The Guest (11 page)

She folded her arms, rocking back on her heels and smiling at him like
the cat that ate the canary. “Marriage.”

“Excuse me?” Cole’s jaw hit the carpet, his eyes widening to twice
their original size as he stared down at her as if she’s just spouted horns. She
was trying to blackmail him into marrying her? Was she out of her Goddamn mind?
“You must be crazy as hell if you think—”

“Not crazy, Cole, practical,” she told him. “I want to be your wife. You
want me to keep my mouth shut. Seems like a fair trade in my book.”

“Come on, Chelsea, you have to see that that’s the most ludicrous proposal
ever.”

“Not to me it isn’t. All you have to do is marry me and no one will
ever hear about your little indiscretion. My one stipulation is that you never
see her again.”

Cole stared at her blankly, her words barely registering through his
stupefaction. Flabbergasted didn’t even begin to describe how he felt at the
moment. When he didn’t respond, she bent to pick up the crumpled heap of
photographs and shoved them back into her purse. “Oh and no pre-nup. This is to
be a real marriage in every sense of the word.”

Still, Cole didn’t speak, so she turned on her heels and headed back to
the door. “Well, you have my offer. I’ll give you some time to think about it.
But don’t keep me waiting too long, Cole. I got rid of your whore once already.
I’ll get rid of her permanently if I have to.”

That got Cole’s legs working again, adrenaline propelling him forward
as he shouted, “Chelsea! What did you do?”

She pulled the door open and stepped outside just as he got to her. “I
didn’t do anything, Cole, well, at least not yet. Just ensure that you stay
away from her and have an answer for me soon so I won’t need to do anything at
all.”

“Don’t fucking threaten me, Chelsea!” he said, his voice low but hard
as steel.

“No threats, Cole darling, only promises. Tah-tah sweetheart, sleep
tight. And remember, I’ll be watching.” She winked at him saucily then
sauntered toward the elevator, her hips swaying purposefully with each confident
step she took.

Disgusted with himself and the whole situation in general, Cole slammed
the door so he didn’t have to watch her leave. With a curious mixture of
emotions simmering in his gut, he walked over to the sofa and flopped down in
it, letting the entire bizarre encounter replay in his head. He was angry at
himself for being careless with his relationship with Julie and Jared, afraid
of Julie getting hurt by the backlash of this mess and shocked as hell at
Chelsea’s ridiculous proposal. If she thought he was going to marry her, she
had another guess coming. There had to be a way to get around her. He was too
tired and disturbed to process it now, but he was sure that in the morning he
would figure out a way to fix this horrible mess he’d unwittingly created.

Chapter Eleven

The past three weeks felt like the longest weeks of her life. Julie was
so weary now, after carrying around the horrible mixture of emotions she was
experiencing for so long. She’d known from the beginning that Cole couldn’t
possibly be a permanent part of her and Jared’s relationship. At some point
they would have to put an end to their indecent arrangement and move on with
their lives. But she hadn’t been ready for it to be over so soon and certainly
not the way it had. Every time she thought about the way he’d lied to them, she
could feel bile rising in her stomach and she wanted to pick up the phone and
give him a nasty piece of her mind.

What was most amazing to her though, was the fact that he hadn’t even
bothered to call or text her since she and Jared had left New York. Jared said
he’d spoken to him, but after she explained exactly why she had wanted to leave
so badly that night, he’d been so upset that he’d completely shut down. The
mere mention of Cole’s name made him want to punch something so they hadn’t
spoken about him since then. She had no clue if he was in touch with the man or
not, even for business purposes. The whole thing was extremely depressing,
especially when her feelings for Cole had started to become more than mere
sexual interest. She had truly loved the way they were together and she had no
doubt that, with time, she would have come to love him as much as she loved
Jared.

A loud sigh escaped her and she lifted her head to look away from the
pages of the book she’d been staring at for God only knows how long. Jared glanced
up from his phone at the same time and her gaze collided with his emerald orbs,
a speculative look shining in their depths. “Everything alright?” he asked,
cocking a brow at her.

She nodded and forced a smile. “Yep. Almost finished this novel, it’s
pretty interesting, too.”

He nodded, smiling back at her wryly. “Really? That why you’ve been
stuck on the same page for almost an hour?”

A little grimace flashed across her face as she realized he was on to
her. “Okay, you got me. Just a lot on my mind, you know?”

He sighed, shuffling over to her on the bed and pulling her to his
chest. “I know.”

She snuggled into his side, resting her head against his broad shoulder
as he pressed his cheek into her hair, using one hand to stroke over the long
tresses that fell down her back. They lay like that for a long moment, until
Jared’s deep voice finally broke the silence. “What do you say we get outta
here for a few days?”

She pulled back slightly, craning her neck to get a look at his face.
“Really? Where would we go?”

