Deceitfully Yours Read online

  We pull up in front of his house and both sit quietly staring out the windshield until Jude breaks the silence. “You’re not staying.”

  It’s not a question, but I nod anyway.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing’s going on.”

  He turns his body to face me, but I continue to stare out the window.

  “You’re always getting these late-night texts. All of a sudden you get cold and quiet, and then you need to leave.”

  “I don’t live here. Sometimes I need to make an appearance in my real life.”

  “Real life?” His offended tone causes me to turn to face him. “So what’s this we’re doing here? Pretending?”

  Oh, shit. I’m so making this worse. He gets out and walks toward the house. I jump out and run to catch up with him. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Just leave. We’re done pretending.”

  “Jude,” I call out, but he ignores me, walking into the house and locking the door behind him.

  I stand there staring at the shut door for a few minutes before I realize he’s not coming back out. My secrets are already pulling us apart. I can’t stay and fix the mess I just made. I need to make sure I calm Mason down.

  When I pull out of Jude’s driveway, I turn in the opposite direction from home. There’s only one person I know who has ever broken free from Mason, and I desperately need an out.

  Half an hour later, a shocked Mia opens her door to find me there. She lived with Mason when I met him and despite his possessiveness of her, she escaped him.

  “I need to know how to get away from him.”

  She sighs, and then steps back to let me into her condo.

  She sits next to me on the coach and pulls my hands into hers. “The only thing I miss about my relationship with Mason is you.”

  “I miss you too, Mia.”

  She takes a big breath. “You know you can’t get away from Mason.”

  “But you—”

  She puts up a hand to silence me. “I was different. I never told you this, but when I met Mason I wasn’t like you. I had options. I had family. You and Shane depended on Mason for everything, and that’s the reason he picked you two.”

  “He knew we had no one else to turn to.”

  “Exactly, but I was a spoiled rich girl who wanted to get away from her daddy, so I rebelled. My mom left us when I was twelve and never came back.”

  I know how it feels to not have a mom around as a young girl.

  “My dad and I grew closer after Mom left, but when I was sixteen he remarried. She was a witch. She caused a huge rift between my dad and me. On my eighteenth birthday Dad threw me a huge party at this hotel. That night I met Mason. He was sexy and dangerous, and I was so looking for trouble. He made me feel loved, and I would do anything for him. Dad was against the relationship, which made me even more determined to be with Mason.”

  “Was it at the Baxter Hotel?”

  “Yeah, he was working for his brother back then, but his brother found out what Mason was up to and has been holding something over his head for years.”

  “I know. He sent me to get the file.”

  “He what?”

  “He sent me in to get any evidence his brother has on him, but I fucked up.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I fell in love with him.”

  “Hence your desperate need to get away from Mason.”

  I nod, and we spend several quiet moments absorbing how fucked up my situation is.

  “He’s very dangerous, Kylie.”

  “I‘ll never forget how dangerous he is.”

  “When things got too ugly between Mason and me, I turned to my dad. He was able to get Mason to leave me alone. You need someone to turn to. You need to tell Jude.”

  “No. If he ends up like…No, I can’t do that.”

  “He’s his brother, and if he is holding something against Mason, Jude can get him to leave you alone.”

  “If Jude knew I’d been working for Mason all this time, he would never forgive me. I can’t lose him. I love him too much.”

  “I wish I could figure this out for you.”

  This feels like a horror movie on playback. I dreamed too big with Shane, and now I’m repeating it with Jude. I leave Mia’s place no less conflicted than when I got there.

  ********

  I round the corner on the way to my condo and pause. Mason is sitting out on the steps, elbows braced on his knees. He sees me and stands up. I rely on my inner strength to take me the rest of the way to him. He’s silent as I open the door and put my purse down. For a guy who sent me over twenty texts in the past couple of hours, he’s really quiet.

  I begin to clean up the kitchen as a distraction. “You said you weren’t sleeping with him.”

  I stop midway while putting the dishes away. Mason is behind me, and his presence is intimidating. He’s calm, but he was calm that night in his warehouse also. “You’re doing it again.”

  “No, I’m not.” I spin around, bump into his chest, and quickly take a step back.

  “You’re good, but you’re soft. Once you start sleeping with a guy, you can’t be trusted.”

  “Mason…”

  “I sent you into this thinking you’d never fall for Jude. I know my brother, and he’s into some kinky shit. I never figured you’d be interested in that.”

  I don’t think it’s the kinky side of Jude I’m so interested in. All I know is once I laid eyes on him, I was in lust with him and it was severe. Once he ruled my body, I submitted to him, and when I got to know the man, I fell in love with him.

  “You have one more week to get me that file or you won’t like how this ends.” He stares at me with wild eyes. We glare at each other, unblinking, as the tension builds in the room. “Do you understand?” It’s the first time he’s raised his voice since he’s stepped in here. I’d like to pretend I’m not frightened by his sharp tone, but I’d be lying.

  “I’ll get you what you need.”

