I stared into his green eyes and he stared back, not saying anything. A slow smile crept up his face and I huffed. “Fine. But that was warm up, so you don’t have any points.”
He chuckled then jogged to where the ball sat on the floor near the front wall. “If I lose by one point, we tie.” He tossed me the ball again.
“Whatever,” I giggled and bounced the ball and swung, hitting it against the front wall again.
We went back and forth, laughing and I ending up losing. I knew I’d lose, but I had to give it a shot. At one point, I envisioned it as Rich’s head and I hit it as hard as I could. It bounced from the front wall, straight to the back wall and then bouncing and hitting a side wall. Gabe hit it on the same side wall and I swung as hard as I could again and missed the ball completely.
“Letting off steam, angel?” He laughed.
“You have no idea,” I panted, trying to catch my breath from running around to chase the ball.
Something switched in Gabe’s head. I don’t know what it was, but he started to lighten up on his swing and I was able to hit the ball instead of missing it.
“Letting me win, Mr. Green Eyes?”
He shook his head with a smirk on his face. “Not at all.”
I chuckled. “Right.”
We continued again as I panted all over the court, trying to catch up to the ball and hit it. The more I swung, the more I could feel my stress leaving my body. Rich could stay at work every night for all I cared. It was better that way. Sure he could still monitor me on the cameras in the house, but I wasn’t walking around on eggshells.
After some time, I finally gave up. Sweat was running down my back and I could barely catch my breath. Lying on the floor on my back, I sighed. “I like getting sweaty with you.”
His laugh could be heard around the room as it echoed, then he lay beside me, both of us staring up at the ceiling with florescent lights. “I figured we should at least pretend to play since we come in here sometimes.”
I sighed, my breathing starting to even out. “I have to go soon.”
He looked over at me, turning his head. “Yeah, it’s about that time. Are you almost ready to leave him?”
I turned my head to face him. “Let’s not talk about the plan. Let’s talk about you. Tell me about yourself for a few minutes before I leave.”
He turned and stared back up at the ceiling. “Well … as you know, I was in the army—served for nine years. I always wanted to serve my country because my grandpa did.”
“Why’d you stop?”
I started to think he hadn’t heard me because it took him a few seconds to answer. “Got tired of the sand and shit.”
It felt like there was more to the story, but I didn’t press him. I knew a lot of soldiers suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and I didn’t want to force Gabe to tell me until he was ready. We were becoming good friends; he’d tell me when he was ready—I hoped. “I bet. I can’t even imagine seeing what you must have seen.”
“Yeah … Sometimes it haunts me.”
Trying to lighten the mood, I asked. “Have you ever been in love?”
He didn’t speak for a few beats again. “That’s a story for a rainy day.”
“It doesn’t rain that often in Vegas.” I laughed.
“Right,” he mumbled. “Time for some coffee.” He stood and held his hand out for me.
Call it a woman’s intuition, but I knew there was something he was hiding and didn’t want to talk about. I hoped once we were able to spend time with each other outside of Club 24, he would open up and tell me. I was already starting to care for him. Any man willing to help a stranger leave her abusive husband was a hero in my book and worth having as a friend—a hot friend with benefits.
“You look cute, princess,” Rich said, putting gel in his light brown hair as I did my makeup. We were getting ready for his big party, and I just wanted to hurry and get the night over with. But instead, I had to play the perfect trophy wife with perfect hair, perfect makeup, perfect nails and the perfect dress.
When I’d tried on the black floor length dress at the store, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to wear something so sexy. The slit was high—so high that if I sat down in an improper fashion, you’d see more than what Rich would deem acceptable.
But when I stepped out of the dressing room, I saw how Gabe looked at me, and I knew I had to buy it. And when I slipped it on after my shower, all I’d thought about was how his hand had slid up my thigh, seeking my pussy.
