Page 64 of Wicked Lies

“Everything okay?”

He flicked the ice cubes onto the sand, sat down, and forced a smile, hoping it appeared more natural than it felt.

“So, are you going to tell me how you met Graciela, the Spanish model?”

“Her accent’s as fake as the rest of her. She’s from Bensonhurst. She came down here about two years ago, shaved five years off her age, and got herself shot up with silicone.”

“Unbelievable. Is she even a model?”

“Sure. If you consider posing for a website selling sex toys and being photographed by an ex-porn star named Dick Dragon.”

“I guess South Beach is the place to reinvent yourself.” Cheryl laughed, but she seemed off, or maybe he was projecting his own tension.

“Areyou all right?” He drained the rest of his drink.

“Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing.”

She searched his expression, and he swooped in for a kiss. He opened his mouth over hers, and the warm taste of the sweet Brazilian rum made him deepen the kiss. He wanted so much for her, for them.

He broke their embrace and let his lips rest on hers. “As long as you’re with me, everything’s fine.”

He wanted to salvage the rest of their beach day, but he couldn’t enjoy the breaking waves or the bright blue sky anymore. He dissected every word of his conversation with Carlos earlier, but he couldn’t remember anything odd. He also replayed his encounter with Graciela. They’d had a few hookups in the past, which meant nothing to either of them, so she had no reason to lie to him. Nothing made sense. Exhausted and frustrated, he suggested they go back to the condo and was surprised when Cheryl appeared relieved.

20

When they entered the condo, Cheryl escaped to the bedroom and into the shower while Nick mumbled something about fixing himself a drink. If she thought her screwed-up stomach could handle it, she would’ve gotten totally wasted to blot out the guilt of what she was about to do.

Nick seemed off, too, but maybe it was her imagination. Trying to act normal while her brain screamed in protest was exhausting. Frank’s earlier cryptic call and again on the beach, totally freaked her out and nearly brought on a full-blown panic attack.

She stepped into the warm spray of the spa shower and let the water beat down on her, but it did nothing for her nerves. So after a few minutes, she shut it off, stepped out, and pulled a towel off the rack. Hands at her waist, she yelped.

“Hey, calm down.” Nick nuzzled the back of her neck. “I was gonna join you in the shower, but I see I’m too late.” He splayed his hands over her hips. She could feel him hard and hot against her bare ass. “But now I got another idea, seeing you bent over just waiting for me.”

Cheryl spun around, her heart still beating double time. “I know I’ve said this before, but you’ve made me so happy.” Her voice hitched and she covered it with a cough.

He smoothed his hand over her damp hair. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” she answered much too quickly.

“You sure?”

“Sometimes I dream about being a different person, just up and leaving it all behind. Starting over.” Her voice shook with desperation she couldn’t control.

“You mean like permanently?”

“Why not?” She sounded crazy, but the thought of deceiving him or losing him made any rational thought impossible. “It could be a new start for us.”

Cheryl leaned into him and pressed her cheek against his chest. She drank in the smell of salt air and summer heat on his skin and clamped her eyes shut to hold back the tears. She planned on betraying him, and she still felt protected in his arms.

“It’s a great dream, but I got too much going on.” His lips grazed her neck, and the rough stubble on his jawline pricked her skin. “If everything goes the way I plan, we’ll have so much fuckin’ money we can go anyplace you want.”

She blinked a few times to hold back a fresh set of tears and let her hands roam over the smooth skin of his rock-hard muscles. It hurt so much knowing something so perfect couldn’t exist for her. Her chest ached, but how dumb was that? Hearts didn’t really break, did they?

Nick’s mouth covered hers, and his tongue plunged deep, searching as if he sensed her desperation or was trying to rid demons of his own. His breathing grew ragged, and she felt a hunger in him, a desire to be needed. It darkened his eyes and tightened the muscles in his neck. It created an urgency in his touch as if his life depended on them making love and making love now.

“I’m burning up for you.” He grabbed her ass and ground against her. “I need to be in you. Now.”

He whirled her around, and she leaned in to brace the counter. He clung to her hips and drew her to him, hard. A reckless need tingled through her as heat settled between her legs seconds before he thrust into her. He pulled her hips tighter, nudged her legs further apart, and when his fingers found her clit, she squirmed and twitched against him.

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