The Innocent Liar (7 page)

Chapter Thirteen

F
iona had put it off as long as she could. Payroll had actually popped up on her calendar on Monday while Eli was down at the showroom with Candace, but given the way things had ended with her, she’d decided against begging her help. How hard could it be? She found out quickly it was going to be plenty hard. She didn’t have a clue where to begin.

Candace showing her the basics of the program didn’t prepare her for this, and now it was Tuesday morning, and she’d been staring at the damn program for an hour already. Eli had been on the phone for nearly that entire time, chatting about numbers, wood, and designs. When he caught her looking into his office from her desk, he waved her in with a wrinkled brow. He could likely see the stress, and she sat in the chair in front of his desk and waited for him to wrap up his call. He disconnected quickly after that, and when he clasped his hands casually on his desktop, appraising her with mock seriousness, she finally smiled.

“You look worried.”

However serious he often seemed, she was starting to understand it wasn’t always what was underneath. The first time she saw him interact with his employees, she’d been a little surprised they didn’t appear terrified of him. He was certainly in control, and she’d not once seen anyone, except perhaps Candace, challenge that. At first, Fiona had been terrified of him, but the guys acted casually as though he weren’t the most intimidating man in the world, and she was starting to see why. He could certainly be ferocious when he wanted too, and he’d proved it easily the first time they’d met. He could also be a mask of seriousness and unreadable passiveness, but there was far more going on beneath the surface, and she liked what she saw under there more every moment she spent with him.

“So you know that employee of yours who doesn’t care for me so much?”

“Mike? Yeah…hates you. Real shame too…”

“What? No…Mike?”

Again with the stern seriousness. So much so, she’d missed the joke until his lips pulled up slightly, and his eyebrows shot up.

“Yes, Fifi. I know the very one. I’ve spoken with her about her behavior, but whether it will do any good remains to be seen. You let me handle her.”

“It’s Fluffy, not Fifi, and great!” She flashed a completely contrived smile. “So, you’ll do the payroll with her, since she didn’t finish showing me how to run it?” She grimaced. She didn’t know if this was going to piss him off or not.

“You don’t want to spend a few hours with her working on payroll?” Now he was taunting, and she started to relax.

“I have every confidence that she and I are going to be best friends someday.”

He started chuckling then. “God, I hope not.” He studied her for a moment with his tongue in his cheek. “I’m on my way out for an appointment, but I’ll be back after lunch. I’m very familiar with the program, and I’m all yours for the afternoon.”

Well, that sure as hell went over better than she thought it might, and it certainly sounded better than an afternoon with Candace.

He returned at one thirty, and after they ran downstairs to collect the timecards, they were alone once again, fighting over her mouse. It put them in entirely too close contact, and she could smell his shower wash. He didn’t appear to use cologne, and the scent of his skin was subtle and comfortable. His hands brushed over hers constantly, and at one point, he reached around her back, clasped his hand firmly on her upper arm and used his free hand to reach in front of her and steal the mouse from her clutches. It was a bit playful for a man who seemed incapable of such things. It was also effective, and by the end of the day, payroll was processed and ready to be printed the next morning.

She ate ramen noodles for dinner that night, and she smiled the entire time. She was in no position to like a man, none whatsoever, and to like a man such as him could be disastrous for her already wounded soul. The fact there was a wedding ring hidden away in her wallet was number one. The fact that wedding ring symbolized a legal marriage was number two, and the fact that her place in his world was supposed to be a temporary thing was number three. She hated one, two, and three. She was not here to find a boyfriend. She was here to disappear. She was here to stay alive long enough to reappear.

There was an envelope waiting for Fiona on her desk when she arrived back down from her loft the next day after lunch. It was filled with cash. Perhaps more than he owed her by a bit, but he was gone for the afternoon. Payroll made it into the hands of the men downstairs, the legitimate employees, and when she wandered down at the end of the day, they were sitting around a large worktable.

“Going down the street to get a drink at Sid’s Pub if you care to join us.” Mike smiled at her kindly.

“Yeah, let me buy you a drink.” It was Jake, also chiming in.

“I better not. Not tonight. Thank you though.” She stood then, feeling awkward.

“You know turning down a free drink is bad luck don’t ya?” Jake’s eyebrows were raised as he chided her.

“I did not know that, no.” She laughed, but her eyes glanced away quickly.

“Ah, he just wants to get in yer pants. Don’t fall for that trick. Now, if you want a real man…”

Jake shook his head as Mike knocked Chris up the backside of his, and Fiona waved a quick goodbye as she headed down the corridor.