  “It’s a shame how no one ever even filed a missing person report for Shane.” He smirks at me, knowing how much guilt I carry around over Shane. He turns to leave, and I just have to speak up.

  “Jude’s your brother,” I say, as if that would make a difference to him.

  He chuckles as he spins back around. “I almost killed him once. Didn’t he tell you how he got that scar? If he hadn’t deflected that knife…” He shrugs his shoulder, then walks out, leaving me no doubt he’s capable of killing me and his brother.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Jude

  I throw a pillow over my head and try to ignore the banging at the door, but it doesn’t help. I glance at the clock and realize I’ve only slept an hour at the most. Last night after Kylie left, I hated how I felt. Every time I think I get somewhere with her, she freezes up or runs away. I know she’s hiding something, and I don’t know if I want to stick around and find out what it is.

  A towel is the only thing I have quick access to, so I grab it and wrap it around my waist. I crack the door open and frown when I see Kendra on the other side. “Hey,” I say awkwardly.

  “Jude.” She smiles at me, then pulls nervously at her hair.

  “What are you doing here?” I clear my throat, trying to get rid of the sleepy tone.

  “Can I come in?” she asks, looking past me.

  “Oh, of course. Come in.” I shut the door behind her. “Do you want a drink?” I ask as she follows me to the kitchen.

  “Just water.”

  I pull out two bottles of water and put one in front of her as she settles onto a stool.

  “So what’s going on?”

  “Can’t an old friend stop by to see how you’re doing?”

  “Not when the drive is an hour long and said friend hasn’t stopped by in months.”

  She looks down at her hands. “I purposely stayed away.”

  “Why?”

  She looks at me and shakes her head. “You real
ly don’t know, do you?” Her gaze skims my bare chest, and I suddenly wish I’d taken the time to get dressed.

  “I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking, Kendra.”

  She rolls her eyes and sighs. “Because I want you.” Her gaze boldly pins me.

  Fuck, that’s not what I expected to hear. “I thought we were past this. We both agreed that one night was a mistake.”

  “You thought it was a mistake. What was I supposed to do when the guy I’ve always wanted calls the best night of my life a mistake?”

  “Shit! I really fucked up.” I rub a hand over my face, trying to figure out how I read the situation so wrong. Kendra’s been my sister’s friend for years, and I never wanted to hurt her. Shit, I can’t even figure out how I got in bed with her in the first place.

  “Maybe I was the one who messed things up. I should’ve admitted to my feelings years ago. When I found out about the rooms in your basement, I thought that was why you didn’t want to be with me. I thought once you got tired of all that, you would settle down into a normal relationship.”

  “It doesn’t work that way.”

  “I know that now. I was wrong, and I could be more open to what you like. Then you wouldn’t need to turn to other women.”

  I turn away and rest my elbow on the counter, covering my face with my hand. I really don’t know how to get out of this without hurting her feelings. Kendra slips her cool hands around my bare midriff, and I tense up, grasp her hands, and push her away.

  I hold her at arm’s length. “I’m sorry, Kendra.”

  “This is about her, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, it’s about Kylie.” I release her and step back. “I love her,” I admit out loud for the first time.

  “Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that about a woman.”

  “I never have.”

  “I guess I made a fool of myself.” She runs a hand through her long, dark hair, her face turning beet red.

  “No, I should’ve known better than to take advantage of my little sister’s best friend.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “Yes, I did. I invited you two to that party. I should’ve been more responsible and made sure you didn’t end up in anyone’s bed, most of all mine. You were seventeen and I let you have drinks.”

  “Actually, I’m pretty sure I took advantage of you. I wasn’t drunk that night, I only had on beer.”

  “What?”

  “You have to understand. I had a thing for you since I was twelve. That night you were dancing with some girl, and I cut in. You were drunk, and for the first time you didn’t see me as your sister’s best friend.” She nervously swipes a stray hair behind her ear. “We ended up in bed together because I took you there and threw myself at you.”

  I didn’t remember anything from that night. Waking up in the morning wrapped around your sister’s best friend can be really jolting. I beat myself up mentally for weeks over it, avoiding Kendra like the plague. When she finally cornered me alone, we both agreed it was a mistake and we’d go back to being friends. I must have been extremely blind not to sense her feelings for me. No matter how we ended up in bed, I’ve known her too long to be angry at her. If I hadn’t been so drunk, I would’ve never let it happen.

  “I care about you, Kendra, but I know it will never be in the way you want me to.”

  “I understand,” she says, but the hurt is all over her face. I pull her into a hug.

  “I don’t want this to be a barrier between us.”

  “We’ll be fine. If you don’t see me in a while, just give me time, okay?”

  “Of course.”

  Kylie walks in to see me holding Kendra.

  “You could’ve told me I was being replaced,” she snaps.

  “I wouldn’t replace you. Don’t make assumptions, Kylie.”

  Kendra quickly pulls away and takes a step back.

  “Why don’t you just tell me what’s going on then, Sir.”

  I flinch when she attempt to mock my title. I flex my hand. My instinct tells me to pull her over my lap and spank her. “Go in the bedroom and we’ll talk after I see Kendra out.”

