Page 27 of Truth & Lies

Unfortunately, he speaks before I can find the words to say. “You sure you want answers? Is that why you’re really here, Alyssa?”

“We need to talk.”

“Indeed, we do,” he replies, sounding resigned. He walks over and hands me a tumbler. Sitting down opposite me, he places the half-full bottle on the table before leaning back into the cushions.

I take a deep breath and finally figure out where to start. “I need to know everything about Gavin Barnes.”

“Because of your mother or because of your company?” he asks, not missing a beat.

“Both. They got married quickly and without warning, and my PI cannot find a prenup. I have no idea why I was implicated in your investigation, but I need to know so that I can protect myself, my mom, and my company.”

He nods slowly before lifting his glass to his lips. I watch with avid fascination as he swirls the liquor around his mouth before his Adam’s apple bobs and it swallows down hard, wincing as the bitter liquid goes down.

“Can’t handle your liquor, Special Agent?” I asked wryly.

“Not when I know I’m being watched while drinking it,” he retorts back smartly, and it hits me again how strong the connection still is between us. It shouldn’t be possible given the limited amount of time we had spent together, but here I am, still drawn to the man despite his deceit. I avert my eyes and hear him sigh. “What do you need to know?”

“Tell me everything.”

“Ican’ttell you everything, but I’ll tell you what I can.” I nod, urging him to continue. “The case is still active; we’re just waiting for things to cool down before moving back in. My cover story was somewhat blown when you overheard us in the corridor.”

My anger rises to the surface again, but I know that blowing up at him won't get me what I want. I have to be smart and protect myself from both Gavin and the man in front of me, the former a threat to my family and livelihood, the latter a danger to my heart.

“Can you just start at the beginning, Mark?” I ask.

He growls under his breath when I say his name again and before I can stop it, the corner of my mouth quirks up. Something about getting under his skin thrills me. His eyes drop to my mouth just like they’d done across the table on the rooftop, and again when we were in my hotel room. I’m hit with flashbacks of his lips on mine, his hands on my body, and the way he felt against me. His rough deep voice brings me back to the present.

“What happened is, I picked up my criminally-funded first-class ticket and boarded the plane and everything was on track. Then I saw the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen and despite knowing I was in the middle of a case that could make or break my career, I couldn’t stop myself from engaging with her. It just so happened to play out that she was the same woman I was asked to get close to by the suspect.” Barrett downs his drink and reaches for the bottle on the table, pouring another three fingers of whisky before continuing. “A woman that had me seeing past the criminals I’d been forced to work for. Who gave me a small slither of hope that I could one day end up with someone like her. She lit up the room with her smile, made me curious when she blushed and had the confidence to go toe-to-toe with me when I turned on the charm to get her into my bed.”

“Well you failed at that,” I deadpan.

“So far, yes.”

I gasp at his audacity, earning me a half-hearted grin that soon disappears when I shoot daggers his way. “So you’re honestly sitting there telling me you had no idea who I was until we got to Vegas.”

“I found out halfway through the flight when I was checking the updated file information and saw your photo.”

“Was that before or after you challenged me to find you?”

“After. Definitely after. Lys, I had no fucking idea otherwise I wouldn’t have engaged.”

I ignore his pet name and press on. “Then why did you find me afterward?”

“Because I had to.” His words are very matter-of-fact, leaving no room for argument.

My lips turn up into a sneer. “That’s a brush off and you know it.”

“What do you want me to say? He hired me to find out information about you, your company, and your financial holdings. He wanted me to get close to you, distract you so that he could get done what he had to get done.”

“And that included fucking me?” I asked bluntly.

Silence stretches between us as we stare at each other. His non-response tells me everything. I lift my glass to my lips and gulp down the liquor, needing it for courage and my self-control, because right now my gut instinct is to cross the room and slap him. Instead, I close my eyes and take a few deep calming breaths before speaking again.

“So it was all a game to you? Nail the suspect and nail his stepdaughter too as a bonus for a job well done?"

Without warning, he moves to the coffee table in front of me, his long legs bent at the knee, bracketing my own. Leaning forward, he gently places both of his hands on my legs. All the while, his eyes never leave mine. "Lys, nothing that I felt when I was with you was a game. The moment I kissed you, I was gone. One fucking kiss and I was willing to walk away from the case and never look back.”

I push his hands off me and stand up, moving to stand in front of the glass windows facing the balcony, putting much-needed distance between us. I’m kidding myself though because Barrett . . . Mark—whatever the hell his name was—has been screwing with my head and my emotions ever since he walked onto that plane. And without even trying, he’s doing it right now. I can still feel the imprint of his hands on me and the heat coursing through me from his touch.

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