Little White Lie

by Madison Night

  “What is it, Syd?”

  “Something from the Fairmont,” she said, shrugging again. “Since when do they send out gifts?”

  She lifted the lid off the box and peered inside. Her heart began pumping furiously. Nestled in rose-colored tissue paper was one of the chandelier earrings she had left at Caleb’s chalet. A wash of emotion overtook her and she immediately tried to rein it in.

  “What, what, what?” Theo asked. “What’d you get?”

  She held up the earring, dangling it in mid-air.

  “Someone sent you earrings?”

  “Just one.”

  He winged an eyebrow. “One earring? Isn’t that kind of, oh, you know, useless?”

  She grinned. “What can I say? I’m special.”

  “Yes, Syd. Yes, you are.” He crossed his eyes and tapped his temple, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.

  Syd threw back her head and laughed. “Jerk. I lost a pair of earrings at the hotel,” she fibbed. “I guess they only found one, so sent it back.”

  He waved his hand in the air. “Congrats on getting an earring back, then. This is cause for celebration, and I’m hungry. Let me grab some food from the kitchen.” He kissed the top of Syd’s head as he walked past her on the way to the back.

  As soon as Theo was out of sight, Sydney opened the box again and picked up the second business card that was hidden inside, tucked under the jewelry. She took a deep breath and flipped it over, her heart thundering in her ears. There was a phone number and, beneath that, a simple line.

  I’m holding the other one ransom till you call me.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Syd had been home and settled for less than five minutes when the doorbell rang.

  “Fuck,” she muttered, intuitively knowing exactly who was waiting for her on the other side of that white door. She tucked a barking Puff under her arm and moved into the foyer.

  She opened the door and frowned. “It’s not even six o’clock, Brett,” she said, exasperated. “You’re not supposed to be here till—”

  “Yes, well, my schedule changed,” he interrupted.

  “And you couldn’t have at least called?”

  “Why should I?” He pushed his way past her into the house.

  “Well, gee, come right on in,” Syd said, dramatically rolling her eyes. She closed the door behind him then bent to put Puff back on the floor. The minute her tiny paws touched the tile she shot off after Brett, barking and yapping up at him, trying to nip at his toes.

  “Nikoleta, when are you going to get rid of this stupid thing?” Brett asked angrily, trying to get away from the frisky little Pomeranian.

  “Never,” Syd answered, her voice matter-of-fact.

  “Let’s see if I can speed that up,” Brett said, bringing his foot back, threatening to kick Puff.

  Syd scooped her up and cradled her protectively. “Don’t even think about it, Hudson,” she ground out through gritted teeth.

  He kept his eyes on her, his face set in stone. Silence echoed through the foyer as they stared at each other.

  Syd studied Brett. There had been a time, many years ago, when she’d considered him handsome, and technically speaking he still was in the physical sense. Back in their university years Brett Hudson was self-assured and exciting, rich and eager to flaunt it. Sydney had easily fallen for Brett’s bright blue eyes and confident smile. He had been sweet, funny, romantic and she was sure she’d been in love with him. Brett’s mother and sister loved her dearly and everyone was certain they would end up getting married one day. Nearly a year into their courtship, though, Brett had changed. She was never really sure what had happened or what had triggered such a sudden change, but he had, seemingly overnight, become someone she couldn’t allow herself to be with, no matter how strongly she felt for him. A controlling, nearly abusive nature had surfaced, and Syd’s emotions had done an about-face. She’d gotten the hell out of their relationship and away from him.

  Funny how things work out.

  “Where’s your engagement ring?” he demanded, startling her out of her reverie.

  “I took it in to get cleaned.” She prayed he’d accept the lie without question.

  He grunted in response. “We need to talk about last week and your business trip to Banff. All those times I called and you didn’t answer—where were you, really?”

  “I told you this already, Brett. I was getting some R and R in. I was wiped out and I took a chill day, which meant not only tearing myself away from the restaurants, but also tearing myself away from my phone.” Syd bent and put the little dog back on the floor, who immediately ran to Brett and resumed her barking. “Puff, no,” Sydney whispered.

