The Perfect Little Lie: A Thrilling Romantic Suspense (The Perfect Revenge Book 2)

by Madyson Grey

  Victoria had to pick up the flowers she’d ordered today because the florist would be closed on the Fourth. Fortunately, there was an extra fridge in the garage that had plenty of room in which to keep everything except for the large bouquets, but the florist assured her that they would be fine overnight kept in water.

  As Rafael had suggested, she bought a couple of tubes of decorating frosting—red and white, of course—and put their names and the date on the chocolate cake they had bought several days ago that had been biding its time in the freezer.

  When all their errands were completed, they took a giant pizza home to share with Lena. Then they took the rest of the afternoon off and just relaxed. They went out to the pool and swam and lounged and swam some more. It was the first day since she’d been home that Victoria was able to just kick back and relax. It felt so good.

  Around three o’clock, Victoria went in to see what Lena was up to. She found her polishing the end tables and coffee table in the living room. Rafael’s mother and brother were the only ones coming, except for the wedding officiant, so Victoria wasn’t too worried about the house. It was always clean. She and Rafael had been the only ones in and out for several days, and she had kept the floors swept, mopped, or vacuumed. The air filtration system in the house kept dust at a minimum.

  The guests would only be in the entryway, the living room, maybe the kitchen and family room, and the downstairs bathroom. And the downstairs bathroom was seldom used, so it didn’t take much to keep it clean. It was just a half bath anyway. When one cleaned up after oneself immediately, there was not so much need for a flurry of housecleaning.

  Monday, July four, dawned clear and sunny. Well, as clear as LA ever can be, thanks to the smog. Victoria awoke early, feeling more refreshed than she had since arriving back home. She couldn’t remember having had a nightmare, which was a good thing. She hated those nightmares and hoped they would stop soon. She dressed in shorts and a tank top for now. She would put on her dress just before the guests were to arrive.

  Lena fixed them a special breakfast of waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. It was a favorite of Victoria’s. Amazingly, Rafael had never had strawberries on waffles, but after a few bites, he declared this to be his new favorite breakfast, too. Victoria helped her clean up the kitchen. Then they both walked through the rooms that would be seen by the guests to double-check them. All was perfection. The bouquets of flowers were still as fresh and lovely as they had been the day before.

  Lena went back to the kitchen to make the potato salad and prepare the other foods. She had cooked the potatoes and eggs the day before and peeled and diced them. So all she had to do was mix in the mayonnaise and seasonings, add pickle relish and chopped olives, and it was done.

  She sliced onions and tomatoes for the hamburgers and put them on a large platter. She put two kinds of pickles in a pretty divided dish, and put sweet, dill, and hamburger relish in three small bowls that sat on a lazy susan. She sliced two kinds of cheeses and put the slices on another nice plate.

  Then she made the coleslaw, and cut up the watermelon into bite-sized pieces and put it into a large bowl. She opened the bags of potato chips and dumped them into nice bowls, too, then covered them so they would stay fresh. When all the food was ready, she went to her apartment to change clothes and get ready for the wedding.

  Rafael swept the patio one last time and covered the picnic table with a red and white checkered tablecloth that Victoria had provided for him. He made sure the gas grill was ready to fire up. Then he went inside to shower and dress for the wedding.

  Victoria was in her bedroom doing the same thing. She showered, washed her hair, then dried and styled it. She applied her make-up, and then put on her beautiful new dress and shoes. When she checked herself out in the mirror, even she was pleased with her appearance. Like many women, she was her own worst critic. Lena came up to bring her bouquet to her and to have Victoria pin on her corsage.

  At a quarter to twelve, she heard the doorbell ring. Lena hurried to answer the door, with Rafael close on her heels. It was the wedding officiant first, but then Rafael’s mother and brother were right behind him.

