Broken Cheaters (3 page)

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.”

I swirled the spoon in my coffee. There were so many questions that I wanted to ask him, but I didn’t want to pry. I was also afraid to get too close to a man who made my heart go crazy. I’d already overstepped the invisible boundary. But he made me curious and excited at the same time. He made me want to feel again. He made me want to forget my past.

“You should do that more often.”

“Do what?”

“Laugh. You have a beautiful smile.”

“Oh, thank you.” I paused, giving in to the comfortable awkwardness between us. “What was that place at the club?”

He looked over at his son and smiled. That glow on his face alone was worth a thousand stabs in my heart. Everything about Axel made my pulse race and my chest swell.

“I don’t think this is the right time to discuss it.”

“Right. I… I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Axel reached across the table and gently placed his hand over mine. The comforting touch revived my memory of that night, when he’d taken me against that wall. It was warm, sensual, and communicated so much more than any words he could have spoken. Brad had never touched me that way. Not that I expected him to. It was the whole reason why I was with him — because I wasn’t supposed to feel so comfortable. Actually, I wasn’t supposed to feel at all.

“Trish, it’s okay.”

I looked up. “I get nervous easily.”

“Well, then we’ll have to do something about that.”

“What do you mean,
we
?” I asked.

“Have dinner with me.”

First coffee, now dinner? I’d been secretly denying my heart a few extra beats, thinking this would be the last time I saw him, but he was asking me out… again.

“You don’t care that I’m engaged?”

“You’re engaged to a man you don’t love. In fact, I doubt you even like him.”

“Does that make any difference?”

“It does if you’re serious about something like marriage. Why are you with him?”

This was getting too personal too quickly. I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to answer his questions for myself, never mind for anyone else.

“Why do you want to have dinner with me?”

“I wouldn’t have done what I did at the club if I didn’t feel a connection with you.” He looked over at Trevor, who was finishing his croissant and busy with his dinosaurs. “I wouldn’t have invited you out for a coffee, and I wouldn’t be asking you out to dinner if you didn’t intrigue me. In fact, I haven’t dated since Trevor was born.”

That was difficult to believe.

“It’s just dinner, Trish. Unless you want more.”

My thighs clenched. Yes, I wanted more. But sometimes what you wanted wasn’t what you deserved. That night still felt like a dream — an out-of-this-universe experience — and I couldn’t imagine it being repeated.

“Okay. Dinner. I can do a friendly dinner.”

He flipped through his screen, frowning. “I wish it wasn’t so far away, but I’m booked solid with work until… how’s next Friday?”

It did sound too far away, but I nodded.

He shook his head. “You’re a lot of work, Trish. But you’re worth it.”

“You don’t know me,” I whispered.

Axel gave me a mysterious smile, the same one that had drawn me to him that night, and that was the moment I realized that Brad would inevitably become history. I finished my coffee, gave Axel my phone number, and after a big hug from Trevor, I watched them leave. Still feeling the warmth of Axel’s touch, I brought my fingers to my lips, wondering whether I would ever feel his mouth on mine again.

T
hree days later
, I was scouting for a new apartment. I shouldn’t have been, but the nagging in my chest forced me to look for a place to rent where I wouldn’t run into Brad any longer.

“Do you like it?” the short man asked. His toupée slid off center as he pulled his forefinger through his bushy brows, once on each side.

Of course I liked it. In fact, this was the nicest apartment I’d found in this neighborhood that was within my budget. Well, almost within it. It also had a new coat of paint, a renovated bathroom with a separate tub and a beautiful view of a park, instead of the red bricks of another building that I was used to. Best of all, it was open concept, which made the space feel roomy and much less claustrophobic than my current rental. I needed a fresh start, and I fell in love with this century-old building with long thin windows, wide trimmings, high ceilings, and shining hardwood floors the moment I walked in.

“It’s pricier than I was hoping for,” I said, desperate for him to budge on the price.

