False Pretenses (13 page)

“You smell good enough to eat. Forget dinner and stay here with me.”

“Lydia won’t hear of that.”

He sighed. “You’re right. Do you know who’s coming to dinner?”

Her eyes widened. “You don’t?”

He shrugged. “Mom is too excited to sit still more than a second. I tried asking Dad, and he doesn’t know either. Then again, he always did indulge her. As long as she’s happy, he’s okay with it.”

She studied his face, wondering if he would be that way with the woman he fell in love with. Not her concern. She shook her head and moved out of his hold. He loosened his tie and pulled his rumpled shirt from his pants.

“I’ll be ready soon. Work took longer than I thought it would.”

“Does it follow you around the globe?”

“Alyssa.”

She shrugged. “Whatever.” Before he could grab for her again, she moved away. A bit of last-minute rearranging of her hair, since a few pins had escaped the style she’d put it in, and she was all set. “I’m going down.”

“Wait for me.” He strode into the bathroom naked, and she took in the sight of his back, ass, and thighs with a sigh.

“Is that an order?”

He peeked out from the bathroom. “Please.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Fine.”

To the sound of his chuckling, she moved to the window and pushed the curtains aside. A dark car was just pulling up the drive. She strained to see as they disappeared from sight, and curiosity sent her to the doors leading out to the balcony. Voices rose from the driveway, Lydia’s unmistakable manic tones included. Alyssa leaned out to get a better look. A knot formed in her belly, and her fingers spasmed on the rail.

“Get a look?”

She jumped and turned around. Nathan stood in the doorway.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

Did she dare tell him the truth? Better to do it now rather than deal with the drama later. Why the hell would Cullen be a dinner guest, and the woman with him was without a doubt Piper’s girlfriend. Had she told her mother the truth about them and Lydia had been that excited to invite her over? That seemed unlikely.

Then she remembered. Of course, Cullen had mentioned being a chauffeur. Stupid. And he’d been dressed up because many of the rich families required their servants to wear a uniform. Why had he gotten out of the car and gone inside, though? Maybe he knew Aziz or Nathan’s chauffeur and wanted to shoot the breeze with them until time to drive his employer home. Of all the dumb luck, though, that he’d work for her.

“Alyssa?” Nathan stood above her. She hadn’t seen him move.

“I didn’t see. They were inside before I got out here.” That bought her a little more time to think this through. She’d told Cullen they couldn’t see each other, and she’d done nothing wrong. Not exactly. Yet, knowing it didn’t stop the guilt and nerves fighting each other in her belly.

When Nathan was dressed, they descended the stairs to the first floor together. He held her hand and drew her to his side when they reached the bottom. Voices from the living room led them in that direction, and Alyssa drew in a deep breath. Her balance off, Nathan had to tighten his hold a couple times, and she felt his gaze on her but refused to look up at him.

“Are you okay?” he whispered. “You’re not getting sick?”

“No, I’m fine.” Her heart hammered until she wondered if he heard it.

They entered the living room to find everyone present, including Cullen. The man’s blue gaze snapped to hers, but not a lick of recognition shone in their depths. The friendly smile did not waver.

“Oh, here is Nathan and his sweetheart now,” Lydia chirped.

The woman at Cullen’s side was indeed Piper’s lover, but as much as she smiled, Alyssa sensed her anger. Why should she be angry when they were finally admitting to the relationship? From Lydia’s open happiness and Leo’s calm acceptance, the two women should be relieved.

“Cullen, of course you know Nathan, but this is Alyssa,” Lydia went on. “Alyssa, this is Cullen, Piper’s boyfriend she’s been keeping a secret from the entire family.”

“No way,” Alyssa blurted.

“Hell no,” Nathan growled.

All conversation stopped, and the fake smiles from the younger people died away. Nathan glared at Cullen as if he was two seconds off rearranging his face. Piper clenched her hands at her sides, scowling back at her brother. The girlfriend—what was her name?—seemed just a bit in love with Nathan at that moment. Alyssa tried processing what she’d just heard around her own rising anger.

“You know each other?” she repeated.

“Of course.” This time Leo spoke from his seat near the window. “The James’s and the Cordes have known each other for years. Their vacation home is not far from here, and they have holdings out of New York.”

“Smaller holdings,” Nathan found need to add.

