International Guy: Milan, San Francisco, Montreal (International Guy Volumes Book 2)

by Audrey Carlan

I shake my head. “Alexis, why do you do this? Play this game?”

  She pauses for a moment before answering. “What game?” She grins, knowing exactly what I’m talking about but not copping to it.

  “You don’t have to do this.” I point to her attire and gesture around the room. “Play up your sex appeal, have an unrelenting nature when going after a man.”

  Alexis tips her head. “And why the hell wouldn’t I, if it gets me what I want far quicker than my intellect alone? Besides, if I’m the one who makes the rules, I also determine the prize. Sometimes it’s a fantastic roll in the hay with a sexy American; other times, it gets men to see me as an object. Then, while they’re looking at my tits and ass, I’m buying out their company shares, taking over their products ultimately, and setting up a bright future for myself.”

  “Alexis . . . game playing is not the answer.” I frown as a wave of self-realization washes over me. In the past, I’d been known to play a game or two.

  “Isn’t it? When I always come out the winner? It’s not my fault if men see me as a walking fantasy with no brain cells and just big boobs. It is, however, their fault when they think with their dicks and not with their brains during business negotiations. And frankly, this”—she waves her hands up and down her form—“works every time. I rarely follow through on the fantasy a man sees before him, unless I want that man under me. My choice. My game. I win.”

  I gesture between us. “Not this time, sweetheart.”

  “Perhaps I’ll have to review the play-by-play and figure out where it all went wrong . . . or maybe there’s still a chance of it going my way?” She cocks an eyebrow.

  “Not a chance.” I laugh. “Get out of here! Go find another unsuspecting soul to tarnish.”

  She chuckles. “Won’t be hard. Your partner is not exactly sloppy seconds.”

  I shake my head and grab my blazer from where I left it folded over the couch.

  “Nope, and he would be a willing player in your game. Not only that, he understands the rules because he has the same ones.”

  She taps her smudged lips, and my heart sinks, remembering my lips did that. My tongue was in her mouth in my eagerness to get at more of her taste.

  “Doesn’t make the game nearly as fun.”

  “No, but it makes it honest. Think about that before you move on to your next target. They should know what they’re getting into.”

  Her jovial expression falls flat, and she purses her lips.

  I slow my roll so that I don’t run into her body as I pass her, heading out of the small space. “Think about it.”

  “I will,” she says, and with the weight in her tone, I believe her.

  Once I’ve made my way through the back of the building and down the stairs to street level, I wave down a taxi, get in, and rest my tired head all the way back to the hotel, staring out the window at the intricate buildings and architecture. Wendy was not wrong in her excitement about the mixture of old and new in the city. There are buildings crafted out of metal and bright colors right next to those built with stone that look to be a few hundred years old. The combination of the old with the new makes the city uniquely special and pleasing to the eye.

  As I gaze out, the city starts to blur and fade while thoughts of Skyler start running a marathon in my mind.

  What is she doing right now?

  Is she sad?

  Does she still miss me?

  It’s been days since her last message.

  How do I move forward from here?

  I get to my room, toss my jacket over the chair, drop my slacks, and pull off my shoes where I stand. Next, I unbutton my dress shirt, pull back the coverlet, slide my boxers-clad body in, and hit the button on the lamp for the lights. I grab the remote sitting on the end table and flick on the TV. The first thing that comes on is an entertainment news program.

  Skyler’s face appears on the screen, Tracey standing by her side, an arm wrapped around her shoulders. A microphone is thrust in front of her face. She looks tired. Black circles paint the spaces under her eyes. She smiles her fake everything-is-roses smile for the bloodsucking paparazzi.

  “And how is SkyPark doing?” one nosey man asks.

  I sit up in my bed and hold my breath, waiting for her answer.

  “Fabulously. Parker’s on business right now, but I very much look forward to his return.”

  The crowd bum-rushes her with a bunch of questions. She runs her hands through her hair and glances around as the next question flies at her.

  “And what is the first thing you’re going to say to Parker when you see him?”