“I was thinking about that lodge in the Poconos we visited last year.”

“Renting that place cost us a pretty penny, Jared,” she said, settling
back into her cozy spot. “I don’t think we can afford something like that right
now.”

“You let me worry about all that, okay?” he admonished, starting up his
tender stroking of her hair again. “Do you want to go or not?”

“You know I do, but what about work? I can put in for a few days casual
leave but I know you’re needed at the office on a daily basis.”

“I’m sure they can cope without me for a day or two. Larry can handle
any issues that may arise in my absence.”

Julie smiled gently, loving her man just a little bit more. “You’ve
thought this through, haven’t you?”

“I have,” he replied, kissing her hair softly. “I know the whole Cole
situation has had you pretty strung out. A break will do wonders for you.”

It was her turn to sigh. He was absolutely right, a break from the
routine of her everyday life would be wonderful and she’d get a chance to spend
some quality time with Jared which would help take her mind off Cole. “Yes, a
break is definitely in order. When do we leave?”

“I booked it for Tuesday to Sunday. That would give us five full days
and you can use Monday to sort out your leave. How does that sound?”

“Absolutely perfect.” She stretched up and pressed her lips to his. He
didn’t hesitate to return her kiss and soon he was rolling over to pin her
beneath him as their passion ignited like wildfire.

****

The Last Chance Valley Lodges were sequestered within the lush greenery
of the Pocono Mountains. The cabin they were given this time around was further
to the back of the massive plot of land on which the resort was located. Julie
couldn’t have been happier with the selection. It was almost completely hidden
behind the thick foliage around it and was right in front of the cool stream
that ran right through the valley. It was an utterly serene environment—their
own temporary piece of paradise.

“Like it?” Jared asked as he walked back into the hall after putting
their bags in the bedroom. She turned away from the glass door which led to the
back porch overlooking the stream, a wide grin spreading across her lips and
she hurried over to walk right into his arms.

“I love it,” she whispered, tipping up to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”

“I love
you
, never forget
that,” he replied, mimicking her kiss.

“How could I?”

“Good. I’m gonna run into town for a little bit to pick up a few things
to make dinner. Are you going to be alright by yourself?”

 
The town was about fifteen
minutes away, so she knew he wouldn’t be gone for too long. “Of course! What’s
for dinner?”

“I was thinking along the lines of curried shrimp, if that’s alright
with you?”

Her face lit up like a Christmas tree as she reveled in the joys of
being married to a man who loved to cook. “Mmm, yum! Your curried shrimp is
exquisite.”

“Exquisite shrimp for the exquisite lady, coming right up,” he said,
chuckling softly.

Julie giggled and shook her head at his corny joke as she pulled out of
his embrace. “Don’t take too long, okay? I’m hungry, in more ways than one.”

Jared grinned, wiggling his brows at her as he flashed a quick salute.
“Yes ma’am!” He said, then grabbed his keys and made a dash for the door.

When he was gone, she hurried into the bedroom to unpack their
suitcases, then freshened up. After pulling on a simple spaghetti strap
sundress, she toweled her hair dry. A loud knock sounded on the door and instantly,
her brows pulled together in a frown. She quickly tossed the towel on the bed
and hurried to see who was there. It couldn’t be Jared back already—that would
be some kind of record. She yanked the door open and the air simply
crystallized in her lungs when she saw Cole’s tall, lean figure lounging
against the post on the verandah. He was dressed in all black, just like the
night they’d first met, but this ensemble was even more devastatingly sexy than
the one before. The black jeans hugged his hips sinfully just as the t-shirt
clung to his chest like a glove. The leather jacket tossed over it added a
wicked edge that pronounced the bad boy in him like a red flag.

The second he saw her standing in the doorway, he pushed off the post,
moving toward her with one hand outstretched. “Julie, I…”

She stepped back, dodging his hand and made to slam the door in his
face. But he must have anticipated her move because his booted foot shot out
almost instinctively to block the door and his hand closed around her wrist in
a firm hold. “I just want to talk,” he whispered, his blue eyes glinting in the
waning sunlight.

“I have nothing to say to you!” she cried, yanking her hand in an
attempt to free herself from his hold.

Cole let her go. “Fine, you don’t have to talk to me. Just hear me out,
please.”

“Why should I? You really have some nerve coming here!” How the hell
did he even know where to find them? Surely Jared wouldn’t have told him, would
he?

He ignored her outburst, holding up his hands in front of him in a sign
of surrender. “Five minutes, that’s all I’m asking for. If you’re not satisfied
with what I have to say after that you’re free to throw my ass to the curb.”

Julie folded her arms, cocking her head to one side as she eyed him
contemplatively. “Does Jared know you’re here?”

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and expelled a loud
sigh, a look of remorse clouding his handsome features. “Yes,” he whispered,
ever so softly. “He knows.”

