Beneath The Lies Read online

  He steps even closer, enclosing my body in his embrace. “I didn’t know, I still don’t know how long it will take to sort my life out. If I told you I’d call you and weeks went by, you’d have been pissed.”

  I roll my eyes and huff out a fake laugh. “Yeah, your idea worked great because guess what? I’m still pissed.” His face softens.

  “I see that. I’ve only dated one girl and you’re right. She’s a train wreck. Or maybe the two of us together makes for a train wreck, but with her I stopped caring if I pissed her off because it happened more often than not.”

  He pushes his groin even further into me, and I almost groan when I feel him hard against my stomach. Dating a man like Gavin is a disaster waiting to happen, but I can’t help wondering what it would be like because my body definitely reacts to his in a way that’s almost foreign to me. And he proves that when his lips find my neck and he slowly starts kissing me.

  “Give me a chance.” Between each word he kisses the curve of my neck until he finally pulls back and looks me in the eyes again.

  “I...” I almost said no, that it’s not a good idea but I can’t get the words to form.

  “I get it. To you I look flaky but I promise that won’t happen again. I’ll give you my number and I’ll make sure to call or text you every day.”

  He brushes his thumb slowly across my lips then his eyes trace the same path. His eyes look hungry, hungry for me, making me helpless to do anything except agree.

  “Okay, but you don’t need to call me every day. I’m busy too and I’m not clingy or uptight. However, when you don’t deny things and then disappear it allows my brain to run wild.”

  Without saying another word, Gavin leans forward and places his lips on mine. His mouth is soft but firm, and when his tongue starts moving with mine it excites my body into wanting more, a lot more. Gavin groans then pulls away from me.

  “Jesus, you taste unbelievable.” My smile feels weak and maybe even shy.

  “I better go before I take you into your room and fuck you all night long.”

  “I actually think that sounds like a fantastic idea.” Crap. I didn’t mean to say that aloud.

  Gavin starts shaking his head. “When I finally take you to bed, it’s going to be after I fucking take you out.”

  “Oh, Okay.” My mind is a mess right now. I’m beyond turned on and I still feel his erection pressing against me.

  Gavin steps away from me and sticks his hand out. “Give me your phone.” I take deep breaths in hopes to control my hormones and walk over to my phone, handing it to him seconds later. He takes it from me, messes with it for a moment, and then hands it back to me. “Now you have my phone number. Call or text me for any reason. Tomorrow night I’ll pick you up around eight, and don’t plan to come back here afterwards. Now, follow me to the door and lock up behind me.”

  My eyes widen a little. “Bossy much?”

  A carefree smile comes over Gavin, one I haven’t seen on him before. “Babe, with you, I have a feeling that I’m about to become a whole lot bossier. Now kiss me goodbye and lock the fucking door.”

  “Okay.” His eyes lock with mine seconds before he kisses me again. If sex with Gavin is even a fraction as good as kissing him is then I’m going to be a very happy lady, and I can’t wait.

  Gavin pulls back. I think stopping is harder on him than it is on me.

  I look down and see the evidence of his desire for me. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says. Then he’s gone, leaving me with a huge smile on my face. Gavin might be big and mean, but I also see the sweet caring guy that lingers just below his surface. I’m hoping with the right care I’ll be able bring that part of him out completely.

  I called Alyssa and told her how my Friday night went. First my perfectly nice date with Devon then my afterhours visitor and my pending date tonight. Alyssa doesn’t only want to land herself a bad boy, she loves the idea that I might as well. She admits she only encouraged me to go out with Devon because she thought I was lonely and didn’t really peg me as the kind of girl that would date a man like Gavin Loman. The funny thing is, I’m not. Or at least I wasn’t until I met Gavin.

  Alyssa spends hours primping everything she thought was necessary for my date. She even went as far as scheduling an appointment at the salon she regularly goes to. Everything, including areas I’ve never exposed before in a salon, has been cleaned and trimmed.

