Say You're Mine: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Southport Love Stories Book 4)

by Sarah J. Brooks

  That hurt just as badly. That he thought I’d judge him for this. He should know that wasn’t me. I wasn’t that kind of woman.

  He had kept secrets from me. He kept secrets from everyone.

  That mean, horrible voice in the back of my head was whispering in my ear again.

  A man that lies about one thing, lies about many things.

  The wild force of my distrust was hard to tame once unleashed.

  I wasn’t sure how I could reign it in again.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Robert

  I was feeling pretty good. Things seemed to be falling into place. Jeremy came into my office earlier and told me that he and Adam agreed to drop Tiffany as a client. That we’d hang onto the paperwork for now but reserve the right to share it with the authorities should we need to. Jeremy also told me that he got word that Tiffany had spoken to the same real estate agent that sold her the Carmichael house and she wanted it back on the market. Seemed she was leaving town as fast as she could.

  I felt a weight lifted from my shoulders knowing I wouldn't have to deal with her ever again. But I also knew that this evening I had to come clean with Sky about everything. About Tiff. About the website. About how I made all that extra money to take care of my mom and brother.

  I had officially shut down the website. I deleted the page completely. I didn’t want to share my body with anyone but Skylar. Now that business was booming and I had more clients at the firm than I could handle, money was no longer an issue. I didn’t need to dance to make cash. The reality was I continued to do it because it fed a need inside of me to be wanted and adored.

  But I got that from Skylar now. I didn’t need it from strangers.

  I was feeling like a man on top of the world. Even though I was worried about telling Sky, I truly believed she’d hear me out. That we’d work through it. That she’d understand.

  I loved her. That had to be enough.

  And I was missing her like crazy. I took a late lunch considering I didn’t get into the office until after eleven. I tried calling her while I was eating a sandwich at my desk. The phone rang and rang and eventually went to voicemail. I hung up and tried texting her. Sometimes she kept the ringer down when she was working and didn’t hear it.

  I could see the message was delivered and that she had read it. I waited for her reply. And I waited some more. And nothing. Maybe she was busy. I knew she had a lot of work to do. Our sex romp in the morning had really put her behind but I hoped, like me, she thought it was worth it. Knowing that she hawked her email constantly, I figured that was the best way to get hold of her when all other methods failed. I sent her a quick email.

  Hey baby,

  I’m missing you.

  Rob

  I watched my inbox, looking for her response. Five minutes went by. Then ten. And still nothing.

  What the hell was going on?

  I didn’t have time to obsess about it because a client arrived. Thankfully my afternoon was busy, and I didn’t have time to bombard my girlfriend with a million messages until she replied. That would be a little too pathetic. But as soon as I closed up for the day, I dashed out the door without so much as a word to my partners. I hurried to the corner market and picked up a six-pack of Sky’s favorite beer and a bundle of wildflowers. I raced over to her house, breaking a couple of traffic laws in the process.

  I pulled up at her house, my heart in my throat. I could hear Edgar barking from inside. Her car was in the driveway, so I knew she was home. The lights were all on. I felt a niggling of worry. Why hadn’t she messaged me back?

  I walked up to her door and rang the bell. I had started to wonder if she wasn’t going to answer when the door opened. Edgar came bounding out, jumping at my legs. I patted him on the head. “Hey boy,” I said to him, though my eyes were on Skylar.

  Something was very wrong.

  “Hey?” I posed it as a question. She hadn’t moved aside to let me in. I noticed her eyes were red as if she had been crying. My concern was instant. I reached out for her. “My god, Sky, did something happen? What’s wrong?” I pulled her into my arms, but she remained rigid. I looked down at her, but she was staring past me, her face worryingly blank.

  “You’re freaking me out,” I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “Can I come in and you tell me what’s going on?” I could hear the rising panic in my tone.

  Skylar broke out of my embrace and rubbed her arms as if she were cold. “We need to talk,” she croaked, her voice rough. She walked into the house, not waiting for me to follow. I called for Edgar, who came back inside, and I closed the door behind us.

