Tough Love
Page 118
Before going to the bar, he’d considered just asking Armie or Cannon to see Vanity home. It would have been easier. No matter the deception, he didn’t want to take his anger out on her.
But he couldn’t do it. He’d needed to see her, hoping that somehow she’d be able to deny what he knew was true, that she’d have a logical explanation.
She didn’t.
He’d also wanted to ensure she made it home safe and sound, that she had her alarms set.
And maybe, being a masochist, he’d wanted to torture himself a little more.
His mouth twisted. “I’m waiting.”
That seemed to snap her out of the unfamiliar mood, and the old Vanity returned.
Posture confident, she glared at him. “You know what, Stack? You’re being a jerk! Here are your miserable truths, and I hope you choke on them.”
He was choking all right. On deception.
“I met you and fell hard. Almost from the day I met you, I knew I wanted you. Within a few weeks, I was in love. But you never paid any attention to me, so I decided to proposition you.”
Every time she mentioned love his damned heartbeat galloped. He couldn’t believe her, not now, not while feeling like the biggest chump alive. So he reacted with sarcasm. “When all else fails, use sex. Tried and true way to lure a guy in.”
“Yes,” she snapped, “it is. And like most men, you jumped all over it.”
True. He’d been nauseatingly easy.
“I figured I had nothing to lose, right? I mean, if it stayed a one-night stand, I’d have gotten to sleep with the Wolf.”
Heat burned his face. “That’s a stupid fight name and you know it.”
As if he hadn’t spoken, she continued. “But if it turned into more, as I hoped, that’d be perfect.”
New, angrier heat coursed through him. “So all those times you brought up that idiotic agreement, that was just to continue your lies?”
No longer fazed by his rage, she lifted her chin. “Lies, plot, whatever you want to call it.” Mocking him, she sneered, “I hoped to reel you in.”
Humiliation choked him. “And you did.”
Breathing hard, she stared at him...and her scowl eased, her voice softened. “Did I?”
No way would he answer her.
“I only wanted you to see that things would be good between us.”
After the taunts, he ignored the sincerity in her eyes. “The sex, sure. Or...wait. Was that also a lie?”
Confused, she searched his face, then shook her head.
Stack laughed, as much at himself as her. “All those sweet moans and easy climaxes. Were you pretendin’, darlin’?” He put two fingers under her chin. “Stroking my ego to soften me up? Was that part of your plan? Let me think we burned up the sheets, maybe think that sex between us was somehow special?”
If so, her plan had worked because it had felt special, more special than anything he’d ever known.
She jerked away from him, her entire, sleek body trembling. “I wasn’t pretending.”
“So at least the sex was real? I’m relieved something was.”
Movements rough with anger, she flipped back her hair and pushed up her sleeves. Stack saw the small pink reminder of her burn the night of the car fire. He’d been so impressed with her, her poise under pressure, her quick thinking and her bravery.
So many redeeming qualities, but he couldn’t put aside the lies.
After two deep breaths, she reached out to him. “Stack...”
New humiliations occurred to him. “You and Leese are close. Does he know you’ve been faking it?”
She withdrew, her expression shuttered. “It’s true, I pretended not to love you. I figured if I told you up-front how much I care, you’d have run in the other direction.”
“We’ll never know now, will we?” But she was probably right. He hadn’t wanted to get involved, not until Vanity blindsided him with that damned proposal for sex.
She kept saying it, over and over, that she loved him. Could that be true? At the moment, in his present state of mind, he didn’t trust himself to decide. He needed to think over everything, to come to grips with what he wanted.
He needed to be clearheaded, and right now, he wasn’t.
“I should go.” He didn’t want to. He wanted to go back to the morning when everything had seemed possible, instead of impossible.
For a lengthy stretch of silence, Vanity stared at him. He could see there were other things she wanted to say...but she held back. Finally, body stiff, she turned and led the way to the front door. Stack silently followed.
But he couldn’t do it. He’d needed to see her, hoping that somehow she’d be able to deny what he knew was true, that she’d have a logical explanation.
She didn’t.
He’d also wanted to ensure she made it home safe and sound, that she had her alarms set.
And maybe, being a masochist, he’d wanted to torture himself a little more.
His mouth twisted. “I’m waiting.”
That seemed to snap her out of the unfamiliar mood, and the old Vanity returned.
Posture confident, she glared at him. “You know what, Stack? You’re being a jerk! Here are your miserable truths, and I hope you choke on them.”
He was choking all right. On deception.
“I met you and fell hard. Almost from the day I met you, I knew I wanted you. Within a few weeks, I was in love. But you never paid any attention to me, so I decided to proposition you.”
Every time she mentioned love his damned heartbeat galloped. He couldn’t believe her, not now, not while feeling like the biggest chump alive. So he reacted with sarcasm. “When all else fails, use sex. Tried and true way to lure a guy in.”
“Yes,” she snapped, “it is. And like most men, you jumped all over it.”
True. He’d been nauseatingly easy.
“I figured I had nothing to lose, right? I mean, if it stayed a one-night stand, I’d have gotten to sleep with the Wolf.”
Heat burned his face. “That’s a stupid fight name and you know it.”
As if he hadn’t spoken, she continued. “But if it turned into more, as I hoped, that’d be perfect.”
New, angrier heat coursed through him. “So all those times you brought up that idiotic agreement, that was just to continue your lies?”
No longer fazed by his rage, she lifted her chin. “Lies, plot, whatever you want to call it.” Mocking him, she sneered, “I hoped to reel you in.”
Humiliation choked him. “And you did.”
Breathing hard, she stared at him...and her scowl eased, her voice softened. “Did I?”
No way would he answer her.
“I only wanted you to see that things would be good between us.”
After the taunts, he ignored the sincerity in her eyes. “The sex, sure. Or...wait. Was that also a lie?”
Confused, she searched his face, then shook her head.
Stack laughed, as much at himself as her. “All those sweet moans and easy climaxes. Were you pretendin’, darlin’?” He put two fingers under her chin. “Stroking my ego to soften me up? Was that part of your plan? Let me think we burned up the sheets, maybe think that sex between us was somehow special?”
If so, her plan had worked because it had felt special, more special than anything he’d ever known.
She jerked away from him, her entire, sleek body trembling. “I wasn’t pretending.”
“So at least the sex was real? I’m relieved something was.”
Movements rough with anger, she flipped back her hair and pushed up her sleeves. Stack saw the small pink reminder of her burn the night of the car fire. He’d been so impressed with her, her poise under pressure, her quick thinking and her bravery.
So many redeeming qualities, but he couldn’t put aside the lies.
After two deep breaths, she reached out to him. “Stack...”
New humiliations occurred to him. “You and Leese are close. Does he know you’ve been faking it?”
She withdrew, her expression shuttered. “It’s true, I pretended not to love you. I figured if I told you up-front how much I care, you’d have run in the other direction.”
“We’ll never know now, will we?” But she was probably right. He hadn’t wanted to get involved, not until Vanity blindsided him with that damned proposal for sex.
She kept saying it, over and over, that she loved him. Could that be true? At the moment, in his present state of mind, he didn’t trust himself to decide. He needed to think over everything, to come to grips with what he wanted.
He needed to be clearheaded, and right now, he wasn’t.
“I should go.” He didn’t want to. He wanted to go back to the morning when everything had seemed possible, instead of impossible.
For a lengthy stretch of silence, Vanity stared at him. He could see there were other things she wanted to say...but she held back. Finally, body stiff, she turned and led the way to the front door. Stack silently followed.
