Masked Definitions (30 page)

“Enough,” Elijah commands, though she pays him no mind. Her eyes don’t even look his way.

“You’ll be up a certain creek without a paddle; you’ll be so reliant on him you won’t know how to put one foot in front of the other.” She smiles kindly. “Take it from someone who knows.”

Her point is thoroughly set in my mind and heart. Its truth strikes a chord deep within.

“That’s enough of such talk,” Elijah states and she finally meets his eyes. “I’ll not leave her bereft like my father did with you.”

His words cut deeper than hers did. Is he admitting that he will tire of me?

Her eyes glitter with knowing when they come to mine. She caught the meaning of his words just as I did. I feel nauseous.

I know that in any relationship, there is never a guarantee that it will last but now there seems to be a guarantee that we won’t. Straight from the horse’s mouth.

Elijah’s hand finds my thigh under the table. He’s oblivious to my tormented mind and I want him to stay that way. I’ll take whatever he can give me until he can give me it no longer, and I’m not talking about the materialistic side of things.

When his eyes meet mine, full of concern, I mouth the words, “I love you.” He seems satisfied and his hand loosens its grip of my flesh.

“What interests you?”

“Dancing,” I respond honestly and her brow quirks. “I love any and all kinds of dancing.”

“Be realistic.”

She now sounds like my mother. “If you’re to study something, make it worth your wallet.”

Now she definitely sounds like my mother.

“Leave her alone,” Elijah admonishes and finishes the last of his tea.

“I’m just making conversation.” Her hands primp the thick, black bun atop her head. “Aren’t I dear?”

Fortunately Elijah’s phone rings so I don’t have to answer.

“Rude,” she snaps haughtily when he answers it, stands and walks away from the table.

My eyes assess his body language, which seems tense and possibly upset. Whoever he is on the phone to isn’t bringing good news. His mother is watching too, with eyes as concerned as mine.

“He’ll be okay,” she tells me, sensing my own distress. “I can tell by your eyes that you’re worried. Don’t be. He’s an intelligent man. Whatever messes he finds himself in, he can always find his way out.”

I know this to be true; his seduction of me was based around a lie. All his previous lies point to money. I just hope we’re past it and the trust I’m placing in him isn’t a huge mistake.

“Is everything alright?” I ask the second Elijah takes his seat by my side.

“Max,” he states through gritted teeth and my heart begins to dance a heavy patter.

“He knows?”

“No… I hope not. He’s just desperate to find you and wants to come by the house later.”

I wince. “He misses you.” In all of the excitement surrounding my new, sordid relationship, I can’t help but feel bad for my husband. “You’re his brother. Regardless of how he feels about me, how you feel about me, he shouldn’t be neglected.”

Elijah’s lips pinch together. “I have no interest in a relationship with that man.”

The harshness to his tone makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. A tingle of displeasure coils in my stomach. “That man is your brother.”

“He’s an abusive, poor excuse of a man.”

“But he cares about you. In his own way.”

“Is that how you convinced yourself to stay with him for so long?”

Ouch. Now I’m annoyed. “Would you like me to turn my back to you so you can stick that blade in deeper?”

Realising his error, he nudges his knee with my own as a gesture of peace. “I just… struggle to tolerate him, ever since he treated you the way he did.”

I sigh, understanding his point but hating that he’s airing it so openly. “We should continue this later. In private.” I motion to his mother sitting beside us.

“Of course.”

“Finally, a girl with manners.” She puts in and Elijah closes his eyes again. This time she winks at me and my smile is so big it aches my cheeks. “Well, it was lovely to meet you. I can see why my son is so taken and I promise to wave away judgement on how you’ve begun as long as you promise to convince him to come and see me more often.”

That’s an easy promise to make. “I will.”

“Good.”

"I forgot to mention," I turn to Elijah in the car. “Apparently Tobias Lockhart wants me to call him.” The way Elijah tenses and his grey eyes frost over so abruptly, my heart misses a beat. “What?”

“Who told you?”

“Your sister.”

His hands clench so tightly into fists on his knees that his knuckles turn white. “Don’t contact him.”

“Why?” I scoff, unhappy about his order.

“Just… don’t. Okay?” With his hand now loose, he places it on mine.

“He’s an enemy?”

He shakes his head and his lips thin to a white line. “Not at all, it’s just complicated.”

“I’ll say,” I mutter. “Care to elaborate?”

“No. Just stay away from him.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so. Can’t my word be enough?”

My jaw hits the floor. “Can’t you trust me enough with the truth?”

“Don’t twist this.”

“Don’t
you
twist this.”

His hand goes back to his lap and his eyes close. He is clearly exasperated but I don’t care. I want to know why Lockhart wants me to contact him and, for once, I don’t feel scared to push. I want to push. I want my answers.

“I’ll just call him myself.” I state, shrugging petulantly. “It’s not like you can stop me.”

“You’re right, I can’t stop you, but it will end us.” He threatens, his eyes casting his angry glower through the glass window.

I stare at him as though seeing him for the first time. My mouth opens and closes and I feel tears prick my eyes.

I remember this feeling well, this tingling deep in the pit of my soul. I’d get it whenever I felt cornered by Max, whenever his arguments were won by manipulation and emotional blackmail. Just as Elijah is doing now.

I just escaped this once. What other similarities does Elijah share with his brother? Dare I put myself through this again? Elijah has been nothing but kind to me. He’s looked after me. Though… Max was kind to me in the beginning too.

So, as I did with Max, I close my mouth and remain silent.

