Page 23 of Lie With Me
It’s better that way, but it makes me feel cheap all the same.
When I imagined seeingKenagain, he was always ready to welcome me with open arms—and an open bed.
Now, I don’t know what to think.
Tripp follows me, touching my lower back as he walks with me. “Ah, yes,” his voice is low, “Jackson got me a membership at Désirer. I haven’t been yet. Maybe I’ll join you.”
He knows.
Abruptly, I stop near the coat check, pulling him by his jacket over to the corner and punching the button for the elevator. “What do you mean he got you a membership at Désirer?”
“Relax, he’s been trying to get Carmela to let me in for months. Obviously, we’re not going to be able to tell anyone that’s your job.” He doesn’t say it offensively, but I still flinch.
“I didn’t say yes.”
The elevator comes, and we get into it, waiting until the doors close before resuming the conversation.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to sound so rude. I don’t judge you for working there. Honestly, it makes sense, given our night together.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not offended. And what isthatsupposed to mean?” I snap.
Chuckling, he shrugs. “Tell me that wasn’t an incredible night, Viv.”
I let the nickname slide this time. “Yeah, well. Itcan’t happen again, especially if I agree to do this. It’ll just make things more complicated. So will you going to the club.”
“I don’t really know how I feel about my fiancée fucking other men.”
Even if his proposal isn’t genuine, I understand why his voice is so bitter. Glancing at him, I shrug. “It’s my job, Tripp. I don’t know what to tell you. It’s not like anyone besides Ginny and Jackson will know. We wear masks to help hide our identities.”
I don’t tell him that I haven’t actuallysleptwith anyone since him.
“What will it take for you toonlyfuck me?” he asks, like it's only a matter of time before we fall into bed together again.
A shiver of excitement dances down my spine at his question.
“That’sreallynot a good idea. It’s not like I can just quit or put my job on pause. People go there specificallyforme.”
When we reach the ground floor, I exit and head for the doors, but he grabs my arm and pulls me into the corner of the empty lobby, pushing me against the wall to kiss me again. His fingers grip my naked flesh beneath the short hem of my dress while he cradles my jaw with the other hand to tilt my head back.
I’m half tempted to unzip his pants and beg him to fuck me against the wall, but I settle for wrapping my arms around his neck to pull him closer.
“How much,Valentina?” he questions again when he pulls back.
“What makes you think I even want to sleep with you again?” I ask breathlessly.
“Tell me you haven’t thought about our night together. That it hasn’t consumed your thoughts every waking moment of the day for the past week. You’re all I’ve been able to think about, not just because I need you to pretend to be engaged to me. You cast a fucking spell on me, Viv. And I’m not sure I even want you to lift it.”
Tripp’s words would be beautiful under any other circumstance. But the facts remain the same.
He’s a millionaire, and I sell my body for money.
My past would be a stain on his future.
Jackson once told me I couldn’t go to a party that Tripp’s parents were hosting because Mrs. Kennedy wouldn’t have enough time to do a background check on me.
She’ll never find anything on ValentinaParks. So I’ll bet that she’ll continue to dig, and will eventually uncover the truth.
Tripp will end up being embarrassed anyway.