Devoted to Wicked
Page 5
Then the waiter finally melted away.
“Your girlfriend?” Karis hissed the moment Miguel disappeared from earshot, pulling her hand free. “Let’s get one thing straight—”
“We’re going to get a lot of things straight,” Cage assured her. “But I can almost guarantee he’s your suspect.”
“What? He’s just a guy I ordered meals from this week.”
“He knows your name.”
“He knew Wisteria’s name, too. Being friendly is part of his job.”
He snorted. “The guy wasn’t so friendly with me.”
“Miguel just met you.”
“Still, I guarantee he’s never going to call me señorita bonita.”
She stared at him across the table as if he’d lost his mind. Hell, maybe he had. Karis Weston did something to him. He didn’t want to argue with her. He just wanted to get deep inside her and stay.
“I thought you’d be happy he didn’t call you a pretty lady. But hey, if you want him to, maybe you have a whole private life I don’t know anything about.”
Cage gritted his teeth. That was it. He was determined to get to the bottom of whatever was eating at her. Sure, she was thrown off by the theft and the abrupt change of her plans. She’d probably wanted the comfort of her sister, not the guy she’d fucked once, then rebuffed. And if she itched to take her frustration out on him, he could deal with that. But her hostility seemed to stem from a different place. He had to understand it if he was going to call a truce and move them past it.
With a deep breath, Cage looked her way. “My point is, Miguel knew your name and when you were leaving. He’s a terrible actor, and I don’t believe for one second that he was shocked someone had stolen your stuff. Since the moment he opened his mouth, my instincts have been screaming. I think he’s your bad guy.”
Finally, Karis looked as if she was considering his words. “That would make him a little unhinged. I mean, we’ve talked some, sure. Wisteria, Hayden, Miguel, another waiter, and I closed down the bar one night and had a ball. But nothing happened between us. I didn’t give him any reason to think we were a ‘thing,’ even temporarily.”
“Some guys have been known to assume more intimacy with less encouragement. I’ll keep investigating, but I’m just saying…I’ve got a bad feeling about him.”
Karis cocked her head and leaned her elbows on the table. “I can’t tell whether you’re for real or just being stupidly jealous.”
“Both.” Why lie?
A little frown settled between her brows, like his assertion confused her. “Wow. That may be the first honest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
What? “I haven’t lied to you once, cupcake. I didn’t lie to you when we met or when I told you that night I wanted you or when I said the next morning I wasn’t sure I’d ever get enough of you.”
She dipped her head to cover the flush that rushed up her cheeks. “You’re right. But I didn’t realize what a player you are. Don’t worry, I got the message quick.”
Now, he was getting to the crux of her nose being out of joint. “What message was that?”
“New Year’s didn’t mean anything, and you already had someone in your life.” She leaned back in her chair and glanced out at the ocean, as if she couldn’t bear to look at him.
As if he’d hurt her.
He mulled that for a minute, along with her words. “I don’t have an exclusive relationship with anyone. I never have.”
Karis flinched, then tried to shrug off her reaction as if it meant nothing. “So it’s normal for you to go from one bed to another. Okay. It’s your life.”
Suddenly, Cage suspected he knew exactly what had happened. “Look at me, cupcake.”
She rolled her eyes and sighed, but she reluctantly complied. “What?”
He wished he could see behind her sunglasses. He had a feeling there was a wealth of info welling in her eyes, along with some tears, too.
Before he could say another word, Miguel dropped off two huge frozen margaritas and two quesadillas, piled high with sour cream and guacamole. He lingered, offering more napkins and fresh pico de gallo and whatever else he could think of until Cage shooed him away.
“You saw me with a blonde shortly after the night we spent together, didn’t you?” he challenged the moment the pesky waiter disappeared.
Karis reared back like she was stunned he’d guessed right. Then she schooled her expression and dug into her plate. “Yeah, but like I said, it’s your life. Your brother told me you’re not into relationships. It’s my fault for not listening and—”
“I wasn’t into relationships until you. And that’s not a line.” He raked a hand through his hair, wondering if there was any way to tell her what he was thinking without revealing all the raw places inside him. But he wasn’t good at head games. “This is as straight up as I can be: I’ve had a lot of friends with benefits. They were pretty much the only female friends I had. But the night I spent with you changed something for me I still don’t understand and I don’t know how to explain. I’m not sharing benefits with anyone right now because I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t stop wanting you. And I’m guessing that somehow you saw me with Madison, the blonde, after the night you and I spent together.”
“Yes.” Her answer sounded curt and crisp.
She was hurt. Cage understood, and he was relieved to finally have the mystery solved.
“Madison called me literally two minutes after I left your house. We’ve been friends…” He paused and realized there was no point in being less than honest. “Yes, with benefits, since our senior year of high school.”
“You’ve had her at the top of your booty call speed dial list for the last…what, fifteen years? Clearly, you’ve tapped that a lot.”
He tried not to get pissed off that she wanted to cast the worst possible light on his admission. The last twenty-four hours had not been kind to her. And if he’d seen her cozy up to another man right after their amazing night together, he’d be fucking furious and not very gracious about it, either. Besides, she had daddy issues—just like he did. So he had to cut her some slack.
“Yep. Not even going to deny it. We both treated it casually. She’s a career woman who doesn’t have time for guys and relationships, but she still sometimes wants a man to hold her. Until I got together with you, I didn’t see the difference between screwing and making something more meaningful, so Madison and I never turned one another down. That’s the unvarnished truth. But the morning I left you, she called to tell me that she’d just rushed her father to the hospital. She’s an only child. Her mother died a few years ago. She was all alone, and she couldn’t face what was happening without a shoulder to lean on.”