  As they had previously decided, Victoria stayed out of sight in her room until the stroke of twelve, at which time Rafael turned on the CD player with the Bridal Chorus playing. Victoria descended the staircase where Rafael was waiting for her. At the first sight of her, his breath caught in his throat and his pulse quickened. She was the loveliest thing he had ever seen. She seemed to float down the stairs to him. She took his arm, and he escorted her into the living room where Lena, his mother and brother were seated. They walked up to stand just in front of the minister.

  His remarks were fairly traditional: “Dearly beloved, we are gathered together …” At a given point, Lena used the remote control to start the stereo playing “Love Me Tender.” After the song, Rafael read his vows to Victoria. Then her song played: “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You,” and she read her vows to him. The minister pronounced them man and wife, Rafael kissed his bride, and it was all over with. Fifteen minutes tops.

  It was not until after the ceremony that Victoria was introduced to her new mother-in-law and brother-in-law. Manuela Rivera was very welcoming indeed to her new daughter-in-law. Mateo was a little less so. He had been very skeptical when Rafael broke the news to him that he was going to marry the daughter of the man whom Mateo had grown up hating.

  Rafael had tried to explain to him several times that David Thornton was not responsible for their father’s death, but Mateo just didn’t buy into it, and he wasn’t too excited about his brother marrying into the Thornton family. So when Rafael introduced him to Victoria, he was civil, but that was all. Rafael was embarrassed, but it couldn’t be helped. He was surprised that Mateo had come at all. Had he known the reason, he would never have invited him.

  After the ceremony, the little group stood around talking and laughing. The minister was invited to stay and eat, but he said he had other plans with his family, so he took his leave after Rafael had paid him. Victoria hated to take off her beautiful dress so soon after having put it on, but she certainly didn’t want to ruin it, so she ran upstairs and changed into her new pants and top. Then she rejoined the group and helped Lena carry the food out to the patio.

  Rafael manned the barbecue and had the hamburgers done in no time. The little group enjoyed the meal and good conversation. Lena and Manuela discovered that they had gone to the same grade school for several years and were even in the same classroom one year. They barely remembered each other, but it was a nice connection. They seemed to hit it off nicely and chattered away while they ate.

  Victoria enjoyed listening in on their chatter, and joined in now and then. Rafael talked with Mateo, trying to get him to loosen up and not be so hostile. By the time the burgers were cooked, he thought he had succeeded. Mateo even exchanged small talk with Victoria for a few moments, which she took as a small victory. She wanted Rafael’s family to like her. She knew how they felt, but she wanted them to also realize that she was her own person. And that what had happened so long ago had nothing to do with her today.

  After the food had disappeared, Lena brought out the cake. As tradition indicated, Rafael and Victoria cut the first piece and fed it to one another. Carefully. Victoria had threatened Rafael if he messed up her brand new outfit, so he behaved himself.

  After cake and ice cream, and after Lena and Manuela had cleared away the dirty dishes and what little was left of the food, They went into the living room where the bride and groom opened the gifts that his mother and Lena had for them. Manuela’s gift was a lovely wall plaque that said, “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”

  Lena’s gift was a unique album in which they could place their wedding and honeymoon photos, with journal pages on which to record highlight of their wedding and honeymoon. There were also pages on which to record their anniversaries up through the fiftieth.

  Rafael
was delighted with the nameplate and pen and pencil set. Fortunately, they had arrived on Saturday. He got her a gorgeous diamond necklace and matching earrings.

  After thanks were expressed profusely, Manuela and Mateo took their leave. Manuela told Victoria that she and Rafael were welcome to come and visit her anytime. Victoria extended the same invitation to her. When Victoria wondered where Mateo was, Rafael discreetly told her that he had asked to use the bathroom. When he joined his mother at the door, Rafael and Victoria both thanked him for coming, and invited him to come again to visit. He told them he would. He just failed to mention when … or how.

  As soon as they were gone, Rafael and Victoria went upstairs to get the small overnight bags they had packed for their overnight trip. They said their goodbyes to Lena and left in the Ferrari. After they neared the ocean beaches area, Rafael told Victoria to close her eyes and he would tell her when she could open them again.

