Dangerous Temptations

by Brooke Cumberland

  “No.”

  “Alex…I’m going to be late for work. Move.”

  “You aren’t going anywhere until we talk. I swear it’s not what it looks like.”

  “Oh, puh-lease, Alex…could you sound any more cliché? Just move.” I attempted to walk around him, but his arms were on both sides of the doorframe, blocking me in. “Move or I’ll make you move,” I threatened, my face heating up in irritation.

  “I’d like to see you try, sweetheart.” He was pissing me off and my tolerance was down to nothing. My blood boiling and anger fuming, I stared him straight in the eyes and kneed him right between the legs. “Fuck!”

  He went down before he could even take a breath. A victorious thrill rippled through me at the way he cupped his junk, cursing as he lay in a fetal position on the ground.

  “Looks like I didn’t have to try very hard.” I smirked and stepped over him, walking past him.

  “Mac…wait…” He strained to get the words out, but I ignored him. “Please…”

  “Goodbye, Alex.”

  I walked out the door without glancing back. I held back the tears threatening to pour out. I wouldn’t allow myself to cry. Not now. I had to stay strong, and the only way I would be able to be strong was if I let the anger fuel my emotions. I felt betrayed by him, but I knew I betrayed William so I couldn’t feel sorry for myself in that regard. I was only sorry I was going to hurt William in the process.

  BY THE TIME I arrived to work, cold and bitter were the only emotions I felt. It was the only way to turn off the tears, and I knew today was going to be a busy day since I called in yesterday.

  Another reminder of it all. Great.

  My phone blew up all morning with calls and texts from Alex. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I turned the damn thing off. As I typed out my email to Staci, giving her a quick run-down and explaining that I’d need a place to crash, my work phone rang, flashing William’s cell phone number.

  I sucked in a breath, reminding myself to sound normal and calm.

  “Hey!” I answered overly-cheerful, clenching my eyes closed as I braced myself to hear his voice.

  “Mackenzie…” his tone was low, his voice deep with worry. “I need you home as soon as possible.”

  I narrowed my brows and stopped typing. “What do you mean? I can’t just leave work…” Nerves were fluttering all through my stomach at the way his voice sounded. This couldn’t be good.

  “I’m at a layover in Chicago right now. I’ll be there in a couple hours, and I need you to meet me at home. I need you out of the media.” My mind was spinning in a hundred directions…what was he talking about?

  I clicked out of my email and straightened my desk. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  “The press is running a story on page six…it’s about you and Alex.”

  I nearly choked, catching the attention of my assistant. She mouthed, “Are you okay?” I patted my chest a couple times and nodded. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing…did William know?

  “What do you mean a story on Alex and me? About what?”

  “There were a few reporters at your charity event…” He continued talking, but I wasn’t listening. My mind went back to that night when Alex and I arrived together, when we sat and had dinner together, when he’d lean in and whisper in my ear…all things you don’t exactly do with your future stepson. But nothing happened there…I left with William, so their entire story is fabricated. “Mackenzie, are you listening?”

  “Huh?” I blinked.

  “Get home. Do not talk to anyone. Do you understand?”

  “Yes. I’ll…um…leave right now.”

  “I’ll get there as soon as I can, darling.” My heart clenched at the genuineness of his tone. “Don’t worry, okay?”

  “Um, yeah. Sure,” I rambled. This was going to be worse than telling him the truth…now it would be broadcasted all over the city. And everyone would know our secret.

  I HATED LYING to my boss, but it was the only way she’d let me leave without notice. I played the sick card, pretending to throw up in the girl’s bathroom a good twenty minutes before I actually left. She hated being near sick people, saying she didn’t want me to infect her, and that if I was still sick tomorrow, not to come in.

  I would probably take her up on that offer considering I was already feeling sick over what I knew was about to come.

  I was glad to arrive home before William. I needed to talk to Alex, tell him he needed to stay out of it and that I was doing all the talking. It was bad enough I betrayed William; I wasn’t going to let Alex fabricate some stupid story on my behalf.