  Skyler closes her eyes, and I can feel the pain like an invisible blow to the solar plexus. I rub at my sternum and wait for her to respond.

  Her eyes open, and they are a brilliant blue. The only color I want to see first thing every morning when I wake up. She locks her gaze right into the camera, and I swear, if I didn’t know better, I’d believe she were speaking right to me.

  “When I see Parker, I’m going to tell him how very much I’ve missed him, and I love him more than anything on this earth.”

  “Miss.”

  I miss him.

  “Love.”

  I love him.

  “More.”

  I love him more than anything on this earth.

  She loves me. Skyler loves me. Skyler loves me, and she admitted it on national television for the entire world to hear and see.

  Holy. Fucking. Hell.

  8

  I’m a mess. I didn’t sleep a wink last night after I saw the entertainment piece. I tossed and turned, trying to figure out what to do.

  How do I respond to this?

  Skyler loves me.

  Loves me.

  The thrill of her admission rushes through my bloodstream, gifting me with a warm, liquid sensation that seeps deep into my bones, coating my frozen soul. It’s as though I’ve been encased in ice this past week. Lost to the chill of cold hatred and betrayal.

  She loves me.

  I close my eyes and let the truth in. My woman admitted on national fucking television that she’s in love with me. Energy licks at my heels, and I start to pace the hotel room, not knowing what to do with the extra kinetic energy pumping through me. It’s as though I’m a live wire, all synapses firing a hundred miles an hour with nowhere to go as I wear a hole into the carpet.

  The connecting door flies open.

  “Oh. My. God. You have to watch this new piece about—” Wendy starts as she rushes in, holding her laptop open and at the ready on the entertainment news station.

  I shake my head and hold up my hand, not wanting her to come any closer. “I’ve already seen it. I watched it on television last night.”

  Her eyes widen, and the blue of her irises seems even lighter than normal, more like the sun-filled sky right after a heavy rain. “Then you know.” Her voice lowers to a gentler, less excitable timbre. And understanding sizzles within the space between us.

  “That she loves me?” I croak out the words, each one filling an empty part of my heart. The dagger eases, giving me a moment’s reprieve from the pent-up pressure and dull, aching emptiness that’s been there all week.

  Wendy nods, slams the laptop shut, and flicks her hand. Her gaze turns wild with excitement, eyes bulging as energy bustles around her petite form. “Yes! Oh my goodness, Park. This is so awesome! See, I told you she loves you!” Her smile is huge and beaming.

  Someone pounding on my door calls my attention. Knowing it’s one of two people, I fling the damn thing wide and walk away from it to continue my pacing. My mind is filled with flickering thoughts running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

  Why would she admit she loves me on TV?

  How does this change what’s happening between us?

  “Shee-it, brother,” Royce says as his large suit-clad form enters with a gentleness in his expression I absolutely do not want to see, because it means he’s seen the piece and is expecting me to lose my sh
it.

  I am losing my shit, but I don’t need the guys to know that. However, with the wild thoughts about Skyler dashing through me, not to mention where I went with Alexis yesterday and the guilt that comes with it, I have no chance in hell of keeping my cool.

  “Brother . . . shit just got real!” Bo chuckles, coming in behind Roy and shutting the door.

  The three of them stand before me like the three amigos.

  “Guys . . . I . . .” I lose my train of thought as the one thing, the single most important question that’s been plaguing my every movement, assaults me. “Is it possible she didn’t cheat? I mean really. You know my history . . .” I go back to pacing the room, though the space I now have to do it is significantly decreased by three additional bodies.

  “Um, I have an admission . . .” Wendy holds up her hand. I glance her way, and her cheeks pinken as she averts her gaze.

  “Uh, yeah, brother . . . me too.” Royce clears his throat and shifts back on his heels and then to his toes, back and forth in a move I’ve seen him do a thousand times. He’s got a secret that’s making him uncomfortable.

  “No way are you guys going first!” Bo cuts in, anxiety and irritation clear in his scratchy tone.

  Before my eyes, the three of them look at one another and then start bickering . . . loudly, as if I wasn’t even in the room.