Shock hit her like a boulder between the eyes. Her husband had
conspired against her with this man? This whole getaway idea had been a set up?
“Oh my God!” she cried, pivoting at record speed and hurrying back inside
cabin. “I can’t believe it! I’m dealing with not one, but
two,
lying snakes!”

She heard the soft click of the door and Cole’s slow but forceful
footsteps on the wooden floor told her he was right behind her. “We’re not
liars, Jules. We’re just two men who care about you very much.”

Her anger flared, swift and hot in her belly, and she pun around to
face him again, hands balled into tight fists at her sides. “Really?
You
care about me.” she drawled.

His jaw locked as he fought to ignore her biting tone. “I do ... more
than you could ever imagine.”

A short, dry laugh burst from her lips. “Well you have a real funny way
of showing it.” She spun away from him again, making to stalk away into the
bedroom, but his hand closed around her elbow before she could even make the
first step. He turned her around to face him once more, pressing his body to
hers so she couldn’t escape.

“I was never engaged to Chelsea Caldwell, okay?” he said, his voice a
low rumble as his tempestuous blue eyes bore into her. “We weren’t even in a relationship.”

Julie scoffed, twisting her body to try and put some distance between
them. It was sad the way her pulse still quickened the moment his hand touched
her skin or the way heat unfurled in her gut at his mere proximity. “You’re
crazy if you expect me to believe that’s true!” she yelled, feeling disgusted
with herself that deep down she really wanted to believe him. “You must think
I’m utterly stupid.”

“It’s the truth, angel, you have to believe me.”

“Don’t call me that!” She struggled against him. “And I don’t
have
to believe anything at all. But I
do believe this—you were a mistake I should never have allowed myself to make.”

Cole’s eyes closed briefly as a flash of pain darkened his features. When
he opened his eyes again, he released his hold on her, taking a step back to
put some distance between them. “Fair enough, I won’t argue with you if that’s
truly what you believe,” he said quietly. “All I ask is that you let me explain
what happened and then I’ll go.”

She dragged in a deep breath, then walked over to the sofa and sank
down into it. She didn’t believe for once second that anything he could tell
her would change how she felt about what he had done. He’d lied, not only to
her but to Jared as well, and connived his way into their bed. That was what
had happened, full stop. Still, she was curious as to what his explanation of
his behavior would be and hearing him out couldn’t hurt. “Okay, talk. I’m
listening.”

Cole sank into the armchair across from her, rested his elbows on his
spread legs, and skewered her with a look so earnest she had to avert her eyes
so as not to be captivated by it. “Chelsea and I have known each other for
years, through our parents. I’d always found her beautiful, though, in a
totally superficial way. Recently, she began to show some amount of interest in
me and both our mothers subtly suggested that it might be a good idea if we
went on a date or two. I hadn’t been in a relationship in a long time and
Chelsea was single so I figured it couldn’t hurt.”

He paused, looking up at her as if trying to gauge what she was
thinking, but Julie kept her features shuttered. Folding her arms under her breasts,
she leaned back on the sofa. “Go on.”

“We went out a few times. I became her regular escort to the numerous
social gatherings she regularly attended. People began speculating that we were
a couple and Chelsea was thrilled.”

Her eyes narrowed, her mouth twisting in a grimace. “But you
were
a couple, weren’t you? I bet you
were sleeping with her by then.”

“And you’d lose that bet,” he replied, looking directly at her with an
intensity that almost overwhelmed her. “I’ve never had sex with Chelsea, Jules.
We’ve never done more than kissed and not even deeply at that.”

Julie’s lips pressed into a thin line of disbelief. “A virile man like
you, going out with a gorgeous, willing woman for months without touching her?”

“There was no chemistry between her and me, it’s as simple as that.”

“I find that very hard to believe.”

“Whether you believe it or not, it’s the truth. Maybe it was the fact
that I’ve known her for so long or because she wasn’t really the type of woman
I usually went for, but there was just no passion between us at all.”

She studied him for a long moment, acknowledging that he did sound
quite sincere in his declarations. But she still wasn’t sold on believing just
yet, there were still things which didn’t add up in the whole scenario. “Why
would she tell me you had asked her to marry you, then? What would be the point
of that?”

“Because it was what she wanted and she knew it was the perfect way to
get rid of the competition. You see, Chelsea had hired a P.I. to have me followed
and had found out that we were involved.”

 
Julie’s eyes bulged and she sat
forward instantly. “She knew about me, you and Jared?”

Cole shook his head. “That’s the thing. She thought you were cheating
on Jared with me and threatened to go public with it if I didn’t cooperate with
her plans. She was going to ruin not only my reputation, but yours, too, by
running the story on the front page of a local newspaper, along with pictures
her P.I. had taken.”

“And what exactly
was
her
plan?”