Sweet Deception (Truth) (7 page)

The journey was over and Blake was opening my door for me before I knew it.
"I thought you weren't really a gentleman?" I teased.
He chuckled. "I'm not, but you make want to be. It's what you deserve."
I smiled up at him shyly. "Did you enjoy your first proper date?"
"It was amazing. You are amazing. And I'd really like a second one?" I was mentally jumping up and down, squealing but didn’t let it show.
"I think that can be arranged. I'll call you." His mouth dropped open and I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and turned to walk away.
He laughed. "So, it's like that is it?”
"Always.” I replied, playfully winking at him again before disappearing into the house.

I closed the door and bent over to take off the shoes I was wearing and my feet sighed with relief. Pouring myself a glass of water in the kitchen, I leant against the sideboard and thought about Blake. He had been the perfect date tonight considering he hadn’t been on one since he was sixteen. He was funny, charming and caring. And his kiss...well, the man could definitely kiss. I shrugged away the voice telling me it was down to his experience in that area. He had asked for a second date, so at least I could be confident he wanted to see me again. I could second guess his intentions, or I could just take him on his word. If I went with the latter, I’d be able to get a good night’s sleep. So that’s what I decided to do.

Blake

I wanted to dislike her. I wanted to spend the evening with her and be completely turned off by her needy, clingy, slutty self. But I wasn’t. Because she wasn’t anything like that and never would be. She was funny, cute, sexy, passionate and so goddamn beautiful. And when she kissed me, I was a goner. The women I usually meet would have twirled their hair, giggled, fingered the top of their glass whilst looking up at me through their eyelashes, picked at a salad, skipped dessert, then suggest we go back to theirs for the night. She didn’t do any of that and it made me want her more. She was everything I thought I didn’t want. Turns out I was wrong. I skulked through the house and sat down on the sofa in the living room. How could this work? We were doomed from the beginning yet everything else felt so right. Did I think she was just going to accept Abbey? Yes, in my dreams, and my wildest imagination. But reality was a bitch. A scorned woman who just wanted to make me pay for tossing her out on the street after I fucked her.

My phone beeped. I pulled it from my pocket and cringed as I read it. Amber was a reality.

Hey sexy, wanna coming round to mine tonight? I have something for you ;-)

I chucked the phone on the bed and punched my fist into the mattress. I wished I was someone different. Someone who would deserve a woman like Cassie. But girls like Amber were all I knew. How could I be boyfriend material? I didn’t do relationships. I didn’t know how to. I would only end up disappointing her.

My phone beeped again. It was a picture. A needy, clingy, slutty picture.
I told you I have something for you ;-)

I couldn’t fall for that again. I wouldn’t. I text her back telling her I was busy. It didn’t turn me on anymore, I just felt disgusted with myself. I resolved to try. Try to be the man Cassie would want. One date with her and she was turning my world on its head.

Beep.
This is because of that Wilson girl, isn’t it?

Yes. Yes it is.

Chapter 9

Cassie

Gran had told me to close up slightly earlier today so I got home around four p.m to find her busy cooking in the kitchen. As I entered the room and looked around I noticed that there was an unusually large amount of pots and pans that had been used. Gran clearly wasn't just cooking for me and her. We were having company. Maybe Laurel was coming over, or her friend Margaret from down the road.
"Hey Gran," I said as I walked over and kissed her on the cheek. "Great day at the shop, we were really busy after lunch, lots of bouquets ordered and two weddings booked in!" I told her excitedly.
"Oh yes one of those will be Maisie's granddaughter. She's getting married in a few months to that lovely young man who you went to school with, Joe...somebody. He's a solicitor now you know. You could do with finding someone like him."
"Gran I know you mean well, but really I'm fine on my own
.
I just haven't found the right man yet."
I knew if I told her about Blake I would get the same reaction as she had given me previously. He didn't have the most stellar reputation but he definitely was not as bad as everyone made out.
"Yes dear, that's why you need to get out there and meet some young men. Anyway I have just the young man coming round tonight."
"What?" I exclaimed. My jaw dropped and my heart started racing. She was trying to set me up. I had to be dreaming.
"My friend Margaret is coming round for dinner and she's bringing her grandson James, the one I told you about. I met him last week, such a lovely man and very handsome. He owns his own business, and I think he will be just your type. Now off with you, you need to go upstairs and shower and put a dress on. You wear those jeans too much! Boys like it when you show off a bit of leg."
"Graann," I whined and stomped my foot forgetting I was twenty-four, not ten. "I can't believe you would do that. I don't want to be set up. I'm quite capable of finding myself a man you know."
"Really? Well why haven't you then?" She turned from the sink to challenge me.
"Because I don't want one, I'm happy on my own!" I shrieked.
And there is a certain man who has got my stomach all tied up in knots already.
"Don't be so silly, every woman wants to be loved! I met your grandfather at twenty-one and by the time I was your age I was married with two children. You can't waste time on your own Cassandra."
I pulled a very unflattering face at her using my full name. She only did that when she was annoyed at me. I blew out the breath I had been holding and groaned in frustration. I knew I wasn't getting out of this one. I swung round and a pouty "fine" flew over my lips.
As I showered I wondered how Blake would feel if he knew I was being set up with someone tonight. Would he be jealous? Was I even going to tell him? I didn't feel right hiding it, but nothing was going to happen and we were in the company of our grandmothers so it was always going to be innocent.
Just as I stepped out the shower my phone rang so I rushed over clutching the towel tightly round me. I smiled as I read the screen.
"Hello?"
"Hey gorgeous, you must be tired 'cause you've been running through my mind all day." I laughed out loud. "Did you really just use a line like that!?"
His deep sexy laugh rang out through the speaker. "Yeah, I'm serious. I have got no work done today at all because of you."

