Deadly Lies

by Mary Stone

  His gaze moved over her face before landing on her lips. She watched his thoughts play over his expression. She’d never witnessed a person war with themselves this much.

  “I want you, but you can’t stay.”

  She blinked, unsure exactly what he meant. Did she have to leave now? Was he sending her away forever?

  She could change his mind. Trailing her fingers down his chest, she reached for the button of his damp jeans.

  He grabbed her wrist. With the other hand, he gripped her face, forcing her head up until she was looking into his eyes. “If this is all you want from me, Kylie, I’ll give it to you.” He backed her up until she was against the wall, his sex pressing into hers. “Then you have to leave.”

  She wrapped a hand around his neck, pulled his head down until their lips almost touched, and said, “No.”

  He tried to pull away, but she held on tight, damning the injured shoulder that wouldn’t allow her to hold on with both arms.

  “Listen to me, Linc. I don’t know what this is between us, but I do know what this isn’t. I’m not your booty call. You don’t have sex with me and then send me packing.”

  He pressed his forehead to hers, his breath warm on her face. When his hand trailed down to her skirt, pulling it up, she almost smiled, but she didn’t. She had one more thing she needed to say.

  “I’m not afraid of you.” When his hand stopped its movement, she went on. “You’re a good man, and we’ll work this out…together.”

  She watched the emotion play over his face, watched passion war with his fear. She wished she were wise. She wished she knew the exact perfect words to say.

  She didn’t.

  But she knew of other ways to express her longing for him. Her trust. Her need.

  Pulling his head down, she kissed him, sinking all the emotion she didn’t understand into the gesture, hoping he would understand.

  He kissed her back, then grappled with his jeans while pushing her panties to the floor. The movements were fumbling, hectic, and she could feel his heart pounding under her fingers.

  She inhaled sharply as he pushed inside.

  Linc froze, and Kylie was about to ask him what was wrong when she heard it too. The dogs were going crazy in the yard. Over their cacophony of sound, she barely heard the sound of tires crunching on the gravel.

  Linc pressed his forehead to Kylie’s before he pulled away, then bent and picked up her panties, handing them to her.

  His jeans still open, she watched him stalk to the window. Watched him freeze. Watched him unfreeze and begin zipping up in frantic movements.

  “Who is it?” she asked.

  As he stalked to the dryer to grab a fresh shirt from its depths, he growled out, “My mother.”

  Every cell inside Kylie’s body froze. His mother? Holy shit!

  As Linc pulled a shirt over his head, he looked purposefully down at the panties she still held. “You might want to do something with those.”

  She went from frozen to a flurry of movement in an instant. Panties on. Dress straight. Fingers brushing through her hair.

  “You’re buttoning your shirt wrong,” she said to Linc when she glanced his way. She groaned. He also had lipstick all over his face. Which meant…

  She ran to the metal toaster and looked at her reflection. Yes. Her damned smear proof lip gloss was smeared everywhere.

  Kylie groaned as a car door slammed. She rushed to the sink, grabbing a hand full of paper towels. She wet a few and tossed them into Linc’s direction. “Lipstick,” was all she had time to say before she was scrubbing her face too.

  Another glance at the toaster told her that the lip gloss was gone. In its place was pink skin that was in competition with the rest of her flushed face and…she was sweating.

  Groaning, she wiped the paper towels under her arms. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.

  This was not how she’d envisioned meeting his mother. Or anyone.

  “Kylie…”

  She glanced over at Linc, and he had a “sorry” expression on his face.

  “What?”

  He pointed at the skirt of her dress. There was a stain. That kind of stain. The DNA kind that got Bill Clinton in big time trouble.

  “Oh, holy hell,” she breathed as she raced for the sink again, grabbing more paper towels as she dabbed furiously at herself.

  Did she smell like sex?

  She inhaled deeply. Yes. That was a definite yes.

  Groaning hard, she opened the cabinet where she’d spotted a bottle of vanilla on her failed pancake attempt just that morning. Opening the bottle, she poured some in her hands, rubbing them together before patting them on her neck, her chest, her arms, and her legs.