  With her eyes closed, it seemed as though they went for miles and miles before she felt the car slow, turn, and park. Rafael got out of the car and came around to open Victoria’s door. He helped her out and then told her she could open her eyes. When she did so, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open.

  “This is where we’ll spend tonight?” she gasped.

  “This is it, my love. Nothing but the best for my Queen Victoria,” he said. “A queen for my queen.”

  Book 3 Sneak Peek

  Keep reading for a three chapter preview of Book 3: The Perfect Storm.

  Chapter 1

  Victoria was stunned. Right in front of her eyes was the majestic Queen Mary, jewel of the ocean from 1936 until her retirement in 1967. The Queen Mary was not only the grandest ocean liner of her time, but she also did her duty as a troopship during World War Two.

  Visiting the Queen Mary had been on Victoria’s must-do list since she was eleven and had watched a documentary on the ship. Just one look at her face and Rafael knew he had made a good choice.

  “Oh, honey, I’ve wanted to see this ship for ages,” she exclaimed, turning shining eyes on Rafael.

  “I hoped you would like my choice,” he said.

  “I absolutely love it,” she said. “You couldn’t have picked a better place.”

  They boarded the ship and were given directions to their stateroom. Even though Victoria was accustomed to living in a fair amount of luxury, the stateroom was just incredible. The richness of the wood paneling, the fine appointments, and the portholes through which a person could look out at the ocean simply took her breath away.

  All along throughout the ship as they walked to their room were interesting things to see. Victoria knew what the first thing on Rafael’s mind was, and she was in full agreement, but she also hoped that there would be enough time to see the whole ship. Or at least a good portion of it. According to the literature they were given, there were several tours to be taken, several gift shops to explore, and a variety of eating-places to check out.

  Dropping her small overnight bag, Victoria walked around the room examining everything, opening all the doors and drawers, and peering out each porthole. This was just too cool! It didn’t take long, however, for Rafael to catch up with her and let her know what was on his mind.

  He took her in his arms, their lips met in a smoldering kiss that ignited the flames of passion that had been held in check for the past week. It didn’t take long for clothes to be shed and their desire for one another to become reality and their marriage to be consummated. When their first passion was spent, they lay together in sweet union, murmuring declarations of love to each other.

  But soon, the fire was rekindled. This time they both spent a little longer exploring each other’s bodies and pleasuring one another.

  “Was I worth the wait?” Victoria asked softly after they were basking in a second afterglow.

  “More than worth it,” Rafael breathed against her hair as he cradled her in one arm close to his side. “More than worth it. This is absolutely amazing. You are amazing.”

  “So are you,” she murmured, nestling into the hollow between his neck and shoulder.

  She ran her hand over his hard, flat stomach, relishing the feel of his skin. Before long, her hand traveled lower and soon their bodies were once again joined as one flesh.

  “I’m hungry,” Rafael said, after his heart had settled back down after a third round of lovemaking.

  “Me, too,” Victoria said. “What shall we do about it?”

  “Room service or dining room? Your choice,” Rafael said.

  “Both sound wonderful, but let’s go to a dining room,” she said. “I want to see as much of this ship as possible. I’d really like to do one or more of the tours. OK?”

  “Sounds good to me,” Rafael responded.

  They got up, rinsed off in the shower, and got dressed. Victoria had brought the new dress that she was married in on the outside chance that she’d get to wear it again that evening. Wearing it to dinner that evening seemed like the perfect time. After some discussion on the matter, they decided that they could wait until morning to do one of the tours. But after dinner, they would take the Princess Diana and the Haunted Encounters tour this evening and then do The Glory Days tour in the morning.

  They chose the Sir Winston dining room for their wedding supper. It more than met their expectations and when they eventually left the dining room, they were satisfied in both body and soul. Victoria wanted to check out the gift shops, so they went down to the Promenade Deck to the gift shop.