"Err don't blame it on me mister, you should be able to control yourself. I thought I was supposed to be calling you?" I could hear him smile as he was talking.
"You took too long. I couldn't wait. What are you up to?"
"Well actually I just got out the shower."
There was a pause and I heard his sharp intake of breath down the line.
"Blake?" I asked. "Are you still there?"
"Yeah I'm here, I'm just having some very rude thoughts and it's making me want to drive all the way over there and show you exactly what I'm thinking…"
I winced hoping that he wouldn't decide to do that even though the thought was sending my body crazy.
"…But I'm working late tonight," he carried on. "I've got a big deal to get sewn up by the morning. I might have to take a cold shower before my evening meeting though!"
"Oh it's a shame I'm not there, I'd scrub your back for you." I said in a playful tone.
He sucked in a breath, "You, Miss Wilson, are a tease. Can I cook for you tomorrow? At mine."
"Well well, I didn't know you cooked."
"It's just one of my many talents. If you're lucky I'll show you some others too." His voice was deep and husky and sent my pulse racing.
"I'll look forward to it. I'll text you after work. Have a good evening Blake."
"You too, sweetheart." Oh, sweetheart. My stomach did a little flip.
"Cassie, I hope you are nearly ready! They will be here soon." Gran shouted up the stairs. I glanced at the time to see I only had ten minutes left. I let out a little yelp and pulled out a sundress from the wardrobe that was pretty but not too formal. I wanted to look nice but not so nice that I gave him the wrong impression. A brief thought crossed my mind that maybe Blake was still seeing other people? We weren’t exclusive. It was only one date after all. What if he was going and having sex with other girls? I thought about his hands on the girls at the bar and how they had been throwing themselves at him. My stomach knotted and I felt like I was going to throw up. A few breaths were needed to calm myself. It was stupid because I had no claim on him but those thoughts just made me dizzy after Dan. I gathered my hair up into a messy ponytail that looked like I hadn't tried too hard and left the safety of my room.
I paused just before the stairs as the doorbell rang and I was out of time. I watched closely but hidden out of view as Gran answered and greeted her friend with a hug and kiss on the cheek ushering her inside, another figure following closely behind. They both came in through the foyer and I could see them a lot clearer. James was very tall, towering over the two short older women, he was well built too as my eyes trailed up over his muscular chest that was wrapped in a tight blue shirt and landed on his handsome face. He could have easily stepped straight off the cover of a magazine. His blonde hair was short, and his smile was cheeky and boyish, it made him seem younger. My stomach fluttered and guilt washed over me as I thought about Blake.
My eyes must have been burning through James for a good minute before he seemed to realise and look up. My heart was pounding. He just caught me staring. Gran saw his head rise and followed his eyes to land on me. She smirked knowingly and before I could duck away she raised her voice.
"Oh there you are darling, I was just about to come and get you. Our visitors have arrived. You look beautiful."
As I made my way down the stairs I was silently cursing that I had been so stupid as to let him see me. Now he was going to think I was interested when I wasn't. Was I? I held out my hand as the manners my parents instilled in me took over and I introduced myself.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Cassandra." His reply was in a low baritone that echoed off the walls of the hallway, and his smile grew wider, eyes shimmering as he took the hand I offered in his firm grip. He held on to it for just a few seconds longer than necessary and let his hand brush mine as it fell away. Gran chuckled and signalled to everyone to follow her. The table was set in the formal dining room that we only ate in on special occasions.
James walked round to my side to hold my chair out for me before sliding into the seat opposite. Our grandmothers were next to us facing each other too. The whole set up was awkward but luckily they started the conversation so I didn't have to think that much. Not that I would have been capable of it anyway. His presence was as strong and all male as Blake's and left me slightly intimidated.
"James owns his own interior design company, don't you? It's very successful too isn't it?" Gran probed, wanting to show him off to me. He smiled. "Yes we do okay, have some pretty big clients. I've just had to take on a load of extra staff to meet the demand actually."
"And you own your own house?" She prompted.
"Yes it's just down the road. It needed quite a bit of work but I'm getting there."