  Great. Now, she smelled like a cake. Better than cu—

  The screen door slammed as Linc headed outside to greet his mother, giving her a few extra minutes to fret.

  She heard a woman’s ridiculously chipper voice talking a mile a minute. It was hard to believe Linc could be related to that.

  Kylie heard him say, “Mom, why’d you come all the way up here?”

  She couldn’t make out the answer. Only the sound of heels clicking on the wooden steps as the voice continued to chirp excitedly.

  Linc opened the door and a woman with carefully coiffed, burgundy-red hair stepped in, saying, “I didn’t catch you at a bad…” She froze when her gaze landed on Kylie. “Oh.” Her eyes traveled down to Kylie’s feet and back up again.

  Kylie struggled to keep her hands by her sides and the smile on her lips. “Hi.” The sound made even her own ears cringe.

  “My.” Mrs. Coulter turned to her son. “So, this is a bad time?”

  Oh, god. She knew about the sex. Kylie dropped her eyes to her cleavage. It was covered, but she suddenly felt buck naked.

  Deciding that if she didn’t introduce herself, it would only make her look guiltier, Kylie strode forward, striving for a confidence she didn’t feel. “Mrs. Coulter. Hi, how are you? It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Kylie. Linc is training my dog.”

  Kylie’s eyes shifted over to him. He looked like he wished he could slip between the floorboards. She would happily slide in beside him.

  Mrs. Coulter stared at Kylie, an astonished expression on her face. “Kylie?” She glared at her son reproachfully, who suddenly looked smaller, more bashful, his hands dug into the back pockets of his jeans. “I’m sorry. My son has told me nothing about you.”

  Forcing the smile to stay in place, Kylie said, “I can believe it. He doesn’t talk much at all, does he? Mimes talk more.”

  A miracle happened. Mrs. Coulter laughed, turning to her son to cup his face in both of her hands. “Isn’t that the truth?” Linc flinched the same way a little kid would from a mother trying to clean up a milk moustache. “My littlest has always been one of few words. Even more so now.”

  Kylie nearly laughed. Linc was many things, but “little” sure wasn’t one of them.

  Linc looked appalled, but still didn’t say anything, just rocked back and forth on his bare feet like a little boy. The little boy look kind of made him even sexier, like he needed any help with that.

  Linc’s mother was nothing like Kylie’d expected. She was wearing a bright yellow suit and matching pumps and seemed more like a senator’s wife. Her bright gold jewelry was tasteful, and her purse was designer, clearly expensive. She exuded wealth and sophistication. Next to her, Kylie felt underdressed and dowdy.

  Or maybe it was just the fact that, not five minutes ago, her “littlest” had been about to do some pretty raunchy things to Kylie’s body.

  Mrs. Coulter’s gaze flitted around Linc’s house, and Kylie’s heart skipped a beat as she scanned the wall where they’d just been…intimate. If her butt print had been shining from the beige paint, Kylie would have run for the hills.

  “I just stopped by to invite Linc to dinner tomorrow evening, but as long as you’re here, I might as well invite you too.”

  “Thank you,” Kylie said as L
inc cleared his throat. He looked about as excited for the invitation as one would be for an invitation to clean toilets. Knowing she was about to say the exact wrong thing, but unable to stop herself, she added, “Linc told me he’d bring me to meet you someday soon. I’ve been looking forward to it. I’ll put it on my calendar right now.”

  His mom’s smile widened. “Oh, Linky Dink, you shouldn’t have kept this one a secret.”

  Kylie giggled before she could stop herself. Linky Dink?

  In return, Linc gave Kylie the look of death. In the light of the kitchen, she could see a vein bulging on his temple and forced her lips back into a straight line.