Cullen’s jaw twitched. She figured Nathan had made the dig on purpose. So there had to be history between them. Well, the lying bastard deserved that and more, making her think they were on the same level, trying to make it in the world.

Lydia came over and swatted Nathan’s arm. “Now, don’t you start, Nathan. I know you two had a little tiff years ago, but it’s all water under the bridge. I just wish your parents were in town, Cullen, so they could have come over. Oh, where are my manners? This young lady is Cullen’s sister, Emma. Everyone sit down. Let’s have drinks. Talia?”

They took their seats, Nathan all but pulling Alyssa onto his lap. He wound an arm around her shoulders and sealed her to his side. She shifted in her seat to get more comfortable, noting how Emma was just about to take the love seat with Piper but instead took an armchair. Cullen parked his stocky frame next to Piper, and neither seemed happy about it.

Alyssa welcomed the cosmopolitan she’d requested and took a huge drink to settle her nerves. Nathan claimed her free hand, lacing his fingers between hers. She frowned up at him. What was with the overaffection all of a sudden? Did Cullen threaten him with his presence? She needed to set the man straight. Cullen no longer interested her in the least.

“How long have you two been seeing each other?” Leo asked Cullen and Piper. His daughter paled and remained mute. Cullen opened his mouth to answer, but Nathan released Alyssa and leaned forward.

“Doesn’t matter. It’s not going to continue long.”

“I think I can decide who I date, Nathan,” Piper snapped.

“Really?” Ellen chimed in.

Alyssa grabbed Nathan’s arm and whispered in his ear, “Do you think now is the time to voice your disapproval of the relationship?” She flicked her gaze in Leo’s direction, and the fight left her lover in a heartbeat.

“You’re right. I apologize, Dad, Mom, for my rudeness.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes. He didn’t feel the need to excuse himself to Cullen or his sister. Piper’s red cheeks said she didn’t appreciate the slight, and Alyssa saw a flash of something in Cullen’s eyes. She was so over this dinner already, and they hadn’t yet sat down to eat.

“Dinner is served, Mrs. Corde,” Talia announced.

Lydia stood up. “Let’s go in, everybody.”

Aziz assisted Leo, and when Alyssa stood, she found Cullen at her elbow. His smile transformed his handsome face. “Can I take you in?”

Nathan slapped him on the back too hard and smiled, leaning in close to the man. “How can you do that without arms?”

Alyssa bit off a curse. “I think I can get into the dining room under my own steam.”

She walked ahead of them, ignoring the muttered oaths from both men behind her. At the dinner table, Nathan held her chair and sat between her and his father, who headed the table. Lydia occupied the end opposite her husband, and Piper sat on her right. Rather than Cullen taking the seat next to Piper, he swiped the open spot on Alyssa’s right, and Emma sat next to Piper. Nathan’s glare should have struck the man dead.

“Hey.”

Nathan glanced down at her when she caught his sleeve. She reached up to stroke his cheek and pressed her lips close to his ear.

“The jealousy thing is getting old. Can you tone it down? I think everybody gets it. I’m yours. It’s starting to be obvious that it’s fake.”

He blinked at her, and if she didn’t know better, she’d get the impression he thought her thickheaded. The insult rankled, and she scowled at him. Sensing Cullen had shifted closer to her, she turned in his direction. When his father engaged Nathan in conversation, Alyssa took the opportunity to question Cullen.

“I thought you were a chauffeur.”

His eyes widened. “I never said that.”

“You never said you were rich.”

“I’m not on the Cordes’ level. Believe me.”

She didn’t even bother to dignify that comment with a response, and he turned on the charm, covering her hand in her lap and stroking the skin. She tugged to get free, but he refused to let go.

“You’re a lying bastard. Let me go.”

His face almost met hers. The man was too obvious. “I only wanted you to give me a chance, Alyssa. When I first saw you get out of the car the day you arrived—”

“Wait, you knew I was here?”

“I only saw a beautiful woman I wanted to get to know.”

She thought back trying to remember if she and Nathan had shown each other affection to indicate they were a couple. Cullen might have thought her Nathan’s secretary, down to help him with work, or even a new servant. Because of who he was, he might have been hesitant in case he intimidated her.

“Forgive me,” he pleaded. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“Please, I’m hardly hurt. We don’t know each other like that.”