  The dog glanced at her owner and ceased immediately. Puff padded over to Syd and sat beside her, guarding her and glaring at Brett menacingly, letting out a soft chuff now and then. Once false move and she’d be set right off again. “Good girl,” Syd murmured as she leaned to stroke Puff’s back.

  Brett gawked at her, eyes slightly bugged out. “You mean you could’ve controlled that fluffy rat every time I’ve been here?”

  She nodded. “Of course.”

  “And you didn’t? You just let her try to bite me?” he asked incredulously.

  Syd smirked. “Of course.”

  “Let’s get something straight here, Nikki,” Brett said through clenched teeth, taking a step toward her. “You belong to me. You do what I say, when I say.”

  As he approached her she backed up, matching his pace.

  “You go where I tell you to go.”

  Her back hit the wall and she froze, realizing she had nowhere else to escape.

  Puff let out a low warning growl.

  “You’re going to be my wife, and you will act as such. No more of this bullshit. You’re mine, Nikki,” he said, pressing up against her. “Mine.” He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her and thrusting his tongue inside.

  Syd bit down…hard.

  Brett pulled away, shocked at the pain.

  “Get your fucking hands off me, Brett. I’m not your wife yet and I’m most certainly not your property. I don’t want you touching me, kissing me, or making any type of advance on me until I say I do.” She took a step forward, making Brett back up this time. Puff blew air out of her nostrils, seemingly in support of Syd’s words.

  Syd stood straighter and held her head high. “Get out.”

  He leered at her angrily. “You’re lucky I’ve always loved the fire in you, Nikki. Otherwise, right about now, I’d be going to your dear father to tell him to start packing for Greece and pull the plug on the whole thing.” He spat blood from his bitten tongue onto the floor. “And you know what that means, don’t you?”

  Her shoulders sagged. “Yes, Brett, I do, believe me.” She shook her head and sighed in resignation. “Look, I’m trying here, I really am. You have to admit the situation isn’t exactly…orthodox. What you’re doing, Brett, deep inside somewhere you have to understand this isn’t right.”

  “The only thing that matters is I get what I want. Learn to control that attitude of yours, or it will be your undoing—and your family’s.”

  “Well, if you want me, all of me, my heart and soul, you can’t be like this. I see how you are, Brett. I understand you like to be in control. You’re in charge, I get it. But you forcing yourself on me like you did, it doesn’t make things better or easier. It pushes me even further away.”

  “And when we’re married?” he asked stiffly.

  “When we’re husband and wife, we’ll act like husband and wife,” she answered, her stomach roiling at the thought. “Maybe, by that point, things will have changed.”

  That placated him for the moment, and his boiling anger was reduced to a mere simmer. “I still have a right to keep tabs on where you are.”

  Syd winced. “I’m sorry, but not really. I don’t need to report in to you, as fiancée or wife.”

  “But—”

  “For God’s sake, Brett, I’m incred
ibly aware of what’s going on here and what’s at stake. I’m not stupid and I won’t mess it up. You have to see that.” She moved closer to him and placed her palm on his chest, fighting the urge to vomit. “And,” she continued, “how can you ever expect to really win my heart back if you keep acting like a caveman?”

  His face softened and for a fleeting moment he reminded her of the old Brett from days gone by. Now would be an opportune time to get him off her back.

  “Brett, you really don’t need to keep tabs on me. I’m not a child. You can trust me.” She looked at her feet, frowning.

  “Yeah, well, it’s easy for you to tell me I don’t need to, but you’re my property and I do need to keep tabs on you at all times.” His voice held little conviction—it was as if his old self and his controlling nature were warring within him.

  She peeked up at him through her thick lashes and whispered, “But that’s exactly it, Brett. I’m not your property—I’m a woman.”

  He covered her hand with his and genuine affection shone in his eyes for a brief moment. “Yes, that you are.”