She spent the next week rejecting occasional invitations to lunch, dinner, or drinks, dodging Jake’s subtle and sweet advances, flat-out rejecting Chris’s not so subtle or sweet advances, avoiding Candace like the plague, and not avoiding Eli for any reason whatsoever if she could help it.

Soon it was the following Monday, and she’d actually bought a new pair of jeans, a couple shirts, flannel pajama pants, and new underwear. She’d filled her fridge with food, and she was finally feeling like a real live human being again. She knew this life and her place in it were temporary, but the feeling of belonging was there whether it should be or not.

Mike was hands down one of the sweetest men she’d ever met, and Aaron, while quick tempered and quick tongued, was respectable if nothing else. Jake was a woman’s dream come true, and Chris was every woman’s nightmare, but they all had a place in her comfortable little Jackson Hole life, and sitting at the front of her pack of merry men was Eli. She couldn’t help but put him above the rest.

He struggled to be nice to Candace, and it wasn’t for Fiona’s sake. She’d catch him chastising her when he didn’t realize she was around just as much as when he did know she was. He always closed the door to his office or led Candace out of the room to the back hallway if he knew Fiona was there. It was obvious Candace was not high on his favorite people list anymore. Sadly, it didn’t mean he was ready to fire her either.

When he found Fiona Monday morning, it was in the break room as she was making coffee.

“So, it’s Thanksgiving this Thursday. I’m assuming you’re going to be here?”

“Yes. Is that okay?”

“Of course. We’ll be closed Thursday and Friday, and I’ll be out of town visiting my parents in Denver. You’re going to be alone here for four days.”

“I’ll manage.”

He studied her for a moment longer before walking away, but he stopped at the door and turned back. “I’m taking the crew out tomorrow night for dinner. I’d like you to come. The wives are invited too, so there will be other women there than just your best friend Candace.” He winked and walked away before she had a chance to respond.

Barely five minutes later, Jake popped his head in the door and asked if she’d like a ride to the restaurant the following night, and that’s when she learned it was a rather nice restaurant.
That
meant she had nothing to wear, and
that
meant she had cause to panic, and panic she did.

Chapter Fourteen

E
li would kick his own ass if he could. He’d been an aloof fool when he invited Fiona to dinner, and in the time it took him to realize he’d not thought to ask her if she needed a ride, Jake did, and she’d agreed. Now he was sitting at the large round table, waiting for them to arrive. Everyone else was already there, and two chairs remained open directly across from him. He was going to be forced to watch them sit together like a damn date he was funding for them. That was almost as infuriating as the thought of what could be taking them so long. His mind went to places he didn’t want it to go. He couldn’t help but imagine Jake fucking her while he fidgeted, and Mike’s wife sitting beside him did not miss his anxiety.

“You okay, Eli? Seem a bit out of sorts.”

“I’m fine.” He wasn’t fine at all. He was losing his mind.

When Fiona and Jake finally entered the small private party room he’d rented at the restaurant, he almost swallowed his tongue. She looked incredible, and as Jake helped her out of a black belted pea coat, he took in her appearance closely. She was wearing a dark charcoal gray skirt that hit her mid-calves, and it fit—not that it was the right size, but it was the perfect size and cut. It hugged her body like a glove—the kind of glove that touched every last ounce of skin without being too small. Her shirt was a dressy black turtleneck that hugged her skin just as nicely as her dark gray skirt did. The finishing touch was a dark crimson pair of pointy toe patent leather heels. The woman knew how to dress, and she was putting his fitted jeans and well-tailored blazer to shame. He’d actually worn jeans thinking she might be wearing jeans, and he didn’t want her to feel out of place—an odd selfless reaction for sure. Boy, had he been wrong.

Her dark hair was in a knot at the side of her neck, and wisps of loose hair trailed down around her face, framing it beautifully. Jake hung her coat for her, like the good date he was, and Mike stood.

“Sure do clean up nice, kiddo.” Mike hugged her warmly, and when Candace took in her appearance, she huffed and rolled her eyes. Three wives were there that evening. Mike’s wife, Beth, was sitting beside him. Eli had known her for years. Aaron’s wife, Cinda, was also there. She was politely smiling toward Fiona, but when Eli took in the eyes of Chris’s wife, Kathy, she was glaring at Fiona suspiciously. She couldn’t possibly think Fiona was fucking her husband, but the venom in her eyes said she was unhappy about something.

She shouldn’t care that Fiona was amazing to look at, but when he noticed the drooling puppy dog look on Chris’s face, he realized she had every reason in the world to be jealous. Kathy leered at Fiona about as maliciously as Candace did, and when the waiter finally arrived to take drink orders, Eli quickly ordered a bottle of Shiraz and Pinot Grigio for the table, hoping the alcohol would cool the mood. He needed it himself just to keep his own jealousy in check.