  “Alex!” I screamed, walking down the hallway toward his room. “Alex, where are you?” I yelled again. Adrenaline and fear overpowered me, my face turning red when I finally came face to face with him.

  “You came back?” I heard the hopefulness in his voice. I fought back a laugh. He thought I was back for him…

  “What did you do?” I shouted, accusingly. “Why is the press running a story on us?”

  He blinked and stepped closer, forcing me to take a step back. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Let me guess…you have absolutely no clue why the press decided to now run a story on us showing up at the charity event together?”

  “No…Mac, I have no fucking idea…” His face tensed, shock written all over his face. Before overhearing his phone convo this morning, I would’ve believed him, but now…now it didn’t even matter.

  “You’re a fucking liar…” I spat out. “Who else have you been talking to about me? About how you banged your dad’s fiancée and got me to sleep with you behind his back? Hm…I imagine a long list of frat brothers and some press reporters? Am I close?” I stood with my arms crossed over my chest, testing my limits.

  “You have it all wrong, Mac…” He brought his arms out to me, slowly stepping toward me. “That guy I was talking to is a nobody. He’s an old friend and was supposed to meet me at the club that night and never showed. I didn’t mean what I said, and I swear, it’s not what you think.”

  My heart ached at the desperateness of his voice, but I let the rage take over. I wouldn’t let my stupid emotions obscure my actions again. “It doesn’t matter, Alex. You lied to me. You’ve been lying to me. I can’t trust you…ever. You fucked with my mind, and I gave up everything. I was fine before you showed up!” I pushed against his chest as he took another step closer, trying to console me with his arms. “Stay back, Alex. I’m not joking.”

  He looked down at me and grinned. “Are you done then?”

  “Done?” I hissed. “No, I’m not done! Do you even realize what’s happening? The press is writing a story about us!”

  “Yeah? What’s it going to say?” he challenged, raising one hand up and waving it in the air from left to right. “Alexander Lancaster steals Dad’s fiancée right from under his nose…he didn’t know a good thing when he had it. Alex and Mackenzie run away together, leaving William in the dust.” He dropped his hand and looked back at me, my foot tapping impatiently against the floor.

  “You’re so childish,” I threw back. “They’re going to run a story on how we’ve been sleeping together behind his back. They’re going to make up things about the both of us that aren’t true.”

  “Well….” He smirked. “Most of that’s true.”

  “God…you’re so annoying. This could actually hurt my career, Alex. Aren’t you even a bit worried how it could affect your chances of getting a job? About how it’ll affect your relationship with your dad?”

  He snorted. “What relationship?” He leaned down, getting much closer to my face than I could handle, but I couldn’t push him away as he began speaking, “See…that’s the difference between my dad and me. I don’t worry about the press, other people’s opinions, or how it might affect my ‘image.’ I don’t give a fuck, Mac. But clearly, my dad does. He wouldn’t be making you hide out here if he didn’t.”

  I scowled, narrowi
ng my brows at him in anger. “So what if he cares about his image, Alex? He runs a multi-million dollar business. He has a respectable reputation to uphold.”

  “Yeah…you’re just part of the image, Mac. Don’t you see that?”

  I was on the brink of tears, but I pushed them back. I hated him. I hated that he was pushing me. I shrugged and responded, “It doesn’t matter. Not anymore.” I was done anyway. I turned to walk away, but immediately halted as I noticed William standing in the doorway, his eyes staring blankly at me. I gasped in surprise, my body trembling. He heard everything.

  This was so not how I wanted him to find out.

  The three of us stayed silent, no one making the move to speak first. Finally, William swallowed and shrugged out of his suit coat, setting it on the entryway table. “Alexander, I’d like to speak with my fiancée alone.” He looked over me at Alex.

  “What are you doing home already?” I blurted out. I was sure it hadn’t been two hours since he had called me.

