Page 60 of The Lies I've Told
So primal. So real. And all mine.
It was the sexiest damn thing I’d ever heard.
And my body responded in spades, coming so hard, I saw stars.
And I wondered, in that moment, how I was ever going to let her go.
Stepping out of the shower, I saw Millie checking me out in the mirror as I toweled off my hair.
“Do I risk it?” she asked, still lounging in bed after our mind-blowing morning sex.
I grinned at her through the mirror and glanced in the direction of the questionable shower. “It’s not the worst I’ve been in, but for you? I’d skip it. Plus, I like the idea of you traveling home today with my scent all over you.”
That earned me a sheepish grin.
Sitting up in bed, a thin white sheet draped across her, she cocked her head to the side and asked, “How is it that a boy from Yorkshire but actually from London is so familiar with grimy bathrooms and seedy motels?”
Looking down so that she couldn’t see my smile collapsing, I tried to find the words to answer her. But how would I tell her I was just a nobody?
An orphan from the wrong side of the tracks?
I should have never said anything last night about London. I should have let her go on believing I was the rich, spoiled brat she and everyone else in the world thought I was.
The persona I’d made them believe, because I was too scared to share the real me with anyone.
But, in that moment, I’d wanted her to know something about me.
Something real. Even if it was as small as where I was from.
Of course, now it was coming back to bite me in the ass.
Just as I was about to open my mouth and spout out yet another lie about going to boarding school in London, growing up, my phone began to buzz on the counter next to me.
Seeing James’s name flash across the screen was like a punch to my gut. I’d been so focused on Millie, I’d felt like the rest of the world had melted away.
But it hadn’t.
And I had responsibilities outside of this motel room.
I hit Accept and answered, “Hello?”
“I guess I can cancel that search party then,” he said, his voice less than cordial.
“I’m fine,” I said, noticing Millie in the mirror as she tried to look busy, grabbing her clothes from the floor. I appreciated the semblance of privacy.
“I booked you a flight home. I wasn’t sure which airport was the closest to that ridiculous island you’re staying on, but I think you’ll manage.”
“You booked my flight, James? Who are you, my mum? And how do you know where I am?”
He let out an audible sigh. “No, I’m your brother, and you left me with no choice, Aiden. I haven’t heard from you in days. I tracked you through your credit card.”
Setting the towel down on the counter, I ran my hand through my wet locks. “That’s not true, I texted you several times. And stop going through my shit.”
“You texted me once. Once, Aiden. I don’t enjoy breaking into your apartment and logging into your computer. Last time you disappeared like this, I had to track you down in another country.”
I rolled my eyes. I knew I shouldn’t have given him that spare key. “I know, and you never left.”
“We’ve both made a decent life here, and I owe a lot of that to you. I would have never had the guts to make the move if you hadn’t done it first.”
