A Dash of Desire (Spiced Life #2) (16 page)

He went still, before a low chuckle rumbled through the air caressing her skin. “In a town such as this, you get used to everyone knowing your business. It’s easy to forget to exchange life stories when you meet someone new. I also sort of assumed, since you’ve spending time with Hunter, that he would’ve told you everything, especially in light of him telling you that he likes me.”

Riley shook her head. “No. It’s odd. Everyone I meet gossips about everyone else, but no one ever breathes a word about you.”

Tristan grunted. She felt the vibration against her cheek. It made her smile. “No one talks about me because I’m boring.”

“I beg to differ.”

Tristan pulled her tighter. “That’s because you’re different.”

“Good. Then you can tell me about your parents.”

She felt him nod. “My mom was a manic depressive, and she never truly sought help. According to my grandmother, she did a lot of destructive things, hoping they would help her escape herself. I was the result of one of those decisions. My mother never said who my father is, and I when I was three, she took her own life, and the information died with her. I don’t remember her. Luckily, I have a grandmother who’s never allowed me to feel as if I’m lacking a parent. Even still, I’m not above psychoanalyzing myself, so I’m certain that’s what drives my need to help others.”

It drove Riley insane that such an amazing man had suffered so much loss. Her anger with God wasn’t misplaced. Good people deserved good things, yet they rarely got them. “I can see that, and I imagine losing Harmony probably solidified your position.”

“Definitely,” Tristan confessed. “It was the first time I’d ever wanted to rage against the unfairness of life. I spent two weeks drunk, cursing the world.” Riley heard the hesitation and knew part of the story was missing.

“What changed at the end of those two weeks?”

He shifted around. Riley didn’t know if he was uncomfortable mentally or physically but she was determined to hear it all. Luckily, he didn’t force her to extreme measures. “I came home from the bar one night, more than a little out of it, and no longer caring if I woke up the next day. For some crazy reason, I decided to go out to the pond. It’s like I was drawn there. I couldn’t not go. My skin crawled with the need to see the place where she’d died. When I got there, I saw a body floating in the water.” He released a dry chuckle. There wasn’t an ounce of humor in the sound. “At first, I thought I was hallucinating. It’s probably best you don’t ask why on that one.” Riley could just imagine. After all, he’d said he was out of it, not drunk, she hadn’t missed the distinction. “Anyhow, I wasn’t in my right mind. All I could think was that Harmony was out there, and I could still save her, so I jumped in. Of course, it wasn’t her, but I also wasn’t completely insane. It was a person.”

Riley’s curiosity got the best of her. “Who was it?”

“It was Hunter.”

She couldn’t hide her disbelief. Her gaze shot to his. “Seriously? What was he doing out in the pond?”

A bitter smile touched Tristan’s lips as he answered. “Trying to kill himself and doing a good job of it.”

“Seriously?” Riley asked again, unsure of why she couldn’t wrap her mind around it. “Why would he want to kill himself?”

Tristan cocked his head. “You honestly haven’t heard this story? I would think even if Hunter hadn’t said anything that Faith or Serenity would have. They can’t keep anything to themselves. Plus, it’s not really a secret.”

“No,” she said dragging out the word. “This is one story I haven’t heard.”

“Harmony and her parents drowned while trying to win a drunken bet. Hunter was the one who issued the challenge. He’s also the only one who survived. Of course, in a former life he was a Navy Seal and could hold his breath longer.”

Her heart ached for both men. Tristan had lost his family, and Hunter was forced to live with the guilt and the reminder every day. “Poor man. Why do I get the feeling this was a really dumbass bet?”

In spite of the serious topic, Tristan laughed. “It was, but aren’t they all when you’re young and stupid?”

Riley pointed out the obvious. “So Hunter didn’t succeed.”

She felt Tristan shrug. “It was a near miss. I managed to drag him from the pond and do CPR. He was a mess for a while, but the incident saved me. I took a look around. Everything that happened was all so senseless and horrible, but at the same time, I was suddenly driven. Hunter almost died for nothing. It wouldn’t have changed anything or made the situation better. I wanted the world to be better.”

