Charade (Swept Away, #1.5)(22)

I walked out of my apartment and hurried down the street.

“Spare any money for a hungry old woman?” a homeless woman in the street called out to me, her beady eyes sharp.

“Sure, here you go.” I handed her five dollars and gave her a quick smile, feeling sorry for her.

“Thank you, my dear. God bless you.” But her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“You too.” I nodded and continued on my way to the corner so that I could catch a cab. I tried to ignore the tension in my shoulders and the tightness in my heart as I walked. “You’re not a prostitute, Bianca,” I muttered to myself, trying to banish my anxiety. “You’re doing this for Dad.” Would Dad really want you sleeping with a guy you didn’t want to, though? My inner self was trying to talk me out of my plan and I tried to think of something else instead. A cab pulled up to the curb and I jumped in before I could change my mind.

I arrived at David’s apartment within fifteen minutes and took the elevator up without calling him first. The element of surprise would work best in this situation. I walked out of the elevator and paused for a second, running my hands through my hair and patting my face as I worked up the courage to go through with it. I walked to David’s apartment quickly and was about to knock on the door when I realized it was slightly ajar. Pushing it open slowly, I peered inside. I could hear the TV, so I knew he was home. I stepped inside, closing the door behind me, and walked into the apartment. I looked around the living room but David wasn’t there, so I made my way toward the bedroom. It was then that I heard the grunts and moans. I froze in the doorway and watched David slamming into a girl from behind. I stood there transfixed as she begged him “to f*ck her harder.”

“Do you like this, bitch?” he growled as he pulled out of her and flipped her onto her back. “Do you like the feel of my hard cock inside of you?”

“Yes!” she screamed, and I gasped as they turned slightly and I watched him squeezing her breasts.

“What the f*ck?” The girl’s eyes flew to my face and I watched as David looked around and saw me.

“Oh, shit.” He pulled out of the girl and jumped off the bed. “Stay there, Britney.”

“Who’s that ho, David?” She sounded upset as she stared at me with narrowed eyes.

“Just shut up and stay there, okay?” He grabbed my hand and pulled me into the kitchen. “What are you doing here? And how did you get in?”

“Your door was open,” I said, all warmth gone from my face. “And I came because . . .” My voice trailed off and I opened my trench coat to flash him for a few seconds.

“Oh, shit,” he groaned as he stared at me. “You were going to finally let me make love to you?”

I nodded and looked down, feeling like a fool. I couldn’t believe that I’d been about to let him have sex with me. I had been about to put all my trust in David. I had been about to put my mother’s death and my father’s warning in the backseat. I felt ashamed of myself. I’d been willing to give myself to David, willing to see where everything could go. I’d compromised myself, and for what?

“We still can,” he said hopefully as I buttoned my trench coat up again.

“No way in hell.” I stared into his eyes. “You’re cheating on me. I can’t believe it,” I said, but then I realized that there had been plenty of warnings—a late-night text, an evening when he didn’t pick up his phone. In retrospect, I was pretty sure he’d been cheating on me for a while.

“I have needs, Bianca.” He shrugged.

“I can’t believe you would do this to me.” I bit my lower lip hard and tried to cry. I needed to play the sympathy card now. If he thought I was really upset, he might feel guilty. And if he felt guilty, I might still be able to get something out of him. And the truth of the matter was, I was upset. Everything had gotten more complicated than I’d wanted and I had truly been in a relationship with him that was about more than my investigation.

“I’m sorry, I really am.” He looked uncomfortable as I started crying. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I really liked you!” I bawled. “I thought we had something special.”

“We did.” He sighed. “Look, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t mend a broken heart.” I knew I was laying it on thick, but I had to do something.

“I’m so sorry, Bianca.” I could tell that he didn’t know what to say next.

“Can we still be friends at least?” I sobbed and looked up at him hopefully. “You’re one of the closest people in my life now.” I could get over the cheating if I still had an in at Bradley Inc. It wouldn’t all be for naught then.

“Yes, we can still be friends.” He nodded.

“David!” Britney called out. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Is she your new girlfriend?” I gave him my most hurt expression.

“No. She’s just a friend that I have.”

“A friend?”

“Don’t ask.” He looked guilty.

“I guess I should go.” I sniffed and took a step away from him.

“Wait.” He reached out and grabbed my shoulder. He studied my face for a second and then leaned forward. “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I can see from your expression that you genuinely like me. I’m sorry, but I wasn’t sure. My brother convinced me that you weren’t with me for the right reasons. But I know now that you were. You wouldn’t be crying or willing to give yourself to me if you weren’t.”