Authors: Cheryl Douglas
She scrolled through the images until she found the one she wanted. “Here she is accepting an award at a national business convention last fall.”
Trey glanced at the screen. “Wow, she looks great. Good for her.”
“Yeah, but I worry about her sometimes. She’s so focused on her career that she doesn’t have time for anything or anyone else.”
“She’s still single?” That was difficult to believe, given how beautiful she was.
“Yeah, used to say she wanted to be financially independent before she thought about settling down. Now she’s telling me she never plans on getting married or having a family. I think she saw what happened to me and she’s just being overly cautious.”
He swung the car into the parking lot and pulled up to the valet area. “Listen, about that...”
She held her hand up, halting him in mid-sentence. “I told you. I don’t want to talk about the past tonight. We’re simply two old friends enjoying each other’s company.”
He watched her slide out of the car, revealing an expanse of smooth, bronze leg. She wanted to be his friend? He took a deep breath and gripped the steering wheel.
At least it was a start.
Sierra spotted Luc and his date immediately. They were lounging by the bar, enjoying a glass of wine. She was a stunning redhead, tight black dress, too much make-up—fake from her nose to her toes—definitely Luc’s type.
Sierra smirked. “If Luc’s trying to make your sister jealous...”
“I’m gonna kill him,” Trey muttered, slipping his arm around her waist.
“Who?” She looked up and her eyes followed his. He was watching Luc and the redhead. Megan.
Apparently Luc was getting the last word after all. Damn him.
“That’s your...” She couldn’t say the word,
girlfriend
.
“She’s just a friend,” he said carefully, steering her in their direction.
“There you are,” Megan said, launching herself at Trey. “I thought you’d never get here.” She crushed her breasts against his chest and snaked her arms around his neck. “I’ve missed you, honey.”
He tried to disentangle himself while glaring at Luc over the top of her head. “I’ve been busy.”
She glanced over her shoulder at Sierra. “So I’ve heard. This must be the ex-wife, huh?” She giggled. “Honey, I should thank you for setting this one free. Now the rest of us get to enjoy him, too.”
“Megan, I-”
Before he could finish, she kissed him full on the mouth. When he stepped back, pushing her away, she traced a red lacquered fingernail over his stained lips. “You snuck out on me the other morning, you naughty boy. I thought we would have time for a little more fun before you left.”
Sierra muttered, “Excuse me.” She walked as quickly as four inch heels would allow, finally passing through the heavy glass doors. She was frantic to find a restroom, but when she heard the distinct sound of hurried footsteps behind her, she bolted out the front door and straight to the valet.
“Will you call me a cab, please?” she asked, trying to sound calm while her stomach was twisting in knots.
“Of course I will, ma’am. Is anything wrong?”
She struggled to find her voice. “I’m just not feeling very well.”
“Forget the cab,” Trey said to the valet.
The uniformed man looked uncertainly between Sierra and Trey. “If you say so, sir.”
Trey gripped her upper arm, turning her toward the entrance doors. “You’re not leaving,” he whispered.
“Like hell I’m not.” She struggled to break free of his grip without making a scene. “Take your hands off me.”
“Not until you calm down, Sierra.”
She whirled around, facing him. “You want me to calm down?” She thrust a finger at his chest. “Your girlfriend made a fool of me in there and you’re telling me to calm down?” She knew she was raising her voice, attracting attention, but she couldn’t help it. “I’m leaving town, tonight. Damn it; take your hands off me.”
He stared at her, disbelief clouding his eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. I’m going back to Oklahoma tonight.”
“Why?”
She choked back a sob, shocked by the fury raging through her. “How can you ask me that?”
“Is it because I’m sleeping with her?”
She slapped him across the face hard enough to leave an imprint before her trembling hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God, I’m sorry. I had no right to do that.”
He rotated his jaw, looking furious. “We need to talk, now.” He grabbed her hand and led her inside.
People were milling about; fortunately no one she recognized, though many of them smiled and nodded at Trey. She could only imagine what they must think of the fiery imprint on his cheek.
