The Pretender

by HelenKay Dimon

  Harris put his hand on top of hers. She could feel the anger zipping around inside of him. Tension pulled at the corners of his eyes and snapped his shoulders to sharp attention. He didn’t even know Tabitha and he hated hearing that she’d been used. That was who he was. He might think he was only interested in sex—no strings—but the guy reached out. In this case, both physically and emotionally.

  “I was tied to a chair and blindfolded. At times they put headphones on me and other times they took them off. I had no idea how much time passed or when it would all end. The pleading didn’t work. Neither did threatening them.” Her voice choked off.

  His warm hand closed over hers. The now familiar feel of his thumb rubbing over her hand, caressing her, broke through. She grabbed on to that lifeline.

  “I was gone and at some point Tabitha realized it wasn’t a game and I wasn’t playing.”

  Harris leaned in closer. “Did she tell your parents?”

  “No. She panicked. Shut down. Apparently hid in a closet for days, or that’s the family rumor.” Gabby purposely blocked those details to get through her private hell. She had to be selfish and not take on Tabitha’s guilt and pain, too. “I was gone but by the time I got back she’d changed. She was so quiet.”

  Harris made a humming noise as he traced a lazy pattern over her palm. “You figured it out and you protected her.”

  Who knew that simple touch could be so reassuring? It was as if his fingers telegraphed his belief in her. The hold took some of the long-festering hurt away.

  “Growing up I did the big sister thing and ignored her sometimes and told her to go away other times.”

  “But, Gabby. Come on.”

  She knew what else he wanted to say. That there was no excuse. But after being told how she’d messed up in the family for so long it was one more fact that gave the accusations credence. In her head she’d failed Tabitha. She hadn’t pushed her parents back or rescued Tabitha from the suffocation. For a long time she looked at the kidnapping as her penance for not living up to everyone’s expectations of who she should be.

  “The accusations about me staging the whole thing took hold. The kidnappers hadn’t really thought it through and they fought instead of making the ransom call. They panicked and yelled at each other. When a bunch of them went on a beer run, one let me go. Kept me blindfolded and dropped me on the side of the road, but I was free.”

  “And since I’ve read the accounts in the news, I know none of them are in jail, which pisses me off.” The simmering fury was right there in Harris’s voice.

  “Getting the police to believe friends of friends kidnapped me and messed it up, but I was innocent, was not an easy sell. Almost immediately, Uncle Stephen confessed to having doubts.” She wrapped both hands around Harris’s and held on. “My parents tried to support me, but then they lost faith, too. I can’t blame them since my story did bounce around. It was hard to be convincing once I admitted to joking about a kidnapping.”

  “Tabitha never told them the truth.”

  “When she was sixteen she finally confessed to me. She was so different by then. Her carefree childhood gone. I couldn’t imagine how she’d survive that level of scrutiny and the massive disappointment they would all level at her. It was one thing for the family to turn on me. I could take it. In her state, I didn’t think she could.” She closed her eyes, hearing her sister’s pleading. “So I convinced her not to speak out.”

  “You played the role of bad guy. Permanently.” He shook his head as a note of disgust moved into his voice. “And your parents never questioned. Never realized.”

  She had been so angry for so many years about that. It was one thing for her to protect Tabitha. Gabby viewed that as her job . . . But no one stepped up to protect her. “It was easier.”

  “Not for you.”

  God, yes. That was it. No one made it better for her. Saying it, even thinking it, made her selfish so she stuffed it down deep inside for so long. But that was the point. She still harbored all this frustration and anger, ran from the money and the Wright name, because no one bothered to believe in her.

  “What did she bury in the wall that you were so desperate to retrieve?” Harris asked in his calm, compelling way.

  There was no need to hide this part. She’d unraveled the lie. Whatever vow she’d made to her sister now lay in tatters. She knew that should eat at her, possibly destroy her, but all she felt was this crashing wave of relief. A sense of having the pounding weight lifted, if only for a short time.

