Exquisite Betrayal (30 page)

“
Oh, God, Fallon. I didn’t mean for
that to happen. I know it looked bad, but that’s not how it was at
all. I didn’t know what to do with her. She acted like we were best
pals and I kept thinking, ‘What the fuck!’ I’m stupid, okay. I know
it. I just wasn’t prepared for it.” I pull her into my lap even
though she struggles against me. “This is what I want. Always.
Right here. Like this. Forever and without end. You, Fallon. It’s
always been you and it will always be you.”

She finally burrows into me, and her hand
creeps up on my chest. I know she’s crying, but she’s not sobbing
anymore. I pet her hair and rub her back. I’ll do anything for her
not to hurt this way.

“
Let’s go to sleep, love.” She nods. I
stand and then pick her up to carry her to bed. I pull her on top
of me where she always sleeps and we fall hard, wrapped up in each
other.

I really thought it was the end for us, yet
when I walk out of the bathroom and he tells me everything, first I
want to kick him in the balls until they’re swollen and blue, then
I drop into his lap and want to just stay there. I’m so damn weak
from crying all night, I can’t even think anymore. Is it just me or
is he the dumbest thing alive? I mean, really? Right now, I need
sleep and then I’ll deal. When he suggests it, I don’t have the
strength to say no.

I’m not sure what time it is when I wake up.
All I know is Ryland Thomas’s arms are holding me tight and things
feel right again.

He’s awake. “You slept okay?”

“
Uh-huh. What time is it?”

“
Five.”

“
In the afternoon?”

“
Yep.”

“
Shit. A lost day.” My fists are
balled up as they rub my eyes.

“
Not for me. I got to hold you in my
arms.”

I inhale, smelling him. He always smells
good, no matter what. My hand reaches for his face. I love to rub
his scruff. I don’t like for him to shave because I think he’s
adorably sexy with that bit of beard he wears. He traps my hand
against his face and says, “Fallon, tell me we’re okay. I need to
hear you say it.”

“
We’re okay, but don’t ever do
anything like that to me again. Understand?”

“
Never.” His voice cracks. “In a
million years.”

I’m still pissed at him, however I
can’t go through life not speaking or pouting. That isn’t my way.
My dad would always say to me, “
If you’re
angry about something, spit it out. Don’t walk around in a huff.
I’m not a mind reader.
” That was one of his pieces of
advice he’d fed to me, the ones I’d gobble up like chocolate
covered candy. He was full of them and I think it was because he
didn’t want me to turn out like my mom. His biggest one was,
“
Fallon, don’t ever lie, honey. You can
get yourself in a much bigger jam when you create a lie. It’s
easier to take an honest punishment than it is to take a deceitful
path
.” He was right. I tried it one time, and my story
got so discombobulated, I couldn’t remember what I said. Boy did I
get in big trouble; for lying mainly, but also for trying to cover
up the bad that I’d done.

“
What are you thinking?”

“
The honest truth?”

“
Yep.”

“
That you’re filled with all sorts of
dumbassery.”

His body shakes with laughter and I shake my
head. “I’m serious. How can you behave like that and not think my
feelings aren’t going to get hurt? Buddy, you’d better start
growing a brain and fast.”

“
I don’t think the brain thing is the
problem. It’s thinking fast on my feet when I’m thrown a curve
ball. I’m really terrible at it. I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with
it more than your fair share. How can I make it up to
you?”

At least he is taking the blame and not
cowering away from it. That is a good thing. “By not repeating
this. When we’re out together and we run into an old flame, put
your goddamn arm around me and act like I mean something to you.
Got it?”

He rubs his face. “Yeah, loud and clear. But
I don’t have any more old flames. You met the one and only.”

“
Well, good. Then if we’re out and
about tonight and we run into her, act like I mean something to you
then, okay?”

“
You mean everything to me,
Fallon.”

“
Actions speak louder than words,
Ryland Thomas. Show her then.”

“
Got it.” There was an edge to his
voice this time, but I didn’t care. He can get all pissy with me
for all I care. I’m in the right and he knows it. He moves to get
out of bed.

