A Bad Boy is Good to Find(69)

“Confident, aren’t you?”

“You’re my brother. And from what I saw last night, you can charm a snake right out of its skin.”

“No more pretending and no more charm. I’m on the straight and narrow, little brother. Nothing but the pure, unvarnished truth from now on.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Danny bumped his fist against Con’s. “Just don’t forget to tell her you love her.”

Room fourteen, he’d been told when he called saying he was her new employer and needed to verify her address. Fourteen was one of a row of drab blue doors in a gray stucco wall.

He knocked. No answer. The next step was A) to start banging and begging and making a scene until either she opened the door or the police showed up, or B) to just break in. Option B was more classy, he decided.

He whipped his driver’s license out of his wallet and slid it down over the lock. Irritation rippled through him at how easily it opened.

As he pushed in the door Lizzie sat bolt upright in the double bed, the blue cover clutched around her and her glorious hair streaming out in all directions.

Joy roared through him.

“You!” she hissed. “Get out.”

“You need to take your safety more seriously and stay in a place with decent locks.” He couldn’t stop the grin ripping across his face. Damn, it was a huge relief to see her after a whole day of worry.

“I said, get out.” Her beautiful brown eyes narrowed.

“I’ve got some explaining to do. I know you think I was trying to cut you out of the show by making a deal with Maisie and I’m sorry about that, but the real reason I did it was—”

She sprang forward so fast she almost knocked him off his feet, hair flying and eyes flashing. “Go away! I hate you!”

Her fists bounced off his shoulders and he grabbed them with ease. No one ever taught this poor girl how to fight. Heat flared at the feel of her skin on his.

“Will you listen to me a second?”

“No, I’ve heard enough of your lies!” She wriggled and struggled, kicking at him with her bare feet. Her lithe, lush body bumped against him in a way that did embarrassing things to his libido.

“Lizzie, I love you.” Her breasts smooshed deliciously against his chest as he drew her close.

Her gaze met his for one stunning second. “No, you don’t.”

“I do. I was telling the honest truth when I said you’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” He tightened his arms around her, holding her steady. The almond scent of her hair and the musky warmth of her skin threatened to steal his thoughts. “Just lying with my arms around you makes me the happiest man alive—”

She struggled a bit but he held her tight..

“You make me feel loved, cherished—safe—something I’ve never felt before in my whole life. I grew up lying to save my ass, figuring out which hustle would get me through another day, but you wouldn’t let me sweet-talk my way through life and you dragged me back here to face something I couldn’t face on my own. Whether you know it or not, I believe you did it for my own good.”

He felt her sharp intake of breath. “I just wanted to make a fool of you.” Her words were cold, but her breath, warm on his neck, made him tighten his arms around her.

“I’ve been a fool, but I’m not one any more.” He’d never had such a powerful urge to spill his guts. “I do love you, Lizzie. I love your sharp mind and your sharp tongue. I love that you’re a strong woman, passionate and demanding. I love that you’re an artist.” He squeezed her. “I want to share my life with you, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer—”

She’d looked startled during most of his declaration, barely breathing, in fact, something that made hope swell inside him. But as he started reciting the marriage vows he hoped they’d share her lips drew together and he could feel her hardening against him. She lifted her eyes to his with a hollow look that made his words catch in his throat.

“I’m not dumb enough to think you’re really here because you love me. Not any more.” She shook her head. “What happened? Did the inheritance fall through and now you need to marry me to get the cash? That it? Huh?”

“It’s not like that—” His voice had dropped low. She didn’t believe a word he said. Didn’t trust him at all. And she was dead right about one thing…

“No? Oh, do tell, what exactly is it like? You need a few more establishing shots of me being knocked on my ass by your betrayal? They didn’t happen to catch my tearful departure on camera and you’d like a redo? You need me to be the maid of honor at your wedding to Maisie? What? This script changes so fast that it’s hard for me to keep up.”

Con dragged a hand through his hair. He had to tell her. “You’re right about one thing…” he paused, when he spoke again his voice was very quiet. “I’m not the heir.”

“I knew it.” She stared at him for a second, open mouthed, then wheeled around and strode across the room. Since it was so small, three strides took her right to the bathroom door. “I knew you weren’t here because you love me.” Her voice was so empty.

Con held himself steady.

He didn’t say anything for a long time. Lizzie stood with her back to him.

His mind raced with thoughts. Why hadn’t he told her about his plans to cancel the phony wedding? Why hadn’t he planned it with her? Concealment was so second nature to him that he couldn’t even be straight with the woman he loved? He’d figured he’d just pull a fast one, skip the drama and charm his way out of it later with a sparkly ring and the promise of a fancy estate?

He deserved every word she’d said. Now he didn’t even have the estate to give her. No sparkly ring either.

Just his honesty. And his true self.

He cleared his throat and straightened his back. “I don’t have anything to offer you, not in the way of money or a fine house, at least.” He paused and drew in a shaky breath. “But I do love you. I love you with my whole heart.”

Back still to him, Lizzie tossed her curls and shifted her weight. His eyes fell to the curve of her full hips. So beautiful. He wanted more than anything in the world to put his arms around her and hold her close. To hold her and never let her go.

“For a moment there,” she said at last, her voice trembling, “I thought I was experiencing déjà vu. I believe ‘I don’t have anything to offer you’ were the exact words you used to cut me loose when you found out I wasn’t rich any more.” She turned to face him, eyes wide, lip quivering. “Then you had nothing to offer me, but now it’s different, because you love me.” She bit her lip. “You, who we both know is incapable of love, by your own admission.” She drew in a deep breath, shivered as if she were cold. “I just wish I could figure out what you’re after this time.”

Con’s muscles tightened. He deserved this. His own words coming back to bite him on the ass. The fruit of his deception.

“I offered you happiness once. You bring the money, I make your life sweet: That was the deal. I admit I wasn’t upfront about it, but I knew I could deliver. I can’t offer you that anymore, not really, because we both know that without money, happiness can be hard to hold on to. But, Lizzie,” his voice cracked. He cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders. “You’ve given me my life back, my real life. I was running so hard all those years, afraid to trust anyone, afraid to care for anyone in case they got taken away from me again. I didn’t want anybody to know the real me, the one who went through all that ugliness, so I tried to hide it, to be someone else, and somewhere along the way I lost myself.”