It rained in the early dawn. The rising sun painted the sky with pastel colors, and the spring morning was pristine. Kallie thought the name of the town, Pikesville, was so incredibly ugly, but the drive back to the town house from Sasha’s place seemed perfect and romantic.

Sasha didn’t use a driver; he drove them. He had one hand on the wheel and the other roamed over to her side. They were sensual touches, sometimes straight affection and sometimes deeply intimate that stoked the addictive magnetism that the two of them conjured together. They hadn’t spoken. Just simply moved together in silence.

In the daylight, everything slowly blurred into confusion again. This was the man who’d caused her downfall. He’d also become her answer to the question she’d asked in those first few moments after she learned that her life’s work was ruined, wondering if she could ever be happy again.

Kallie felt things for him in such a brief period that she’d never felt for any man. Either he was a super good actor, or he felt the same about her. Otherwise, what was the point of his big display of claiming her for all to see? That was what the kiss in the bar had been—a way of showing she was with him.

Or why would he have admitted the truth to her?

“Why did you tell me that you were Jeremy’s boss?” she asked suddenly, realizing with surprise that she hadn’t intended to say it aloud. He could have easily told her to prove that he had put Jeremy up to everything. He could have hidden the fact from her as well.

As he drove, Sasha reached for her hand. “I didn’t know at first who you were; then, when I saw your expensive clothes and other things, I wondered what you were running from. Then you admitted what happened to your business.” He paused and shook his head. “I hoped it wasn’t through one of my businesses. But I found out for sure. Even if you hated me, you deserved to know the truth. Even though I knew I might lose you.”

He’d been afraid he would lose her? So, he did have feelings for her.

The town home had most of its lights on when they pulled up.

Sasha studied it a moment. “You set the security before you left?”

Maybe she had, but then staying out all night hadn’t been in her plans. “I don’t remember. Is something wrong?”

He took her hand in his firmly. “I like the security system turned on. I tried to instruct you on setting it. I paid a lot of money for it. It’s there for a reason, sweet,” he said, and raised her hand to his lips.

Kallie believed he had just given her a polite dressing down. She smiled at his restraint. “Got it, sweetie. And the next time you take my business out from under me, I promise not to slap you.” She tried not to smile, but couldn’t resist when his head tilted to the side and he started laughing.

Her amusement evaporated instantly when they walked in the door. She’d left the papers she’d printed on his personal information on the table. She scurried over to pick them up.

Sasha was one step ahead of her and he stepped in front of her. “I saw my name.”

He sat down on the couch and waited. She handed him the papers and let him look through them.

Kallie thought she would die. So much for a happy mutual understanding. She pinched the bridge of her nose, waiting in agony as he read his fill.

“Sit,” he said.

She did, and he moved beside her.

“Did you read all of this?” he asked.

“What?” she asked pathetically. It was a question out of nervousness. She knew exactly what he meant.

“You read all this?” Though he looked visibly tense, his tone was even and patient.

“Just the property part, so I could check out the bars.” It sounded weak, even to her.

“Really?” he challenged.

She turned her head.

“Look at me,” he said firmly.

She found it difficult to, as she was incredibly embarrassed. He’d told her the truth and now she couldn’t? It was hard to keep in mind that she’d had every right to check him out.

Sasha searched her face, as though he could tell by looking at her whether she was being truthful or not. “You didn’t read the whole thing? Why? Didn’t want to get your money’s worth?” he asked sarcastically.

“You can’t just order part of the report,” she defended.

“I’ll take you at your word. It’s yours. Read it all if you want. I’m pretty sure if you had read the criminal records section, you wouldn’t have come anywhere near me last night. As it was, you were just out to stalk me. Trying to make some money off me.”

“Stalk you?” she hissed. “I’ve run these reports on people I’d placed in the business that you ruined! I was just trying to figure out how to get back what I lost! You’re shaming me for not trusting you? Damn it! You put this on me?”

He remained silent.

“We’re in an unusual situation,” she said, slamming the papers onto the table. “You freakin’ took everything I had! You ruined my life! Then you come riding in like some knight in shining armor, trying to fix things. One minute I hate you, the next I can’t stop loving you.” She glared at him, her shoulders heaving as she fought to catch her breath. “Damn you, Sasha! You’re not the only one who screws up! And you can’t have everything!”

He stood and gripped her firmly but gently by the shoulder, stopping her. “We are,” he said apologetically, “very unusual. That was a jerk thing to say. I promise, I’ll think before I speak.”

“I swear I didn’t check out the whole report. Just the assets. I was trying to figure out a way to move forward. Or to get back what I lost.” She threw her hands up. “I don’t know anymore. When I’m around you, my brain doesn’t work right.”

“You love me?” He grinned suddenly.

“And I hate you, too.”

He pulled her to him and gave her a bear hug as he chuckled. “I was telling the truth, too. If you did check out my record, you wouldn’t have been anywhere near me.”

The repeated statement made Kallie shiver. “I have no idea how I keep falling for the wrong kind of guy.”

“I’m not mad at you,” he said without clarifying. “How about, from now on, if you have a question you ask. And I’ll do the same.” The tone of his voice was commanding and powerful. “And, Kallie, I’m going to make up for what I did,” he vowed.

Something felt unsettling about what he said. “We’ll see.”

“I’m going to put you on the title of this house,” he announced. “That is, if you want it. But I’m not going to make you a kept woman.”

Her heart sank to her stomach. Did this mean he didn’t want a personal relationship anymore? Funny to think she’d begun to warm to the idea. “All right...” she replied, in a tone encouraging elaboration.

“I want you to go back to work and build something again, a legitimate business of course. I’ll back you. I think it’d be a crime if you didn’t.”

Kallie made a face at him.

Sasha gave her that dazzling smile, flashing beautiful, perfect teeth. “Okay,” he winked, “maybe crime wasn’t the best choice of words. And I like this love-hate thing we have going on. It makes for some udivitel'no sex.”

“Udiv-what?”

“Amazing,” he said with a laugh as he kissed her hard on the mouth. “Amazing.”

THE END

––––––––

Now Available:

About Truth

––––––––