  Something was very, very wrong.

  With increasing dread, I walked into the living room to find her sitting on the couch, holding a pillow to her chest as if to create a barrier between me and her. “I’ve been trying to get hold of you all day,” I began, sitting beside her.

  “I know,” was all she said.

  “I can tell something’s up. Please, just tell me. I’m worried—”

  “I had a visitor today,” she interrupted, chewing on her bottom lip in the way she did when she was anxious.

  “Okay…” I drew the word out, not understanding.

  “Did I tell you about the woman I met when I went shopping with Whitney?” she asked. I shook my head. “She had just moved to town. She was really nice. We had a lovely talk about you.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “About me?”

  “Yeah. I was talking to Whitney about you while she was picking out shirts for Web. I was feeling like you were keeping things from me. Not opening up. I was talking about how scared I was of being hurt by someone again after Mac and his lies. How I wasn’t sure I could trust you.”

  My heart started to beat fast, and my palms began to sweat.

  “Anyway, this woman jumped into our conversation and I found myself chatting with her and she seemed to have really good advice about trusting my instincts. I liked her. She was refreshing.” Sky rubbed at her eyes. “Then I saw her again when I was waiting for you at Sweet Lila’s. I should have known then that something was off about her. Particularly when I said I was waiting for you.”

  My gut told me where this was going. I felt my insides grow cold. “Skylar…”

  “Her name was Tiff.”

  There it was. My worst nightmare.

  “Skylar,” I said again, but she wasn’t listening.

  “She said she came to town to reconnect with a man she used to be with. She had high hopes they’d be together again. I didn’t think anything of it. I wished her luck and that was the last I saw of her until today.” She looked at me finally, her eyes chilled. “Turns out you’re the man she was in Southport for.”

  “Sky, please, let me explain—”

  She shook her head. “And that wasn’t all she told me. She shared a fun story about how you used to work as an escort for wealthy older women. How you met her when you were working at a strip club. And the best part? That you’re still stripping on the internet. Can you believe it? What a tale!” She slapped her thighs and got to her feet.

  “Skylar, let me explain,” I called out.

  She reappeared a few minutes later with her laptop and sat back down beside me. “Then she gave me this.” She held up a flash drive and put it on the laptop. She clicked a file and I already knew what I was going to see. “Talk about a show,” she remarked blandly as the sight of me dancing naked to club music filled the screen.

  I reached over and closed the file, ripping the flash drive from her computer. “Stop it. You don’t need to see that.”

  “Don’t I? It’s nice to know what your boyfriend gets up to in his free time. Especially since this Tiff woman knew all about it and I didn’t have a clue.” She bared her teeth at me.

  “I should have known she’d pull something like this,” I muttered, feeling sick to my stomach, close to a full-blown panic attack.

  “Why? Because you went to see her last night when you told me you wer
e working late?” she added, her eyes filling with tears. I had never seen Skylar cry before. I hated myself.

  “Skylar, baby, can I please explain all this to you? I know it looks bad. The worst. I planned to tell you tonight. Remember I said we needed to talk?” I said frantically, feeling like I was losing her.

  I couldn’t lose her.

  “Fine. Tell me. Make me understand why you kept something like this from me. And maybe while you’re at it you can tell me why I should forgive you for lying to my face over and over again.” She backed away from me, putting space between us.

  I wanted to touch her. I needed to. I wanted to hold her and make her forgive me. I couldn’t bear this icy anger between us. But I knew if I tried to reach out to her she might bite my fucking hand off.

  Skylar Murphy was a force to be reckoned with when she was furious.

  “I’m sure Tiff told you all about how we met,” I started.

  “Sure did, Billy the sexy barrister.” She didn’t sneer or say it sarcastically. She actually seemed amused.

  “It really was the dumbest name,” I conceded.

  “The dumbest. It sounds like a bad porno,” she snorted before narrowing her eyes again.