  “No, we can talk now.”

  I walk up to her and force her to meet my angry gaze with one finger under her chin. “Kylie, do as I say.” My tone is fierce and annoyed. She opens her mouth to argue, but can’t make herself push me anymore. “Do you understand what I need from you?”

  She slowly nods. “Yes, Sir.”

  “That’s my girl,” I say, my anger softening as I see her submit to me in a way that makes my heart swell. I caress her chin before she turns and leaves the room.

  After seeing Kendra out, I walk into the room and immediately know Kylie’s trying to get the upper hand. She already stripped down to her bra and a flimsy little piece of lace that can barely be considered panties. She’s spread across my bed like some kind of sexual offering, and fuck if my cock isn’t ready to accept her sacrifice.

  “We can’t keep doing this, Kylie,” I say as I adjust my hard-on. The swollen head in my pants is begging me to shut up and just bury myself between her creamy thighs.

  “Doing what?” She’s decided to play coy, which only annoys me.

  “We can’t keep having these amazing moments where I think we connect only to have you shut down on me and run off. You’re holding a stiff arm against me, and I’m tired of it.”

  She crawls to the edge of the bed and laces her fingers behind my head. She leans her forehead against mine. “I wish I could give you everything you deserve. I’m being selfish because I know you deserve better than me. I just don’t know how to let go. You should be with Kendra.”

  “I don’t want to be with Kendra, and you don’t need to let go. You just need to let me in.” I tap on her heart, and she sighs. I hate the sadness in her eyes, but I need to know. “What’s going on? What’s up with all the late night texts?”

  “It’s nothing I can’t handle. Give me some time and I’ll fix everything.” She says it, but I’m not sure she’s convinced she can fix it.

  “Let me help you with whatever’s going on. That’s what I’m here for. I don’t think you’re taking this relationship seriously. I’m not a part of your ‘real life.’”

  “What I feel for you is the realest emotion I’ve ever felt. I know you want to help me, but I have to fix this one alone.” She leans forward and presses her lips against mine. I respond immediately, taking over the kiss.

  I push her back onto the bed, ripping off her panties in the process. She clings to my head, trying to keep my lips glued to hers, but I pull away and move down her body.

  I love the taste of her pussy, and she groans as I lick the moist flesh of her lips, then up to her clit. Her hips jerk as I suck the throbbing little bud into my mouth. If I could keep my face buried between her thighs all day, I would, but my cock is a jealous bastard and he wants that prime position for himself.

  She’s begging for me to fuck her between grunts, so I reluctantly abandon my meal and slowly push my steely erection into her tight cunt.

  Her fingers go up the back of my neck and dig into my hair. Her grip tightens as I begin to rock against her sensitive walls.

  “Oh God, you’re killing me.” She thrashes her head against the pillow. No matter how much she tries to increase the tempo, I avert it. I pin her hips to the bed and take her with long, slow thrusts. I capture one of her plump nipples with my teeth. Her back bows off the bed, and she screams her release. Her tight cunt grips me hard.

  My dick pulsates in her body. Then a forceful burst of cum shoots into her core. I hope my semen marks her in a similar way as she embeds herself in me every time we come together. She absorbs my grunts with a kiss as I fade in and out of reality.

  We lay in a tangle of limbs for long moments afterward. Then her voice breaks through my fog-filled head. “I love it when you make love to me like that.”

  “That was not me making love to you,” I grumble against her neck. I raise
my head and look into her eyes. “I make love to you when I hold you at night and chase away your nightmares. I make love to you when I do things to bring that beautiful smile to your face.” I lean in and kiss her on the temple. “This right here is just me trying to consume you. I want to be so deep in you that a piece of me will remain inside you when I’m not around.”

  “Wow…I don’t know what to say to that.”

  “Don’t say anything. I just don’t want you to confuse my selfish need to embed myself into your body and soul with making love. I make love to you every day, Kylie, in every simple gesture.”

  She smiles, and I can see her face flush pink.

  “When you smile like that…” I run my finger over her kiss-swollen lips. “When you smile like this, my heart climaxes.”

  “I love you,” she blurts out.

  I lean up on my elbows and look down at her surprised face. I don’t think she wanted to let that slip. “Don’t say that because I—”

  “I’m not.” She cuts me off and reaches up to touch my face. “I love you, Jude Baxter. I just wish I deserved such an amazing man. There are things you don’t know, but please promise me you’ll never doubt I love you.”

  “I know you have your secrets, but you have to stop thinking you don’t deserve everything you want in life. You’re strong and smart with an exceptional eye that captures the beauty in life. The burden you carry around is too big for you. Let me help you, Kylie.”

  “Can you just hold me?” she asks, her voice trembling.

  “Always, I’ll always be here to hold you.”

  She shifts until her back is pressed to my front and lays her head on my arm. I hold her until her body stops trembling and her tears have soaked my arm. Whatever Kylie is keeping to herself is bigger than I thought. I’m almost afraid to find out because losing Kylie is not an option right now. I’m too far gone to pull back.