Deceitfully Yours (14 page)

Kylie

I get to Jude’s house late in the evening. I follow him into his room, pull off my clothes, and get into bed with him. Moments later he’s asleep, and I spend a few minutes pondering how far gone I am. Driving out here in the middle of the night doesn’t even seem to be such a hardship anymore. Knowing Jude will be here is enough incentive for me to drive hours, and that’s pretty telling. I fall into an exhausted sleep and probably don’t move an inch until my phone rings in the morning.

I reach over and feel for my phone on the nightstand and answer it with a mumbled, “Hello.”

“Good morning. Kylie Weber, please”

“Umm…speaking.” The voice on the other end of the phone is unfamiliar. I try to clear my
sleep-slugged brain enough to get what she is rattling off about.

“Oh
, great. I’m sorry to call so early, but my photographer canceled on me last minute and I really need your help. I’ve seen your work and—”

“Wait.” I cut her off because her bubbly rambling is messing with my head. “You want me for a shoot?” I’ve only done a few shoot
s for a small magazine, and this is my first request outside of that.

“Yes, I know it’s short notice
, but I’m desperate. I’m Patricia Manning from
Creative Homes
magazine. We’re having a special issue featuring my home, and I’d be so grateful if you helped us reach this deadline.”

“Yeah, sure
, I can make it.”
Holy shit!
My heart is racing a mile a minute while she’s speaking, but I try to remain as composed as possible. Patricia Manning is the owner and CEO of
Creative Homes,
the most popular home and landscape magazine out there. How she’d even be considering me for this photo shoot is beyond me. I lean over the edge of the bed and search in Jude’s side table for a piece of paper and pen. I have to shuffle through a pile of condoms and lube before I find what I’m looking for in the back of the drawer.

I scri
bble down all the information she gives me, then lean back against the headboard as I try to convince myself that really just happened. I’m going to be credited for a photo shoot at the CEO’s home.

Jude rolls over, wraps his arm around my waist
, and lays his head on my belly.

“Who was on the phone?” His voice is so sexy when he just wakes up in the morning.

“Patricia Manning, CEO of
Creative Homes
magazine.”

He lifts his head up to meet my eyes and smiles.
“She wants you to do a photo shoot?”

“Not just any photo shoot
. She wants me to come to her home for a special edition, featuring her home and family.”

“Wow
, that’s pretty amazing. Congratulations, baby.” He kisses up my ribs until he’s licking under my breast, causing tremors to run through my body.

I pull back and look at him suspiciously. “You didn’t have anything to do with this, did you?”

“No, I didn’t have anything to do with this. You’re good at what you do. You did this on your own.”

I look at him suspiciously.

He shakes his head. “I promise you I didn’t do this.” He continues raining kisses over my chest until he’s tonguing one of my nipples and skimming his thick finger over my already wet center.

“What’s with all the condom
s?” I ask before my head becomes consumed with lust.

His finger pauses and he lets go of the suction hold he has on my nipple. “What?” He gives me a confused look.

“What’s with the mountain of condoms in your drawer?”

“Do we have to talk about this now?”
He sighs in an irritated way.

“Why not?” I ask, my voice trembling.

“Because I really want to fuck you and conversations about sex with other women might reduce my chances of getting in your tight pussy.” His finger swirls over my swollen clit. “And you’re so wet and ready to be fucked,” he mumbles, running a finger over my wet flesh.

I moan and push against his hand.
“Jude?”

H
e ignores me as he returns to licking my extremely pebbled nipples.

“Jude?” I push lightly on his shoulder
, and he looks at me with irritation. “You’re not still sleeping with other women, are you?”

“What? Why would you think that?” He cups my face between his palms and settles his body over mine. “When would I have time to fuck anyone else
? You’re here every night.”

I shrug my shoulders and try to
turn away. I’m ashamed I let my insecurities show, but most days I know I don’t deserve him. I’m just taking all I can from him before he realizes how much better he can do and moves on.

“Kylie,
look at me.”

I shake my head
and refuse to meet his gaze.

“
Look. At. Me,” he demands, forcing my eyes to meet his. “You’re the only woman who makes me hard with a single glance. The only woman I want to waking next to. If you don’t want to believe what you feel between us, then believe I wouldn’t betray you in that way.”

He leans down and claims my mouth in a kiss as he slides into my tight sheath and takes me to places that leave no doubt in my mind where our connection stands. All the pieces of my life are coming together
, but the shadows lingering around the corners are threatening to keep everything I want away from me.

********

I feel like I just drove into another dimension as I walk up the cobblestone path leading to the Manning home. I can’t resist pulling out my camera and taking a series of shots of the sleek, modern mansion. Everything from the fountain with the intricate waterfall to the gray slate stone covering the house captivates me.

The door opens
, and a petite, red-haired woman steps out and smiles warmly at me. “You must be Kylie.”

I lower my camera and shake her outstretched hand.
“Mrs. Manning, it’s an honor.”

“Oh
, please, there’s no need to be so formal. Call me Patricia. Come in and let me show you around.”

In the next half hour
, I learn Patricia Manning is as bubbly and energetic in real life as she was on the phone this morning. Her home is an array of modern style. After a full guided tour, she leaves me in the garden so I can capture its beauty.

I end up at the entrance of a maze
half an hour later. That’s when I notice a little boy running across the lawn in my direction. I quickly adjust my camera and capture his youthful joy as he bounces toward me.