  “I have to tell him first!” Wendy demands with a childish foot stomp.

  Royce shakes his head. “Naw, no way, nohow. My boy deserves to hear from me, true?”

  Bo makes a choking sound. “Absolutely not. I’ve known him longer . . .”

  “By an hour. You had one class with him before the class we all shared,” Royce fires back, and crosses his arms over his massive chest.

  Wendy groans. “I’m the newest. I could be fired!” she says, wading back in, her voice reaching hysterical levels.

  “We’re not going to let him fire you,” Royce states flatly.

  “Don’t worry, Tink, I’ll take care of you if you’re out of a job. You can manage me, if you know what I mean.” Bo waggles his eyebrows.

  Wendy’s face contorts into an expression of disgust. “Gross! This is not the time to joke!” She points at Bo, her cheeks turning beet red.

  I wade in between them. “Will the three of you shut the hell up! Criminy. I need my best friends right now. The woman I love—who I believe cheated on me with her ex, stayed overnight with him, put herself at risk, paid off said asshole’s debts—just stated on national television that she’s in love with me. And . . . I kissed Alexis last night.” I let the final admission spill out of me as though I’m purging the ugly truth from my heartbroken soul.

  All three of their heads turn toward me. Expressions of . . .

  Shock . . . Wendy.

  Surprise . . . Royce.

  Irritation . . . Bo.

  “What!” The word sounds so loud when three people are screaming it.

  “How could you?” Wendy chokes back the emotion as if I’d cheated on her.

  “Aw man . . . you done fucked up,” Royce adds.

  “Totally fucked yourself.” Bo nods. “And I wanted Alexis for myself, dammit!” He scowls.

  I fall back on the bed and hang my head, cradling the heavy weight between my palms, elbows to my knees. Guilt, shame, and fear are the predominant emotions spiraling through my system. Then, out of nowhere, there is the pinprick of happiness, excitement, and anticipation as I remember what Skyler revealed. The woman I love loves me back.

  I should be elated.

  Should be shouting my joy from the rooftop of the tallest building.

  Falling down on my knees and thanking God for bringing me “the one.”

  Only I can’t. The knife she stuck in my heart pierces a bit deeper, more blood pouring out, filling me with dread.

  How can she love me and cheat on me at the same time?

  Wendy falls to her knees at my feet and places both of her hands over my bicep. “I’ve been texting with Skyler.” Her voice shakes. “I-I uh, I asked her point-blank if she cheated,” Wendy admits in a rush, her eyes clouding with tears.

  I blink slowly and focus on her gaze. “And w-what did she say?” I hate myself for needing to know, needing to hear her reply like a dying man receiving last rites. All I can do is wish and hope against all odds my initial response is wrong. At this point, I’m so far down the rabbit hole, I’d rather spend my life apologizing to Skyler and making it up to her than live a life without her love in it.

  Wendy licks her lips and peers up at me from her position at my feet. She looks so small, delicate, honest. “She swears she didn’t cheat.” Matching tears fall down Wendy’s cheeks at the same time. I wipe the first away and then the second.

  Roy clears his throat. “She told me the same. Except I called her.”

  My head flies up as if it’s being self-propelled. “You spoke to her?” My voice cracks.

  He nods. “Yesterday. After our night on the town, I couldn’t help myself. You’re hurting too much, brother. Too much. And every day seeing you like this kills me. I was angry. Mad that she had such control over my boy. Upset that she could break my brother’s heart. I wanted her to feel pain. To tell her how much she screwed up.”

  I swallow down the Wiffle-ball-sized lump in my throat. “A-and?”

  He shakes his head. “She admitted she went to Johan’s hotel in the hopes of settling their dispute herself. Promised me she didn’t cheat.” Roy bites into his plump bottom lip and rubs it with his thumb, I imagine to soothe the ache. “Man, I believe her, but I’m not going to tell you what she said. You need to hear it direct from the source.”

  I close my eyes, and the pain of not being with her and the possibility that she didn’t betray me roll over my body like a gust of warm air. Opening my eyes, I focus on Bo. “You too?”