  His eyes blinked to mine, expressionless. “I was able to get an earlier flight.”

  I swallowed in response. I was guilty. So fucking guilty.

  “Alexander…” he prompted, but Alex made no attempt to move.

  “No…” His tone was harsh, agitated. “I’m not leaving you alone with her.”

  What the hell?

  “Alexander…it’s not up for debate. You need to leave.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” I turned to scowl at him, but the death glare he was shooting at William stopped me. His buff arms were crossed against his chest and his legs spread apart. He looked ready for a fight.

  I looked back at William, who was walking toward me. He grabbed my elbow and pulled me toward him. “We need to talk.” He guided me through the hallway, my nerves becoming almost unbearable. I could feel Alex behind us, following. I would’ve expected William to yell, be upset—anything. But he was chillingly calm as he walked us through the apartment.

  “Wait…” I froze, his fingers losing their grip on me. I wasn’t sure I trusted him. I didn’t want to buy into his lies anymore. “Tell me out here.”

  He looked down at me and then glanced back behind me where I knew Alex was standing. “It’s not something I’d like to talk about in the open.”

  “Why?” I challenged.

  “Because this is our business, Mackenzie, and with the media running off with their story, I can’t be too careful who I speak in front of.”

  I heard Alex huff in an amused laugh. “In case you’re not getting it, Mac…he’s saying he doesn’t trust me, which is real fresh considering the man has built his life on lies.”

  “Alexander…” William hissed, warning him with his eyes. “Get out.”

  “No.” He stood his ground, and I could see William’s patience running thin. “I don’t trust you either. I’m not going to let you brainwash her, make me the bad guy, and run off into the sunset with my girl.”

  “Excuse me?” He took a step forward.

  “You haven’t even asked if the rumors were true…” he challenged. I looked between the both of them and then wondered the same thing myself.

  “I don’t have to…it’s quite clear they are.” William looked back at me, shooting a look of disappointment. I swallowed in response, but then realized I didn’t care what he thought anymore. After learning the truth, and now seeing him this way, my decision was perfectly clear.

  “I’m not your girl…” I snapped at Alex, and then turned my head to William. “Whatever it is you want to talk about, save it. Yes, the rumors are true. Believe me when I say I didn’t want you to find out this way, but whoever is running the story couldn’t have picked a better time.” I sighed, defeated. “But you’re both fucking liars. I’m grabbing my shit and leaving.”

  I turned to step around William, but he caught my arm, forcing me to look up at him. “You aren’t going anywhere, Mackenzie. We’re talking about this.” His eyes were intense as he stared down at me, his lips in a firm line. “We can work this out. My PR is already working on damage control. The story will go away by next week.”

  I looked down at his firm grip on me, and then blinked back up at him. “Who do you plan to pay off this time?”

  “What?”

  “You heard me…”

  He glanced back at Alex, who was more than likely flashing a shit-eating grin, then back down at me. “Whatever he’s told you is a lie.”

  I heard Alex scoff a deep throaty laugh.

  “It doesn’t matter, William. The engagement is over…” I ripped my arm from his grip and walked off, but once again, he followed me.

  “Like hell it is!”

  I spun around quickly, making him bump right into me. I tugged on my left ring finger, freeing the rock I had been wearing for the past year. “You’re not the man I thought you were. And apparently, I can’t be the woman you want.” I held it out between my fingers, waiting for him to reach for it, but he didn’t. So I bent down and set it on the table instead.

  “Why are you being so stubborn, Mackenzie?” he growled. “I’m willing to take you back after you had an affair with my son, and now you’re ending our engagement?”

  “Don’t you get it?” I shook my head at him. “I don’t want you to take me back! Our entire relationship is a lie. I know nothing about you. Your life revolves around your career, and I’m just a side dish in your eight-course meal.”

  “You can’t possibly think that’s true. I’ve given you everything I know how to give…”

  I shrugged, pushing back the tears. “I’ll admit I didn’t realize it at first, but now that I have, I can’t continue to live like this. It’s not fair to me and it’s not fair to you. This just wasn’t meant to happen.”