  “That’s how I know Will, by the way. He was a dancer as well. He went by Wolfgang.” I raised an eyebrow. “Wolfgang Fuck.”

  Skylar covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. “You’re messing with me. Wolfgang Fuck? Who the hell came up with these names?”

  “Darla the manager was the one that named us. Michael was Bobby the Buff Builder. It was supposed to be a play on Bob the Builder—”

  “I get it. No need to explain,” she cut in. “So that’s how you know the guy who built my sunroom. It seems your former dancing buddies are everywhere.”

  I ignored the barb in her voice and kept going, needing to get this all out there. “Tiffany came in one night and paid me for a private dance.”

  Skylar held her hand up. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told her, spare me the details of your sexual past, please.”

  “I would never—my god, Skylar, I wouldn’t do that to you. What did she say?” I was sickened at the thought of what Tiffany may have shared with Sky. She really was a heartless witch.

  “She didn’t get the chance to say much about any of that,” she smirked.

  “Good. I’m sure you put her in her place.” God, I loved this woman. She was fierce and strong and put up with no shit from anyone. Not even me.

  “Go on,” she waved me to continue.

  “Even though I worked as an exotic dancer, I had very little experience, if you know what I mean. I wasn’t a virgin, but not far from it. During the time I knew Tiffany, I learned she was quite adept at finding young men, like myself, who were desperate in one way or another. She’d make us feel special, loved. She gave us a sense of power we were missing in our lives. For all her faults, she’s incredibly charming. It was easy to let her talk me into anything she wanted. I wanted to please her.” My mouth was dry as I spoke about things I hadn’t shared with anyone; I had never opened myself up like this before. It was uncomfortable and scary. But I also felt relief; a burden was being lifted.

  “I can see that. I was taken in by her, that’s for sure. I had no idea the type of person she was when I met her. Though given how easily I was snowed by Mac and now you, I have to start questioning my ability to read people at all,” she retorted. Her words stung. They broke something inside of me. I hated that she compared me to her ex who cheated on her and stole all her money. She equated us as the same.

  How could I ever expect her to get over that?

  Swallowing my pain, I kept going.

  “She used sex to ensure her...employees’ compliance. I was consumed by her, by the lifestyle. I was making so much money I didn’t know what to do with it all. I was able to pay for Sam’s independent living facility. I bought Mom the house she lives in. I got a new car. I bought my own house. It was overwhelming and intoxicating and it was all thanks to Tiffany. But then something changed.”

  Skylar was clenching her hands together so tightly I could see the whites of her knuckles. “What changed?” she asked softly.

  “I didn’t have sex with my clients—well not at first. In the beginning, I would simply escort them to parties or have dinner with them in fancy restaurants. I was pretty arm candy and nothing more. But then I was asked to provide ‘weekend companionship’ to a friend of Tiffany’s. It was a woman she had known for years. Her name was Margie. Her husband was some tech tycoon and he had gone away for the weekend. Margie paid a lot of money for me to spend the weekend with her. In the back of my mind, I knew what would be expected of me, but I stupidly believed Tiffany when she said I had a choice with how far I would go.” I let out a noise of disgust. “I was such a naive fool. Because Margie had very specific requests. And I wasn’t allowed to leave until I provided what she asked for. I needed the money. Sam’s fees were due. I had Mom’s mortgage to pay for. I was working my butt off in law school so eventually, I wouldn’t have to do this anymore, but for the time being, I felt stuck by my responsibilities.” I ran a hand down my face, not wanting to look at Skylar when I said this next part. “So, I fucked Margie. And after that, I was expected to fuck each and every one of them.”

  Skylar flinched at the harshness of my words. I was filled with shame I had never experienced before. I had always been fine with my choices but looking back at what I felt compelled to do, and Tiffany’s hand in the machinations, I felt used and controlled, and it reframed my past in a way that sickened me.

  “You think your mom or Sam would want you doing that to yourself just so you could take care of them?” Skylar asked, her eyes sad.

