The Truth Be Told (The Truth in Lies Saga #3) (8 page)

The warmth of Drew’s hand covered mine as he reached up and took it from his shoulder.  “I won’t be long,” he promised.

“Take all the time you need.”  I leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss to his lips.  He closed his eyes and drank in the love the emanated between us.

As I walked away, I turned back only once to see him sitting in front of the headstone.  His hand rested on the base and his head hung low, but there was a serene smile on his face.  He’d finally made his peace.

Andrew

“My sweet little girl.  I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to get here, but I’m here now.  There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t miss you.  I love you so much.  I’ve made a fool of myself.  I know that now, but I will strive to be worthy of all the good in my life. I promise you, I won’t make the same mistakes.”

Sitting on the warm, soft earth, talking to my daughter, I realized that I’d held on to my anger long enough.  I needed to change.  It wouldn’t be easy, and it wouldn’t happen overnight, but I could be better.  I
would
be better.  Time would eventually sate my grief, but it was love that would heal my pain.  No more keeping those I loved the most at arms length.  It was time for me to be the man my daughter and McKenzie deserved.  

I glanced over my shoulder, back toward my car, to see McKenzie leaning against it with her arms crossed over her chest and her face tilted skyward, soaking in the summer heat.  She was my other angel, beautiful and graceful.  Because of her, I found peace.

I stood up and dusted myself off.  Propping my visor on my head and slipping my sunglasses over my eyes, I leaned in and rested my hand on top of the stone.  It was silky smooth, unlike how I imagined it would feel, but touching it made me feel closer to my little girl.  My eyes closed, the sun beat down on my back as I basked in the love of the two angels who guarded my heart.  I whispered a solemn goodbye to Heaven and shoved off.

Each step I took felt lightened.  I thought I could breathe again after my confession to McKenzie, but that was nothing in comparison to the weight that was lifted from me now.  Life would no longer hold me prisoner.  The idea of facing my father or Olivia wasn’t nearly as cumbersome as before.  So what if I didn’t feel a connection with the child Olivia carried?  I would love it because it was mine.  Maybe this baby was my second chance to prove myself worthy of a family.  It might not be my ideal family, but family was family whether ideal or not.

As I reached the car, McKenzie pushed herself upright.  Her smile was brighter than the sun, and by the way my face ached, I was pretty certain mine matched hers in every way.

“Is everything all…whoa!” McKenzie squealed as I lifted her up from the ground and swung her around.  “I’ll take that as a yes!”

“Yes, beautiful.  Everything’s perfect!”  Faster I spun, taking her with me.  She flung out her arms, flying through the air as we twirled.  My heart soared at the sound of her laughter.

As I slowed to a stop, McKenzie wrapped her arms around my neck.  Heart racing, pulse pounding, breathing heavy, I felt more energized than when I raced one of my cars.  Slowly, I slid her down the length of my body until her feet touched the ground.  Our body heat mingled with the warmth of summer.  Her bright blue eyes shimmered in the sunlight.  Or maybe it was love that made them sparkle.  Either way, staring into the eyes of this gorgeous woman, I realized I had another chance to make things right.  With her.  With the baby.  With myself.  Life, love, happiness.  All these things were at my fingertips, and this time I wouldn’t screw it up.  

Our mouths met and the worlds collided.  I moved my hands into her hair, our lips fused together in a dance of desire and passion.  This was magic at its finest.  Destiny was having its way with us.  The taste of her tongue in my mouth was exquisite.  The smell of her skin, intoxicating.  My body ached for her.  The last time we had sex, it was out of anger and ended in regret.  Not this time.  I was going to take my time with her.  Today, I would remind her that she was mine in
every
way.

But there was one thing we had to do before I could ravage her body.  Breathless, I broke our kiss.  A tiny little whimper of disapproval escaped her.  “Patience, my love,” I said, gently stroking her cheek.

“But…” she tried to argue.

I placed my finger over her sweet lips.  “We must wait a bit longer.  We have one more place to go.”

“Where might that be?”

“I promised you a dress for dinner tonight.”

“Can’t we just forgo dinner and stay in?” she whined.