“Of course that doesn’t happen unless people step up and make it that way,” Riley said, finishing his thoughts. She got that, more than he’d ever know. Tristan’s story reminded her how lacking she was. He made good choices, and helped people. His loving and kind ways drew her in, making her want to keep him. He’d seen something good in her, and she didn’t have anything left to give. She couldn’t keep it inside. “I’m sorry I’m not stronger. You deserve someone who looks in the mirror and sees a person capable of doing anything.” Her throat burned, because Riley knew she’d never be that person.

Tristan rolled until she was pinned beneath him. Hovering over her, he held her gaze. The expression on his face left her exposed. It was as if he could see her soul. “What do you see when you look in the mirror?”

Riley swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Me.”

***

Riley’s one word answer made Tristan want Graham’s blood. It was odd. The man had committed a thousand crimes against the woman he loved, but making her see herself as unworthy of love was the one that enraged Tristan to the point of wanting the man dead. “I’m glad that’s what you see, because you’re exactly what I want.”

Riley used her thumb to soothe away the lines in his brow, making him realize he was frowning at her. “You don’t have to look at me like that. It doesn’t matter where I go. My heart will always belong to you.” That was it. He couldn’t wait any longer and risk that she’d leave.

Coming to his feet, he pulled Riley to hers. “I intend to hold you to that. Now let me take you home.” She looked crestfallen. It hurt his heart, but it was for a good reason. He’d make it up to her later.

“If Graham sees you…”

Tristan hardened his tone. “Riley. I’m taking you home.”

She wasn’t happy with his decision. It was written all over her face, but she didn’t argue again as they dressed and headed for his truck. As Tristan pulled to the end of his driveway, he hesitated. Not because he’d changed his mind, but because he wondered when he would tell Riley the truth. Finally, deciding to wait, he turned right—the opposite direction of Riley’s house. She didn’t say anything. It took Tristan ten minutes to realize, she didn’t intend to question him.

“You’re not even going to ask where we’re going, are you?”

“Don’t care.” Her immediate response surprised a bark of laughter from Tristan. Swiping his eyes, he chose to take a chance and tell her the truth. “You should.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Tristan saw Riley’s hands lift before falling back to her lap as if she physically fought for a response. After a full minute, she sighed.

“Nope. Sorry. I don’t.”

Tristan brushed his fingertips over his lips, doing his best to wipe away his ridiculous smile. “Billy packed you a bag,” he said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder, and pointing out the piece of luggage behind her seat. Riley spun, glancing behind her.

“What the fuck?”

Tristan gave up hiding his grin. “Yep. She slipped it in there while you were…otherwise occupied.”

“You planned this?”

“Yep,” he answered without an ounce of shame.

“Why?”

He glanced over to check her reaction. She merely seemed confused rather than pissed as he’d been expecting. The realization allowed him the freedom to be more honest than he originally intended. “You’re too tired to fight, but I’m not. So I’m taking away your choices and kidnapping you.”

She sputtered. “Wherever I go, Graham is going to follow. He’s…” Riley seemed to fight for a way to describe Graham that Tristan would understand.

“Insane,” he supplied, but Riley dismissed him.

“No. Actually, he’s scarily sane and level-headed. He’s calculating. There’s no low he won’t sink to in order to get what he wants.” Saying the words out loud obviously reminded her of all the reasons why she’d intended to leave in the first place, because some of her fight returned. “I can’t lie and say I’m not tired, but my plan to leave is to keep you from getting hurt.”

Riley’s surety that Graham could hurt him, irritated Tristan a little. “I can take care of…”

Riley cut him off. “He has pictures.” That brought him up short. He glanced over and she nodded. “Of us. Together,” she clarified in case he didn’t understand exactly how together she meant. “If I’m not on his plane by two o’clock this afternoon, he’s going to use them to ruin your reputation.”