“
Where are you going?”

He stops and looks at me for a second and
then sighs. “Thought I’d take a shower.”

“
What? Without me? Like hell you
are.”

He gazes at me for a second. Then the
corners of his mouth lift slightly and his lids half cover his
eyes, indicating he’s completely on board with this.

“
I’ve always heard make-up sex is the
best. You owe me some damn good make-up sex, Sinclair, and I plan
on collecting.” I stand, plant my hand on my hip and stare at
him.

He doesn’t say a word, rather he stalks
towards me and the heat is rushing from him now. He drops his
boxers and I’m happy to see what’s waiting for me. My shirt is gone
in a whoosh and then his hands are under the elastic band of my
thong panties. He doesn’t take them off. He snaps them off, ruining
them. My mouth forms an O and his tongue is in it before I know
what’s happening. His hand is in my tangled hair as he pulls my
head back. I’m lifted up and he impales me as he turns and slams my
back against the wall.

“
Ah, ah, ah…” is all I can say against
his mouth as he sinks into me over and over. It’s rough, hard and
fast, and I’m spinning out of control. I take his lower lip, biting
down on him. My nails scratch his skin, drawing blood on his
shoulders, but he doesn’t notice. He’s intent on one thing and one
thing only. My heels dig into the cheeks of his ass and he presses
on, going deeper every time.

“
Come on, Fallon. Come for me,” he
growls. It’s a demand, urgent and harsh, as my back is jammed
against the wall.

My teeth gouge the flesh of his shoulder. I
know I’ve hurt him because he flinches, but I don’t care. “Faster,”
I goad him on. He complies and then it happens.

I scream, yes, scream his name. I think I’m
telling him to fuck me, too. I don’t really know because I’m having
one hell of a ride right now and I must say I’m not thinking
properly. I hear him groan, and can feel the vibrations in his
throat as its right against my shoulder and he’s coming all over
the place. When we’re finished, we gaze at each other for what
seems like an eternity.

“
They’re right,” I whisper as I kiss
him. My hands cup the roughness of his cheeks. I can’t pull my eyes
off his.

“
Hmm?”

“
Make-up sex rocks.”

His voice is gruff when he responds. “You’re
bloody right it does. Although every time we fuck, my world rocks a
little harder, a little deeper and a lot more intense. It’s you,
Fallon. It’s always been you.”

And what do I say to that?

***

It’s around ten in the evening and we’ve
just finished dinner. We’re sitting in a quaint restaurant when
Ryland Thomas picks up my hand and says, “Let’s dance.”

“
Right here?” I look around and think
how silly we’ll look.

He laughs. “No, not here. In a club. Let’s
find a place to go dancing.”

I laugh now, too. “Good. You had me a little
scared for a minute. I thought you were gonna grab me and start
doing one of those weird dances old people like to do.”

He gets a funny look on his face and scoots
his chair back. I see it coming and I’m dying in my seat. “Oh, no.
Please don’t.” His hand is on mine, pulling me out of my chair and
I’m in his arms as he moves to music that only he can hear. “Ryland
Thomas,” I whisper quite urgently, “everyone is staring at us.”

He smiles and then lays a heart-stopping
kiss on my lips. My hands are clutching his shoulders, partly
because I’m trying to follow his lead, but the other part is that
his kiss has me reeling. Then he embarrasses me further when he
lifts his head and announces to the room, “I’m in love with this
beautiful woman!” Everyone starts to clap as my face explodes with
heat.

I smile to hide my acute mortification and
thank the heavens the room is dimly lit, but under my breath I tell
him, “You’re a dead man. Just wait.”

He laughs and kisses me again.

He pays the bill and we find a dance club
where we can let loose. On the way there, he kids me relentlessly
over the look on my face. “Yeah, well, I’ll get you back one day
when you least expect it.”

“
I wish I had it on video. You wore
the funniest expression.”

I stick my tongue out at him.