“You ain’t gonna find anything cheaper in this neighborhood, Miss.”

Did I want this neighborhood? It was safer than my previous one in Brooklyn. A longer commute to the burger joint I worked at, but could you put a price on peace and safety?

“Yes, I like it. Is the price flexible?”

“No,” he said in a stern tone.

Someone cleared his throat at the threshold, and I turned around to see none other than Axel Wagner leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Mr. Sanders, please tell the lady that at this price the apartment comes furnished.”

He gave him the ‘
You can leave now’
look, after which my potential landlord disappeared.

“You own this building?” I asked.

“I do. It’s an investment.”

He stepped forward and greeted me with a kiss on my cheek. My heart skipped a beat and I felt my body heat. For that brief moment, I forgot where I was. Wishing for a clear mind, I stepped away.

“If we keep running into each other like this, I may think you’re following me.” My voice was trembling. Axel must have had women throwing themselves at him and acting like goofy teenagers all the time.

“Or maybe it’s meant to be?” he asked, but I didn’t think that he wanted an answer. Heck, how could I tell him that I truly hoped it was?

“Thank you for the additional furniture offer, but it’s still out of my price range.”

“Well, then, it’s a good thing that I’m the man to negotiate with.” His mouth curved with a sexy lift. He could have asked for double the price and I was pretty sure I’d have agreed.

“You’d drop the price?” I asked.

“Two hundred dollars.”

“That’s too much.”

“That’s not the way you’re supposed to be negotiating, Trish.”

“I’m not going to take advantage of you just because I know you.”

“What if I want you to take advantage of me?”

Was he flirting?

“Axel…”

“Trish…”

There it was — that uncomfortable silence between us that I wanted to last forever.

“I can’t accept that. Fifty bucks off, max.”

“One fifty.”

“Or I’m walking out and looking for another place.”

“Fine, fifty. Did Mr. Sanders tell you that utilities, cable, and television are included in the price?”

“I’m pretty sure he mentioned those as extras, but I have a feeling he’ll be fired if I don’t forget that part.”

“Well, then I think you should definitely accept my offer.” He extended his hand. I accepted, shaking it as professionally as possible, not letting go. Somehow I ended up right against his body, looking up into his golden hazel eyes, which were reflecting the sun this morning.

“My plans got canceled for the rest of the week. Let’s not wait until Friday for dinner.”

“I’m working tonight.”

He frowned. “Which restaurant?”

“Beefy, cheesy, and saucy.”

He frowned again.

“What’s wrong with where I work?”

“Nothing, Trish. I’m sure all ex-scientists love serving greasy meals to overweight truckers with bushy beards.”

“That means you’ve been there.”

I was still holding his hand; but at this point, I wouldn’t let go unless someone forced me to.

“There aren’t many places I haven’t been to, Trish.”

“What do you do?” I asked, only now realizing that I didn’t know where Axel worked. Was he one of those guys servicing women at that nightclub?

“Call in sick. Have dinner with me tonight. Please.”

My heart was hammering against my chest, everything inside me squishing into one giant blob of surrender as the somewhat sober part of my brain tried to process this man.

“I can’t do that. I need to make money so I can pay for the first and last month’s rent while paying for my current place.”

“I guess that Mr. Sanders forgot to mention that this apartment doesn’t need an initial deposit.”

“Mr. Sanders seems to have a bad memory,” I teased. “Okay, tonight. Where should we meet?”

“How about we keep that a surprise, and I pick you up around seven?”

“That would be” – he gave me a sweet look, one I could only compare to a cute pouting puppy you could never say no to – “… wonderful.”

“Did you fill out the paperwork for Mr. Sanders?”

“I did.”

He wiggled his brows in that enticing way few men were capable of. My throat tightened as the expectations of this evening all came rushing in.

Axel looked at his watch. “I’m sorry to leave, but I don’t like to be late to appointments. I will see you tonight, Ms. Summers.”

