Lie to Me (6 page)

“Look, I still have strong feelings for you and, even though we can’t be together, I don’t want to hear about Reese or anyone else you’re involved with.” She would have yelled it at him, if not for Miles, asleep in his room. She knew she must look angry and a little embarrassed. Standing up, she walked a few paces from the sofa, her back turned to him. “Did that make you feel good?” she snapped.

“Very. I want to know I’m not the only one wishing things could be different.”

He’d stood up too. She could feel his towering presence right behind her, could smell his scent.

“Well, they can’t.” Butterflies fluttered in her stomach though. Maybe he still loved her too. That excited and frustrated her. She wanted him to still love her, although nothing satisfactory could come of it. Still, hearing about another woman, who’d probably put her hands all over him drove her crazy. “Don’t talk about Reese anymore,” she said. “I admit—and this is swallowing my pride,” she cleared her throat, “I’ve never gotten over you.”

“I know you haven’t.”

Again, Casey itched to slap him. He sounded so smug—

“Miles told me you—well, Miles overhears you calling for me.” He sounded gentle now, even humble. She felt his hands on her shoulders and melted.

“Can’t keep a thing from Miles,” she said, feeling the blood rushing to her face, and other places as well.

“No. Case, I’m sure I’ve called out your name in the middle of the night too.” His heated hands ran up and down her arms, and her bones dissolved. “I won’t talk about Reese anymore. Unless you ask.” He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his chest against her back and rested his cheek on top of her head. “Your hair smells like fresh daisies,” he murmured, and she shut her eyes, giddy from the feel of him. His swollen cock rubbed against her buttocks and her knees turned to jelly. She wanted him. If she couldn’t be his life mate, she at least wanted to explore every inch of him and let out her love for him that way.

“At least I’ve never been involved with your sister.” He mumbled the words into her ear.

Casey felt her jaw drop and she reached up to touch his hair while she laughed.
Sam! He’s jealous of Sam! That’s why he’d brought up Reese.
“I never dated Sam. It’s always been one-sided.”

“Why?” He rubbed his face in her hair, tickling her scalp, and only his tighter grip on her let her know he’d tensed. “Women think he’s a hottie.” He mocked the description.

“He’s handsome.”

“You think so too?”

“Yes, but so what? I don’t love him.”

Damian let go of her, but grabbed her hand and spun her around to face him, as if dancing with her. He wore an odd look on his face—an expression she couldn’t exactly place. Reaching out, he stroked her cheek with his calloused thumb and her body burst into more flames, as she bit back a gasp. “Darling, I know about your—insatiable passion.” His lips turned upwards, but his eyes were full of self-mockery. “With me gone, and Sam around, and you finding him—attractive—have you slept with him?”

He stared her straight in the eyes as he asked, and she could feel his gaze almost striking her like a physical blow.

Sharp anger and disbelief swelled inside of her and she yanked away from him and took two steps backwards. “You think I’d sleep with somebody just because I think he’s attractive? Like an animal?” She flexed her fingers. “Ooooooo! Maybe you’re thinking about yourself, but that’s not me, and you know it!”

He sucked in a breath and held it while she glared at him. “I’m sorry.” His is eyes filled with self-recrimination. “I’m such an idiot. I didn’t mean you’d just sleep with anyone, but—”

She laughed, cutting him off. “Actually, I’ve slept with half the men in Weipeka,” she said.

He stared at her, obviously knowing it wasn’t true, and she laughed again, angrily.

As a look of guilt flickered across his face, she softened a little. Just a little. When she spoke again, the words were still harsh. “I haven’t had any sex since you left. None! There!”

A long silence and gaze passed between them.

“Why? I’m sure you’ve had offers.”

“Duh! I’m a woman and men exist, and they think with their cocks!”

Damian laughed and grabbed her arms, holding tight as she tried to pull away. “Case, stop. I’m just amazed that, with all the attention you must get from men, you haven’t gone out with any of them. Why haven’t you?”

“How do you know I haven’t?” She stopped struggling as she watched him trying to control his maddening grin.

His dimple betrayed him by flashing. “Have you gone on dates?” he asked.

“No!”

“Why not?”