God, his touch. His touch sent shivers down my spine and I knew—I just fucking knew if we slept together he’d make sure I came first. None of the bullshit Rich did now, only thinking of himself. Gabe would please me, show me tenderness and then fuck my brains out after he made me come with his fingers and mouth.
But the person I was looking at in the mirror as we got ready for the party, wasn’t Gabe—it was Rich. And he only cared about two things: getting himself off and getting me pregnant.
“You look cute, princess.” Not beautiful. Not gorgeous. Not stunning. Cute as if I were a five-year-old girl getting ready for my first day of school. I was a woman dammit. A twenty-nine-year-old woman! How about sexy? Breathtaking? Good enough to eat?
I smiled back at him and prayed that I could fake it long enough for the plan to take full effect.
Be strong, Autumn!
Rich was dressed in a black suit with a red dress shirt and black tie. I used to find the way he looked in his suit intoxicating but now, as I stared at him through the reflection of the mirror, I felt nothing for him.
I was surprised how quickly feelings could change. It was as if each time he left bruises, a sliver of my heart died and eventually had vanished completely. I didn’t think there was a rhyme or reason as to why people fall in and out of love, but physically hurting someone was likely reason to fall out of love. I wished that I wouldn’t have been blind when I met him.
We met, we got engaged and married, all within less than a year. I should have known it was a recipe for disaster. Everyone was under his spell: me, my parents, Brandi … Rich was a manipulator through and through.
But here I was, getting ready for his party and I was “cute”. Well, la dee da.
“Thank you. Red looks powerful on you.” Rich wanted all the power he could get.
“I want people to know who’s in charge tonight, and red shows power. Thank you for realizing, princess. You just gave me the boost of confidence I needed for this evening.”
I smiled as I applied a coat of mascara. “You’re my husband. I know you like I know the back of my hand.”
He chuckled. “Are you almost ready? People should be arriving soon.”
“I am,” I replied. “I just need to put my heels on and then I’m good to go.”
He stepped to my side as I put down my mascara tube then grabbed my chin with his hand, forcing me to look at him. “It’s been a long week. After everyone leaves, I want you to keep the heels on and nothing else while I fuck you. You’re to be wet and waiting for me and not wet by the feel of your own hand. I want you thinking about it all night because I’m going to fuck you so hard that if you’re not wet—well,” he smirked, “then you’re going to bruise.”
I gave him a tight smile. “I like the sound of that. I’ll be wet and waiting.”
Our house was decorated exactly as I’d envisioned. The inside had several small, counter-high cocktail tables scattered for people to use to mingle and eat. The lights were dimmed with candles lit on each table, giving everything an intimate feel. Soft music played on our sound system wired through the entire house plus the backyard.
Outside, poles had been set up to line the patio with white lights draped across from one to the other. More of the cocktail tables were placed around the area and around our pool that sat beyond the patio. A fire pit was set up in the center of the patio. It was a nice night, but a lot of our guests were nearby, grabbing a few minutes of warmth before moving on to get a refill of
drinks or more food.
Rich introduced me to everyone I didn’t know as they arrived. I kept expecting the one person I wanted to meet face to face to arrive, but as the house filled, Remo was a no show.
“You’re breathtaking, sunshine,” Dad said when he arrived, kissing my cheek.
I blushed. At least someone thought so.
“Autumn, honey. Everything looks lovely,” Mom gushed, looking around as she spoke.
“Thanks, Mom. Lea, our event planner, and I arranged everything.”
“Dan. Sarah. Please enjoy our open bar. Once everyone has arrived, we’ll join you.” Rich gestured toward one of the bars we had set up.
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Dad laughed. Just as Dad passed, he whispered, “Sunshine, everything okay?”
I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. He nodded his head slightly toward Rich when he wasn’t looking and then it dawned on me. Dad knew there was a real reason I wanted to buy a gun. He was fishing for answers other than the lie I told him about impressing Rich by being able to shoot. I should have known better. Dad had twenty-nine years of practice catching me in lies.