I didn’t recall giving him my last name, and I wondered whether he’d glanced at the paperwork before he came over. Either that or… no, my past had been erased the moment I changed my last name. He couldn’t have known.

“See you tonight.”

I let go of a long-held breath as soon as his back turned to me, with my head spinning and veins pulsing in total excitement. What was I expecting? What was supposed to come out of this ‘friendly dinner’? I wasn’t sure, but I knew that I couldn’t say no to Axel.

At six thirty, I pulled the shutters to the side, peeking from the kitchen window to see whether Axel was here. Thirty minutes early. I should have parked my ass on the couch instead of pacing the kitchen back and forth, chewing my nails off.

What if Brad suddenly showed up instead? How would I explain my date with Axel? And how was it possible that the moment I wanted to break it off with Brad, he was nowhere to be found?

It had been a week and a half since I last saw him at the strip club. He hadn’t called or come to my apartment unannounced, the way he used to. The few messages I’d left for him – that we needed to talk – remained unanswered. So I stopped worrying about him; temporarily, that is, because deep in my heart I knew that my soon-to-be-ex-fiancé was the master of surprises. He had a talent of appearing when he was least expected and when best it suited him, not anyone else. Even though we lived together, technically this was still my place, and Brad had his own — though I’d only been there once, and I was pretty sure he’d moved since then. A few months ago he would have been here every day, as if it were his home; but his loss of interest in me, the frequent outings to Hounds, and the mysterious trips overseas were making me wonder what he was up to. He no longer served the reason I’d agreed to date him in the first place, and the nuisance of him in my life was bothering me more and more.

Having planned to tie myself to him permanently so that I could serve my penance wasn’t working out as well as I thought. Maybe I deserved the silent treatment. What if Fate’s plan all along had been to screw me over more than I could screw myself? I wasn’t worthy of anything better, I knew that. Then why had I agreed to go out with an amazing man like Axel? Why was I so drawn to him?

The downstairs intercom buzzed, and I pressed the TALK button. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

I checked my hair in the mirror and took one last glance at the knee-high peach dress as I twirled.

Axel likes dresses.
I smiled to the reflection, somehow hoping she’d approve of this evening before grabbing my purse where I’d stuffed the claw I’d promised Trevor. I wasn’t sure about the date protocol for a man who was also a father, and whether he’d be bringing Trevor along or not, but just in case, I wanted to be prepared.

When I opened the door, a limo was waiting outside with the chauffeur standing at the door. He opened it, lowering his head in a bow. “Mr. Wagner apologizes that he couldn’t be here, but he was running late and didn’t want you to wait. He will meet you at the restaurant, if that’s all right?”

“Yes, thank you,” I said, climbing into the seat. I drummed my fingers on the hand rest before my curiosity won over and I pressed a button.

“Excuse, me. What is your name?”

“Charlie, ma’am.”

“Charlie, do you know where Axel… I mean, Mr. Wagner is taking me?”

Wait, that was a stupid question.

“I’ve been instructed to drive you to Olivier’s, ma’am.”

That name sounded familiar. “Thank you. Charlie, does Mr. Wagner do this often?”

“Do what, ma’am?”

“Have you pick up women and drive them to restaurants?”

“You’re the first, ma’am.”

“Charlie, please call me Trish.”

“As you wish, Trish.”

“And thank you, Charlie. It’s nice of you to do that.”

“It’s my job, Trish.”

Right. A job. Something I was missing tonight to go out on this date. Hopefully the lie about my illness I’d told my boss would hold. Old Harry didn’t like people calling in sick. As I watched Charlie drive along the East River, I realized we were heading to Manhattan, which also meant that Axel was most likely taking me to an expensive restaurant. But what else did I expect? He was well dressed, well mannered, and owned a rental building. Axel Wagner wasn’t an ordinary man, definitely on the higher end of the totem pole in our society.