We enter the crowded club and push our way
to the bar for some drinks. While we wait, I feel Ryland Thomas
stiffen. I look up to see Iris standing a few feet from us. It
doesn’t take long for me to see how it will all play out.

“
Ryland, it’s great to see you out.
You wanna dance?”

“
Not interested, Iris.”

Then he turns away from her and pulls me
into his arms, completely ignoring her. He nuzzles my cheek with
his nose and then whispers, “I’m sorry about this.”

“
Don’t be. You can’t control her
actions. Only yours.” He gets the message. He immediately kisses
me, and not your everyday friendly peck, this is a full on,
mind-blowing kiss.

“
Mmmm, I like that. I love it when you
fuck my mouth like that.” I decide I’m going to be a naughty girl.
I notice how his eyes widen slightly at first, yet then the lids
drop into their half-closed positions, telling me I’ve just flipped
his switch. I, being an extra naughty girl, press myself against
him, feeling him jerk when my thigh touches him. He kisses me
again, roughly.

Iris isn’t leaving. She wants Ryland Thomas
and isn’t giving up. She taps him on the shoulder. “So, Ryland, I’m
going to be in San Francisco next week. Do you want to get together
and maybe talk about old times?”

I feel Ryland Thomas’s hold on me tighten.
She’s hit a nerve. I slide my arm up around his neck and thread my
fingers through his hair. I want to ease his discomfort because I
know this must be painful for him. She’s also pissing me off, too,
but this isn’t my fight, it’s his.

He doesn’t let me go. He holds me as close
as ever, though he does turn his head so he can see her. “Iris,
there’s no reason whatsoever for you and I to talk about old times.
We have nothing to talk about.” Then he turns back to me and I
brush his cheek with my fingers. I want him to know I understand
his pain. He blinks in understanding.

“
What do you mean, Ryland? We have
loads to talk about. You and I… well, we had some great times. You
remember, don’t you?”

Now he’s pissed. Really pissed. He’s trying
to maintain control. He has that little tic in his jaw and his eyes
have darkened to forest green. “What I remember, Iris, is throwing
you out after catching you sucking off my best mate, and him going
down on you in my flat. In my book, that constitutes as shit, and I
don’t want to associate with shit. So get the fuck out of my
face.”

I want to clap and cheer him on for telling
her off, the little cheating slut. She sputters and then stomps
off. Everyone around hears the interchange between them and they
all give her a nasty look. Cheating is cheating, and she just lost
that war.

“
That was magnificent.”

“
What I don’t get is how could she
possibly think I’d want anything to do with her?”

I shrug. “She’s stupid? I don’t know.”

His attention swings back to me.
“You’re a naughty girl.” He kisses me again; a hot, wet,
toe-curling, knee-buckling kiss. “Let’s dance, love. I want to hold
you and move to some music while
you
fuck
my
mouth.”

“
Well, darn, Sinclair. Talk about
naughty.”

He grins that sexy grin of his and I melt
right into him as we dance. Yep, I’ll never get enough of this man.
Never.

***

When Sunday afternoon appears, we begin our
drive back to the city with our fingers laced because, oddly, this
weekend has brought us closer together. Earlier this morning we
joked about missing our spa treatments yesterday, since we slept
the day away, but he’s promised me a return visit. Even though we
had that terrible misunderstanding, we both feel more tightly woven
than ever. Maybe it’s because Ryland Thomas never really buried his
relationship with Iris and now it has finally been put to rest, or
maybe he realized his feelings for her were only superficial.
Whatever the reason, it’s deepened our bond and for that I’m
grateful.

“
Why doesn’t Tilly go by Rose Tilly?”
For some reason, that question just hit me out of the blue. “You
know, since you’re both R.T.s and all.”

Ryland Thomas gives my hand a squeeze. “She
used to. Up until my mum died. My mum’s name was also Rose.” The
words are so softly spoken that I have to strain to hear them.

“
Oh.” My heart instantly fills with
sadness for these two people that I love so dearly. I remove my
hand from his and move it around his waist so I can hug him. I lay
my head on his shoulder and cup his cheek with my hand. “I’m so
sorry for the two of you.”