“Then say I’m forgiven. I promise I just wanted to get to know you better, and there wasn’t time to explain everything before my sister asked me to pose as Piper’s boyfriend.”

Alyssa peeked at the others around the table. No one appeared to pay them any mind at the moment. She lowered her voice a little more. “You know she’s gay?”

He nodded, his expression matter-of-fact.

“Can anyone get in on this conversation, or should we give you two time alone?” Piper snapped from across the table. Emma bumped her shoulder, but Piper glared at Alyssa.

Like I want to steal your fake-ass man.

She managed to retrieve her hand from Cullen’s grasp and twisted in her seat to meet Nathan’s furious stare. “How do you know him?”

She opened and closed her mouth a few times. Had he seen Cullen touch her? No, he couldn’t have. Something told her Nathan would have put Cullen on the floor, but that would take his act too far. “He was the guy on the beach.”

Nathan set his cloth napkin on the table, and she grabbed his arm.

“Nothing happened.” Why was she defending herself? He had no right to question her. Well, not entirely. Then she got it. This wasn’t about her. Cullen had arrived pretending to be Piper’s boyfriend, yet he kept hitting on Alyssa. Nathan wouldn’t stand for that kind of treatment of his sister.

The tedious dinner stretched on with Alyssa focused on Nathan, leaning into him and hanging on his every word, the devoted girlfriend. He reciprocated the affection, but a sixth sense told her his anger hadn’t cooled, perhaps directed at her and at Cullen. After a dessert of double chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream, which she refused, the family and their guests returned to the living room.

“Dad, are you okay?” Piper said, and Alyssa tightened the hand she’d laid on Nathan’s arm. The muscles beneath it tensed. She glanced over at Leo, who appeared paler than earlier.

The older man forced a smile. “I’m just happy my little girl has found someone. Maybe there are grandchildren in our future, Lydia, from both our son and daughter.”

Lydia clapped her hands together. “Yes, isn’t it wonderful?”

Cullen slid to the edge of his seat. “Hold on, I—”

“It’s been a good day for us, darling.” Lydia stood and strolled to Leo’s side. “I think we should leave the rest of the evening to the young people.”

“You’re right!”

Alyssa didn’t like how he seemed hopeful they would all get up to making those grandchildren the second they were alone. As soon as the door closed behind his parents, Nathan sat back in his seat and took Alyssa’s hand in his. He laced his fingers with hers, but he didn’t look at her. All of his attention lay on Piper. His sister fidgeted in her chair, Emma stared out the window, eyes glazed, and Cullen snuggled close to Piper’s side in a belated attempt to appear the besotted idiot.

“So,” Nathan began, the word somehow a warning no one could mistake, “why are you pretending to be my sister’s boyfriend?”

Gasps sounded all around the room, including Alyssa’s. She couldn’t believe Nathan had called Cullen out for a liar. If nothing else, she thought he would believe the man a no-good cheating bastard who couldn’t keep his attention on the woman at his side.

“E-Excuse me?” Cullen stuttered.

Why had she been attracted to him?

“I said”—Nathan’s gaze shifted to Cullen, shutting the man up with a glance, and then back to Piper—“why have you lied to Mom and Dad, Piper?”

Talk about calling the kettle black. “Nathan,” Alyssa chided, “leave her alone.”

They waited for Piper to speak, but instead she jumped to her feet and ran out of the room.

“Piper!” Emma started after her, but Alyssa cut her off.

“I’ll go talk to her.”
What’s gotten into me?
Emma stepped back.

Alyssa found Piper at the end of the hall, but instead of tears, as she expected, her lips were compressed into a straight line, and her eyes almost crackled with fire.
I don’t need this drama.
“Piper, are you okay?”

“Get my brother to back off.”

“Whoa.” Alyssa held up her hands. “Look, I have nothing to do with this. It’s between you and your family. What I want to know is why, when you were so close to coming clean with your mother, you didn’t do it.”

Confusion colored the woman’s face and then cleared. “You overheard us talking this morning.”

“Couldn’t help it. I was on the way to breakfast.”

“I wondered why…Never mind. Just talk to Nathan. If he doesn’t stop acting like he’s going to rip Cullen apart, we can’t keep the act up.”

Alyssa tapped her foot. “I don’t know why you think you can command me and I’m supposed to jump.”