  Not knowing where we’re going, I decide on a pair of skinny jeans paired with a loose, off the shoulder top, along with some cute wedges. I still haven’t figured out how to walk in high heels yet and I doubt I ever will. I left my long blonde hair down in waves around my face. Over all, my look might not be as racy as Alyssa would have picked but she still approved.

  Gavin shows up just before eight. By the way his eyes drink me in, I can say he approves of my outfit, too.

  We end up at a little Italian restaurant that’s not too far from The Hill. Other than coming down here to attend fights, I’ve never ventured this far from campus. “This is another favorite of mine. I know the owners. They’re good people,” he says with a half-smile.

  “Well, it smells wonderful.” Our waiter comes over to take our order and once again, it seems like Gavin knows everyone. “You’re very popular.”

  “Nah. But I believe in treating people with kindness and respect, at least until they give me a reason not to. In the restaurant business, owners and even workers remember the customers who treat them well.” My chest tightens a little at his comment.

  Treat people how you want to be treated. My parents told me that all the time. “I wonder what our fathers would think about us being on a date together,” I question.

  Gavin’s relaxed mood disappears as his eyes narrow and his jaw tenses.

  “No, father would want me to take his daughter out. I barely finished high school. I never even tried to go to college. I’ve been in more fights then I could count, and I also happen to be the spawn of Leeta Loman.” He jerks his eyes away from me while his mood continues to drop.

  I hate how he views himself. Maybe everything he said is true, but none of those things define the person he is unless he allows them to.

  “High school isn’t fun for most people, and not everyone goes to college. You’re also James Lomans' son, and my father told me he was the best guy he ever met. Maybe you should give yourself some credit.”

  Gavin’s voice shakes. “Half of me was made by Leeta. And whether you believe me or not, she’s a heinous human being.”

  With a sigh, I reply, “You’re kind and respectful. I saw that for myself tonight. Maybe that comes from the half your dad gave to you.”

  I wait for him to react, to say something, but he remains silent. “I agree a lot of how we act as adults stems from how we were raised. I’m the perfect example of that. Being adopted, I have no idea how much or little my birth parents contribute to my personality, but I don’t need to know them to want to do better.”

  Gavin continues to stare at me and I have no idea what he’s thinking. Our waiter arrives with our dinner, which in turn breaks the tension.

  “I bet your dad had to beat off the boys when you were in school.” His amusement is evident as is the smile in his eyes. “No, he didn’t. I dated a guy for a couple of years but life sent us in different directions, so it didn’t work out.”

  He chuckles. “Your life has always been directed toward me. Even before you knew I existed.”

  My heart starts thumping against my chest as I’m at a loss for words, because on some strange level I know he’s right. I’ve felt an unexplainable pull toward Gavin since the day I saw him. “I think you might be right,” I admit.

  “What about you? You said you’ve only dated one girl?”

  Gavin sighs, clearly not wanting to talk about his ex. “Carly is a nightmare. She’s not nearly as bad as my mother, but she’s a close second. I met her when I was young and I allowed her to lead me around by my dick. Eventually, I finally wised
up to her ways.”

  I don’t know what’s considered an acceptable line of questioning on a first date, but Leeta’s words travel through my mind, something about Carly always owning his heart. “How long has it been since the two of you were a couple?” Gavin’s eyes flare at my question. He knows exactly why I’ve asked him this.

  “Unfortunately, I see her more than I would like. We run in the same circles, share a lot of the same friends, but we haven’t been a couple in any form for over a year.”

  “Oh.” My voice is barely over a whisper. Leeta made it sound like they were still an off again on again couple but I know I’ll upset him if I bring his mother—and what she told me—into the conversation.

  Gavin huffs and must take my comment to mean I wasn’t happy with this answer. “There was a time when we’d break up every other week over stupid nonsense and with the snap of her fingers I would go back to her. Now that I’m done with her for good she has a hard time understanding that I really mean it. That’s on me. I never should have taken her back the first time she threw a fit over nothing and told me go fuck myself.” His eyes are wandering off while he’s thinking back to a time that clearly bothers him.