“Wait right here.” He knocked on the door to a small office and a man in a dark blue suit appeared. He and Trey exchanged a few words and he un-locked a door beside his office. Trey nodded to Sierra, gesturing for her to follow him into the private room.
She had no choice but to follow, unless she wanted to risk another scene.
He slammed the door and locked it behind them. “Now tell me what the hell I did to deserve that?” He slid his hand over his cheek.
His lips were still stained with lipstick, and the sight of it made something inside her snap. She came at him, fists clenched, beating him against the chest. She sobbed angry, frustrated, mortified tears. “I hate you. I hate you for what you did to me, to us. I hate you for sleeping with all those other women. I hate you for pushing me away, letting me leave.”
“Oh, baby,” he whispered, seizing her wrists and holding them against his chest. “Don’t you know those women meant nothing to me? It’s you, it’s always been you.”
She struggled to break free. “I don’t care what you say anymore. I don’t believe you. I don’t want to hear about all of the women you’ve slept with since I left.” She saw the wedding ring he still wore and the rage resurfaced with a vengeance. “You screwed all those women while you were wearing
my
wedding ring? You’re one sick bastard!”
He pinned her hands behind her back, pressing her breasts into his chest. “I wear this ring because I don’t want to forget what it was like between us.”
“I don’t want to hear this. I just want to go home to my fiancé and forget I ever met you.”
He stepped forward, pinning her against the desk. “You want to go home?” He dipped his head and nipped her neck.
She gasped, struggling against him. “Stop it.”
His tongue glided up her neck, slowly, thoroughly, setting her on fire. He knew her hot spots, knew just where to apply enough pressure to command her consent. “You want to go home to that cold, empty bed?” he murmured, drawing her earlobe into his mouth. “Hmm,” he groaned, low in his throat, sending vibrations along her sensitive flesh. “You wanna live the rest of your life pleasuring yourself while you’re fantasizing about this?” He ground his rock hard erection into her abdomen. “Or do you want the real thing?”
She sobbed, torn between her conscience and the throbbing ache between her legs. He boosted her up on the desk, moving between her open legs.
He cupped her face between his hands and stared at her. “You still love me,” he whispered.
She shook her head, trying to deny his claim.
“Yes, you do,” he said, nibbling her bottom lip. “That’s why it makes you so crazy, thinking about me with other women.”
“No!” she cried. “I don’t care.”
“Liar,” he whispered. He slid the thin straps off her shoulders and let her dress fall to her waist, exposing her bare breasts. He dipped his head, drawing first one nipple, then the other, into his mouth. “Tell me you care.” He swirled his tongue around her nipple, moistening it and then blowing on it before sucking it into his mouth again.
She cried out, wriggling against him, trying to guide more of her nipple into his hot, wet mouth. He pulled back, refusing to give her more of what she needed. “I need to hear you say it, baby.”
“Fine. I can’t stand the thought of you making love to anyone else.” She held her breath and waited to feel his mouth on her again. “Please, don’t stop.” She instinctively closed her legs around him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She fought the wave of sensation, trying to deny the tremor building, the juices flowing.
“That’s it,” he whispered. “Just let go, baby. I always could make you come this way. Let’s see if I still can.”
She planted her hands on the desk behind her for support, inviting him, begging him to feast on her.
He dropped to his knees, cupping her breasts in his hands. He devoured them, kissing, licking, sucking, kneading until she finally came apart in his arms.
She rode the wave of her orgasm, desperate to prolong the pleasure.
He stood up and leaned over her, locking their hands behind her back. “Come home with me tonight, baby. I need to make love to you.”
She shook her head furiously. “I can’t. Eric.” She sobbed, the guilt wracking her.
“I don’t even want to hear his name. You’re mine,” he growled. “You’ve always been mine.”
She let her head fall against his chest. “I’m engaged, Trey. We’re getting married whether you like it or not.”
“Not gonna happen.” He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Do you hear me? You’ll marry him over my dead body.”
The tears flowed down her cheeks. She was so confused, so torn. She loved Trey, but she didn’t trust him. She cared for Eric. She trusted him, but she didn’t love him, not the way she loved Trey.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” he whispered, tracing her tears with his fingertips. “I know you don’t want to hurt him, but...”