Jake’s arm was casually on the back of Fiona’s chair, and he was leaning slightly toward her, speaking quietly. His manner was easy, and while he couldn’t hide his attraction for her, he wasn’t coming off as pathetic either, just interested. Eli watched as she laughed at something he said and cocked her head in a disbelieving way. Jake held his hands up as though he were swearing to some tall tale he was likely telling, and when Fiona caught Eli watching her, she smiled shyly and bit the side of her lip. He ignored her, and he hated himself for doing it. Her face dropped, and she returned her attention to Jake.

“They look lovely together, don’t they? High time Jake finds himself a nice woman.” Beth’s words made the breath catch in Eli’s throat, and when he turned quickly to her, he caught Mike’s pained expression over her shoulder.

Mike was onto him. He wrapped an arm around Beth’s shoulder to disagree kindly with his wife. “Oh, I don’t know, Bethy. She seems the type that needs a few rough edges if you know what I mean. Jake’s a bit too easy for her if I were guessing.” Beth looked at her husband then, seeming to consider his words, and when her attention turned back to Eli, it was with a knowing expression.

“Well, she seems lovely.” Beth placed her old wrinkled hand on top of Eli’s and gave him a good squeeze.

They ordered a feast of food and two more bottles of wine, and by the time their food was served, the table was pleasantly buzzed. Candace was
more than
pleasantly buzzed, and when she turned to Fiona from a couple seats away, Eli froze in place.

“Let me guess, you ran out to buy clothes just for this dinner because you didn’t have anything to wear. Walmart? Kmart? Thrift store?” Candace’s eyes were cold and taunting.

“Candace!” he snapped at her.

“Hey, Candace, really?” Jake was being far more calm about her rudeness, and Candace turned her venom on him while Fiona gaped, not quite able to respond after the sudden attack.

“Stop being so pathetic, Jake. You realize Eli wants to fuck her brains out, right? Boss gets what he wants, don’t ya know?”

Jake looked stunned as his eyes shifted nervously to Eli’s before glancing away quickly. Fiona was still staring in shock at Candace’s comments, as was most of the table, and when she managed to look up at Eli, he just stared back at her. What he didn’t do was deny Candace’s accusation. He should have. His denial would have been appropriate at a table full of people. He should have at least said something to the contrary, but he didn’t. He let the table look between he, Fiona, and Jake and devise their own story.

Eli finally stood and rounded to Candace’s seat. “Get up.” His voice was seething with a quiet fury.

She stood and snatched her purse from the back of her chair like a petulant child.

“Come with me.” He walked away, glancing quickly at Fiona as her gaze followed him. When he managed to make it outside into the blustery winter air, he rounded on Candace quickly. The sidewalk was quiet, and they were alone. “Give me your keys to the showroom and the shop. And if that’s not clear enough for you, since you don’t seem to take a hint well, you’re fired.”

Her shocked, gaping mouthed expression was priceless, and he committed the look on her face to memory. He was so completely done with her bullshit he’d take whatever fallout there was. When she pulled her work keys out of her purse and smacked them into his outstretched palm, he smiled. “It’s been a pain in my ass knowing you, and it’s an absolute pleasure to see you leave.” He turned then, and started back for the door of the restaurant.

“You’re going to fuck it up. You know that. It’s why your fucking ex-wife slept with half the town. You’re a cold fish, Eli. Always have been. Better hope she’s impressed with a big cock because that’s about all you’ve got going for you.”

She sauntered away as he struggled to compose himself, and once he was sure the fury was safely contained, he walked back into the restaurant.

He sat without saying a word to anyone, and when he glanced up, Fiona was watching him again. Her eyes were wide, and he stared right back at her, letting the table gawk at them some more. He eventually returned to his dinner and conversation. Jake’s attention toward Fiona was hesitant for a few minutes, but as she returned her attention to him, he relaxed, and Eli tensed.

When dinner was finally over, everyone started to grab coats and say their good nights. Eli couldn’t seem to stop staring at Fiona, and he knew his reaction was coming off more as anger at this point given the uncomfortable look on Mike’s and Beth’s faces.

“I have to go to the shop, why don’t you let me give you a lift? Unless of course you have plans with Jake.” He eyed her, ignoring Jake’s stunned expression.

She glanced at Jake and opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. “Umm…”

“No, it’s fine. Boss gets what he wants, right? I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jake smiled at her kindly, but when he glanced up at Eli, his smile turned to a glare—at least as close to a glare as sweet Jake could manage.

Eli led her out to his car, and they were silent as he drove her home. He was not, however, silent when he walked in with her, and he regretted it the moment he opened his mouth. “I thought you weren’t going to start fucking my employees.” His comment was unfair, and it was a stupid thing to say.