  His mom shrugged. “But he always does,” she went on. “He had a few girlfriends in college, but since then? No one serious. We were beginning to wonder if—”

  Linc held up his hand and cleared his throat…loudly. “And I always tell you not to.” Kylie nearly groaned as he reached down and picked up the wet shirts still scattered on the floor. “Mom, I hope you didn’t come out just for—”

  “Well. I was hoping we could visit a little?” she said, coming up close to him and swiping a too long shard of wet brown hair off his forehead. He wiped it back down and stepped away.

  Each pore on his face practically groaned. “All right.”

  For a moment, Kylie felt very sorry for his mother. The grump needed to try a little harder. On the other hand, it was kind of nice to know that he didn’t just act that way with Kylie. This seemed to be his normal personality with most people.

  So why did she like him so much again?

  His beautiful eyes turned to her, and Kylie melted a little under his gaze. Oh yeah. That was it. Dickwad personality or not, this man did something to her that no man ever had.

  But more than the physical, the pain hiding beneath the gruff personality drew her to him in a way she couldn’t explain.

  She wanted to be the balm that healed him. If a man like him could be healed.

  And she had to believe that he could be.

  When the silence stretched, Kylie was the one to break it. Smiling at Linc, she made her feet move toward her purse, made her hands pull the strap onto her shoulder, made herself head over toward the door.

  “I’ll just be going,” she said, looking between mother and son. She met Linc’s gaze again. “See you tomorrow? You can text me, let me know what time you’ll be picking me up?”

  Linc blinked, like he was snapping out of some trance. He resembled a big ball of dread. “Sure. I’ll text you.”

  Kylie faced Mrs. Coulter, giving the woman her most charming smile. “Thank you so much for the invitation. I look forward to it.”

  “I’m glad you’re coming.” She stepped closer to her son, linking her arm around his. The movement screamed possessive. “See you then.”

  “Bye, Kylie.”

  That was it. Cold and clinical. Not even a smile to warm the dismissal.

  The door clacked closed behind her.

  In the fenced in yard, Vader was jumping and barking, deliriously happy at her appearance. She buried her face in his soft fur, refusing to cry.

  As she loaded the big dog in her car, accepting the smelly dog kisses, she was glad someone was happy to see her.

  13

  Kylie didn’t understand.

  As much as Linc wanted her with him, it wasn’t going to work.

  Not now. Not until he could get this—whatever this was going on in his head—sorted out. A few days ago, he thought they might have a chance. Clearly, his subconscious disagreed.

  And he sure as hell didn’t want her to meet his family. His ridiculous, stick-up-their-butts family, with whom he had absolutely nothing in common. She’d already gotten a small taste of it when she met his mother.

  Linky Dink? Really? His mother just had to go there?

  But that was just the beginning of his humiliation, he knew.

  Dammit. Why had he ever mentioned his family to Kylie in the first place?

  But he already knew the answer. He’d mentioned the Coulter clan before he’d damn near punched her in the face following his nightmare. He’d mentioned them when he felt hope for them as a couple…for himself, for that matter.

  His raised fist had changed all of that.

  Then why the hell was he sitting outside her apartment building, sweat dripping down his temples as anxiety twisted his guts. Why didn’t he just tell her that it was over? Why?

  He knew the answer to that too.

  As exasperating as Kylie was, she made him feel alive. She made him laugh. She made him hope. Which was a problem.

  Dammit. His mind was going in circles, like one of the lost kids he tried to find.

  He was already fifteen minutes late and had been avoiding Kylie’s texts all day. She’d sent him pictures of a couple outfits she was unsure about, and when he went to text her back, his fingers seemed frozen.

  He didn’t know what was wrong with him. He didn’t understand how his mind was working…or not working…whatever.

  Part of him wanted her to hate him. It would’ve been easier that way. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he seemed unable to stop himself from doing just that.

  Taking a deep breath, he reached for the door handle of his truck, then jumped like a sissy when the passenger door swung open and Kylie jumped into the seat.

  She gave him a cynical look, but it didn’t hold any heat. “You sure do know how to make a girl feel adored and special.” She reached for his phone sitting in the middle console and tapped the power button. The screen came to life. “Oh look, your phone works.” She tossed it back down. “Imagine that.”