  “We both did it. She showed me the map she drew and copies of notes she had with the guy who was in on it and duped her.” He’d been dumb enough to write it down. The papers had other handwriting on them. She assumed someone might be able to use it to connect the map to all the perpetrators, but that could also trickle back to Tabitha, so Gabby didn’t want to use the documents. “I wanted to burn it all. She insisted we bury it in case the police did come for me one day and I needed the proof of my innocence.”

  Confusion moved into his eyes. “You were digging it up to take to the police or to clear your name?”

  “No, I wanted to destroy it all, once and for all. Make sure no one ever saw it.” Finally bury the past so that she could try to move on.

  “And whatever happened to this ringleader?”

  “Long gone. It’s not him doing this. There’s no reason for him to do it.” Gordon was smart enough to stay out west. She would know if he ever lost that sense of self-preservation. So long as he stayed on his turf, she wouldn’t shake up his world. “Saving Tabitha meant saving the rest of them, some of whom I didn’t even know because I never saw their faces or heard them talk. To this day I know two guys who were in on it but not the rest. There really is no reason for any of them to be worried. I’ve proved with a decade of silence that I have no interest in pursuing this.”

  “The next time you try to tell me that you don’t feel anything, I’m going to remind you of this moment.”

  She felt shattered, literally blown into pieces. She didn’t want to remember anything about this talk. “I don’t understand.”

  He lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of hers. “A woman who goes to those lengths to save her baby sister isn’t numb. If anything, you might feel too much.”

  “Don’t make me into a martyr, Harris. I set the entire kidnapping in motion by being a spoiled brat.” That was the piece she had to live with. Who she was back then.

  “By being human.” He rested their joined hands on his thigh. “You’re willing to cut Tabitha a lot of slack. Maybe do that for yourself.”

  “If I thought back then that throwing her butt in juvenile hall would have saved her today, I would have done it.” That truth hit her the day they buried Tabitha. All those attempts by her parents to keep Tabitha safe might have gotten her killed. She had skills, but not the ability to ward off an attacker with a knife.

  “Of course. Because you’re decent and loving.”

  “Harris, don’t.” All that emotion she claimed not to feel rushed to the surface. The tears she’d held back pooled in her eyes.

  He brushed a hand over her hair. “You’re a survivor. It’s one of the sexiest things about you.”

  “You still think I’m sexy after all that? I feel like a washed-out dishrag.” Probably looked like one, too. Her muscles ached as if she had the flu. From the dry mouth to the ache in her stomach, she’d been wiped out. Offering all of that information left her dizzy and ready for a three-year nap.

  But she could see warmth and, yes, affection in his eyes. It thrummed off him. Not pity. No, this was something deeper, bigger. Something that didn’t make her shrivel up and feel pathetic. This came from strength and it empowered her in a moment when energy had abandoned her.

  His hand slipped down and his fingers wrapped around her neck, keeping her there with a gentle hold. “It’s taking all my restraint not to take you to bed right now.”

  A very different sensation moved thr
ough her. “Don’t.”

  Some of the tension pinging between them vanished and he started to pull away. “Okay.”

  “I mean don’t restrain yourself.” She put a hand on his knee and let it travel higher. “Act on it.”

  Chapter 16

  She felt free. Gabby couldn’t remember the last time her heart soared when someone kissed her or her stomach jumped when a man’s palm traveled up her thigh. Both happened now.

  After sorting through old horrors, a new feeling settled in her. Hunger. For him.

  She leaned over, letting her mouth hover over his cheek. She didn’t touch him at first. She inhaled. Let the charged distance pull them in deeper. Then the room spun around her. He had her off the coffee table and on his lap. His hands traveled over her back as their lips met.

  The kiss shocked her as it had every time. He didn’t linger. He dove in and took over. Told her with his lips that he wanted her and couldn’t hold back.

