False Pretenses (4 page)

“Time for bed,” he announced.

She yawned, leaning on his chest, and they strolled back to the room. “Good night,” Alyssa murmured and stumbled into her room. She shut and locked the door and then leaned on it. Even the chilly panel didn’t cool her hot body. Everything about him excited her, from his smile, to his voice, to his eyes, and his touch…

She didn’t know how she would bear the coming week. At least if she revealed her attraction, she could put it down to great acting. If nothing else, she needed to guard her heart and know, in the end, it would all benefit her business.

* * * *

In the late afternoon, Alyssa and Nathan checked out of the hotel and were driven to another location. When Alyssa stepped into the lobby of the new place, she wrinkled her nose in confusion and turned to Nathan. “I thought we were going to your parents’ house? What’s the name of this hotel?”

He grinned, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “This is our family estate here in the islands.”

Embarrassment and wonder washed over her at the same time. The ground floor where they stood spread out so open and big, it rivaled the best and most expensive of hotels. Just past the front door, an arrangement of real palm trees stretched up from the first floor almost to the third. Double dark oak doors lined the walls on the first and second floor, while windows lined those of the third. One side of the third led off into some other part of the house. The very fact that she saw all of this from where she stood blew her mind.

While she wanted to continue to gawk at the house that must be worth millions, a maid glided down the stairs and approached them. Her straight back and serviceable uniform impressed Alyssa all the more. “Mr. Corde, welcome home, sir.”

“Talia, thank you,” Nathan responded. “This is my girlfriend, Alyssa. Can you show her to her room?”

The woman didn’t bat an eyelash at the fact that Alyssa’s skin was as brown as hers. She smiled and nodded her greeting. Alyssa found her voice and answered in kind.

“Mrs. Corde gave instructions for Ms. Alyssa to be placed in your room, sir. Aziz has already taken the luggage up. Ms. Alyssa, I’ll show you the way.”

“Wait, in Nathan’s room?” Alyssa squeaked.

Nathan cleared his throat. Before either of them could speak further, a woman called out from behind them, and Alyssa and Nathan turned. The woman hurrying up the few steps to the doorway appeared to be an older female version of Nathan. Alyssa knew this must be his mother.

“Nathan, darling,” she cooed and raised her cheek for Nathan to kiss. He did so and drew his mother in for a warm hug. She didn’t reach beyond his shoulder, but her fiery spirit made her seem taller. “Dad and I have missed you. I wish you would visit more often.”

“I promise I will,” he assured her and drew Alyssa to his side. “Mom, this is Alyssa. Alyssa, my mom.”

“You can call me Lydia, dear,” his mother said.

She offered a cheek to Alyssa too, and Alyssa gave her a brief hug and a sort of half-cheek, half-air kiss. The fact that real people greeted each other this way surprised her, but she did her best to recover quickly so she wouldn’t embarrass Nathan or look like a poor gawking tourist.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs.…um…Lydia. Thank you for inviting me to your home.”

Lydia waved a hand and turned back toward the door. “When Dad gets his second wind, he’ll come in. Of course, he only likes Aziz to help him. Oh, here is Aziz. Aziz, help Mr. Corde in, will you?”

“Of course, ma’am.” The young man, about thirty or so, who had Talia’s eyes and nose, swept out the door in brisk efficiency.

Lydia had them all seated in a living room off the main area and Talia away for refreshments in a heartbeat. Alyssa soon crossed her legs with a glass of iced tea, having declined the hot equivalent on a day like today. Nathan took her free hand and laced his fingers with hers.

“Mom, I think Talia made a mistake and put us in the same room,” Nathan began.

“Oh pish.” His mother rolled her eyes. “I may not be young, but I’m not stupid, Nathan. I know what you young people get up to these days before marriage. I will have you know I’m not completely old-fashioned. I told Talia to put you two together so you don’t have to sneak about at night. Everything is out in the open.”

Alyssa blinked at the older woman while fighting panic. Nathan’s mother fully expected them to have sex under her roof. The prospect both appealed and repulsed her at the same time. She waited for Nathan to protest the arrangement, but he had the nerve to thank her for understanding and then kissed Alyssa’s hand. Alyssa, thinking he’d lost his damn mind, dug her nails into his palm until he winced, but he didn’t release his hold.

