Page 21 of Bad for Me

I wish we could’ve started all of this much sooner.

“So tell me something,” Meredith asks, her eyes on the carrots before her. “Between everything I’ve learned about you these past few days and what you’ve told me back at the office, I'm having trouble getting a good read on you. How much of everything, before this, was a lie?”

I hum thoughtfully as I consider the stories I’ve told her over the past year. Opening the oven, I check on the turkey. It should be ready to pull out in the next few hours.

“Everything I told you was somewhere between the truth and a half-truth.”

I pull out two glasses and place them beside her before heading to grab the scotch my father keeps in a cupboard on the other side of the kitchen. Meredith stays in sight through the reflection of the appliances. That’s how I notice her eye roll and shake of her head. My stomach knots.

“It had to be that way in the beginning.” I return to her side, frowning. “We needed you invested in more than just my pretty face.”

My teasing earns me a half smile. Still, there’s a small seed of cautiousness in her gaze.

At this, Meredith pauses her chopping to look up at me. “So, why not clear things up now? What wasn’t real?”

What is she thinking? I wish she’d let me in. Other than that flicker of caution, her expression is simply mildly curious. My teeth grind together. At least thoughtful is better than professionally detached.

Quickly pouring us both a glass of scotch, I cork the decanter and slide it away. Meredith reaches for the glass, instantly looking a little relieved. As she tips the glass back, a brief moment of panic spirals through me. I’ve tampered with her birth control and I’ve cum deep inside that sweet pussy. She could be pregnant.

The alarm subsides nearly as swiftly as it came on—a glass won’t hurt her or a potential kid.

“My mother really was an alcoholic. This time of year was the worst. Her drinking intensified and so did her rages. Iloathedthe holidays because of her.” The old resentment comes and goes. Its pain has lessened over the years in her absence. “But the part where I’m alone during the holidays? That was a lie. My dad and I have spent the holidays together since I was eighteen.”

Meredith lifts her glass to her lips but pauses. Her dark-brown eyes flicker to my face curiously.

“You do a lot with your father, huh? Judging by the pictures in his office and around here,” her free hand waves around aimlessly. “You travel a lot, live together…”

Ah, she’s curious about us. Good.

“Dad and I enjoy adventures. We’re both active people who can tolerate each other’s presence.” I smirk. “But don’t worry. I’m a big boy. I haven’t been living with my father this whole time, and I make my own money. The recent move was because… Well, you.”

Her face shutters. Whatever she’s feeling about the situation is hidden behind a mask. That’s fine. I’ll eventually have her leaning into idea. There’s so much she’ll enjoy if she just opens herself up completely to the situation. For instance, I have some rope and a knack for knots…

“So you have no record of any kind? And what do you do for a living?”

I blink, coming back to the moment.

“Well, I wouldn’t saynorecord. I’ve been arrested once. Got into a fight with my business partner a few years back. We were thinking of expanding, but then I found out he’d been stealing from the company. One thing led to another one night, and we got into it. Turns out, he was doing a lot more than stealing. He got a pretty lengthy sentence after he admitted to laundering money for a small-time criminal organization. I got three days behind bars for assault. Other than that, I’m an outstanding citizen.”

Meredith frowns as she studies my face. “What type of business do you run? You never mentioned running a business. Working at a gym, sure, but…” She shakes her head confused.

“I do work at a gym, but I alsoruna gym. More than one actually. I have three here in the city, but next year it’s turning into a franchise.” I grin at the surprise brightening her face. “I still help do a little personal training here and there, but now it’s more about keeping the business going.”

She nods slowly, going back to her job at hand. Carefully she dumps the chopped carrots into a bowl that already has celery and onion and moves to the other counter. When she doesn’t ask me another question after a few minutes, I find myself anxious.

“Anything else?” I press. “You can ask me anything. I’m an open book.”

“Yeah sure.” She nods, the gesture placating, as she takes a sip of her scotch. “You're an open book that’s about as straightforward to understand as the Bible.”

I snort. “Though I appreciate the flattery, comparing me to holy scripture is a bit much.”

My teasing earns a giggle from Meredith. It’s prettier than the sound of twinkling bells and it momentarily lights up her face. When it subdues, we both sigh.

“What else can I do to help?” She looks around the kitchen.

I take her hand and pull her toward me. “I think we’re as prepared for dinner as possible. What would you like to do in the meantime?”

Meredith’s gaze drifts around us, her bottom lip suddenly captured between her teeth. A deep, possessive growl gets tampered down. I’ll get a hold of that lip soon enough.

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