  He tips his head, lets out a long, tired breath, and puts his hands into his jacket pockets. “Well, I figured since she was available, I’d ask her out on a date.”

  I laugh loud and hard at Bo’s absurdity. The brother means well, and his go-to method of making someone feel better is to crack jokes.

  Royce smacks the back of Bo’s head so fast I could swear it was magic propelling his arm.

  “Ouch!” Bo growls. “I hate it when you do that! You’re messing up my perfect coif.”

  “I’ll give you perfect coif with my foot up yo’ ass! Tell the truth, and stop with the wisecracks. Can’t you see Park’s hurting?”

  Bo rubs his head, and his dark gaze meets mine. “She called, I answered. She wanted to know how you were doing.”

  Anticipation squeezes my chest like a vise. “And what did you tell her?” I’m hanging on his every word.

  He rolls his lips between his teeth. “Told her you were doing fine. Better than ever,” he says flippantly, even haughtily.

  “Really?”

  He scoffs, “Fuck no! I told her you were hurt. Pissed off. Angry. And if I found out that she did cheat, I was going to find a way to make her pay for fooling you, me, all of us.” He waves a jaunty arm around the room.

  I narrow my gaze and tighten my fist, straightening my spine, ready to charge. I can feel my nostrils flare as anger ripples along every nerve ending. My body heats up, and my gut clenches tight. “You did not say that to my woman!” I glare at him, protectiveness for Skyler still running strong through my veins.

  He nods. “Yeah, yeah, I did. Because when she hurt you, Park, she hurt all of us. We all accepted her into our arms. Into our team. And if she fucked us over, I wanted her to feel that hurt too!” he snarls.

  “Christ!” I run my hand through my hair and drop my head back down, clenching my teeth so hard I could crack diamonds with my molars. “This is such a clusterfuck.”

  “Sure is. Now tell us about why the hell you kissed Alexis Stanton?” Royce demands, crossing his arms over his massive chest. “Were you thinking at all?” Royce’s tone is weighted with disappointment.

  Bo, at the co
mplete opposite end of the spectrum, chuckles. “Yeah, he was thinking all right. With his little head and not his big one.”

  I point at Bo. “You leave the beast out of it.”

  “Ew . . . the beast.” Wendy blanches and makes a gagging sound from the back of her throat. She murmurs a few other choice words and eases back onto her heels, petting my thigh back and forth in a show of her support.

  I spend a few moments thinking about why I finally gave in. “I don’t know why I kissed her. She’s been all over me since we got here. And at the time, I was vulnerable, okay? Missing Skyler, feeling hungover, lost, tired, all of the above. Hell, I don’t know. The old me would have jumped into the sack with her in a minute flat. The woman is sex on legs . . .”

  “She really is.” Wendy nods frantically. “I’d kill to have her body. All boobs and hips and long legs. Golden hair. Plus, she’s extremely smart. Knows her stuff.”

  Royce sighs. “I’ll give you she’s a honey. Doesn’t give you an excuse to give in, though, especially when you’re trying to work shit out about your feelings with Skyler. Bad move, brother. Bad. Freakin’. Move. Because if you clear this thing up between you and Sky, and I have no doubt that you will, you’re gonna have to come clean about Alexis.”

  I groan, hating every second of the idea that I’ll have to admit to my weakness with Alexis. Then again, if it weren’t for Skyler’s own betrayal, it would never have happened in the first place! “Yeah, got it. I’ll deal with it when the time comes. For now, I need to figure out what I’m going to do about Skyler.”

  Bo inhales loudly while plucking away at his goatee. “Surprise her again. Head to New York when the case is over. Have it out once and for all. And if you still believe she cheated after talking to her, hearing her side, then by all means, cut her loose. We’ll back your play all day every day.” Bo holds out his fist.

  I knock the top of his with my own, and he repeats the gesture.

  “We got you. No matter what you decide. Yeah?” Royce holds out a fist turned sideways.

  I bump his fist.

  Wendy eases up onto her knees and grabs my hand, squeezing tightly. “We’re here for you.” She leans forward and kisses me on the cheek.