At last, Nathan’s father entered the sitting room, a proud glint in his eyes despite the stoop to his shoulders and the obvious frailty of his overall frame. Nathan popped to his feet, and Alyssa stood as well. Her heart went out to the little old man, who must have had Lydia by at least ten years. He had to be pushing seventy, or it could be the sickness that took it out of him.

“Nathan.” The older man greeted Nathan with an echo of the voice of his son. “You’ve finally arrived. Sorry we weren’t here. I forgot another doctor’s appointment.”

“Dad, don’t worry about it.” Nathan hugged his father, and Alyssa found her chest tightening. She knew the pain of losing parents without warning. Was it worse for Nathan having his dad all his life and then knowing he would go soon? Or was it easier given he could mentally prepare for the inevitable?

When the two men turned to her, she hurried over to them and allowed herself to be drawn into another hug. Whatever she had expected, it was not this warm welcome and the complete lack of reaction to her appearance. Maybe as Nathan believed, his parents just wanted to know he was happy and settling down.

“Young lady, you can call me Dad,” Nathan’s father insisted.

Guilt washed over Alyssa, and she stuttered.

“Dad, don’t be ridiculous. They’re not married or engaged!”

Alyssa turned at the voice of another person joining them. She met the caustic gaze of a woman who appeared to be a few years younger, and identified her right away as Nathan’s sister. The medium-length blonde hair and blue eyes matched those of her father, a sharp contrast to Nathan’s and his mother’s darker looks. Her slender figure and plain clothes offered less of an impact than her mother made with obvious designer brands.

“You can call him Mr. Corde, or Leo if you don’t have any respect,” the woman ordered.

Here we go.
Alyssa’s hand crept to her hip almost without her guiding it there. She gave as much as she got, scraping her gaze over the woman’s figure, and let it be clearly written on her face that she was not impressed with what she saw. Red stained the woman’s cheeks, giving Alyssa the satisfaction she sought. “And who are you?”

“Piper Corde,” was the harsh reply. “I’m Nathan’s younger sister, and I can spot a gold digger from a mile away.”

“Oh, is that right?” Alyssa shot back and took a step toward her. Nathan cut her off and drew her back to his side.

“Watch your mouth, Piper,” he growled. “I won’t allow you to talk to Alyssa that way.”

“We all know it, Nathan, even if you don’t. Dad and Mom were saying—”

“Piper Corde, you be quiet this instant,” Lydia snapped.

A chill raised goose bumps on Alyssa’s arms. So they weren’t all as accepting as she’d thought. Now she remembered people loved to smile in one’s face while talking behind one’s back. She imagined as soon as she wasn’t around, Nathan’s parents would say the same thing to him that his sister wasn’t too afraid to point out. She didn’t doubt she would soon find herself back on a plane to the United States and the deal off. That wasn’t a bad thing if Trinity held up her side of the bargain. At least she could avoid temptation in the form of Nathan Corde.

“Come on, Mom,” Piper insisted, not backing down for a second. “There’s only one thing someone like her wants.”

Nathan opened his mouth to speak, but Alyssa held up an open palm in his face and shoved in front of him. “You know nothing about me, bitch!” She sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. “Please excuse my language, Mr. and Mrs. Corde, but I’m not going to stand here and let this
girl
think she can talk to me any kind of a way and accuse me of ensnaring Nathan for his money. You don’t know my background or where I come from.”

Piper looked her up and down. “Where did you buy those clothes, Wal-Mart?”

Alyssa was done talking. She sprang at Piper, who had the sense to fear for her life. Paling, she fell back a step, but before Alyssa could smack her, the barked command halted them both.

“Enough!”

The two of them turned toward Leo, and his high color and trembling hand on the top of his cane had Alyssa kicking herself for letting Piper rile her.

“I will not have this bickering in my home,” Leo snapped. “My own daughter, whom I raised to be a well-mannered young woman, will not disrespect my guest. Is that clear, Piper?”

Piper’s gaze lowered to the floor. “Sorry, Dad.”