“Oh no.  I want a real date with my girl and dinner is a must.”

She dropped her arms and humphed.  “Fine.”

Her pouting brought me to laughter.  She was too cute when she wanted something and didn’t get her way.  Then there was the sense of pride that she wanted me.  Not Jared.  Not Gage, the stupid redneck from Amarillo.  But me.  We belonged together.  

I tapped the end of her nose with my fingertip.  “That doesn’t mean we can’t play,” I quipped.  “Now get that sexy ass of yours in the car.  We have a dress to buy.”  

She turned around with a roll of her eyes.  “Are you planning on getting us a room?  It’s not like we can go back to the house to change…” —an evil smirk pursed her lips— “…or fuck.”

Oh, she was good.  That dirty little word slipping off her tongue sent a wave of desire pulsing through my veins.  It was safe to say I was hard and ready to take her.

I swatted her butt, eliciting a sweet cry of surprise from her.  “You forget, Boston was once my home.  I have a condo in Cambridge.  We’ll get ready there.”  I leaned in close to her ear as I reached around to open the car door.  “And fuck.”

After McKenzie was secured in the car, I stood there for a moment to look back at Autumn’s grave in the distance.  Peace washed over my soul as I whispered, “Goodbye, my sweet girl.  Until I return.”  I bounced around the front of the car and slid into the driver’s seat where I fully intended on making good on my promise of a new start.  First things first, though.  Getting my girl a dress and seducing her in the process.

All the way to the mall, I taunted her with the things I wanted to do to her.  No one would’ve guessed that less than an hour ago I was practically crumpled into a ball of hell.  Freedom was bliss, and watching her tremble when I explained how I wanted to lick every surface of her body was more fun than I’d had in a long time.

We arrived at the mall, but my relentless torture didn’t stop.  Everywhere we went, I made sure to taunt her with little touches, soft whispers, and wanton kisses.  Her squirms and whimpers were music to my ears.

“You know, the sooner you pick something, the sooner we get back to my place,” I teased, tracing the shell of her ear with my tongue as she examined a sensual black dress that I could imagine slipping her out of.

“All this stuff is too pricy, Andy.  I don’t need a five-hundred dollar dress.”

Nipping at her earlobe, I mumbled, “My suits cost ten times that amount.  Stop overthinking this and go try it on.”

She turned around and pushed me back with the palm of her hand against my chest.  “I know what one of your suits cost, but I would never spend this kind of money on myself.”

“You’re not spending it.  I am.  Not get in that dressing room and try it on.”

“Fine.  I’ll try it on, but that doesn’t mean I’ll buy it.”

I chuckled and waved the sales clerk over to us.  She’d hovered around us for the last fifteen minutes waiting for McKenzie to choose something.  The young woman escorted McKenzie and me to a waiting area where she instructed me to take a seat on the sofa while McKenzie followed her to the back to try on her selections.  I did as I was told, but only until the sales woman disappeared.  In her absence, I snuck back to the fitting rooms.  Lightly tapping on the door, I smirked at the sound of McKenzie’s voice, “This room’s taken.”

“I know.  Now let me in,” I hissed.

“Andy?  Is that you?”

“Who else would it be?  Open up.”

McKenzie opened the door just enough for me to slip through.  The door closed in a swift motion and I turned around to find her standing with her back to a mirrored wall, wearing nothing but a black lace bra and panties.  If I wasn’t already hard, the sight of her like that definitely would’ve accomplished that feat.  I stalked toward her, a devilish smile curling the corner my mouth.

“See.  I told you I’d try it on.”  She pointed toward the dress, taking a step backward away from me.

“I do see.”  I pushed her hair back and was rewarded with the exposure of her pert nipple playing peek-a-boo through her bra.  A spark of desire ignited inside me.  My body was magnetized to hers.  I couldn’t think of anything but my need for her.  With gentle force, I charged her and pushed her against the wall.

My lips inches from hers, our bodies molding together. All I could think about was the way she felt when I was inside her.  “Tell me you want me. Tell me you need me,” I requested, my tone smooth and seductive.

She stilled; her eyes widened and I watched as she inhaled, her supple breasts moving with her breath.  “Here?” she panted.

