Page 16 of The Deception: Hercules Valentine and I
I raise my hands, palms facing her. “It’s fine.”
She heaves a sigh. “Mason’s really fighting for Lake’s job,” she says, hanging her coat on the back of her chair. “He wants to withdraw the extra money we added to Lark Davenport’s salary. And…” She smashes her hand on the tabletop. “He said Lark may be willing to hold off on taking a salary at all.”
“What?” I ask, shocked.
“Apparently, she lives off of a trust fund.” With one last relaxing sigh, Lilith settles into her seat.
Lark Davenport has a trust fund?My instincts constantly tell me that I know her from somewhere other than running into her at the Golden Grand Luxe. She’s rich. Maybe I ran into her at a party or something.
But… could she be…?
No way. She can’t be Paisley Grove.
Lilith’s smile wavers as I force myself back into this moment. “Have you ordered yet?” she asks.
“No,” I barely say as I recall a recent photo of Paisley I found on the Internet last night. I could only find one. It was from the end of last summer. She was on a yachting trip with her family, sitting next to Max Grove, smiling like it hurt. I wanted to fix whatever made her unhappy. Just like in high school. Her hair was still long and curly and pulled into a ponytail that lay across her shoulder. Even though she wasn’t standing, I could tell she had the same sexy curvaceous body that made me grow a boner whenever I paid too much attention to her. Lark has a sexy body, too, but her curves are more athletic. Paisley was softer and more sensual…That kiss.
“Hercules, is everything okay?” Lilith asks.
I force myself back into the moment. “Yes. And about Lake Clark—let’s keep her on payroll. If she’s that important to Mason and Lark, then she stays.”
“But her production report…”
“She stays.”
Lilith presses her lips together as if she’s reluctant to relent. “Okay, then. I’ll figure out something else.” She seems huffy as she lifts a hand to capture the waiter’s attention.
And she’s right to take that attitude. We carefully combed through the numbers. To keep our heads above water for the next two fiscal quarters, we’ll have to make cuts. But what I saw today from Lark and her team may save us from having to let anyone go.
“We’ll focus on the perks for now,” I add.
“I’ll redraw the impact reports without the layoffs,” she says before the waiter is standing at our table.
I order the rib eye and she the filet mignon. I also ask for bottles of the best red and white wines.
Once we’re alone, Lilith leans toward me. “So, Hercules, what are we doing here?”
She’s cutting to the chase of why we’re together tonight. I think I’ve always liked that she’s not afraid to be blunt.
“Having dinner for now, but…” I study her with one eye narrowed.How can I tell her that it’s date three and we still lack chemistry?Maybe if Lark hadn’t shown up, we could have made a go at something nice. But not anymore. And I'm not in the business of leading women on.
“Listen, Hercules. You’re a handsome man, and if you ask any girl out, she’s going to say yes. But I like to feel the fireworks and butterflies and shit like that. Don’t you?”
I snort a chuckle. “I never thought about it that way before, but I guess I do.”
She presses a hand to her chest. “And are you feeling that way about me?” Her tone is highly inquisitive.
My insides feel like they’re dropping. Looking into her big blue eyes and kind face, I don’t want to hurt her. But lying to her will eventually cause more pain than telling the truth. I’ve seen Orion and Nero lead women on to momentarily get what they want. It doesn’t have to be about sex only. Sometimes all they want is company. A man’s life can get lonely without a woman around to spend time with. I know that from experience. And most women want something in exchange for their time—hope or a promise that what we give them will turn into something more. I’m not in the business of making promises I can’t keep.
“You can say it, you know,” Lilith says.
I clear my throat to make way for the truth. “No, Lilith, I can’t say that I’m feeling all of that when it comes to us.”
Her smile grows slowly as she sits back in her seat and folds her arms. “Thank you, Hercules.” Her tone is refreshingly sincere. “Now”—she rubs her palms together—“let’s talk about your brother.”
I grimace. “Orion?”
“Achilles.”