  His brows scrunch. “Carly is toxic. Or together we make a toxic couple, either way I don’t...no, I won’t go back to that kind of relationship. Life is too short to put up with unnecessary shit.”

  I whisper, “I’m sorry. I—” I clear my throat and find my voice. “I can’t imagine living like that. Cole, my high school boyfriend, was an easygoing guy. Friendly, everyone liked him. He won my dad over with one conversation about global internet security. Our relationship was easy. Almost too easy. Fighting all the time isn’t good but a relationship that lacks passion isn’t great, either.”

  Gavin’s hand reaches across the table and covers mine. “I have a feeling things with you will be quite different if we give it a chance.” Gavin’s eyes are glittering with desire, which only fuels my own hunger for him. “You ready to go?”

  “Yes.” With Gavin I’m ready to go anywhere.

  ****

  “Do you live alone?” I question as some strange emotion crosses Gavin’s face as he hesitates. As long as he’s not living with Carly why in the world would he hesitate to answer me? “Um, yeah for the most part. Every once in a while I have to remind Kiran that he doesn’t live here.” He laughs at his own joke.

  Relief washes over me. When I asked Gavin if he lived alone, Carly never factored into my thoughts until he hesitated...and that bothers me.

  Gavin opens his door and motions for me to go in. His apartment is worlds nicer than mine, starting with the fact that he lives in a nice neighborhood. “This is a great place. I figured you’d live closer to The Hill,” I admit, still taking everything in.

  “Why in the world would you assume I lived in east Oakland?” I can hear the amusement in his voice as I spot a dining room table. He’s twenty-four, lives alone, and has a dining room table. This doesn’t follow suit with the man he claims to be, the one who barely graduated high school. I was expecting his apartment to be a full on bachelor pad, but this place...this place feels like a home.

  I hear him mumble something about never living in east Oakland. “You have to be there when you host fights, so how else do you get down there that fast?” His body shakes with laughter.

  “Babe, I know about the fights when they are scheduled, which is usually days before,” he admits, still smiling.

  I watch him closely for any signs that I should drop the conversation, but when I don’t see any I carry on. “If the fighters agree to do that craziness, then why is it illegal?”

  “People are gambling, which is against the law, but the thing that would get me in the most trouble is the building. It’s zoned for offices, not events. Even if I had the correct zoning, and passed every damn fire code they have, I’d still eat shit for the amount of people that attend a fight.”

  “Geez. I never thought about that. And all this time you’ve never been caught?”

  Gavin bites his lip. He seems to be debating his next words. “We’ve had some close calls. Really close calls. About two years ago a fight had just ended. For the most part, people had cleared out but somehow a cop entered. The only reason I didn’t get in any real trouble was everyone who was held for questioning kept to the same story. We were all there to watch the two fighters practice. With help from my lawyers, no charges stuck, but we’ve been on the radar ever since.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say. I was dating, or at least on a date with a man who at any moment could be arrested for illegal activities. I knew about The Hill before tonight, but listening to Gavin and knowing everything he’s risking doesn’t sit well with me.

  “Have you thought about doing something else? Something that you might not end up in jail for?” I laugh, but Gavin’s eyes bunch at my comment.

  “Of course and I am.” He sighs with frustration and takes a seat on his couch.

  “My dad set up a trust fund for my brother and I that we couldn’t touch until we turned eighteen. When I had access to my money I was big into fighting myself, which led to me purchasing the building in the hills and over time everyone started calling it The Hill.” Gavin’s voice wavers slightly.

  “I was pissed at the world then and fighting was a great stress reliever, but it also provided a great income.” I walk over and sit down next to Gavin who immediately grabs ahold of my hand.