  I started walking away again, but William firmly squeezed my wrist and turned me around to face him. He pulled me toward him, much more aggressively than I had ever seen him before. This was definitely not the William I thought I was marrying. “I won’t accept that, Mackenzie.” His face tensed and his eyes turned cold. “You’re my fiancée, and I’m not letting you leave.”

  I saw Alex walk up from behind him just as I yanked my wrist out of his grip. “What is it with you Lancasters? You are so used to getting your way that you can’t even fathom someone disagreeing with you? Well, newsflash…I. AM. DONE. I don’t need liars in my life…I’ve had enough of that growing up.”

  “I never lied, Mac…not once,” Alex intervened, standing closer.

  “Oh, really? Why don’t you tell your dad how you met me at the club one night…why don’t you tell him how you knew it was me and how you purposely took me to your hotel suite. And while you’re at it, why don’t you try and convince me that I wasn’t just a revenge lay to get back at your Dad…” But before he could get a word in, I turned to William and yelled in his face, “And why don’t you tell me what actually happened to your late wife? And what else have you covered up or lied about to ‘protect your image’? C’mon…enlighten me!” I yelled at both of them, adrenaline fueling the courage to fight back. William had me fooled all along…everything about him was a lie. “I trusted you,” I hissed at him. “I trusted you and you made a fool of me.” I couldn’t stop the tears from pouring out; the thought of me almost marrying a man I hardly knew made me sick. “Well, wish granted…”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Once I felt content yelling at Alex and William, I grabbed my purse and stormed out, warning both of them to not follow me. It remained silent until I slammed the door behind me, realization surfacing that I had nowhere to go.

  I immediately grabbed my phone to call Staci, but I knew she’d be busy working. I decided to call anyway, hoping she’d pick up and let me crash with her.

  The second I stepped outside, reporters started screaming and flashing their cameras at me. “Mackenzie! Mackenzie! Are the rumors true? Are you having an affair with Alexander Lancaster?”

  “Oh my god…” I tried not to panic, but they were barely
giving me enough room to breathe. “No comment!” I screamed back, pushing my way through. How did they think that was going to get me to talk? God…they were relentless.

  “Mackenzie!” More screams. “What’s your relationship with Mr. Lancaster’s son?”

  I pushed through, needing space to find a cab. I needed out of here. Anywhere.

  “Mac! Mac!” I heard a deep, hurried voice.

  I spun around to Alex running toward me. Great.

  The moment they noticed him, they enclosed us in a circle with their cameras and flashing lights, making it impossible to think, impossible to get away. I held my arms up, bracing myself. “Alexander!” they screamed as he reached where I was.

  “C’mon…let’s get out of here.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me with him toward a cab.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you,” I mumbled, but right now, I knew I didn’t have much of a choice. He squeezed my arm harder, warning me not to argue with him. I knew the more exposure in public we had, the more the media would spread rumors. “Fine…” I agreed when he opened the door and pushed me inside. I moved all the way over to the other side and rambled off Staci’s address before Alex could shut the door.

  “No…take us to the Four Seasons on Fifty-seventh,” he directed to the driver. He took off before I could speak up.

  “I’m not staying at a hotel! I can’t afford that,” I hissed, moving away from him. I had a savings account, but the last thing I wanted to do was blow it on a seven-hundred dollar a night hotel room.

  “You need to be somewhere safe,” was all he offered back.

  “Well, I’ll go broke staying there. I’ll be fine at Staci’s.”

  “You aren’t paying for it. And you are staying there. Those reporters are probably going to follow us and follow you wherever you go, so you’ll need to stay somewhere with security. They won’t be able to bother you once you’re inside.”

  Although he was right, I hated agreeing with him. I wanted to hit him, scream at him, but I just continued sitting there staring out of the window. I couldn’t believe this was happening…who the hell at the event would talk to the press?