  The need coursing through him was the sexiest thing ever. He didn’t play games or hide the way his body readied for her. His erection pressed against her thigh as his fingers clenched and unclenched against the material of her shirt.

  The baseball style T-shirt he wore had her concentration cutting out. It fit snug over his biceps and chest but hung loose near his belt. It showed off every bulge and every line. Highlighted his lean stomach and gave her a peek of the elastic band of his underwear sticking out of the top of his jeans.

  This man made unsexy white cotton hot. Hell, he made everything look good.

  She had no idea what he really did for a living. He studied the artwork in the main house with a lot of interest, but that could all be for show. It didn’t matter to her because here, now, on the couch with her thighs pressing against his, clothes and careers were the last thing on her mind.

  Her fingers went to the buttons on her shirt. She got the first undone, then the second. At the third he leaned forward and pressed his mouth against her skin. Nibbled a little bite then sucked on the skin where he’d just inflicted the sensual torture.

  The move made her weak. She grabbed on to his forearms for balance as his mouth toured her chest. Just as his lips dipped down and his tongue slipped along the edge of her bra, he shifted again. He licked up her neck then went higher. When he hit that sensitive space behind her ear and blew a hot breath across her skin a tremor ran through her. She almost jackknifed off his lap.

  “That is so fucking sexy,” he said with a deep voice that vibrated through her.

  Without missing a beat, his hands slipped to her waist and held her steady. She refused to give in that easily. She rocked her hips from side to side, grinding her body against his until she heard him moan.

  Those long fingers tightened on her waist and he brushed his lips over hers. “Much more of that and this will end early.”

  That was all the incentive she needed. Oh, she wanted to savor every minute, but there was something so tantalizing about watching him squirm. About seeing that admirable control seep away from him.

  “How does this feel?” She rotated her hips, pressing the V of her thighs against his length.

  “You are playing a dangerous game.”

  “You.” She kissed his neck. “Should.” Her mouth moved to his chin. “Teach me a lesson.”

  Her mouth met his and an explosion of need fired off in her brain. Heat flushed through her as his tongue met hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers slid through his hair. She pulled his body closer, aching to feel his chest rub over hers.

  Through it all, her hips kept moving. She practically rode him through his jeans. Lifted her hips up and down, sliding over his bulge, tempting him. Destroying her control in the process.

  His breathing kicked up and a desperate panting filled the room. When his fingers skimmed under her shirt to the clasp at the front of her bra she almost shouted for joy. She needed his touch. Wasn’t sure how she’d survived the last fourteen months without any meaningful human contact.

  He peeled the cups of the bra down and stared at her. He did not try to hide the heat in his eyes or the appreciation in that smile. His gaze roamed all over her. Then he bent down and took her nipple in his mouth.

  Her head fell back and her body tensed. She could hear his kisses, feel them. Smell the need building between them.

  She lowered her head until her mouth grazed his ear. “I want to ride you.”

  “Fuck yes.” He mumbled the words against her breast.

  She was convinced he’d make her wait, keep torturing her with that tongue. But in one fluid move, he rose to his feet with her body wrapped around him. She linked her ankles behind his back and let them drop down to his butt. As her body adjusted to fit against his, she grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and dragged it up his back.

  She fumbled to get him naked as they walked. He headed for the bedroom, kissing her with each step. She marveled at how he could concentrate. If she had to lift a pillow right now she wasn’t sure she could do it. All of her energy had centered on getting her shirt open. Now she put it into getting his off.

  The kissing, the touching. Hands sliding over each other as their breathing failed. The tension pounding between them ratcheted up. She’d lost the ability to think. All she wanted was his hands on her and her legs open on the bed.

  “I’m going to make it last.” This time she bit down on his earlobe. Sucked it between her teeth until he hissed.