What if he knew someone from my past? While my parents weren’t exactly social butterflies, at least not in the past few years, they were part of the upper class as well. But this was New York, not my little town of Franklin. And while my father mostly worked in Washington, there was no way that Axel could have run into them.

As we arrived in front of the restaurant, Axel stepped outside and opened my door. I reached out for the hand he offered, feeling as if I was stepping out onto the red carpet.

“You look stunning, Trish. I’m sorry for not picking you up myself, but my meeting ran late.”

“That’s all right.”

“Is everything okay at work?” he asked, looking at me from below his thick lashes.

“Of course not. I’m ‘sick,’ and Harry’s short-staffed tonight.”

While I knew they’d manage, I’d probably hear about my absence for a couple of days. Hopefully tonight would be worth it. Actually, looking at Axel’s sleek suit, seeing that glow of happiness in his eyes, it was already worth it.

“Well, I’ll make sure to tend to all of your needs tonight so that you feel better.”

I had a funny feeling that my needs had nothing to do with being sick — which I wasn’t — but everything to do with the sudden rush of hormones taking control over my body, screaming for Axel’s attention.

He led me to a private nook. I sat across from him and spread the napkin over my knees. A waiter brought a bottle of wine and poured me an inch for the first taste. I nodded in approval of the fruity flavors that fused all my taste buds into a perfect blend; I realized that it must have been one expensive bottle of wine.

“So, tell me about your life as a scientist,” Axel said.

“There’s not much to tell. I burned out too quickly and needed a change,” I lied. “What about you?”

“You can’t avoid my questions for long, Trish, but I’ll play your game. For now.” He paused, letting me know that he wanted to find out more about my past. “I’m a real estate agent.”

“Hence the building?”

“Yes, hence the building. I’m glad you’ll be moving in. It’ll be good to have a friend who can tell you if other tenants are too noisy.”

A friend. That’s what we were.
Friends.
I reminded myself.

“So, you’re asking me to spy?”

“Not at all. I want to make sure you’re satisfied with your new place.”

That smoldering look was back on Axel’s face, and I had a feeling that he’d ensure I was way more than satisfied with my new accommodations.

“So, when are you planning to move in?”

“After the weekend. When I have an actual day off.”

“And the fiancé won’t be upset?”

“The fiancé doesn’t even know that I exist. I’m pretty sure we’re done as much in his mind as we are in mine.”

He leaned in closer, and that crooked smile he was able to pull off made me swoon.

“Well, that’s the best news I’ve heard today, Trish. You deserve someone way better. Someone who cares about your needs and desires, and doesn’t leave you on your own in a club full of naked men.”

“Are you talking about yourself?” I asked with curiosity, knowing very well that I was giving into the game Axel was playing.

Fear and hesitation flashed in his eyes, but it was so quick that I could have mistaken it for something else.

“If the day goes right, perhaps.”

Now it was my job to ensure that the day did go right. “What was that place downstairs?”

“A private club for cheaters.”

“Are you a cheater?” I asked.

“What do you think?”

“No, I don’t think so. You’re… lost.”

Just like me.

“You have been for a while now, and you didn’t want to be found,” I continued.

“When someone you love dies suddenly, it’s not easy to get up and start all over again. You want to bury yourself, take all the blame on your shoulders, and carry it with you for the rest of your life. I don’t know why, but I get the feeling you know what I’m talking about.”

I just stared at him with my mouth open, because I couldn’t believe how in tune we were. Axel looked like a man who had gone through too much in his life. Despite being in his thirties, he had deep lines of worry permanently carved underneath his eyes. Yes, I knew exactly what he was talking about, and it hit me right in my chest. I pressed my hand to where my scar was underneath my dress, feeling it warm and pulse as I thought about my survival… and my sister’s death. It wasn’t fair. Life wasn’t fair, and I was beginning to regret agreeing to tonight. It was too soon. I shouldn’t be enjoying myself like this, when she couldn’t.