Lying for Love

by Jocelyn Dex

  His heart sank when Gina shifted. “Don’t go,” he whispered, his voice choked by the lump in his throat. “Forgive me and stay.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes, glistening as they streaked down her cheek. He leaned closer, kissing each one away.

  “I need time.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

  He shook his head. “We—I’ve—wasted too much time already. Forgive me, Gina. And let this be a new start for us.”

  “Do you…” She closed her eyes and snuffled in a breath before opening them and continuing. “Are you really in love with me?”

  Cupping either side of her face, he looked directly into her eyes and tried to project the intense emotion he felt for her. “I’m desperately in love with you, Gina. You are my world, my air. This last week without you—I felt like I was suffocating.”

  Fresh tears spilled over her lashes. The doubt clouding her eyes ate at him, even more so because he knew it was his lie that put it there.

  “My deepest desire is that, maybe, one day, you’ll feel the same for me.” He stroked her cheek. “I will never lie to you again, Gina, never.” He wished she would say something, anything. Her silence was killing him, but he didn’t want to push too hard for fear of scaring her away again.

  Even though it wasn’t what he wanted, he put his wants aside and said, “I shouldn’t have held you back. If you need time, take it. I’ll wait for you, Gina. As long as it takes, I’ll always wait for you.”

  He pressed a light kiss to her forehead and tried to ignore the pain lancing his heart as he waited for her to walk out of his life again.

  She stared at him for long, torturous moments. Tension saturated the air between them. Finally, she said, “I loved you, as my best friend, after knowing you for only a month. A couple months ago, I realized I was looking at you differently, wanting things from you, from our relationship, that I didn’t think was possible. I tried convincing myself that I was emotional or horny or anything other than…” She shuddered as she drew in a harsh breath then let it out slowly. “Other than dealing with the fact I had fallen deeply in love with you.”

  Miles’ lung seized. Had he heard her correctly? Surely not. He couldn’t be that lucky, shouldn’t be that lucky. For her to want him sexually was mind-blowing, for her to be in love with him was too incredible to believe. “Say it again,” he breathed, cupping her face in both hands. “Please, say it again.”

  “Promise you’ll never lie to me again, Miles. Not about anything.”

  “Never, Gina. I promise. I can’t lose you. Especially not now.”

  She swallowed hard. “I’m serious. It would devastate me. With you…I just couldn’t take it.”

  “I understand. I’d rather die than ever hurt you…again.”

  Minutes ticked by as her amber eyes seemed to peer into his soul, searching for the truth of his words. A slight change came over her, almost imperceptible, and he wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad sign.

  Drawing circles on his chest with her finger, she asked, “What if I gain twenty pounds and ask you if my butt looks fat in my jeans?”

  He choked on a cry-laugh. She was joking with him in her very Gina-like way. Definitely a good sign. “I’ll never think your ass looks anything other than enticing, delicious even.”

  Her eyebrows narrowed, lips thinning. Okay, yeah, she was joking but also serious.

  “Fine,” he amended. “I’ll divert and simply suggest we work off the extra pounds…in bed.” There it was, the smile that brightened his day, took his breath away, made his world worth living. “But…extra pounds or not, in my eyes, you will always be the most gorgeous creature on earth.”

  “Great answer,” she said as she pressed her lips to his. “Prove it. Convince me how much you love me, how gorgeous I am in your eyes.” Her hand slid down his chest, stomach, and kept going until she gripped his cock.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said as he claimed her lips.

  * * * *

  Two months later…

  “Miles, be careful!” Gina exclaimed. “You’re gonna make him seasick.”

  He carried Mewz’s cat house with Mewz inside, swinging it to and fro by his side.

  He grimaced and peeked through the slats in the carrier. “Sorry, buddy.” Once at Gina’s side, he kissed her cheek. “Sorry. I’m just so happy. Wasn’t thinking.”

  “Well, if he pukes, you’re cleaning it up.” She laughed at the look of horror that contorted his face, picked up another box, and lugged it into Miles’ living room. After carrying the last box in, she dropped it, sat on it, and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

  Moving sucked, but it certainly sucked less when you were moving in with the person you loved. He’d asked her to move in with him once a week since the day they’d first made love. She’d said, “not yet” every time, not wanting to rush into it. He worried that it was because she still didn’t trust him, worried she thought he might turn into the other men who’d hurt her, but that wasn’t the case. Gina had forgiven Miles and trusted him as much, if not more, than she had before. Two months later, she’d finally agreed.

  Miles set the cat carrier down and opened the door. Mewz stuck his head out and gave the air a good sniff before sauntering out, rubbing around Gina’s legs, rubbing around Miles’ legs, then taking off to explore the rest of the house. He’d love it here where he had more space to make his own.