  “Then respect me as a woman, Brett. Treat me like one, like you used to. Don’t treat me like I’m some sort of prize.” That would be a tall order. For the past decade, respect for anyone other than himself had been a concept foreign to Brett.

  He nodded slowly. “I’m going to visit my parents in Florida this weekend.”

  “Should I be expecting calls from you every two minutes?” It was apparent it took everything he had to shake his head. “Thank you. I won’t see you for a bit—I’m in Seattle on Monday for the majority of the week. I’ll call you next week and update you on how things are going, okay?”

  He nodded and headed to the front door, ready to leave. Syd bent to pick up Puff, lest she escape and chase Brett down the driveway once he opened the door. When Brett leaned in to try to kiss Sydney goodbye, the dog warned him off.

  “I’ll be in touch,” he said stiffly, opening the door.

  “Brett, wait!” Syd put the dog back on the floor and moved closer to Brett, giving him a light kiss on the cheek.

  He blinked at her. “Um. Right. Speak with you next week then.”

  As soon as the door was shut behind him, Syd’s body went weary from the stress of the past ten minutes. She went into the living room and collapsed onto the sofa. Puff jumped into her lap and Syd began to scratch her behind the ears.

  “You’re such a good girl,” she cooed. “Protecting Mommy. Trying to keep the bad man away.” She reached for her purse and pulled out the small gold box from the Fairmont, and the card within it. “Now this,” she said, waving the card at the dog, “This is a man you’d never have to growl at. He’s a gentleman. He’s sweet and kind and gentle.” There was the familiar sting of tears. “He knows how to treat a woman. He made me forget all this bad stuff. He made Mommy happy, if only for a day.”

  Puff sniffed the card and gave the edge a quick lick, grinning up at Syd.

  Syd laughed and hugged the little dog. “You like him, eh?” she asked. “Yeah, me, too.”

  She leaned back against the sofa and reflected on what had transpired with Brett. Pretending to be interested in rekindling a romantic relationship with Brett had appeared to calm him a bit and get him off her back. She was sick to her stomach at the thought of touching him, let alone anything else, but it seemed to be what he wanted to hear. The illusion she’d ever love him again was something he wanted to hold on to desperately, and if pretending she could regain those feelings bought her time and made him ease up on her, then she had to do what she had to do.

  She thought back on what she’d said to him.

  ‘How can you win my heart back?’

  ‘You can trust me.’

  She picked up Puff, turned the little face to her own and whispered, “And the Oscar goes to…”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Caleb, I’m at your place and you’re not answering the door, dude. We had a date, remember? You’re not standing me up, are you, because, if you are, I swear, I’m going to have to break up with you. I will not be treated with such disrespect.”

  Caleb cursed under his breath. “Fuck, PJ, I totally forgot you were coming over. I’m sorry, bro.”

  “Well, stop being sorry and get your ass back here. We have a shit-ton of writing to do for the next album. I’ll wait for you on the back deck. If you’re lucky I might even put on that frilly little pink piece you like so much, baby,” Pat added, in a mock-seductive tone.

  “Um, yeah, as appealing as that sounds coming from my brother,” Caleb began, taking one hand off the steering wheel and scratching his head. “I, um… I’m kind of not in the country at the moment.”

  “You’re what? Where the hell are you, man?”

  “Vancouver.”

  “You are not!” Pat laughed. “You sly bastard, you’re going to try to find little Miss Sydney after all.”

  Caleb’s face burned. “I sort of…already found her. I took your advice and spoke to someone at the Fairmont.”

  “Wow, you work fast. I knew you couldn’t resist—your boner for her hasn’t let up since you got back from Banff,” PJ joked.

  “Yes, yes, you can rub this whole situation in my face when I’m back in town.”

  “Which will be when, exactly?”

  “It depends on how things go, PJ. I could be on my way home tomorrow, or…who knows.” With the way things had been left last time he’d seen Sydney, she may not even open the door a crack, let alone spend any measure of time with him. He sighed. “Okay, I turned onto her street so I’ve got to get going.”