I gave a tight smile then whispered, “Yes.”
“If you need to go back, I’ll go anytime. Just let me know.”
“I will.” I nodded, knowing he was referring to the gun range. I gave him a quick hug before they walked off to get a drink.
We greeted more people, then walked outside to where my parents were talking with some of Rich’s cop friends.
“There’s a lot of people here,” Dad said, looking around.
Rich smiled. “All the important ones.”
My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach as I watched another couple walk in. Our gazes met and I wanted to run, lock myself in my bedroom closet in the dark and cry myself to sleep only to wake up and realize it was just a dream.
But it wasn’t a dream.
Gabe was arm in arm with a woman I’d never seen before. He didn’t smile and I didn’t smile. I stood there gawping as he stared back, unable to take my gaze off of him. So many thoughts ran through my head. How was it possible he was here? Who was he with? Was that his girlfriend? He’d never told me he had a girlfriend. And the most piercing question:
Did he know Rich?
I heard Rich mumble, “It’s about time she showed up. Come along, Autumn. There’s someone else I need you to meet.”
I couldn’t move. I mean, how could I? I wondered if Gabe was hired by Rich to be a spy … he was always there. The gym, Starbucks, and when I’d told Rich I wanted to go dress shopping, Gabe just happened to be at the same store in all of Las Vegas.
What the fuck?
“Autumn. Come,” Rich grunted with a snap of his fingers as if I were a dog—as if I was his little bitch.
Fuck … I was.
I took a hasty step, reaching for Rich’s hand so he could lead me toward Gabe and the mystery woman. As we moved closer, I decided to face this motherfucker head on. I straightened my back and walked with confidence toward Gabe, ready to pull him aside when Rich was busy and chew him out.
With just a few steps to go, Gabe turned his back on me. As if that would work asshole! I was furious, but I couldn’t let Rich know. I’d know soon enough if Gabe was a spy. Rich would love watching my face as he introduced me to someone he knew I already knew—and spent time with.
“Trista! Can you believe it? The night’s finally here,” Rich beamed, hugging the woman with Gabe.
“I know!” Her smile widened and Rich stepped back.
“Trista, this is my wife, Autumn. Autumn, Trista’s my campaign manager.”
I shook her hand, plastering on a fake smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“I’ve heard so much about you,” she gushed. “Let me introduce you to my boyfriend. Gabe, sweetie, this is Richard Jones and his wife, Autumn.”
Gabe slowly turned. “Major,” he nodded to Rich.
“Holy shit, if it isn’t Captain Gabriel Hastings. I haven’t seen you since—”
“Since we both left Afghanistan,” Gabe finished Rich’s sentence, sticking his hand out to shake Rich’s.
I watched as they apparently got reacquainted with each other. My head was spinning. So Gabe didn’t know Rich was my husband? But Gabe had a girlfriend this entire time?
“You two know each other?” Trista asked.
“I was his commanding officer,” Rich answered.
Gabe’s gaze fell on mine and we stared at each other again. I could tell something was wrong. His lips were pressed tightly together, his hands clenched at his side, and a vein was protruding from his neck.
It felt as if the floor was going to give way and swallow me whole. In fact, I wanted that to happen. I never expected Gabe to have a girlfriend. He’d never mentioned it, and he said he wanted to be with me after I was away from Rich. Was he just biding his time until then?
The thought of Gabe with another woman turned my stomach, but he had to know I was sleeping with my husband. And now that he knew who my husband was, he had a visual just like I had now with him and Trista.
“Sweetheart, let me get you a drink before Major—”
“Gabe, we’re done with that. Call me Rich.”
Gabe gave a tight smile with a nod. “Sounds good. Let me get you a drink before Rich and I catch up.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Trista’s cheek.
I wanted to break down and cry. This wasn’t happening.
Trista nodded her head and said thank you. Rich turned to me, silently asking me to get him a drink as well.