  “I know they wouldn’t. I can only think how disappointed my mom would be if she knew. Which is ultimately what made me tell Tiffany I wanted out.” I absently rubbed Edgar’s head. He was resting his chin on my knee as if he knew I needed the support. “She didn’t take it well and she actually went to my mom’s house. She didn’t tell her who she was, just that she was concerned about me. My mom was very upset, thinking I was overwhelmed with school and couldn’t handle the pressure. She thought Tiffany was just my boss at some random job.”

  “She sure likes to fuck with your life,” Skylar said. “That woman has serious control issues.”

  “I know. Which is what I realized and why I got the hell away from her. I had no idea that she had in fact been keeping tabs on me all this time.” I should have known though. I knew what kind of person Tiffany was. Had I really thought I’d been able to shake her that easily?

  “Okay, so you’ve explained about Tiffany, but that doesn’t explain this.” She picked up the flash drive. “If you felt so horrible doing all that stuff, why have you kept doing it? You have a great career, you’ve found success, so what gives?” She seemed genuinely perplexed.

  How do I explain this without sounding pathetic?

  “I became addicted to it, Sky. I loved being a dancer. Of having women get turned on by me. Of my being able to pleasure them without even touching them. Their desire for me was a drug I couldn’t give up. I grew up a scrawny kid, the target of bullying. Girls never looked at me as someone they wanted to be with. But up there, on the stage, and when I was on those dates with those women, I was someone else. I was desirable. They wanted me. Even if I was playing a part, it still felt good.” I ran my hands through my hair. “And the money was great. I only started making a decent paycheck from the law firm a couple of years ago. Between my bills, Sam’s care, my mortgage, and Mom’s mortgage I was still hand-to-mouth. The website gave me a steady influx of cash, so I didn’t have to worry.” I picked at the skin around my thumb, a nervous habit I hadn’t experienced since I was a kid.

  “And Adam and Jeremy have no idea you do this?” she asked.

  My eyes widened. “Hell no. Can you imagine Wyatt’s reaction if he found out?” I laughed without humor. “Though that’s part of what’s so appealing about it. The secr
ecy. Everyone thinks I’m this boring, dull guy—”

  “It feels good knowing you have something going on that they would never guess,” she surmised.

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “And you were planning on telling me all this tonight? Or did Tiffany force your hand?” Skylar questioned.

  This time I took her hand. I had to touch her. I needed the physical connection with her in a way that was painful. “I swear to you, I was going to tell you everything. I did go see her last night—”

  “She made you chicken parmigiana, you’re favorite.” She rolled her eyes.

  “I sure as hell didn’t eat a meal with her. I went to her house and told her to get out of town. That if she didn’t, I’d report her to the IRS for tax fraud.”

  Skylar’s eyes widened. “Whoa, really?”

  I nodded. “Jeremy came to me earlier in the week and showed me a bunch of paperwork she had given him for the purchase of the land outside of town. Seems she’s been sending a lot of money offshore. She’s been evading taxes for almost a decade. That’s jail time if the feds were to find out.”

  “Well, shit, no wonder she was bee-lining it out of town. She tried to paint a picture that it was because she realized the two of you weren’t meant to be together or some such nonsense. She really is a master liar.” Skylar pressed her mouth into a thin line. “But why didn’t you tell me all this before? Did you think I’d judge you? That I wouldn’t understand?”

  “I didn’t know. I was scared. Can you blame me? That’s a heavy load of stuff to put on your shoulders. I wanted to trust you’d understand my past, but I was terrified you wouldn’t. I’ve been so used to secrets; it’s become my de facto response. I didn’t know how to open up, especially about this,” I explained.

  She pulled her hand out of my grasp. “So, you telling me you loved me this morning was more about priming me for this huge bomb you were about to drop in my lap?”

  “What? No!” I gasped. “My god, Skylar, don’t ever think that! I told you I loved you because I do. I fucking love you. Every single, wonderful thing about you. There was no ulterior motive to me saying that to you this morning. I just had to tell you in case it all fell apart when I told you this.”