  Victoria chose a souvenir mug, a set of souvenir coasters, and a t-shirt. Rafael also picked out a souvenir t-shirt, and he got a model of the ship. They chose an apron, some chocolates, and a cute t-shirt for Lena. Victoria debated getting her mother something, but then decided against it. She didn’t know if she would be allowed to take anything in to her mother under the circumstances. Rafael chose a box of chocolates for his mother, and a coffee mug for Mateo.

  After depositing their purchases in their stateroom, they went to do the Princess Diana tour. After that was over, they did the Haunted Encounters tour, but didn’t see or hear any “ghosts.” Regardless, it was very interesting and fun. Eventually, they retired to their stateroom and prepared for bed. After more lovemaking, they fell asleep, tired after a very full day.

  Come morning, Rafael awoke and realized that Victoria hadn’t cried out in her sleep once all night. For this he was grateful. He propped his head up on one arm and watched Victoria as she gradually awakened.

  “Mornin’, Beautiful,” he said in a sultry voice.

  “Mornin’ yourself,” she replied sleepily.

  He leaned over to kiss her, and as she came more fully awake, they indulged their passion once more. Eventually, they got out of bed, showered, dressed and were ready to meet the day.

  “Did you have any bad dreams last night?” Rafael asked as they were repacking their belongings.

  “I didn’t,” Victoria replied. “First night all week, I think, that I haven’t had any nightmares. Must be because I felt safe sleeping in your arms.”

  “I had hoped so,” Rafael said, pulling her to him. “I have hoped that they would go away soon.”

  “Rafael,” Victoria said, looking up into his eyes, “in my nightmares you were always there to rescue me. Except sometimes when I think back on them, I’m not sure if you were just in my dreams or if you were really there.”

  “I was really there,” he admitted. “Your screams woke me up, so I went into your room to wake you up out of the nightmares. You even talked to me a time or two, but then the next morning you didn’t seem to remember at all, so I just didn’t say anything.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry that I disturbed you,” Victoria said. “I didn’t realize that I was screaming out loud. I’m sure glad that I didn’t last night here on the ship.”

  “Yeah, I was hoping you wouldn’t,” Rafael said with a wry smile. “Well, are you all packed up?”

  “I think so.”

  “Let�
��s go find some breakfast then,” he suggested.

  “Works for me.”

  They chose a different dining venue for breakfast and enjoyed it just as much as they had enjoyed their meal the evening before. After breakfast they did The Glory Days tour. It was really cool, telling about the ship’s history and being taken behind the scenes. After the tour, they hit up another gift shop where Victoria bought postcards to add to her collection.

  All too soon, it was time to collect their bags and leave the ship. They had a long week ahead of them, moving Victoria’s things down from Seattle. They carried everything to the car and reluctantly left the beautiful Queen Mary behind.

  “That was a fabulous experience,” Victoria said with a contented sigh. “I loved every single minute of it. You know what would be cool? To come back on our first anniversary and stay overnight again. Or even just spend the day aboard ship, seeing and doing everything. What do you think?”

  “Sounds like a great idea,” Rafael said. “Let’s keep that in mind. I really enjoyed it, too. I’ve dreamed of seeing that ship for years, too. Another place I seriously debated on taking you yesterday was Catalina Island. I’ve been wanting to go there for ages, too.”

  “That would have been fun, too,” Victoria agreed. “I was there once when I was a little kid, but would love to go again. When the dust settles a little bit, we’ll go over there some weekend. OK?”

  “Yeah, let’s do that,” Rafael said.

  “When do we fly out of here?” Victoria asked. “I know you told me once, but I can’t remember.”

  “This evening at six something,” he replied. “I’ll have to look at the itinerary again myself. Then we get into SeaTac around nine-ish. I’ll check it when we get home.”

  “Do you have the tickets?”

  “I’ll have to go online and print them out when we get home,” he said.

  “I guess all we’ll be doing is unpacking and repacking then, huh?” Victoria said.