  “Well?” Miles asked.

  “Well what?”

  “How does it feel to move into your new home?”

  She shrugged and twisted her lips. “Eh, it’s okay.”

  His incredulous look was quickly replaced with a smile as he snatched her up and twirled her around. “Tell me you’re excited, happy,” he demanded with mock severity.

  She laughed. “Okay, okay. Stop spinning before I get seasick.”

  His face took on a serious expression as he set her down, but he didn’t let her go. “You are happy, aren’t you?”

  Rising up on her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed into his green eyes. “Happier than I ever imagined possible.”

  “Let’s see if I can improve upon that.” Taking her hand, he led her to the kitchen. “Notice anything different?”

  Looking around at the walls, cabinets, table, she didn’t see anything new, anything out of place. She shook her head. “No. What?”

  He sighed, grinned, and tilted his head toward the back door.

  It took a couple seconds to register in her brain. “Oh! You installed a cat door for Mewz? When?”

  “Yesterday after you went home. You like it?”

  “Yes! Mewz will love it!” He’d always loved being outside, watching the birds and squirrels, his tail flicking wildly as he made odd chattering noises. “But what if he gets out and gets lost?” She’d only ever let him out while wearing a harness and the thought of him running around wild worried her.

  His smile widened as he opened the back door and waved her on. She stepped out, her eyes bugging. The patio, where there used to be just a large cement floor, four posts and a roof, was now screened in. In one corner was the fanciest litter box she’d ever seen. In the opposite corner, a tree-like cat climber reached all the way to the ceiling. Five different perches at different levels were available to Mewz for optimal bird watching.

  He’d also bought a small wooden table and four matching chairs with fat, blue cushions for them. She did a little jump and squeal before hugging him. “I love it! Mewz will love it. This is so great. You did this too?”

  “No. One of the neighbors down the road is a contractor. He brought a couple guys over and knocked it out in no time while I did the shopping.”

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gazed into his adoring eyes. If she lived forever, she was certain she’d never find another man as wonderful as Miles. Even though she’d suffered heartache and pain in the past, she was glad for it because those failed relationships had brought her to him. If soul mates existed, he was definitely hers.
r />   “You know,” she said, “I love you.”

  He winked at her and slid an arm down her back to rest on her butt, giving it a little squeeze. “Prove it.”

  She grinned and ground her hips against him. Proving it was something she’d be more than happy to do for the rest of her days.

  “Hold that thought.” When she pouted, he added, “Just for a minute. I have one more surprise for you.”

  “Another surprise? How much could you have accomplished after me leaving at noon yesterday?”

  “Come see.” He threaded his fingers through hers and led her down the hallway to the office he used to store junk. “Close your eyes.” She complied and heard him open the door, and then he urged her forward a few steps. “Okay. Open them.”

  “Oh, you…this is…wow.” She bounced up and down on her toes as she took the room in. He’d added a large TV against one wall, a futon—covered with Dallas Cowboys pillows—in front of the TV. Next to the TV sat a mini-refrigerator decorated with the Cowboys star and a matching trash can next to it.

  Her computer desk, that he’d moved a few days earlier, was on the opposite side of the room facing the window that looked into the back yard. Atop the desk sat a picture of her and Miles that they’d taken of themselves the first time they’d gone to Jack’s bar for beers. He’d framed it in a Cowboys’ logo art glass frame.

  “You know I basically used this room to store junk, so I cleaned it out, added a few items I thought you’d like and figured you could add whatever else you wanted to it. Your very own football paradise.”

  She turned to him, tears forming in her eyes, his thoughtfulness touching her. Hugging him to her, she said, “Thank you. It’s perfect. I feel bad though. With all the packing, I didn’t get anything special for you.”

  He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “Are you kidding me? You’ve already given me the most special gift of all.”

  She tilted her head, sending him a questioning look.

  “You forgave me, gave me your trust, your love, and made me the happiest man in the world.” He brushed a soft kiss against her lips. “Now”—he winked—“let’s get back to that thought you were holding.”

  The End

  Publisher’s Note

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  About Jocelyn Dex

  Jocelyn Dex is a multi-published author of erotic paranormal romance and sizzling contemporary romance. She resides in hot-as-hell Texas and shares her home with her very own six-foot-four alpha male and varying numbers of spoiled cats and dogs.

  She thinks dragonflies are awesome, spiders are creepy, and it’s rumored that she sleeps with a machete by her bed in case zombies attack in the middle of the night.

  Jocelyn loves to write romances with humor, lust, love, and four-letter words on the way to a HEA. Romance your pants off at www.JocelynDex.com.