Beneath the Scars (Masters of the Shadowlands #13)(60)

“Seriously?” Was he insinuating she was unreasonable? She wanted to throw something at him. Was it a law of nature that testosterone and truthfulness couldn’t exist in the same body? “I don’t see the need.”

“I do. I obviously hurt you enough to cause this anger; however, I don’t know what I did. I’d like to know.”

All right, since this Shadowlands was all about open communication, maybe it was time someone laid some honesty on him. If he could even recognize it. “You told me you had no girlfriend, fiancée, or wife. You said ‘None of the above,’ in fact.”

He looked puzzled. “That’s right.”

She stared. He was still holding to that story? Her anger rose until it felt as if it would shear off the top of her head. “You are such a liar. I saw you, you—” She bit back the ugly word. Adults didn’t name-call; that’s what she told Carson. “I saw you and your redhead earlier, and Oma said you’ve been with that woman for a while now. So, Mr. I’m-Single, what about that?”

He looked as if she’d slapped him, then leaned back. “Got it.”

“Can I go now?” She rose.

“Sit. Down.” His voice had gone dangerously low.

To her annoyance, her knees obeyed and dropped her back onto the chair. “You can’t—”

“It’s your turn to listen without interrupting. That’s how this works, pet.”

Pet? How dare—

“Nadia—the redhead—showed up today because she wanted to get back together. I said no.”

She had a second of hope and then shook her head. Another lie. She gave him a cynical look and let her disbelief show in her words. “You’re saying you broke up with her.”

His smile held no warmth as he ran a finger down the long scar from his temple to his jaw. “She visited me in the hospital, saw this, and couldn’t bring herself to get near me. I told her we were done. Today was the first time I’ve seen her since.”

Come to think of it, she’d have remembered seeing that flashy red BMW if it’d been in his driveway before. “Oh.” Weak, Josie. Her gaze dropped as guilt slid a knife between her ribs. She hadn’t waited to ask. Had simply assumed he’d lied. “I jumped to conclusions.”

“Yes, you did.” Taking her hands, he pulled her up, over, and onto his lap. His grip on her hips kept her firmly in place.

“Holt, this—”

“You screwed up, sweetheart, because you didn’t come and talk with me. Even yelling at me would have been better than the cut-and-run.” He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. “In a relationship, you first try to work shit out. And then, if you can’t, you walk away.”

She tried to rise, but he didn’t release her. With an annoyed sound, she sat still. Each breath brought her his clean scent—that of a beach after a thunderstorm.

Dammit, she hated that he was correct about her behavior and hated that she had to say the words. “You’re right. But we don’t have a relationship.”

“No, not formally, but we’re neighbors and I thought, friends.” He waited.

Neighbors, true.

Friends…he’d saved her son. Had been over for meals. True.

She nodded.

“And more,” he said softly. “Josie, to me, the scene we did was more than a simple pickup scene. Didn’t you feel it?”

His words were like boulders being piled on her chest until she had trouble drawing in air. Their scene… She’d watched other quickly arranged scenes and the aftercare. How Holt had treated her and how she’d responded hadn’t been…casual. There had been more, during and afterward. True.

The words wouldn’t come. She nodded.

“Ah, progress. So, you decided I’d lied rather than checking.” Keeping one arm around her waist, he picked up her hand, tracing the veins and ligaments. “All because of Everett?”

She stiffened.

And he waited. Silently. Expecting her to answer.

She didn’t want to wade through the bitter memories again, yet his silent patience was a trap.

“Not all, but mostly, yes.” The sigh she gave was a capitulation. “I believed all his lies. I was so…stupid.”

Holt’s mouth thinned into an angry line. “And, at sixteen, you’d have had a wide experience to call upon?”

He was angry for her?

“No experience at all, actually.” Small Texas town. A church-going, honors student. A virgin. “You read his letter. At the time, it was…devastating.” She’d adored him with all her sixteen-year-old heart. How could she explain the pain of realizing he’d lied just to get in her pants? Of learning she’d never been more than a fun diversion?

“And…? You said not all. What’s the rest of it?”

She sighed. “As a bartender, it feels as if I’m surrounded by deceit. People lying about relationships, jobs, finances, interests. Women, sometimes. Men…a lot.”

“Ah. I hadn’t considered that ugly aspect of your profession.” Holt’s gaze ran over her face. “Josie, I don’t lie.” His lips curved slightly. “Of course, any liar would say that. You should check around. I’ve been a member of this club for quite a few years now. Ask the members about me.”