Page 28 of Unmasked

“Because I deserve the truth,” he said. “You owe me that, at least.”

Shit. It shouldn’t surprise her that he wasn’t going to back down. The man was a bull when he wanted something.

“I snuck into the ball.” Her chest constricted, the enormity of her actions suddenly weighing on her like great big boulders. “I lied about my identity.”

“And?”

“I slept with you.” Dammit, why did her voice have to fail her now? The words came out jagged and panicky.

“I didn’t quite catch that.” He folded his arms across his chest, the intimidating breadth of his shoulders casting a shadow over the table.

“I slept with you,” she said in a louder, although no more steady, voice.

“You fooled me.” His eyes were like fire, ready to burn her up until she was nothing but ash. “Why?”

Because I’ve wanted you ever since I laid eyes on you. I’ve wanted you in every sense of the word—from the most innocent to the most possessive to the things I could never say aloud.

“I don’t know,” she lied.

“So I could have been any man, then? You snuck in to have anonymous sex with someone, and I was the guy who happened to end up between your legs?” His jaw ticked.

“No.” She shook her head, confused by the hint of jealousy in his voice. Was he bothered that she might have wanted anyone? “It wasn’t random.”

“Then you targeted me?”

Her chest rose and fell, her breath becoming rapid. What would he say next? Was he disgusted with her? Disgusted with himself? Did his desire lessen now that he knew who Ariel was?

“Yes.”

“You’ve put me in a very hard place, Lainey.” He raked a hand through his hair. “A very hard fucking place.”

“I’m sorry, I—”

“I don’t want your apologies.” He sighed.

“Then what do you want?”

“Your help.”

Lainey raised a brow. “What?”

“We told someone important that you were my fiancée,” he said. “Jerry McPartlin. And now he wants me and my nonexistent fiancée to accompany him and his wife to dinner.”

“And you want me to pretend to be your fiancée?”

“You did a pretty good job pretending last time.” He planted his palms on the table and leaned closer. Next to him, it looked like dollhouse furniture. “Very convincing.”

She gulped. “Was I?”

“You screamed in my ear like you were having the time of your life, and I had no idea you were pulling the wool over my eyes.” His expression told her nothing. “You got me good.”

The feeling was annoyingly mutual. “I didn’t hold a gun to your head, Damian. You agreed to the terms.”

“If I’d known it was you, I wouldn’t have slept with you.”

The rejection stung like a thousand blades. “Right.”

“So I need you to come to dinner with me next week and play along with your new identity. Okay, Ariel?”

---