From Lies to Promises (25 page)

A moment later there was a quiet knock at my door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and then slammed shut. I jumped in my seat. What the hell! I looked up and there standing before me was without a doubt in my mind the sexiest man I had ever seen, and he was glaring at me? Again, what the hell?

Brayden

Are you fucking kidding me!?! What is this shit?

"What the fuck Sloan?"

"E... Eh... Excuse me?"

"This!"

I gestured to her body, clad in what appeared to be a pant suit. She's screwing with me!

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean?"

Shaking my head, I had to admit, she had me. That wig looked pretty realistic. And the blouse she was wearing covered all the tats on her arms and breast bone.

"And to think, I was actually a bit nervous about meeting the illusive 'Stella'. You went above and beyond for this one Sloan. You really look the part too. Shit I never thought you would be able to pull off a pant suit and all that classic lookin shit, but DAMN you look fine."

She was pulling off the stunned mullet look pretty well. Who knew Sloan was such a good actress? Right now her lips were pursed and her eye brows were scrunched up like she was sucking on something sour.

She slowly started to stand, placing her hands palm flat on her desk leaning forward, she cocked her head to the side.

"Your Sloan's boss?"

Now that her voice wasn't so shaky she sounded slightly different. More sing songy? Is that even a word? The Sloan I know and love has a rough almost husky voice. Hmm, strange. Well if she wanted to play a game, id humor her. I was here now, may as well roll with it.

"Alright, I'll play along. You've obviously gone to a bit of effort to pull this off. Yes, I'm Sloan's boss."

"Who did Sloan tell you she was sending you to?"

"Her baby sister, Stella."

"Aha, and what did she tell you about Stella?"

"That she's an accountant, where are we going with this?"

"Did Sloan tell you what her sister looked like by any chance?"

This is getting weird. I huffed out a breath.

"No, Sloan did not tell me what her sister looked like. Are you going somewhere with this?"

She walked around her desk, came to a stop in front of me and held out her hand. I took hold of it as she began to shake my hand. Like I said, weird.

"Good afternoon Mr Brooks, I'm Stella Morgan. Sloan is my twin sister, identical twin sister."

Yea right, I've known Sloan for years. I would have known if her sister was her twin. Wouldn't I?

"Look Sloan, I got shit to do, I don't have time for your weird ass sense of humor, now I actually have to find an accountant. I'll see you later."

I released her hand and turned to leave the room. Just as I reached the door, there it was, a framed picture of two women embracing. One, very clearly Sloan, and one very similar, yet not. Oh. SHIT.

I turned around slowly to see 'Stella' hadn't yet moved. I cleared my throat while rubbing the back of my neck.

"Umm right, you see Sloan said Stella was her baby sister, she never said anything about being twins or identical."

"Yes well, I'm used to that. She's been lording those four minutes over me since we were old enough to understand that it meant she was marginally older than me."

Ah fuck!

I don't embarrass easy, but right now I wish I could dig myself into a hole and stay there for a while. I ran my hands through my hair. I'd just made a complete ass out of myself.

"I'm so fucking sorry. Sloan didn't tell me any of that. You're not what I was expecting walking in here. And I just automatically assumed it Sloan was screwing with me in her weird ass way."

She tilted her head again. Shit that's cute. Now that she was standing closer to me, and I was looking at her, really looking at her, I could see that her hair was as real as it could be. Straight shiny black locks fell half way down her back. My fingers itched to slide through it. I wondered if it was as soft as it looked. She smelled good too, damn, like fresh rain and sweet roses. Just fucking pure, you know?

The FUCK?

What's with the sappy shit? Since when do I care how soft a chic's hair is? Or how she smells? And those eyes, the way she's looking at me is trippin me out, it's not the hungry stare I'm used to. It's like she's taking me all in, analyzing me. She searched my face, looking for God knows what. Whatever it was she was looking for, I hope she found it. This chic had me all up in knots with just a look.

Stella

I couldn't take my eyes off him. It felt like I could see into his soul through his clear icy blue eyes. I could get lost in those eyes. I've never reacted to a man so strongly. My pulse jumped the moment I laid eyes on him, and it still hadn't slowed. Not even during our short exchange. He clearly thought I was Sloan pulling one of her weird pranks. We may be twins but sometimes not even I get her sense of humor.

My gaze slid over him slowly. As if I could tell what kind of man he was, just by looking at him. He had kind eyes, strong jaw, and full kissable lips. Wait, what? Kissable lips, I've never thought that before. Moving my eyes back to his lips I have to admit, if the urge to kiss a man ever did strike me those are lips I'd like to taste. Oh God, taste? Really Stella? Why not just start licking the man! Ha, not a bad idea.

Oh my GOD! I need to snap out of it. Kissable, tasty lips? Licking? I gota get my mind out of the gutter! No man had ever incited those kinds of thoughts from me. Pull it together Stella, business, books, numbers, right focus time.

Clearing my throat I took a step back from him. It must have been the close proximity messing with my head.

"So, now that we have that sorted, perhaps we can get down to business? You have some books you'd like me to take a look at?"

"What? Oh, yea books. Here."

He shoved his brief case towards me. I stood there looking at him like he was crazy. What was he doing?

"Oh sorry, umm, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the you not being Sloan thing. My bad."

"It's okay, would you like to take a seat and maybe you can tell me what it is exactly you would like me to do for you."

Brayden

What I'd like her to do for me? I don't think she wanted an honest answer to that question. I had a feeling she wouldn't be too keen on stripping off that constrictive pant suit so I could get a good look at her. All of her.