She knew what she had to do. This relationship had already cost them too much grief; she couldn’t risk that again. “I’m not leaving Eric. I’m going home to plan my wedding.”
***
Trey felt like someone had punched him in the gut. “What did you say?”
“I said I’m getting married.” She grabbed a calendar off the desk and quickly scanned the dates.
“April 14, we’re getting married April 14 in Maui.”
April 14 was the day they met. Maui had been their honeymoon destination. She was trying to prove a point, trying to erase the past with the promise of a better future.
He grabbed the calendar and tossed it into the wastebasket. “Are you crazy? You actually think I’m going to let you marry him?”
She raised her chin defiantly. “You can’t stop me. I’ve already made up my mind. You’re just going to have to find a way to deal with it.”
Everything was slipping away. He’d come so close to getting her back, so close to having her back in his bed, his life. “Please don’t do this, sweetheart,” he whispered. “I’m sorry if I pushed too hard. We can take it slow...”
She righted her dress and ran her hands through her hair. “No. It’s too late for that. I know what I need to do. Eric was right. I can’t work with you, Trey. We have too much history. I’m sorry.”
He hated feeling so powerless. He wanted to tie her to the desk and make love to her until she was begging him to take her home. “So you’re just going to pretend this never happened?”
She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I’ll tell Eric the truth. Hopefully he can forgive me.”
“How the hell can he blame you for looking elsewhere? He can’t give you what you need.” Trey was trying to rein in his temper, but when he thought about her spending the rest of her life with another man, it ate him up inside.
“He does give me what I need, in ways you never could.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“He loves me. He’s there for me, and he listens.”
He couldn’t argue with her reasoning. There were too many nights, especially toward the end of their marriage, when he wasn’t there for her when she needed him.
He reached out to brush the hair off her shoulders. “I love you, baby. God, I love you so much. Please, don’t do this.”
She wiped away the trail of tears and pulled a compact out of her bag, checking her reflection in the mirror. “I’d like to stay for a few minutes, wish your dad a Happy Birthday, say hello to everyone. If that’s okay with you?”
He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Yeah, sure. I’ll take you back to the hotel whenever you’re ready.” Maybe once she had a chance to cool off, he could convince her to stay.
“No. I want you to stay; spend some time with your family. I’ll take a taxi to the hotel.” She looked him in the eye. “I meant what I said. I’m leaving tonight.”
He grabbed her hand, but she withdrew. “Is there anything I can say, anything I can do, to change your mind?”
She shook her head, looking down at the ground. “No, I’m sorry. Good luck with the album, Trey.”
Suddenly the career he had been fighting so hard to save seemed meaningless.
Marisa rushed up to them as they crossed over the threshold of the ballroom. “There you are. I thought you’d left.” She hugged Sierra before turning to her brother. “Is everything okay?”
Sierra tried to keep her gaze from wavering, searching the expansive ballroom for the woman who would undoubtedly be sharing Trey’s bed tonight. “Everything’s fine. Unfortunately, something’s come up. I have to leave tonight.”
Trey glared at her, his blue eyes darkening. “Why don’t you tell her the truth, sweetheart? You’re runnin’ away again.”
Marisa grasped Sierra’s forearm. “No! I thought you two were going to be working together on this album. When we talked on the phone, you said-”
“Things have changed, Marisa.” She forced a smile. “It’s for the best, really. I have a benefit coming up and a wedding to plan.”
Marisa looked from her friend to her brother. “But I thought you two were...”
“So did I, but I guess we thought wrong. If you ladies will excuse me, I think I need a drink.”
Sierra and Marisa watched Trey walk to the bar. Within minutes, a crowd of people surrounded him, Megan included.
“She makes me sick,” Marisa said, glaring at the backside of the woman in question.
“You know her?” Sierra asked, tearing her gaze away from the small group.
“I’ve met her a few times.” She shrugged her shoulders. “She’s just like all the rest, fake from the inside out.”