Page 48 of Ruse
He scoffs, “First of all, ouch. I don’t sleep around all the time and if I’m being honest, Tate’s not all that random. Second, are you finally admitting you want to sleep with me, sis? Not that it wasn’t obvious.”
“Fuck you Maverick, of course not. I’m just saying you guys just pick your bait and conquer.”
“Alright, let’s get you home. You’re not making any sense.”
“I’m being serious. How is it so simple to just fuck around with different people and not care what the rest of the world thinks of you? How could my father just disregard his marriage because of thatwomanfor so long?” Tears prick the whites of my eyes, threatening to make their appearance and drowning the two of us in a wave of reckless despair.
“Phoenix,” he mutters so tenderly, reaching out and wiping away a stray tear from my eye. I quickly pull back and turn away, ashamed of what I’m allowing him to see. “Phoenix, what did he do to you?” I turn back and look at him, baffled by his question.
“What?”
“Chad, your boyfriend, is that what this is about?”
“No. Fuck no. We broke up,” I answer softly. “My father cheated, my mom went bat shit crazy, and my life became one giant Hollywood sized scandal. Guys like Chadwick Hollingsworth III have reputations to uphold, and I no longer fit the mold of the perfect girlfriend/trophy wife he needed.”
Anger clouds his eyes. “Fucking bastard.”
“No, trust me, he did me a favor. It wasn’t till he dumped me via text which said, and I quote,“we aren’t a good fit”, did I realize I can’t stand the guy. Chad meant nothing to me.” I feel myself needing to clear up.
“You don’t have to lie to me. I can tell he hurt you and I’ll make the bastard pay.” His reaction is unnerving and unexpected. I can’t believe Maverick is getting so defensive.
“He… I…” he moves in closer, pushing a loose strand of hair away from my face.
“Nyx, you can trust me,” he groans.
It’s too much. Everything I’ve been going through the last six months comes crashing down on me. The affair, my downfall, Maverick Carter.
“No, I should go.” I push him away and rush down the beach toward my house. I can’t trust him. I now know I can’t trust anyone.
Despite that, I’m aware Maverick is following closely behind me, and something about that excites me more than it should.
ChapterSixteen
MAVERICK
Ishould have let Phoenix walk back home alone. After all, I needed to put some distance between us. But I couldn’t. I was so close to bringing my lips down on hers, the mere sight of her under the moonlight was too stunning to ignore. Though the way she found me under the pier, with Tate’s tongue in my mouth made me sick to my fucking stomach. I only gave in to Tate because she was easy pickings, practically throwing herself at me since the moment I stepped foot in Malibu Cove.
Since I couldn’t get the thought of Phoenix looking so fucking gorgeous out of my head, laughing with the guys who were ogling her all night, I needed a distraction. My cock was throbbing and painfully hard, I needed to find release before I exploded into a million fucking pieces. It obviously didn’t work because here I am, walking down the sandy beach beside her, watching her sexy as fuck body sway with every sultry step she takes.
After the commotion that broke out at Tate’s party, Phoenix must have run out, ditching her clothes, probably losing them somewhere along the massive crowd that rushed out, which is why she’s in nothing but the skimpy bikini that leaves nothing to the imagination and is making my aching cock, throb violently in my jeans. I don’t know exactly what went down at the Mortimer’s mansion, since I left early on as soon as I saw Phoenix arrive and realized I would not be able to keep my hands to myself if I went anywhere near her. I stayed out of her view and eventually left the party unnoticed, pacing back and forth along the shore, and smoking a joint down under the pier.
When Tate appeared just moments after the fight broke out inside her party, I was high as fuck and was picturing it was Phoenix’s blond hair I had wrapped around my fist, violently tugging it back and hearing her moan my name as I kissed her.
But it wasn’t like anything I remembered. Because Tate was not her.
Now, as I follow closely behind Phoenix, all I can think about is how much I want to be doing all those things to her. Phoenix Bancroft has gotten under my skin, and that wasn’t part of the plan. I can’t let it happen again.
Three quarters of the way to the house, Phoenix slows, allowing me to catch up with her. Five minutes later, as we arrive at the back gate of the property, she struggles to enter the security code into the pin pad unlocking the gates. I swear this place is a fucking fortress with all the locks and codes needed to open before entering, but I guess when you’re one of the richest men on the West Coast, you can never be too careful. Especially not when you have a gorgeous temptress living under your roof. I can think of a million ways I’d break into this place just to get to her.
I easily move around her, entering the four-digit code myself, and we both tirelessly watch the gate open immediately. She’s stiff and in a drunken daze as the black rod-iron slides through its tracks, and I have to pull her body toward me to prevent the gate from hitting her as it opens. The moment my fingers graze the soft skin above her waist, my cock instantly throbs, pressing hard against my jeans. I groan, biting down on my lip to suppress the guttural sound that leaves me, and follow her toward the back sliding glass door leading into the house, watching her continue to struggle with her keys, as she tries to unlock it.
“Need a little help there?” I ask, her body stilling as if she’s just now realizing I’m behind her again. Fuck, she didn’t seem this drunk earlier.What the hell am I doing?
Slowly and with a lustful expression visible in the glazed-over look in her eyes, she turns and blatantly stares, her small frame enveloped by mine towering over her. Beneath me she feels minuscule and all I want to do is wrap my arms around her and press her skin against mine, savoring the feel and taste of her for as long as I can, exerting power over her like never before.
Though I don’t move a muscle. I'm incapable of moving in the slightest, afraid the most innocent of touches is going to have my dick firing off and I’ll be coming like a prepubescent boy in my pants. Instead, I watch the sudden rise and fall of her chest, and the way her hair, now in messy waves, falls between her breasts. My frame casts a shadow against hers, just as the solar paneled sensor lights flicker on and illuminate us in the darkness that surrounds us. Her eyes are suddenly crystal clear and glossy, the whites a pale pink color showing how fucking trashed she is. Or has she been crying?
Whatever happened earlier tonight, has her this way, and suddenly I’m pissed I don't know how to fix it.