  “For some of the fighters, fighting at The Hill is a way for them to put food on the table. At first I allowed that to overrule the fact that I’m risking a lot when I host fights. But word spread that I’m getting out. Most of the fights happen at another main location but the guy who runs it is a shady bastard and the prissy college kids that you hang out with won’t go anywhere near his place. And they’re usually the ones who are willing to drop big money on bets.” He pauses before sending me a nervous glance.

  “Four years ago I sunk some money into a software program I wanted to develop. I never went to college, but I’ve always been good with computers. I was certain I had something that could make me money, but I didn’t have enough faith in my work to actually try to sell it. Then three years ago a guy who had fought at The Hill since it opened died. Three days after a fight. A blood clot formed in his head, probably from a blow he received during the fight.” He’s still holding my hand but he’s miles away.

  “I knew then something had to change. The guy’s family didn’t blame me. They knew he was aware of the risk—everyone does—but it became real after that. I stopped fighting in the ring myself. Then I looked for a buyer for my program, found one, sold it, and made a shit ton of money, but I was back to square one. Luck was on my side because the company that purchased it asked me if I was available to maintain their system. My name started circling around and now I own Hill Software. I actually have a few employees, including Kiran, of course. I use the top of The Hill for our official office.” He turns his head, almost as if he’s embarrassed to tell me about the things he’s accomplished.

  I give his arm a squeeze back. “That’s amazing, Gavin. I hope you’re proud of yourself and everything you’ve achieved.” He shrugs his shoulders. Of course he’s not proud.

  “I only schedule fights for guys who I consider friends and ones who don’t or won’t deal with Phil. When school started, we got a tip that the cops were watching Phil’s place like crazy, and I ended up having three in one month, but that’s a lot. Usually it’s once a month, tops.”

  That would explain why Noah, Gabby and Alyssa were overly excited when they heard there was a fight at The Hill.

  “I’m glad you’re getting out and even happier to hear that you don’t actually fight anymore. The risk of getting hurt doesn’t seem to outweigh any money you’d make.” Gavin exhales a loud breath. We’re on our first date and the last thing I want to do is sound like his mother.

  “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with men who fight, but I don’t want t
o see you get hurt or in trouble.” He looks up into my eyes but instead of being annoyed at me I see desire, which has my body immediately reacting.

  Gavin takes his hand and softly rubs his thumb across my cheek, never taking his eyes off me. “You are so fucking beautiful.” His voice is low but demanding. Without another word his mouth finds mine. Our kiss is urgent and sends a jolt of desire throughout my whole body. He kissed me like this last night, but then he stopped afterwards. Tonight I don’t want him to stop.

  I pull back and lift my shirt over my head, leaving me in a strapless bra that is pushing my breasts up and on display. I wait to see what Gavin is going to do. Once his eyes stop on my boobs he groans with lust and he pulls me tight against him as the two of us fall back against Gavin’s couch with me in his lap.

  Gavin pulls my mouth back down to his. His tongue starts moving with mine. My ass is pulled tight against his groin, and I feel how hard he already is. His hand moves up my back and unclasps my bra. I unexpectedly tense up. I want this, I want Gavin but I don’t have a lot of experience where men are concerned and I’m suddenly nervous.

  “Kate?” I can hear the question in his voice as he drops his hands down to the couch. My bra is trapped between my arms, keeping me covered, while Gavin searches my eyes for an answer. I’m not a tease; I really do want to be with Gavin and more importantly I trust him. I pull my arms up just enough to allow my bra to fall down between us, leaving me exposed to his very hungry eyes.

  He holds my stare for several long seconds until his eyes finally wander lower. I’m staring at Gavin while Gavin is staring straight at my chest. His hands move up to my waist where he gives me a light squeeze. I clear my throat and his eyes snap back to mine.

  “What I said last night? I meant every word. I would love to fuck you all night long, but...” He pauses and clears his throat like he’s almost nervous. “But you’re safe with me. I will never do anything you don’t want or aren’t ready for.”