“Hi,” he says, coming to a stop. His
dark brown hair is rumpled, but his clothes are impeccable. His button up shirt is neatly tucked into his khaki pants. He looks like a little businessman, and it makes me smile.

“I’m Tyler. My mom said you’re here to take pictures.”

“That’s right. I’m Kylie. I’m a photographer.”

“I know who you are. Do you want to go in
to the maze?”

“No. I wouldn’t want to get lost.”

“Mom says you can never get lost if you have someone who will come looking for you.” His sharp eyes are a unique mixture of green and brown.

“Your mom is right. It’s always good to have someone
who loves you enough to come searching for you.”

“Do you have someone to come looking for you?” he asks.

“Some days I’m not sure.” I don’t know how this kid is doing it, but he’s hitting something deep inside me.

“I’d come look
ing for you.” He takes my hand and pulls me into the maze before I have a chance to respond to his sweet comment.

For the next hour Tyler turns into the best assistant I’ve ever had. I show him how to use my camera
, and he guides me to his favorite parts of the home.

Patricia joins
us by the pool. “I hope Tyler hasn’t been interrupting you.”

“No
, he’s been great.” I reach over and ruffle his hair, and he smiles up at me.

“Will you join us for lunch?”

“Uh…I don’t think so.” I can’t come up with an excuse, but I try to steer clear of these kinds of family moments.

“I insist,” Patricia says, leading the way into the kitchen with Tyler pulling me in behind him.

She has a table of food already set up as we enter. It’s way too much for three people. “Is your husband joining us?” I ask, taking a seat next to Tyler.

Patricia and Tyler give each other an odd look before she says, “No. We’re divorced.” Oh
, wow, I didn’t mean to make things awkward, but a definite silence has come over the room. I’m glad when Patricia breaks the awkward silence by changing the topic.

“So
, Kylie, how’d you get into photography?”

“My mom got me my first camera when I was eleven
, and I loved that thing. I’d take it everywhere with me just in case I came across anything interesting.”

“She must have been
a wonderful woman,” Patricia says.

“Yeah
, she was pretty amazing. She was…” My hand freezes over my salad, and I glance over at Patricia who’s looking at me with sad eyes. “How’d you know my mother passed away?”

Her face turns pink as she realizes she
’s let out more than she planned to. Tyler clears his throat and looks nervously at his mother.

She puts her fork down and sighs. “Kylie
, I don’t know how to tell you this but…” She looks down at her plate. Her demeanor is making me anxious.

“But what?”

Tyler speaks up for his mother when I give him a questioning look. “But I’m your brother.”

“What?” I croak. I feel like someone’s fist is stuck in my throat
, and I think I might begin to hyperventilate. “How is this…How is this possible? How’d you find me?”

“Drink some water
, dear.” Patricia sits to my left while Tyler reaches out and takes my hand. “Tyler, can you give me a minute alone with Kylie?”

Tyler hesitates before he gets up from his seat. He looks back at me and asks, “You won’t leave without saying goodbye
, right?”

I shake my head.
“No.”

Patricia takes both my hands
, but I pull away. She looks saddened by my rejection. “I’m sorry I deceived you.”

“Why would you do this? Why not just tell me who you were?”

“I didn’t think you’d come if you knew the truth. I just wanted you to see how fantastic Tyler is before you made a decision to be in his life.”

“This is insane. What if this didn’t work? Then Tyler would be hurt.”

“Tyler has always been aware he had a sister out there.”

I run a hand over my face and try to fight off the tears.
For so many years I’ve prayed for this, and now it’s here. I have my brother back. I should be happy, not angry at how Patricia decided to give him to me. It’s great to finally know where he is and that he is happy, but I wish I could’ve been with him all these years.

She sits back in her seat and smiles shyly at me. “The day I went to pick Tyler
up from the hospital, there was this amazing little blonde girl clutching him like he was her last lifeline. You were whispering to him, something I couldn’t hear from the hallway. You kissed him with a face covered in tears, and my heart broke for you. I knew I couldn’t break you up, especially knowing you had no one else. I wanted to take you home with us.”

“Why didn’t you?” I whisper with my head hanging down. I’m ashamed that I sound so hurt, but I would’ve done anything to be with Tyler.
“He was all I had left of her.” Tears now flow down my face as I remember the day I gave up my brother.

“My husband was against it. Nothing I said could change his mind.
I couldn’t have kids of my own. It took years for Marcus to agree to an adoption. I don’t think he ever wanted kids, so he was adamant against taking in a teenage girl. I’ve wondered about you all these years. I wasn’t sure if you had moved on with your life and would want nothing to do with Tyler, or hate me for taking him away from you. I even tried to arrange visits for you and Tyler from the beginning, but my husband thought I’d become too attached. I was sure you would resent me for keeping Tyler away from you so long.”

“I’m sorry
, Patricia, but this is a lot to take in.” I wipe my eyes with a napkin, wondering how my life keeps shifting off its axis in the last few months. I’ve done so many things I’m not proud of. The last thing I need is for Patricia to find out what I’ve done for Mason. She would probably keep Tyler away.

“I know it is
, sweetheart. Just promise you’ll take time to consider visiting Tyler once in a while.”

“I don’t think I can stay away now that I know.”

“Good, because you’re family, and I want you to feel comfortable about coming here whenever you want to.” She reaches over and gives me a hug I’m not ready to return.

“Can I ask you something personal?” She pulls back but still holds onto my arms
.