  The comment made him laugh, and with that little sound, some of the tension drained from his shoulders.

  She was wearing one of her professional skirts, high heels, and a long sweater-looking coat, the deep purple doing something amazing to her skin. She looked damn good, and once again, Linc was struck with that familiar dichotomy of both wanting her and wanting to push her away.

  “Hi.” As if he was being pulled by a magnet, he leaned over and kissed her.

  She blushed and whispered against his mouth, “Hi.”

  He brushed a lose strand of hair from her cheek. “Sure you want to subject yourself to this?”

  She worried her lower lip between her teeth, and he wanted to lean in and bite it. “You make it sound like we’re heading to a torture chamber.”

  He snorted. “Close enough.”

  She snorted right back. “Maybe if you weren’t so cynical, you’d enjoy it.”

  He just stared at her. She was unbelievable. She was the one who’d said that she didn’t want a relationship. After what had happened the other night, he’d come to agree with her. And yet she wanted cutesy texts? To meet his parents?

  He wasn’t the only one to run hot and cold, he realized.

  “Don’t do this, Kylie,” Linc muttered, putting the truck in gear. “I’m a little wound up right now. I don’t have the energy. I have enough in my head as it is.”

  She was quiet for a moment. “Bad day?”

  Linc thought about the question. As far as he was concerned, it’d been a good day. He’d slept well, nightmare-free, and woken up late. No SAR calls had come in. He’d had one training class that went well. He should’ve been relaxed.

  “No,” he admitted. “Not bad, just dreading this.”

  “Will you tell me why?”

  His family simply drained his energy, and right now, he didn’t have the willpower to explain. “Not important. Let’s…just make this quick so we can leave.” Then something came to him. “Where’s Vader?”

  Kylie groaned. “I’m paying my dopehead neighbor to doggy sit. Vader will probably be high as a kite when I get home.”

  Linc snorted. “We might need to pick him up a snack on the way back to your place. He’ll have the munchies.”

  Kylie giggled, and the joy-filled sound did something to release some of the tension that had been building inside him all day.
Miracle upon miracle, she stayed quiet after that, seemingly content to watch the scenery pass by as they made the journey in silence.

  When he made the last turn, Kylie exclaimed, “Oh, Biltmore Forest! The woman whose case I’m working on lives here.”

  Linc glanced over at her, and it occurred to him that he’d been so wrapped up in his own shit that he hadn’t asked her about her day. Her life. Her feelings.

  Shit.

  The last they’d talked about her job, she was in the midst of typing all those shitty reports. “A case?”

  She nodded. “Remember the woman who called while we were in the barn?” She bobbed her eyebrows at him, making him smile.

  “Yeah, I remember.”

  “Well, at first, Greg told me I couldn’t take the case, but when she called back again, he agreed that I, Kylie Hatfield, should take the lead.”

  Linc gave her a skeptical glance.

  Kylie huffed, but she was still smiling. “Seriously this time. It’s nothing too crazy, just embezzlement, but I went to the elderly woman’s home and we went through the reasons she believed someone was stealing from her. She has a case and I agreed to take it on. So…” she held her hands to her chest, practically beaming, “I officially have my first client, with Greg’s blessing. I’m excited.”

  As she spoke, Linc felt like the biggest asshole on earth. Whether or not he and Kylie could ever be together as a couple, they were friends. And friends didn’t treat friends the way he’d been treating her.

  “Wow. Kylie, that’s great. Sounds like your boss is really starting to appreciate you.” He reached over and stroked the back of her neck gently. “Look at you. You’ve been right all along. Investigation is your calling.”

  She smiled, looking deeply pleased at the compliment. “Yeah. I have a long list of names to investigate, so I’m going to be pretty busy. But I’m dying to get started and—”

  Linc held up a hand. “Don’t say ‘dying.’”

  Kylie laughed, which made him laugh, even though he’d been very serious. Maybe the reason he was having nightmares was because Kylie with her rumbustious nature was giving him PTSD on top of his PTSD.