Shit, my palms were starting to sweat. I was acting like a teenage boy with a crush. Fumbling with my words, acting like a pre-pubescent dick. I had to remove the image of her standing naked before me from my mind or I wouldn't be making a whole lot of sense anytime soon.

After id pulled myself together enough to form coherent sentences, I showed her the work is already done with my books, she seemed impressed. We went over what she would need to take over from here and after I agreed to bring her what she needed tomorrow I decided it was time to man up and ask this chic out.

"So, Stella. How about you come get a drink with me tonight? Let me make up for being such an ass when I arrived this afternoon."

She seemed to be mulling it over. Good sign.

"There's no need to make anything up to me Mr Brooks. Sloan obviously thought it would be funny to surprise you. She has a strange sense of humor."

"Please, call me Brayden or Bray if you prefer. I'd still like to take you out. Get to know you a bit better."

"Thank you for the offer, Brayden, but I really shouldn't. I don't like to mix business with my personal life."

I liked the way my name sounded coming from her lips.

"We won't be mixing the two. I promise we won't talk shop at all."

I couldn't help but smirk when her cheeks flushed, she mustn't be used to being pushed. That's fine with me, I like to push, and I'd like to push her, all night long... Oh Yea.

"Come on Stella, what have you got to lose? Come, live a little. We can go somewhere quiet if you prefer?"

"I don't make a habit of going out with men I barely know."

"Well Sloan knows me, that's as good as knowing me yourself, right?"

"Not exactly. As you can see, Sloan and I live in completely different worlds. I doubt I'd be comfortable socializing with some of the people she knows."

I pretended to be insulted by what she was saying.

"Well, all you had to say was you didn't think you would enjoy my company and I would have left it alone. Sorry I make you uncomfortable Stella. I'll drop those documents you need in to your receptionist tomorrow."

I stood to leave, hoping like hell she'd take the bait.

She didn't. I felt like an ass. I left her office and made my way to the elevator. Once inside, I banged my head on the wall. IDIOT! I should have known trying to bait her like that wouldn't work. She's not feisty like Sloan. She's soft, quiet, reserved almost. Shit, I probably just upset her. ASS!

I'll redeem myself tomorrow. The thought of upsetting her wasn't sitting well with me.

Stella

Well, that was unexpected. I sat on my couch with my feet tucked under my backside, sipping my glass of wine wondering what had happened this afternoon. Had Brayden really asked me out? Surely it was just because he felt bad about our initial introduction? He had said as much. But he continued to ask even though I assured him he had nothing to feel bad about. I think I insulted him. I hope not, but his reaction to my words was unmistakable.

Why couldn't I just take a chance and do something out of my comfort zone for once? Oh yea, because ever since that night six years ago, I'm scared of my own damn shadow! Play it safe, be invisible. Stay under the radar. Blend into the crowd. I've been doing just fine in my little unassuming bubble.

Sloan has tried to pull me out of 'my funk' as she calls it, but I see it more as a lifestyle change. I like going unnoticed. There's less danger that way. Sure it might be a bit lonely sometimes, but that's what I've got Fergus for. My little buddy. I won't deny that a little more human companionship wouldn't go astray.

Sloan keeps trying to get me to go out with her, but I just can't do it. It's not for lack of wanting. I did give it a go one time. It didn't go so well. I ended up in the hospital after having a massive panic attack. They had to sedate me. Not something I want to go through again anytime soon, or ever for that matter.

So now a fun night for me consists of either reading a good book with a glass of wine or curling up on the couch watching a movie with a huge bowl of buttery popcorn. Sloan comes around at least once a week and has dinner with me, and Bianca comes around for a girl's night now and then. Apart from that, it's me and Fergus against the world. I miss Mumma.

I wish I was more like Mumma and Sloan. Sloan got Mumma's tough streak. Me; not so much. I wasn't always like this. I did have a back bone once. I had confidence, even a little attitude. But he stole it from me. If it wasn't for Sloan, he would have stolen a lot more.

Sloan

'Meet me at Freddie's when you knock off. We gotta talk.'

I slipped my phone back in my pocket n lit up a cig while I walked up the street to Freddie's. I wonder how it went for Stella n Bray this arv. I don't know what else to do to get her out of her funk. Six long years she's been like this. I want my sister back, damn it!

I found Bray in our usual booth nursing a scotch n coke. He looked like he was thinking real hard about something.

"Sup Bray, how'd it go with Stell this arv?"

He looked a little pissed when he glanced up at me.

"Forget to mention something to me Sloan?"

"Nope, don't believe I did. What crawled up your ass?"

"Are you serious right now? Identical twin sister. Really? You didn't think to tell me that?"

"Well I assumed it would be obvious when you met her, didn't think I had to point it out."

"Yea well, a heads up would have been nice. I made a complete ass out of myself!"

He was fuming, and running his fingers through his hair.

"Geez, what are you so pissy about?"

Then it clicked!

"You like her! You never get pissy over chicks."

I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. He could try to deny it, but I knew him too well.

"No, I'm just pissed 'cause I made an ass out of myself, I accused her of being you!"

"What? We look nothing alike!"

"Your frigin' identical Sloan, except for the hair, tats, piercings and clothes."

"Whatever, a blind man could tell us apart Bray. Anyway, how'd it go? You's hit it off?"

"Well, kinda. I don't know. I asked her to come for drinks with me n she said no. Nobody's ever turned me down before."

"Aw poor Bray, not as irresistible as you thought ha. Listen, Stell is a hard egg to crack. She's been through, stuff. It changed her. She never used to be like this, so mousy. She had spunk! I want that girl back. Can you help me Bray?"