Because I can’t imagine touching anybody but you.

“Others have been interested in me, but—it’s not the same as—” She wanted to clap her hand over her mouth as she saw his face light up again. She was doing wonders for his ego.

“Not the same as you and I, right, babe?” He gently lifted her chin and made her look into aqua eyes. They glowed with heat.

Shit.
Suddenly she felt it too.
Damn his charm!

“No, not the same as you and me.” She tried to swallow and had a hard time. Her body seemed both shaky and weak, just as he’d affected her before.
Help!
“So what about you? Had your share of women?”

Damian paused and lowered his lashes. “Not a lot, no.”

“But you haven’t been living like a monk.”

He paused and she held her breath. “I’ve slept with one person.”

“Reese.” Her sarcasm bit.

“You brought her up. Not me.” He seemed a little uncomfortable and she noticed that his gaze wandered away from hers.

Jealousy did no good, but it bothered her that this Reese person had known Damian that way. In her mind, he still belonged to her. Silly, she knew.

“Often?” Why was she grilling him? Did she really want to know? He’d be honest.

He rested one gentle, hot hand on her shoulder and, the cells in her body both sizzled and jolted to life. Her response to his touch—not a good sign.
Damn!
Shaky, weak, and now feeling as if a lightning bolt had stricken her. “
I
told
you
,” she said. “It’s your turn.”

“Not often,” he said. “Sometimes Reese—she’d seduce me and usually I’d let her. Are you happy now?” He frowned, the hand on her shoulder hard.

She found his eyes. “You can do what you want.”

“Jealous?”

She gave him a dark look and turned away. “Maybe a little jealous—because of what we shared once—”

“What did we share?”

She turned to face him, surprised by his question. “Our relationship used to be so good.”

“No, it wasn’t.” He spoke good-naturedly. “We had great sex, Case. I was always drunk.”

She started to protest, but it died on her lips.
So their emotional relationship hadn’t meant anything to him? Had been all about lust? No.
She’d known the good man under the booze and had loved him, and they’d had good times. “I—knew you.”

He nodded. “And I knew some about you. Hell, I knew you were smart, sweet, that there was a lion inside the kitten—” He grinned and tickled her belly.

She stepped back and laughed, but then he looked so serious that she straightened and took on his demeanor.

“I knew you didn’t want me to drink. That’s mostly what our relationship was based on. Hot sex after fights over drinking. And more hot sex.”

She couldn’t deny it, but refused to negate their strong connection or their love either. She could feel her heart sinking. Or breaking. Again.

Damian had been put on earth to tantalize her, and then break her heart.

“Case, we’d never work out,” he said, his voice tinged with sadness. “We still have that physical attraction, but we’re opposites. You’re the strong one, babe. I have issues, and you don’t need ’em.”

He seemed eager to talk her out of wanting him, yet she knew she’d want him forever. As this sober Damian, who hadn’t drank for five years, stood before her, she suddenly wondered—no, that idea took up too much energy. She’d think about it another time.

“I want to squelch Miles’ idea that we can get back together,” he said.

She nodded and tried to look as if she agreed with him, but she must have fallen short. He placed two large hands on her upper arms, scorching her skin, and then he pushed up her short sleeves so that his flesh touched hers at the shoulders. God help her! Why did she have to burst into flames every time he set his hands on her? Why did she let him put his hands on her, since his hold over her disturbed her so much? She blinked to clear her thoughts.

“We both have new lives,” Damian said, in his velvety southern drawl. He rubbed her arms, up and down, and her breath caught, even though she didn’t care for the words he spoke. “Miles needs to understand that we aren’t right for each other.” His gaze turned white hot and caressed her form. “Attraction isn’t enough.”

“It was never just attraction, Damian. Stop saying that.”

He paused, and his eyes darkened with sadness. “Maybe not all of it, but there are many reasons we can’t be together.”

“Right.” She forced herself to accept the truth, even though she didn’t like it. Her body, however, screamed in rebellion. The man she dreamed about stood before her, in all his male glory, taunting her, testing her. They may not have had an idyllic marriage, but they shared a history, albeit a troubled one. And they’d truly loved one another, differences, misunderstandings and all.