  “All right, good luck, man. And remember,” Pat said, snickering, “If you get laid you have me to thank.”

  “If you say so, asshole,” Caleb laughed as he hit the disconnect button on the dash console.

  A minute more and the car rolled to a stop in front of Syd’s house. It looked as if she was home—her Escape was parked out front and the foyer light was on. He got out of his rental car and stood on the sidewalk for a moment, pausing to examine the small house in front of him. It was a simple two-story brick structure, nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary. But for some reason Caleb couldn’t pinpoint, he was certain that the house, although unexceptional on the outside, was filled with a special brand of warmth that he felt only Sydney possessed.

  He couldn’t wait to see her.

  He took a deep breath and walked up the few steps that led to her porch and front door. He raised his finger to ring the doorbell and brought it back down to his side, unaccustomed to being this nervous about a girl.

  He stretched the muscles in his neck, held his breath and hit the button.

  The doorbell sounded, followed by sharp barking. He heard Syd’s voice on the other side of the door.

  “Come here, you little monster,” she laughed.

  A moment later, the door opened and Syd stood staring up at him, her pale green eyes wide.

  Caleb smiled.

  She remained rooted to the spot, not saying a word. A small gold and white fuzzy dog wiggled under her arm, trying to get loose.

  He reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out the chandelier earring he had kept, showing it to her. “Can I come in?”

  She shook her head and blinked repeatedly. “Oh, yes, of course,” she murmured, stepping aside. “I’m sorry. I’m just shocked to see you. Here. At my house.” She locked the door behind him and turned around.

  “I could tell.”

  She smiled and tilted her head to the side. Her eyes flashed to the earring he was still dangling like a carrot in front of a racehorse, then met his. “I thought you were holding that ransom till I called you?”

  He shrugged and placed it on the small table that decorated the foyer. “I lost patience.”

  “It’s only been two days,” she chuckled. “How did you even find my address? I’m unlisted.”

  He grinned. “I charmed the pants off the concierge at the Fairmont.”


  Her jaw dropped. “And she just gave you my information?”

  Laughing, he answered, “Well, it took a bit of work and persistence, but you should know firsthand what an expert charmer I am. After all, I did manage to get you to agree to dinner. And skiing. And dinner again.”

  “Oh boy…”

  “And breakfast the next morning,” he whispered.

  Caleb’s gaze never wavered as he tried to assess what was going through her mind. He had no idea if she was happy he was there or not. No clue if his visit was welcomed, and no clue if she would send him on his way. He took her in, memorizing each detail, afraid he’d never set eyes on her again.

  Damn, there wasn’t a single curve that was hidden beneath the high-waisted black pencil skirt and gauzy periwinkle blouse, fitted snug and pulled taut across her breasts. The first few buttons were undone and a sweet little black satin bra peeked out from beneath it.

  It had only been about a week since he’d seen Syd, but he felt as if it had been months.

  It had only been a week and a half since he’d first met Syd, but it seemed like years.

  And that scared the crap out of him.

  She put the dog down and it ran to him, yipping and yapping and jumping all over the place, as if it had tiny springs attached to its feet.

  He snorted. “What is that thing?”

  She made a face at him. “That’s my dog, genius,” she answered, walking past him. “Come on in.”

  He followed her deeper into her home and into the kitchen, the dog tailing him the entire way.

  “Do you want a drink?” she asked. He nodded in response and she opened the fridge. “Okay, I’ve got beer, wine, coffee, water and some kind of fruit punch I don’t remember making.” She pulled the container out of the fridge and examined it. “Scrap the fruit punch, it’s alive,” she laughed, pouring it down the drain.

  “A beer is great, thanks.”

  She grabbed one and tossed it to him, then snatched an apple out of the crisper and rinsed it off. “So,” she said before biting a chunk out of the fruit and leaning her hip against the counter.