Well. He hadn’t seen that one coming. Not that it changed anything. He shrugged. “So? Let him. I may not know Graham, or understand exactly how far he’ll go, but I do know you. You love me and I absolutely love you,” he shot her a fierce look, to let her know how serious he was. “I’m sure he’s going to fight, but so will you. You just need more to fight for. Once we’re married, you’ll go at him like a cornered wolf the moment he strikes.”

“Married?”

“Yep. Married,” he said, drawing out the final syllable childishly, since he was sort of enjoying himself now that Graham was soon to be out of the picture.

“But I hate going to church.” Tristan snorted at Riley’s dazed response. “Your church especially.” He howled with laughter. Tristan couldn’t help it. The lost note in Riley’s voice, combined with her ridiculous argument and his happiness, to make a burst of hilarity he couldn’t control. She punched him in the arm. Even as he snagged her wrist and linked his fingers with hers, Tristan laughed harder. “I’m serious, Tristan. It’s cold there.”

With a tug, Tristan coaxed her closer before bringing her hand to his mouth. “I’ll keep you warm,” he promised, whispering against her skin. He inhaled her scent. His cock lengthened making it harder to concentrate on driving. Without thought, he moved his mouth to her wrist. His tongue touched her pulse. A hitched breath left Riley’s throat, letting him know she wasn’t unaffected. He loved it when she made that sound.

“I love you.”

Tristan blinked in surprise, wondering for a moment if he’d said the words out loud before realizing they came from Riley. He smiled against her skin. “I love you too.” He’d never been happier in his life. There was only one thing that could top the way he felt now. “Say yes, Riley. I need you to save my reputation from those photos,” he added. It was a dirty move. Tristan knew it. He just didn’t care. She thought there was no low Graham wouldn’t go to in order to have her. She hadn’t seen a thing yet.

“Yes.” Even though Riley whispered her answer, it rang in Tristan’s ears as loud as a scream. He pulled to the shoulder of the road and closed the distance between them. Life had shown him many times just how wrong he could be, but at the moment, he was certain there was no higher high than his.

Riley kissed him back with every bit as much passion as he felt. When she pulled away, she kept him held in place by setting her forehead against his. Their gazes held. This was their moment. When she spoke, her voice came out quietly, as if she didn’t want to break the spell. “Please tell me you intend to let me take a shower before we say any vows.”

With a laugh, Tristan pulled away and pulled back onto the road. He wanted to be moving before he answered in case she chose to jump out. “Nope. You’re going to marry me with my sweat clinging to your body. My idea of a perfect wedding.” He meant it. She could shower later. Much later.

Chapter 10

One week later, Myrtle beach, SC

“You should call your mother, tell her about the name change.”

“No.”

Riley didn’t say more. Tristan wasn’t appeased. “She’s your mother.”

“No. She’s not. She’s the woman who raised me. Trust me. There’s a big difference between the two.”

“So you never talk to her?”

“No. I never speak to her.”

“But what about your birthday? Billy said she’d done something. I assumed that meant you’d spoken.”

Holding up one finger, Riley headed for her purse. “I see this is going to be an ongoing issue for you if I don’t clear the air now.” She pulled a blue envelope from her bag and handed it over. “This is what I got from her on my birthday.”

Tristan slid the card out of the envelope. On the front, there was a woman holding balloons. Inside was a torrent of hate the likes of which Tristan had never seen. It began with hoping Riley would die before slipping into a religious rant on an eye for an eye. The ending was epic. It seemed her mother also hoped Riley understood that every bad thing that happened to her was because she was a bad person and God hated bad people.

In his shock, Tristan couldn’t think of a single thing to say that would ease her burden. A small part of him wanted to believe a mother wouldn’t be capable of such a thing, but he held the proof in his hands, and he was furious. He took two steps away. She was worth of ten of her mother. He spun and let his anger fly.

“What kind of person says something like this to their child?”