Quirking her a lopsided grin, I raised my eyebrows and nodded.
“Right here, right now.”

“But the sales lady?”

“What about her?”  I traced the line of her jaw with my nose, breathing her in.  “Tell me you want me to touch you, McKenzie.”  McKenzie said nothing as my hand slipped down her bare stomach stopping above the waistline of her panties.  Only a little whimper escaped her.  “Say it!” I growled.

She squirmed, pushing up on the tips of her toes to force my hand down her panties.  Nice trick, but I was in control, and I wanted to hear her say it.  I didn’t care if we got caught, and I had no intentions of actually taking her here.  That was meant for later.  My whole intent was to remind her that she was mine and how much I could make her body come to life.  

When she realized I wasn’t giving in, she pleaded, “Touch me…please.”

I leaned in, tugging her bottom lip between my teeth as I pulled her panties to the side and pressed my fingers to her center.  Oh, the way she felt, her heat, her want, the way her desire coated my fingers.  No matter how much I had of her, I knew I would never be satisfied.  I’d always want this, want more of us, and now, I would have it all.

I rolled her clit between my fingertips and drank in the beauty that was McKenzie.  She grabbed my face between her hands and pressed her lips to mine with such force she left me breathless.  Her tongue slipped between my lips as my fingers delved deep into her depths.  She rocked against my hand, her whole body electrified with passion.  Our tongues tangled together in a fit of madness and passion.

Faster and harder I pushed, and just as I felt her begin to clench down, signifying she was near her climax, I released her panties.  I wasn’t about to let her have her release.  Not here.  That was meant for me and me alone, but I would get her close.  The expression on her face was priceless.  “Not here, sweetheart.”

“What? No!” she exclaimed.  “You can’t do that.  No.”

I chuckled and stepped back from her, licking her very essence from my fingertips.  “I can and I did.  You have to buy a dress first.”

“Oh, you’re evil!” she squelched.

“No.  I’m resourceful.”  I turned from her, feeling her anger pulsing toward me.  “By the way, I expect for you to I'll pick shoes out as well.  And if I hear one word about how much anything costs…well, let’s not hear anything about price.  Got it?”

“Dammit, Drew!”

I slipped out of the fitting room with the biggest grin on my face.  McKenzie Evans was putty in my hands.  The sales clerk appeared with an armful of dresses.  She seemed surprised to find me back there.  “Remove all the price tags before giving those to her,” I advised.

The young woman looked even more confused by my request but complied.  I loved that McKenzie didn’t see me as a goldmine, but I also wanted to spend my money on her.  I enjoyed buying her pretty things and making her feel special, and I wasn’t about to let a little thing like a price tag stop her from getting something she wanted.

Ten minutes later, she exited the dressing room, wearing an expression of mixed emotions and a dress that would kill any man where he stood.  “I’m mad at you,” she proclaimed, “but I love this dress.”

She wasn’t the only one who loved the dress, and her being mad at me was worth it if she found something she loved.  It was a blue sleeveless number that contoured to her body in all the right places.  Soft and feminine, it was very much her.  It also didn’t hurt that it hit her mid-thigh and I could imagine my hand up her dress doing unspeakable things to her.

“Be mad at me all you want.  I got you to relax and now you’ve found the perfect dress.  I call that a win-win.”

“Screw you.”

I gave her a playful wink.  “Oh, you will.  Now go pick out shoes to match your beautiful, new dress.”

“Already on that,” the sales girl called out, hauling several boxes of shoes in her arms.  

McKenzie groaned and I grinned.  “Perfect.  Remember…”

“No price tags,” the girl finished.

McKenzie gasped.  “That’s not fair.”

“It is when it helps you make up your mind.  Now, shop.  Geez, I’ve never seen a woman so resistant to shopping before.”

McKenzie flipped me the bird and darted back off to the dressing room, with the sales associate tagging along behind her.  Another ten minutes went by and my girl had a complete ensemble, including shoes and a handbag.  When the clerk advised me that McKenzie was finished, I handed her my credit card, along with a couple hundred dollars in cash.  “The cash is just a little thank you gift for all of your assistance today.”