“Your girlfriend?” Karis hissed the moment Miguel disappeared from earshot, pulling her hand free. “Let’s get one thing straight—”
“We’re going to get a lot of things straight,” Cage assured her. “But I can almost guarantee he’s your suspect.”
“What? He’s just a guy I ordered meals from this week.”
“He knows your name.”
“He knew Wisteria’s name, too. Being friendly is part of his job.”
He snorted. “The guy wasn’t so friendly with me.”
“Miguel just met you.”
“Still, I guarantee he’s never going to call me señorita bonita.”
She stared at him across the table as if he’d lost his mind. Hell, maybe he had. Karis Weston did something to him. He didn’t want to argue with her. He just wanted to get deep inside her and stay.
“I thought you’d be happy he didn’t call you a pretty lady. But hey, if you want him to, maybe you have a whole private life I don’t know anything about.”
Cage gritted his teeth. That was it. He was determined to get to the bottom of whatever was eating at her. Sure, she was thrown off by the theft and the abrupt change of her plans. She’d probably wanted the comfort of her sister, not the guy she’d fucked once, then rebuffed. And if she itched to take her frustration out on him, he could deal with that. But her hostility seemed to stem from a different place. He had to understand it if he was going to call a truce and move them past it.
With a deep breath, Cage looked her way. “My point is, Miguel knew your name and when you were leaving. He’s a terrible actor, and I don’t believe for one second that he was shocked someone had stolen your stuff. Since the moment he opened his mouth, my instincts have been screaming. I think he’s your bad guy.”
Finally, Karis looked as if she was considering his words. “That would make him a little unhinged. I mean, we’ve talked some, sure. Wisteria, Hayden, Miguel, another waiter, and I closed down the bar one night and had a ball. But nothing happened between us. I didn’t give him any reason to think we were a ‘thing,’ even temporarily.”
“Some guys have been known to assume more intimacy with less encouragement. I’ll keep investigating, but I’m just saying…I’ve got a bad feeling about him.”
Karis cocked her head and leaned her elbows on the table. “I can’t tell whether you’re for real or just being stupidly jealous.”
“Both.” Why lie?
A little frown settled between her brows, like his assertion confused her. “Wow. That may be the first honest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
What? “I haven’t lied to you once, cupcake. I didn’t lie to you when we met or when I told you that night I wanted you or when I said the next morning I wasn’t sure I’d ever get enough of you.”
She dipped her head to cover the flush that rushed up her cheeks. “You’re right. But I didn’t realize what a player you are. Don’t worry, I got the message quick.”
Now, he was getting to the crux of her nose being out of joint. “What message was that?”
“New Year’s didn’t mean anything, and you already had someone in your life.” She leaned back in her chair and glanced out at the ocean, as if she couldn’t bear to look at him.
As if he’d hurt her.
He mulled that for a minute, along with her words. “I don’t have an exclusive relationship with anyone. I never have.”
Karis flinched, then tried to shrug off her reaction as if it meant nothing. “So it’s normal for you to go from one bed to another. Okay. It’s your life.”
Suddenly, Cage suspected he knew exactly what had happened. “Look at me, cupcake.”
She rolled her eyes and sighed, but she reluctantly complied. “What?”
He wished he could see behind her sunglasses. He had a feeling there was a wealth of info welling in her eyes, along with some tears, too.
Before he could say another word, Miguel dropped off two huge frozen margaritas and two quesadillas, piled high with sour cream and guacamole. He lingered, offering more napkins and fresh pico de gallo and whatever else he could think of until Cage shooed him away.
“You saw me with a blonde shortly after the night we spent together, didn’t you?” he challenged the moment the pesky waiter disappeared.
Karis reared back like she was stunned he’d guessed right. Then she schooled her expression and dug into her plate. “Yeah, but like I said, it’s your life. Your brother told me you’re not into relationships. It’s my fault for not listening and—”
“I wasn’t into relationships until you. And that’s not a line.” He raked a hand through his hair, wondering if there was any way to tell her what he was thinking without revealing all the raw places inside him. But he wasn’t good at head games. “This is as straight up as I can be: I’ve had a lot of friends with benefits. They were pretty much the only female friends I had. But the night I spent with you changed something for me I still don’t understand and I don’t know how to explain. I’m not sharing benefits with anyone right now because I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t stop wanting you. And I’m guessing that somehow you saw me with Madison, the blonde, after the night you and I spent together.”
“Yes.” Her answer sounded curt and crisp.
She was hurt. Cage understood, and he was relieved to finally have the mystery solved.
“Madison called me literally two minutes after I left your house. We’ve been friends…” He paused and realized there was no point in being less than honest. “Yes, with benefits, since our senior year of high school.”
“You’ve had her at the top of your booty call speed dial list for the last…what, fifteen years? Clearly, you’ve tapped that a lot.”
He tried not to get pissed off that she wanted to cast the worst possible light on his admission. The last twenty-four hours had not been kind to her. And if he’d seen her cozy up to another man right after their amazing night together, he’d be fucking furious and not very gracious about it, either. Besides, she had daddy issues—just like he did. So he had to cut her some slack.
“Yep. Not even going to deny it. We both treated it casually. She’s a career woman who doesn’t have time for guys and relationships, but she still sometimes wants a man to hold her. Until I got together with you, I didn’t see the difference between screwing and making something more meaningful, so Madison and I never turned one another down. That’s the unvarnished truth. But the morning I left you, she called to tell me that she’d just rushed her father to the hospital. She’s an only child. Her mother died a few years ago. She was all alone, and she couldn’t face what was happening without a shoulder to lean on.”