His eyes were on me constantly, trying to gauge any reactions to his answers but I tried to keep my face as emotionless as possible whilst still nodding along. I wasn't the life of the party. It all felt a bit too contrived and I couldn't relax. I was just lifting a piece of steak to my mouth when something brushed against my leg tickling the bare skin. I reached down to scratch the itch and carried on eating. Just moments later it happened again, but instead of just a tickle, it was something firmer, sending a shiver round me. Was that – No, it couldn’t be. I coughed to clear my throat and peeked up at James through my hair. The corners of his mouth were turned up in a cocky smile I knew only too well from Blake. He raised an eyebrow as I choked on my steak and the cutlery clattered onto the plate. Yes it was, it definitely was. His leg had made its way up the length of mine in a caress. He was coming on way too strong. What was his deal? I wondered whether I had done anything that gave him the impression he could. I picked up my drink to calm myself and took a steadying breath.
"So, James, how come you haven't got a girlfriend?" I asked. He smiled like he knew what I was doing and I heard my Gran's tut as she carried on eating.
"Just haven't found the right one yet I guess."
"So why wasn't the last one the right one?" I shot back.
He eyed me carefully before responding. "I obviously wasn't the right one for her. She cheated on me with her yoga instructor." Bitch. Why was I such a bitch?

Gran intervened, “So, who wants dessert?” She looked round at everyone and when her eyes landed on me they silently scolded me for being rude.

“I’d love some please Julia, what are we having?” James asked.

Gran smiled at his politeness and answered, “Well I have fresh strawberries. I can give you ice-cream with them or whipped cream?”

He replied, “I’m definitely a whipped cream kind of guy.” She nodded and turned as James grinned and winked at me. I blushed bright red and looked away. He was definitely hot on the flirting.
The meal carried on with Gran asking him more questions and doing her best to bring me in on the conversation. When we finished, Gran and Margaret sneaked off silently to do the washing up telling us to make ourselves comfortable in the sitting room. He patted the spot next to him on the sofa and I shook my head in response. "I don't bite you know," he cocked his head to the side and smiled that sexy half smile. "No, but I do," I snapped back.
He laughed," Wow, getting kinky on the first date. I am a lucky man."
"This is not a date." I bit out.
He held his hands up in a surrender. "Okay, okay. I get it." He got up and swaggered his way over so he was up close. Close enough to make me swallow hard. Then he moved his arm up to hold onto the mantelpiece behind me and I was caged in. It didn't scare me, but it made my mouth dry and there were no thoughts but his hard body in front of me. "You may not want this to be a date, but I can tell you want me." He leant his mouth down to my ear and whispered," You want me bad." He pulled back but only slightly and his face was only inches from mine. My eyes flicked to his and there was fire, desire. He moved and then his lips were on me and my mind was trying to register why I shouldn't be doing something that felt this good. He licked my top lip trying to get me to open up and then I felt Blake's hands on my waist.
But it wasn't Blake; I just wanted it to be. I pushed out to James' chest and he stumbled back slightly. I shook my head and blurted out, “I can't. I'm seeing someone."
He looked faintly amused which I didn't understand. "I know."
My eyes lifted from the ground, "What do you mean, you know?"
He leant against the wall with his arms folded. "I mean, I know you're seeing someone. I know you're seeing Blake. He's a mate."
I was still confused. "So why would you do that, if he's a friend?"
He took a deep breath in then blew it out." Well I don't think he quite wanted it to go that far. I've been a naughty boy. But I just couldn't help myself."
"He? As in Blake? So he set me up? Did he set this whole thing up?" My voice was rising an octave a second.
"He didn't set up the evening. That was all on our grandmothers. But he did ask me to kick it up a notch. Maybe not that far up. But you get the idea."
"So he asked you to flirt with me. See if you could get me all hot and bothered. See if I'd flirt back. Is that right?"
"Nail on head, I'd say." Anger was building inside me and I contemplated picking up the china ornament that was just behind me and chucking it at him.