The argument fizzled faster than it had started, and when he’d made his point, Leo’s knees gave. In the blink of an eye, both Nathan and Aziz were at his sides to catch him. Alyssa clapped a hand over her mouth. She’d vowed not to let the man suffer more than he already was, and here she stood, exacerbating his ailment.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Corde.” She followed the procession to get him seated. “Are you okay?”

The older man huffed and puffed in exhaustion. If the blood hadn’t drained from his face and the bony hands didn’t shake so hard, she might have thought he played up his sickness to gain control of his family. Something told her Leo Corde had commanded respect from those around him by his strength of character, not his weakness.

“I’m fine, just fine,” he said, a tinge of impatience in his tone. “Call me Leo.”

So he had given in to his daughter’s suggestion either way. None of it mattered. She would not be here for long or in Nathan’s scope after they returned to the United States. “Of course, Leo. Again, I’m sorry. If everyone will excuse me, I’d like to go to my room for a little while and get settled.”

“I’ll go with you,” Nathan offered.

She wanted to deny him, not ready to face the fact that they would share a bed, but she couldn’t do so in front of everyone else. Instead, she nodded and thanked his parents for having her once more. Nathan’s touch at her lower back gave her fantasies of much more, and he led her out of the room and up the stairs.
A week will be over before I know it, and then I’m back to my own life, enjoying the success of my business. No biggie.
The time could not pass fast enough.

Chapter Four

Alyssa made to sit down on the queen-size bed but thought better of it. Somehow that seemed to make the room smaller, bringing Nathan into proximity. As it was, she stood watching him hang a couple business suits in the closet. Didn’t he ever dress down, or did he expect to work while on the island?

“I would think you’d have a maid hang up your clothes,” she commented, just to have something to say.

He turned from the closet with a slight frown of concern. “I apologize. Did you need Talia to come in and help you unpack? I thought we might like some alone time to acclimate to the arrangements.”

Her eyebrows went up. “Me? No, of course not. I’ve never been waited on in my life, aside from a waitress or whatever.” When she remained silent, he decided to answer her question.

“Yes, normally, I have someone put away my things.”

“Even at home?”

He smiled, and her heart skipped a beat.
Idiot heart.

“I don’t have a lot of personal time. I make the best use of it.”

“That sucks.” She strolled over to his suitcase and peered inside. “Tell me you have some shorts in there and a few T-shirts, maybe even some flip-flops.”

“Flip-flops!” The cringe had her bursting out laughing.

“We’re a couple, right, and if I’m going to pull this off realistically, I have to be myself.” She stabbed his chest with a finger. “I would have bullied you into getting out of the suits. So, if you don’t have anything good in there, we’re going shopping, mister.”

Narrowed eyes and curled lips brought her to a light pant.

“Yes, ma’am.” He stepped forward, and she backed to the bed, trapped. “Don’t worry. I do have shorts and T-shirts. What I’m more concerned about is if you’re okay with sharing the room.”

He had to go there.

“It’s not what we expected, but I think we can work it out.”

His gaze lit on her face. “Trust me. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do, Alyssa.”

She shivered hearing her name on his lips. Trust him? From what she knew of the man, he liked to keep things on the up-and-up. She had no problem trusting he wouldn’t violate her. Nathan wasn’t the problem. She’d been fine looking whenever in his presence, but since the beginning of this arrangement, that contentment had ebbed. His hands at her waist, his lips on hers, and the two of them writhing in bed was what filled her mind. Ridding her head of the thoughts proved impossible. Who knew if having sex with Nathan would be disgusting or unbelievably satisfying.

You’re not going to find out, Alyssa, so shut it down.

“Stay on your side, and I’ll stay on mine.”

The speculative expression said the words were a poor choice. “So if I don’t…”

“I’ll relocate your balls with my knee.”

He chuckled. “Well warned.”

* * * *

Alyssa might have behaved like sleeping at Nathan’s side presented no big deal, but the real experience left her stiff, clutching the covers up to her neck, and listening to his quiet breathing. She’d elected to sleep in a long tee and panties, out of sight by the time he stepped from the bathroom. To her alarm, Nathan had no such qualms about revealing his body. He had slid into boxers and left his chest bare while she pretended to have drifted off. From her side of the bed, she took in the fresh scent of soap and sexy maleness every time she inhaled. Sleep eluded her, but Nathan didn’t appear to have an issue.