his muscles tighten beneath my fingers.

His tongue swipes his lower lip and then he
takes it between his upper and lower teeth. That’s exactly what I
want to do to it. He reaches for my glass and sets it down. The
next thing I know, his hand is wrapped in my hair and I'm tasting
him all over again. His arm hitches me against him and I can feel
the hard length of his body from my knees to my chest.

It’s my most fervent desire to be naked with
this man. I would gladly hand my virginity on a platter to him
right here, if he’d take it. So, to let him know I’m willing, I
press myself into him and melt. I can feel the vibrations of his
groan. Oh hell, didn’t that just make me feel good now?

He pulls away and says, “Little Fallon,
you’re a dangerously sexy woman. I could do all sorts of dirty
things to you right here.”

I bite the corner of my lip. “Like
what?”

His knee is nudging my legs apart; not
very wide because I have a skirt on, but just enough for his leg to
fit between. Then he hikes me against it and we’re dry humping. I
freaking moan. Out loud. I end up putting my face against his shirt
to muffle the sound, though
hot
damn
. His hand on my ass and his leg rubbing me in
that spot are going to make me come if he doesn’t stop.

“
You have to stop, Ryland.”

“
Tell me you don’t want me to,” he
breathes in my ear, “and then maybe I will.”

“
Oh God, I don’t want you to,” I
say.

He stops, but his mouth claims mine again,
like he is the sole owner of the damn thing. And I love it. When he
releases me, my knuckles are white as my fingers are gouging into
his arms.

“
That’s the kind of dirty I was
referring to.”

“
Fuck.” There are no other words that
come to mind. When he then throws back his head and laughs, I want
him to kiss me instead. I’m shaking with need.

He hands me my drink and I down it before I
look at him, and over his shoulder, I see we’re about to have
company. Damn, just when things have heated up too. Talk about bad
timing.

“
There you are. We’ve been looking all
over for you,” Mandy says.

“
Um, yeah. We’ve just been over here.
Everyone this is Ryland.” I hope I don’t sound as breathy as I
think I do. Although, they’re all looking at me and giving me the
eye, so I guess I do. They all tell Ryland their names as I look
on. R.T. merely stands there and grins like she has a huge secret.
What’s that all about?