“Thank you,” Elijah whispers and brings my hand to his lips.

I pull it free and shift away from him until my thigh is pressing against the door. When Elijah only blows out a breath of exasperation, my heart plummets a little more. Yet another similarity to his brother.

But I love him.

I don’t want to leave him. He’s good to me. He hates how Max treated me… physically.

Fuck
.

I can’t do this again. I’ve only just escaped one manipulative asshole. Am I tying myself to another?

The fact he basically seduced me for money should have been a huge warning sign.

My head hurts. I don’t know how to process this.

I wish I had a friend to talk to, somebody who can relate to me. Anyone…

“I have a few calls to make.” Elijah tells me when we pull up outside the hotel. “I have your word, don’t I?”

I ignore him and climb from the car the second it stops moving.

“Olivia,” he snaps and swiftly rounds the car. Before I can reach the door to the hotel, his hand is gripping my bicep and I’m being held in place. “I have your word?”

He has nothing. I won’t promise him a thing. Not now.

“No,” I spit, pulling my arm free of his hand. My eyes meet his, mine set with anger and his with frustration. “So I guess you’ll have to break up with me.”

“You’re going to call him?”

“I’m going to do whatever the fuck I want to do and you can’t stop me.” Flattening my hand on the wooden door, I push it open and step into the lobby with Elijah hot on my heels. “In fact, I’ll pack now to save you the bother of breaking up with me every time I choose to do something you don’t like.”

“Now you’re just being dramatic.”

He can’t be serious? “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Stop cursing.”

“FUCK YOU!” I yell and all but run to get away from him.

“Olivia, don’t make me chase you.” He shouts as I ascend the stairs and push through a door to our floor. I open the door to our room with the heavy key in my pocket. “Olivia…” I slam the door in his face and move to grab my small suitcase from the wardrobe, shutting out the sound of the door opening behind me. “What are you doing?”

“I’m leaving,” I say, grabbing my phone charger from the bedside table.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” I’m glad to hear a small amount of panic in his voice. “You can’t leave.”

Ignoring him, I drag my case to the bathroom and stuff my toiletries into the front pocket as he stands in the doorway watching me.

“Are you breaking up with me?”

“Yes,” I respond automatically. My heart breaks.

“What?” He breathes, his voice such a low whisper I hardly hear him. “You’re leaving me?”

“Yep.”

“But…” His hands shift into his thick, black hair. “You love me.”

My eyes blink a heavy, slow blink as I register his words. “You sound entirely like your brother.”

The panic in his eyes fades away to anger. “Don’t you dare compare me to that cretin.”

“Then stop behaving like him. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” I stand, waiting for him to move so I can get by. My eyes remain on his collar.

“If you leave, I’m not taking you back.”

I almost snort. “I’m not coming back.”

“Fine,” he snarls and steps backwards, motioning a path with his hand. “Good luck out there, on your own, no me, no Max, no money…”

“I never needed much to get by and Max certainly never provided that for me.” I laugh harshly. “I was with you because I love you and I…” His sneer cuts me off. I move to the door with my case dragging behind me. “I owe you no explanation of who I am or what I want.”

“Okay,” he states and his hand moves over my shoulder to hold the door shut. “Let’s take a moment to breathe and then talk about this rationally. I think we’re both tired and angry and we’re adding fuel to a fire here.” His words make me hesitate. Could he be right? Are we overreacting? Am I? “Maybe you’re due your monthly…”

“You are unbelievable.” I pull open the door with what little strength I have left and try to slam it behind me but he catches it.

“Olivia, for goodness sake. Stop.”

Hell no. “Go shove your silver spoon up your entitled arse.”

“Classy.”

“You met me in a fucking strip club,” I yell, not caring who hears. “Don’t you dare judge me on my level of class.”

A scream rips from my throat when I’m grabbed from behind and crudely thrown over a shoulder. “That’s enough,” he yells and my thrashing ceases.

“Put me down,” I yell, pounding his back with my fists.

Ross, the poor security guard standing by our door, looks as though he doesn’t know what to do.

I don’t get to apologise to him though as the door is closed, almost catching my hair. I’m thrown onto the bed and Elijah’s panting form stands over my winded one.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I yell when he grabs my wrists and pins them above my head. “Get off me.”

“No,” he hisses, his nose an inch from mine. His body fits snugly in between my thighs and, despite my anger, I can’t deny my arousal. “I’m going to kiss you, then I’m going to fuck you until you’re too tired to argue with me and then we’re going to sit and talk to each other like rational beings.”

“You are n…” As he promised, his lips come down onto mine and his warm pliable ones try to coax my frigid ones into reciprocating. It’s not until I feel him lengthen against my thigh and then shift so that his shaft, through our clothing, presses against my most sensitive place, that I gasp and allow his tongue the path it needs to my own.

I should slap him away but he knows how to make me melt with his touch.

“You’re an asshole.” I say, though it’s muffled against his lips.

“I know.” His teeth nip along my jaw and the tingling it creates spreads to my core. I clench with the need to be filled yet ache with the need to punch him in the nose.

“This is wrong; we should ta… ah!” He frees my breast and immediately draws it into his mouth.

FUCK
.

I’m losing this battle. I want him too badly to let him go right now.

When he reclaims my lips and they become pliable, beyond my control, he smiles against them and murmurs, “That’s my girl.” His hand trails down to my sex and cups it boldly. A gasp falls from my mouth and my head lolls back. “I bet you’re so wet for me.”

Normally I am the one who instigates the dirty talk. I like this though. It’s sexy.