I nodded back with a smile. “I’ll go with you,” I said as I fell in step with Gabe.
He looked over his shoulder then whispered as he leaned closer to me. “You mean to tell me that your husband is Major Dick?”
“Why do you care? You have a girlfriend,” I hissed.
“She’s not my girlfriend,” he groaned.
“She just introduced you as her boyfriend, Gabe.”
“I’m her date, not her boyfriend.”
“How—”
“You need to trust me, angel.”
I paused as we stepped in line for the bar. I loved when he called me angel, but now…
“Please,” he begged, “she’s not my girlfriend. She wanted me to come with her tonight, so I came. I had no idea we were coming to your house.”
“I didn’t know you and Rich knew each other,” I mumbled.
“Oh, we know each other all right. And since I know he hurts you—”
“No!” I shrieked, then lowered my voice back to a whisper. “Please, don’t do anything. There are cops here and all of his friends. I don’t want anything to happen.”
The line moved up a step. “You have no idea how badly I want to go over there and beat the living shit out of him, Autumn,” he groaned. “I care too much about you. And now that I’m face to face with him and have wanted to kick his ass for years—”
“Please,” I whispered.
“If I would have known this entire time your husband was Major Dick, I would have come up with another a plan. A plan where he ended up not breathing.”
We took another step forward. “You can’t. We need to stick to our plan.”
“Fuck our plan, angel. When Paul finds out who your husband is, he’ll agree with me. We didn’t call him Major Dick for nothing.”
We stepped up to the bar and ordered our drinks. I needed a drink. Bad. My heart and head were hurting and I didn’t know if the pain would ever go away.
“By the way,” Gabe started to whisper in my ear. “You know how much that dress turns me on. You’re breathtaking in it, but I want to see it pooled on the floor of my bedroom.”
Chapter Sixteen
Gabe
Trista picked me up for our date in a black limo which made Jackson jealous. I didn’t expect to be picked up in a limo, but Trista had said she planned to drink and didn’t want to drive. I wasn’t going to complain. I liked riding in style.
&nbs
p; As we drove to our destination, she filled me in on our plan for the evening.
“As you know, you’re supposed to be my boyfriend. I told my boss I had a boyfriend and I need to keep up that appearance.” She took a sip of the champagne I’d poured her.
“Sure, no problem.”
“Awesome. So just enjoy yourself and when asked—”
“I’m your boyfriend.” I smiled.
“Exactly.”
“Don’t worry. I’m a good boyfriend.” I winked.
I could see a hint of red on her cheeks. “I’m just nervous. My boss is going to run for mayor and I’m his campaign manager. Everything has to be perfect tonight.”
“Mayor? That’s awesome. Don’t worry. I gotcha, sweetheart.”
She took a deep breath. “Okay. Good.”
When we arrived at the large brick house on a golf course, I took Trista’s arm and led her in through the front door.
“We’re a little late, so…”
I heard Trista talking, but it was drowned out the moment I saw her standing next to him in the dress I’d dreamed of taking off her the night before.
Have you ever walked into a room and saw the person you loathed standing with the person you wanted more than anything in the entire world?
That was my reality.
Autumn was standing by Major Dick.
The moment her eyes met mine, I felt as if I were living one of my nightmares. This couldn’t be happening. Major Jones…
Fuck.
Autumn’s last name was Jones. Realization hit me like a ton of bricks. My heart broke, my blood started to boil, and I wanted to run as fast as I could and knock Major Jones on his ass. I wanted to punch his face until he could no longer move.
“My boss is coming,” Trista whispered.
As soon as she said those words, I realized that Autumn and Major Jones were walking toward us. Fuck my life. Not only was Major Jones Autumn’s husband, but he was my date’s boss and I had to pretend everything was normal—that I didn’t know who Autumn was.
Taking a deep breath, I turned away from them, trying to calm down before I blew. I could feel Autumn’s scrutinizing eyes trying to burn a hole in the back of my head.
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