As she focused on his wide, sensual, delicious lips, she decided to at least enjoy a bit of him the short while he’d be in town.
Why not?
“Maybe we shouldn’t be together as a couple,” she said, “but, while you’re here, we can recapture some of the good part of our relationship.”

Chapter Four

Damian just stared at her at first, and then slowly broke into a smile. “Are you going to seduce me?”

She felt her arousing body ready to claim him, and she hated his effect on her. “I really shouldn’t.” Watching his grin, she remained sober.

“No, you shouldn’t, but you want to, don’t you?” His words almost peeled her clothes off, they were so hot.

She felt sizzling tingles snake down her spine and spread between her thighs.

“What about Reese? I don’t want any regrets.”

“I told Reese that we’re both free to date others.”

“Oh.” Why did that make her feel a little better?
Because you can’t bear the thought of any other woman having him. Even if you can’t either.
“If we do this—it’s only sex, right?” She held her breath, hoping he’d say it would be more.

“If you’re asking me if I’ll expect us to renew our relationship because of sex, no.” His gaze raked over her, as hungry as a fox spying its prey. “But I want you more than anyone I’ve ever met in my life. And that will never change.”

Before she could respond, he lowered his head and kissed her. At once, she melted with desire as their lips and tongues mingled with urgent need and desire. She heard herself moaning, and then him, in a feral response. The kiss deepened, and she was unsure who’d deepened it, but it didn’t matter. Her tongue sparred with his until he swept his all over the inside of her mouth, and she did the same to him, loving the manly taste of him. Loving him.

She made a contented sound as he pressed his lips hard and gentle against hers, his hands groping up and down her back, sending slivers of sensations throughout her. She grabbed the bottom of his hair, savoring its thick softness, and then, with her other hand, she pressed down and felt the hard muscles of his back, relishing in the joy of reacquainting herself with the pure masculine pleasure of Damian Ballantine.

Her hand slid to his buttocks and she squeezed one firm cheek. He laughed into her mouth, and then pushed his lower body hard against her intimacy. She gasped as he continued to devour her with a kiss, his swelling, hot cock throbbing against her. She felt the beginning of that long forgotten, urgent need that clawed at her intimate places. She tried to say his name, but his mouth sealed her word. She felt as if they were twirling in a dance as her body became light and free and filled with air that lifted her off the ground.
Heaven couldn’t be this great.

When Damian pulled back, she cried out and he stared at her with startling eyes. “You’re so damn beautiful. So sensual.” His hands slid from her back to her arms and he held her in a strong grip. As she tried to kiss him, he turned his head. “Wait.”

She didn’t want to wait. “What is it?” She tried again to kiss him and they both laughed as he turned his head again.

He grew serious. “Are you sure you want this?”

“Yes.”

He relaxed and smiled. “In case it concerns you, I’ve always had safe sex with Reese. I’m clean.”

She smiled back at him. “Good.”

He suddenly swept her into his arms with ease. “We need to go into your bedroom, babe. If Miles wakes up—”

“I know. He doesn’t miss a trick.”

He headed toward her bedroom, looking down at her. “Hey, I don’t want you to get pregnant.”

“I’m on the pill.”

She felt his muscles stiffen. “Thought you weren’t having sex with anybody.”

“It’s just to regulate my cycle.”

“I see.”

He carried her to the bed, settled her to her back and gazed at her with approval and hunger.

She grabbed his hands, and yanked him forward. He lost his balance and fell over her. They both laughed as he landed in her arms. She wrapped eager arms around his solid, muscular body. “Ah, much better,” she said, and she moved toward his mouth.

Damian wrapped his arms around her too, lifting her off the mattress, and teased her with his tongue, sticking it in, and then pulling it out as she chased his lips. He was such a master kisser, knowing when to gentle the corners of her mouth and when to apply force. As he pressed hard, using his tongue to sweep through her, she heard kitten noises. God, they came from her! He moaned in response, still drinking her up. As they locked in a sensual embrace, they held their deepening kiss, and their bodies fused closer together.

Damian finally moved his lips to her neck as she rolled her to her side, her arm still grasping his body. With deft fingers, he reached for the bottom of her sweater, and started slowly pulling it off.