Page 94 of Tell Me Lies

Her knock echoed in the oversized foyer. Dalton had sent his staff home early because he’d been in a fucking pissy mood.

He opened the front door. “Can I help you?”

“You never answer your phone. I had no choice but to show up,” she said.

“What do you need? I thought I gave you everything you wanted.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“I don’t understand. The deals are off? You’re giving me all this stuff out of the goodness of your heart?”

“I never said I wasn’t charitable.”

There was an awkward silence.

“Where’s Zero?”

“Like you said, we’re a perfect match. I’ve adopted him. He was available for adoption, no?”

“Um, yes, I guess.”

“Well, that wraps everything up nice and neat. You take care of yourself, Emily.” He attempted to close the door, but she put her hand against it to keep it from closing.

“Why the change of heart? What happened yesterday to make you release my mother and give me the shelter?”

“The game started to bore me.”

“What game? Playing with my heart, my sanity? You demanded sex, my virginity, then my hand in marriage. Now you want nothing?”

“That’s correct.”

“I don’t buy it, Dalton. What happened to the forty-eight hours?”

He rolled his eyes. “Like you really wanted to marry me? You wanted to save the dogs. They’re safe. You win. That’s the end of the fucking conversation.”

“Dalton, maybe I would have said yes.”

“Now who’s playing games?” he asked.

“You’re not a monster. Even the dogs could see that. I thought about the things you said to me, the stuff about my mother, how I never put myself first. Maybe you were right.”

He opened the door wider, a silent invite that she didn’t hesitate to take. Once she entered, she ran her hands through her damp hair. She was natural and gorgeous and perfect.

The house was too quiet, only the gentle static of the rain against the windows.

“Is there a reason you’re telling me all this?”

She shrugged, taking tentative steps into the house, looking at every detail.

“Are you forgetting all the shit I said to you?” he asked.

“You didn’t mean any of it. I know that. Sometimes people say things they don’t mean when they feel threatened.”

He touched her shoulder spinning her around to face him. “You think I’m afraid of you?”

“Tell me you don’t have real feelings for me and I’ll leave.”

Chapter Five

---