Charade (Swept Away, #1.5)(21)
“You’re such a bad boy.” I shook my head and smiled at him. “I can’t believe it.”
“It’s true, I am a bad boy. That’s how you know I really like you. The fact that I’ve abstained from sex with you for so long.”
“I really like you as well, David,” I sighed. I couldn’t help thinking that his choice of words was odd. Why had he included the words “with you”?
“Well, I can’t really tell.” He lay back in the bed. “I’m going to pleasure myself now. You can stay and watch and even help if you want or you can leave.”
“Are you mad at me?” I asked as I picked up my bra from the floor. I could not afford to lose this relationship right now. Not when I felt I was so close to getting to meet Mattias. Not when I knew that he was checking me out. Why was he checking me out? What was he worried about? Was he really worried I was a gold digger or did he have reason to be more concerned? Now I wished I’d used a fake name.
“No. I’m fine,” he said reluctantly and sighed. “I’ll be fine. I just need some time right now.”
“Time for what?”
“I need to blow my f*cking load and I need to think, Bianca.” He looked away from me.
“Okay. I’m going to go home then. Maybe we can have lunch tomorrow or something.” I jumped up; the last thing I needed was him blowing up at me and ending things. I needed more time.
“I’ll call you,” he grunted and I saw his hands moving up and down on his member. I walked through to the living room and opened the front door. I was about to leave when I realized I’d left my handbag in the bedroom. I let the door slam shut and walked back to the bedroom quietly. I didn’t want to disturb David from what he was doing so I made sure to tiptoe. I was about to walk through the bedroom door when I heard him talking to someone.
“Yeah, she just left.” David’s voice was husky. “I don’t know. She didn’t say anything else. And no, she didn’t f*ck me.” He sounded angry.
I stood there wondering who he was talking to. My heart beat rapidly as I eavesdropped on his conversation.
“Mattias, I already told you, I don’t know. Yes, I told her we knew she wasn’t a shareholder, but she didn’t say what she was doing there. I know that guy from the meeting said she was there to pick up a Bradley brother, but who knows if that’s the truth.”
I leaned against the wall, my mind racing as I tried to think who could have told Mattias that I was after a Bradley brother—and then I remembered the creepy guy from the shareholders’ meeting.
“Dude, I have no idea what the deal is. She hasn’t talked to me about her family. I mean, yeah, her dad died recently. She hasn’t mentioned anything else to me.” He paused and the silence in the apartment was deafening. I was about to sneak back out when he started talking again. “Maybe you guys need to figure it out, then. I’m not wasting my time with this anymore. I’m confused. Yes, I know—and no, she hasn’t invited me to her apartment yet. What are you going to do?” He was silent again for a few minutes and I wished I had the ability to mindread.
“I don’t know, bro. That sounds dangerous. Okay, whatever you say. Hire someone then. I’m not going to do that. Bye.” And with that, he hung up the phone. I peered into the bedroom and I saw him sitting on the bed with his back to me. I stepped back quickly as he stood up and walked to the bathroom. I held my breath as he stood there, praying to God that he wouldn’t walk out of the bedroom and see me standing there. I heard him close the bathroom door and then I quickly grabbed my handbag and ran out of the apartment and down to the street. My heart was racing as I waited for a cab. Mattias was onto me? Or he was onto something else? I didn’t understand how or why, but one thing did hit me. I was obviously on the right track. Mattias was hiding something or he wouldn’t be so concerned.
I’d been playing a game of cat and mouse and all of a sudden it struck me—I was the mouse.
seven
I stared at the negligee on my bed. Who knew that a slinky piece of silk could cost so much money? I took a deep breath as I slipped it onto my recently washed and completely waxed body. This was it, then. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I definitely looked sexy. David would be beside himself when I showed up ready to take our relationship to the next level. I brushed my hair slowly as I tried to steady my nerves. I was still unsure about sleeping with him, but it was the only way to get back on his good side.
I hadn’t seen David since the night I’d heard him on the phone. We’d spoken a couple of times, but he hadn’t wanted to make any plans to get together. I knew that without sex our relationship was over, but now more than ever I needed to keep it going. Even if it meant sleeping with him. And sleeping with him wouldn’t be so bad; I’d slept with men in college to whom I was less attracted. It just felt wrong to be sleeping with the son of a man that might have had my mother murdered. I glanced at my reflection one more time, then slipped my feet into my red leather pumps and pulled on my long khaki trench coat.
“You can do this, Bianca.” I smiled at myself confidently and grabbed my handbag. “Just catch a cab, go over to his place. Pull the trench coat off when he opens the door and he’ll be so excited that he’ll pick you up and carry you to the bedroom and the rest will be history.”