Page 37 of Love Over Time

The musk in the air made my nose tingle. The cool breeze scraped across my bare arms, and I shivered. Those small details I remembered well. Those were my constants, the totems that separated dream from memory.

The door opened, and the light at the end of the tunnel appeared, followed by a figure. It was male. No, female, hair up in a twisted updo I recognized. She wore a cocktail dress and kept her hands tucked between the folds of her skirt. What was she doing? Hiding something? I stepped toward her. My feet slapped on the cement as cold seeped through my bedroom slippers and the rest of my body. I ran after her, but she vanished like smoke.

I woke with a jolt, heart pounding, sheets covered in sweat. Was that real? A memory? I wiped a hand across my face. What had Mom been doing in the tunnels? I threw my feet over the side of the bed and got up. If she’d hid something in the walls, there was only one way to find out. I had to get back to Cavalier Manor.

Downstairs, I used Nikki’s espresso machine to make a mocha. Did I hope she’d come out and demand I stop touching her things? Sure. But she didn’t. Disappointed, I sat on the sofa and took a long sip of the coffee. Getting back to the manor might not be as easy as it had been the first time. Not that the first time had been all that easy, but by now Jonathan knew I had access to the grounds. Why else would he hire someone to give me a scare? I gripped a handful of my hair. I hoped the asshole he’d sent to rough me up was telling the truth. Would Jonathan try to kill his own nephew? But why now?

I set my mug on the coffee table and immediately spotted my name on the ripped envelope sitting on top of today’s mail. One of the perks of living in a small town? Getting mail delivered no matter where you went. By the fancy envelope, I had to guess this was the invitation to tonight’s Founders’ Day Gala. Nikki must’ve had the same thought. Why else would she open mail not addressed to her? I threw the letter on the sofa and rushed upstairs, swiping the hanging sheets out of the way. The ones meant to remind me which side of the hotel was mine, as if I could forget.

Leaning on the door frame, I braced for impact and knocked. It was nine in the morning. She should be up. Another knock. Nothing. I pressed my ear to the door and pushed it open when I didn’t hear any movement. Suddenly, the hotel felt empty. Had she left for good? The hollow feeling in my chest grew as I rummaged through the room. Her clothes were in her closet along with the suitcases. I sat on the bed and buried my head in my hands.Fuck. Nikki. You’re driving me nuts.There was no time to worry about her right now. I had to get ready for the gala.

****

The last time I stood at the front door of the manor, Jonathan had given the guards strict orders to not let me in the property ever again. But tonight was different. I was a guest in my own goddamn home. Admittedly, coming in through the main entrance sure beat the tunnels. I smiled at the security guard checking names on the guest list. He didn’t even ask my name. His eyes darted across the page, blinking fast. I chuckled. What was he afraid of?

“There you are, Mr. Cavalier. Welcome.” He swallowed that last bit.

Yeah,welcome home. “Thank you.” I strolled in, taking in the foyer already crowded with Francesca’s friends. When Mom was around, this party had been open to everyone in town. I put all thoughts of Mom and the past aside and relaxed the muscles in my face and back. As usual, the bar had been set up in the study. Making my way there, I glanced at the tunnel access behind the velvet settee where three women chatted away, sipping champagne. The access in the kitchen was my only option, but no doubt that room would be just as crowded. How the hell was I supposed to go back into the tunnels without being seen?

When I reached the threshold to the study, a laugh filtered out into the hallway, sweet and full of promises. My back tensed. I didn’t have to turn around to see who the laugh belonged to—yet another one of her cons.

“Whiskey, please,” I said to the bartender. Maybe it was my imagination, but I could swear I felt Nikki’s eyes on me.

“Ms. Swift, you truly are a breath of fresh air.” Jonathan’s voice was like a jackhammer to my eardrums.

“Oh, Mr. Mayor, I’m sure you say that to all the girls.” Nikki laid it on thick.

I took the drink the bartender offered and spun around. Big mistake. If Nikki looked surreal in jeans and a silky top, she was absolutely breathtaking in that dress. The royal-blue velvet hugged her waist tight and pushed up those perfect breasts. I touched the glass to my lips. My gaze never left hers as I downed the whiskey.

She can’t stay.I set the glass down and zigzagged my way to her, ignoring all the assholes ogling her. “There you are. Mr. Mayor, I see you met my girlfriend.”

The color drained from Jonathan’s cheeks. He glanced down at his empty drink, then turned to face me, the whites of his eyes bigger than normal. What did he expect? That I’d be home recovering from a beating or dead in some ditch?

“The lady didn’t mention you.” He blinked fast and swallowed.

What a pathetic excuse for an uncle, for a human being—full of tells and no spine. That was how I’d been able to beat him at poker. How I’d gotten a small piece of my father’s fortune back. Or half of it. I switched my attention to Nikki, who had a satisfied grin on, as if she’d won something.

“Good for you,” Jonathan stammered.

“Yes, it is. Now if you’d excuse us, I promised my girlfriend a dance.” I took Nikki’s elbow and escorted her out of the study before she decided to call me a liar in front of everyone. “What the hell are you doing here?” I asked under my breath.

“Same as you.” She smiled at the men who wouldn’t stop looking at her, smoothing out her dress. My mouth went dry when she pressed her body closer to mine. “I’m here to steal something.”

“You’re not staying.” I led her to the drawing room, where a live band played a slow song. All the furniture had been removed, replaced with small tables that were arranged around a dance floor. She didn’t argue when I stopped in the middle of the room and pulled her close to me, swaying to the beat of the music. I didn’t feel like dancing, but I didn’t feel like letting her go either.

“That’s not for you to say. Just like it’s not for you to go around telling people I’m your girlfriend. I thought I had been loud and clear before.” She pushed on my shoulder, and I held her tighter. My gaze dropped to the cleavage pressed against my chest. She made a little sound, something between a sigh and moan, before her eyes closed.

“You feel it too,” I whispered in her ear. Desire rushed through my veins when her hand gripped the lapel of my tuxedo jacket.

She shook her head once and glanced up at me. The glow from the shimmering chandelier overhead played with the golden highlights in her hair, and something tugged at my insides.

“I’m not going anywhere. I came here to get something, and I’m not leaving without it. I was making progress with your uncle until you showed up, by the way. Now because of you and your macho display, we have him, Francesca, and everyone else watching us like we’re on some cheesy soap episode.”

I held her tighter. “You need to get upstairs?”

She relaxed in my arms and smiled. “Do you think they’ll let you have a private moment with your girlfriend?”

Even if it was pretend, I liked hearing her say she was mine. Like Dom had said—it was hard to think clearly when your cock was in the way. But this plan might just work. I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers. God, I wanted to do more than that. I wanted to feel her tongue in my mouth, taste all of her, but I kept the kiss as innocent as I could and focused on our goal. If I wasn’t careful, I could get lost in her kiss.It’s all pretend.I repeated it over and over in my head when she snaked her arms around my neck, and the tip of her tongue grazed my lips. For a moment, I couldn’t remember why we were here, or why we weren’t doing more than this.

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