She wheeled on him quickly. “Excuse me?” Her expression was furious. “How dare you…”

“How dare I?” He couldn’t seem to stop. He was jealous. He hated it, yet, he was going to lash out at her. “You’re trying to impress
someone
with that fucking skirt.”

Her eyes filled with tears, but her anger and fury stayed in her expression. She turned from him to walk away. He didn’t stop her with another asshole comment that time, but he did follow her.

When he reached the stairwell that led up to her loft, he had no idea what to do. He felt like he was going to go insane if she got any farther away from him, and when she stepped up onto the first step, she turned back, facing him again. Her tears were sitting precariously on her lower eyelids, and he swallowed painfully as his throat constricted at the sight of her.

“I wanted to impress
you
.” Her tears fell then. When she tried to leave, he grabbed her hand, pulling her back down to the first step. She looked shocked as he studied her eyes for a moment, and there was no doubt at all that he truly was shocked—shocked and pulsing with something like relief, need, pain. Before she had time to put him in his place for how he’d treated her, he reached for her waist. She may have been up a step, but the difference put her at the perfect height for his mouth to find hers easily. He pulled her waist toward him, and when his lips finally touched hers, his breath caught in his throat. He bit her lower lip gently, and she cried out quietly against him, and when he pushed his tongue into her mouth, her breath started lurching and shuttering too. She didn’t push him away, and he knew she could at any moment. Hell, she likely should.

He was freaking the hell out on the inside, but his body was doing everything he had wanted to do for too long. He stroked her tongue, feeling the warmth enveloping him. Her skin was silky smooth, and all he could think about was getting his fingers inside her pussy to see if she felt the same there. Her hands gripped his cheeks, pulling his mouth harder into hers, and she kissed a trail down his chin to his neck as he dropped his head back and closed his eyes. Fuck, her lips were hot, and when her path led her down the side of his neck, her tongue licked and flicked across his skin. All he could do was pull her hips hard to him. He was far too aroused for his reaction to go unnoticed, and when she felt the rigid bulge pressing against her groin, she groaned against his neck.

He slid the zipper that ran over her bottom down, and he slipped his hands under her underwear as he pushed down to grip the cheeks of her bottom. The skirt was tight, and his hands were held firmly against her skin. When he squeezed his hands on the roundness, his cock pulsed against her stomach, but that was nothing compared to the reaction his body had when he slipped one hand farther down her body and slid a finger between her legs. He didn’t even need to delve between her lips to feel the moisture seeping from her. He grazed his fingers over the smooth skin of her pussy lips and was instantly covered in her come, and his dick started twitching and dancing.

“So fucking wet…” He muttered quietly against her shoulder as his finger stroked without delving, but when he finally stopped stroking and pushed his finger between her lips, she stilled, panting against his neck. He froze too for a moment. Her skin was slick and silky and when he started pressing into her pussy, she contracted around him.

“Oh, God.” She whispered at first, but by the third time she said it, her voice was louder and bordering on panic. “Oh, God. I can’t do this. I can’t do this.” He stilled with his finger partially buried inside her body. Her sheath was trembling around him, and her body was trying to pull him in deeper with every contraction of her tight muscles, but he didn’t move. “I can’t.” Suddenly, she was staring at his throat rather than kissing it. Her body held tension that hadn’t been there before, and when he pulled his hand from her, she gasped.

He stepped back from her into the corridor, feeling like a complete asshole and not at all sure why he did. His move had been a bit bold for certain, and he couldn’t say he was sure why he’d thought this would be a grand way to say he was sorry for being a prick, but she wanted him. He knew that much…at least he thought he did. Now, however, she was standing with her hand on the stair railing staring at his chest.

“You
are
attracted to Jake, aren’t you?” He hated his insecurity. It wasn’t something he’d felt for a long time, and it meant something he didn’t want to acknowledge.

Her eyes found his then. “That’s not—”

“Fuck it.” He cut her off quickly, suddenly desperate to get away from her, get away from his damn vulnerability. “Jake’s a hell of a lot nicer than I am. I get it…” He turned from her then and headed down the corridor before she could see just how exposed he felt at the moment.

She called after him, but he ignored her. He was humiliated—an odd feeling for sure. He wasn’t good at being sweet or nice—at least not like other people. He knew that, and he really shouldn’t be surprised she’d put a stop to what they were doing. Why wouldn’t she? He’d treated her like shit, and when she showed one glimmer of attraction and need for him, he’d overstepped the line and tried to fuck her. He was nothing compared to a kind man who would never yell at her or intimidate her. She needed a Jake in her life; she did not need an Eli.