  His shoulder smacked into the doorjamb, but the uncharacteristically clumsy move didn’t stop him. He bounced and kept going. He fell back on the mattress, turning and twisting so his body took the brunt of their weight. The move left her sprawled on top of him. A sexy friction had them both gasping as they moved over each other.

  “Gabby.” He put his palms on the sides of her head and pushed her hair back. “I’m going to make you beg.”

  That was exactly what she wanted. “Get to it.”

  He lifted up just long enough to push his shirt the rest of the way up and off. He flipped their bodies before the material hit the floor. One second she stared down at him; now he hovered over her. His heat seeped into her. His energy melted into hers. The wild frenzy of hands and stripping and clothes hitting the floor came next.

  With her shirt and bra off, he brought his chest down against her. The sensation ripped through her. She couldn’t touch him enough or get him undressed fast enough. Her hands hit against his as he tried to unzip his pants. He got it partway down and she took care of the rest. She’d use her teeth if she had to.

  Just when she resolved to do just that, he sat up. He rose over her, straddling her. His hand spanned her stomach. He stared at her pale skin against the tan of his. Once again she wanted to know who he really was and where he’d been. That skin tone. Who’d given it to him? The woman whose choices shaped him. The countries he’d seen. She didn’t have the breath to ask, but what little air she had managed to drag into her lungs rushed out again when his hand traveled lower.

  Without a word he unfastened her pants. Slipped one button after the other out of their holes. Dragged the material down with one tug. She wanted to help him kick off her shoes, but she couldn’t spare the energy. Her breathing stayed shallow and her gaze followed those expert fingers as he did all the work.

  One shoe thudded against the floor. Then the other. He threw the pants off the bed. When he leaned down she held her breath, not sure what he planned next. The top of his pants hung open and his bulge pushed against the briefs underneath. She was about to reach out and caress him when his eyes met hers. Heat simmered between them. That same attraction that had sparked between them the minute she saw him shot off the charts.

  She wanted him. Not just here. Not just for a day or two. She wanted to get to know him. To have the right to touch him whenever she felt the need.

  She couldn’t say the words. Even having the thoughts sent a spike into the moment. She blinked, trying to figure out when pure sex had morphed into something deeper. B
ut before the panic could take hold he kissed her through her underwear. Rubbed his cheek against her then fixed his mouth to her. Pushed her legs up and open and dropped down between them.

  His fingers slipped under the elastic band of her underwear. Kept going until the tips skimmed over her. The brushing, back and forth, had her hips lifting off the bed. Her head flipped from side to side on the comforter as his hand traveled under the silky cloth. She heard a ripping sound but it barely registered. When his mouth touched her bare skin, she seriously thought about never wearing underwear again.

  She said his name on a soft moan. “God, Harris. Yes.”

  His fingers danced over her and his tongue swept inside her. She had no idea where her clothes went and didn’t care. This moment was about him and her and how much they needed to come together.

  Looking down the bed, she glimpsed his dark hair on the top of his head. Saw him concentrate on pleasuring her, and she wanted to return that feeling. Slowly, she closed her legs, brought her thighs tight against the sides of his head, and her hand reached down. She grabbed a handful of hair and gave a little tug.

  He looked up. Her wetness clung to his full lips.

  He really was the sexiest man she’d ever seen. Attractive in way that men and women would notice. Sleek and comfortable in his own skin. Alive with energy and wild when his clothes came off.

  “Get on your back.” She heard her rough voice give the order.

  For a second he lay there . . . then he smiled. That sexy grin lit up his face as he crawled over her body. This was not a subtle climb either. No, he brushed his chest over hers. Slid a knee up her inner thigh. This was a takeover in the best sense of the word. He let her lead, but he made it clear this was what they both wanted.

  And she couldn’t wait another second.

  She waited until he was eye level with her then she pushed him on his back. Getting him there didn’t take much effort. Keeping him there took none. But he wasn’t the submissive type. His hands found her breasts and he teased and caressed them. His fingers circled her nipples as she reached over for a condom.