Wicked Liar by Faith Summers

Chapter Eleven

Candace

“I can't believe he took you to that restaurant,” Helen beams bringing her hands together.

I’m in her office, summoned to our morning catch up meeting. Before I could get through the doors to the building, I already had messages from her.

Even with the mountain load of documents on her desk, Helen still wanted to hear about my date. I've just finished filling her in.

“He did, and the food was fantastic.”

"And what about the man?" She flicks her long dark curls over her shoulders and gives me a saucy look.

“He was great."

"What else did you do?"

"That's it."

“What?" She wrinkles her nose. "Really? Nothing else? You go on a date with a man like Jacques Belmont and just talk about France and food?"

"And his family home."

“You're seriously telling me he didn’t try to invite you back to his place for hot sex?” Mischief dances over her face.

I bite the inside of my lip. “Of course he did.”

She grabs on to the edge of her desk and gasps. “And?”

“And nothing. I turned him down. He has to wait.”

Her mouth drops open. “Oh my God.”

I laugh. “You should see your face.”

“I think the shock on my face is reasonable. Candace Ricci, what the actual hell? You didn't want to sleep with him?"

"No. Last night wasn't about sex. I ate and went home. We're going on a lunch date tomorrow."

Her brows raise. "Lunch?"

I nod.

My phone buzzes in my lap as a text comes through. A quick glance at the screen tells me it's Isabella. One more message to join the twenty she sent me yesterday and the million calls I've received from Emelia.

Both have been trying to contact me since Dominic came home. While Emelia and Isabella are the best people to talk to about him, I'm trying to avoid any discussion.

Especially with them. I love them both and I know they went through a lot, but the two of them remind me of Disney princesses who were rescued by their princes.

I’m still waiting to be saved by someone, anybody who can slay my dragons. Doesn’t even have to be a prince.

I sound like a jealous bitch, but I'm really not. It's just that they aren't like me. I'm different, with different life experiences they wouldn't understand.

For a start, I’m older. Older than Emelia by six years and older than Isabella by four.

They're married with children, two things I really wanted to have at this stage of my life. On top of that, they have their careers. Emelia is an artist and Isabella is a therapist. I, on the other hand, did a literature degree because I enjoy reading post-romantic poetry and the classics. The only thing I can claim is that I'm able to use the transferable skills here in ways that I want. I help Massimo and I work with both the PR and Marketing teams. Great as it is and fulfilling, it feels like everyone else thinks it was given to me because of my connections.

“You're seriously not going to sleep with the man until the auction?” Helen asks drawing my attention back to her. She looks baffled.

"No."

Something flickers in her eyes, and she blinks several times. "Oh, my gosh, is it because of Dominic? He was going to be my next topic of discussion. I didn't catch you yesterday to find out what happened."

Great. It doesn't seem like I'll be able to escape talking about him today.

I raise my shoulders into a shrug and pretend the mention of his name doesn’t send off the nest of butterflies in my stomach.

“No, it's not about him.”

"I heard what you did on Monday when he came back."

I knew everyone would talk about that, but I don’t care. It's just one more thing to add to the gossip here.

"Yeah," I mutter sheepishly.

"Candace, what happened? It's not like you to bitch slap anybody, let alone him."

“We had a disagreement before he left and I was still mad at him,” I answer.

“Are you going to tell me what the disagreement was?”

“I’d rather not.”

Her shoulders slump and her eyes snap wide. “Candace,” she chides. “You’re seriously not going to tell me?”

“Helen trust me, it’s the kind of thing that doesn’t really matter anymore.”

“But you slapped the man. Twice. That’s not the kind of reaction you’d give someone if what they did to you didn’t matter anymore.” With a one-shoulder sassy shrug, she gives me a look of assertion, showing she knows what she's talking about. Once again, I can't disagree.

“I guess I was just surprised to see him.”

When her eyes bore into me, I know my friend isn’t about to let up. When realization forms on her face and she sucks in a breath I know she’s done some mental analysis of what must have happened between Dominic and me and formed one of her conclusions that’s probably right.

“Did you sleep with him?” she asks in a hushed tone as if we aren’t the only two people in her office.

Although she did her analysis and landed on the truth, my silence is enough to answer her question.

“Oh my God,” she rasps out, and I swear her eyes are going to pop out of her head. “Candace, how the hell could you keep such a secret from me? You slept with Dominic D'Agostino. Jesus.”

“Helen, please don’t breathe a word to anyone.”

“I would never do that,” she deadpans, but when I harden my stare, a reminder she’s one of the biggest office gossips here, she raises her palms and shakes her head. “I would never do that to you. I promise.”

“I’m holding you to that.”

“Whatever, I’m still stuck on the fact that you had this secret relationship with Dominic D’Agostino and never said anything to me. You do know the entire female population of this hemisphere has their eyes on all three brothers, right? No one even cares that Massimo and Tristan are married. They still keep them on their Wishlist. And you’re here talking like we could be discussing eggs and bacon.”

I have to laugh. What she’s saying is nothing new to me. “I grew up with them Helen. I guess maybe I don’t see them like that.”

She looks at me with disbelief. “Fuck damn Candace that is ridiculous. As for Dominic, I remember seeing you with him a lot before he left. I suspected something but I was never sure. I actually thought you two would make a nice couple.”

I’m shaking my head before she can finish the words. There’s no way I can explain anything further without talking about the truth. It’s exactly like everything else. I’ve always had to dance around the truth. With him, it was no different and wouldn't have been the first time I had to do it to protect someone's name.

I didn't want anyone knowing what happened to me or what he did. I didn't want anyone knowing that Dominic was on drugs. I know his brothers were grateful I kept everything under wraps, but I did it for me too.

“We aren’t like that anymore. It’s over.” That’s the first time I’ve said anything of the sort out loud. I told Tristan I wouldn’t wait for Dominic. Saying that and saying it's over felt different. It felt final and a pang of sadness wraps around my heart.

“Really?” she asks cautiously. Helen holds my gaze like she’s trying to see beyond my words and into my mind. Like the good friend she’s become, I know she’s figured out that I feel more than what I’m allowing her to see.

“Yes. He’s out of the picture and I have my eye on Jacques.” Better to resume the lie.

“Okay. If you say so. I won’t push. I can see it’s a tough conversation, so I’m just going to say I’m here for you if you need to talk.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

“Alright, since we are focusing on Jacques, I guess the only thing to book now is that shopping date. I think we should book a personal shopper at Neiman Marcus. I couldn’t help it, yesterday I went online and browsed a few dresses. They have some amazing ones. Let’s go there.”

“That would be nice.”

She claps her hands with excitement and it’s like all talk and thoughts of Dominic have been shoved to the back of the shelf.

“I’ll go through my schedule and we can get something in the diary so no one will bother us for a few hours.”

Her phone rings before I can answer so I nod. When she looks down at the screen and winces, I already guess it’s a call she’ll have to take.

“God, I have to get this. It’s Patterson Gage, looks like he has another bug up his ass.” She rolls her eyes.

I stand up laughing. “Catch you later.”

She smiles and answers the phone. I grab my purse then make my way out.

Massimo has a meeting at ten, so he’s not going to need me for a while.

I think it’s best to head back to my office and get started on the new contracts. That should take me through the day and keep me busy and distracted.

It’s been a while since I’ve had so much on my mind. The last time was perhaps before my parents died. Having to hide what was going on in my home was a task. It still is. When the past is brought up, I have to think hard so I don’t trip over my words and unintentionally spill any secrets.

I rush to the elevator as the doors are about to close. I just make it before they do, but my nerves scatter when I come face to face with who’s inside.

It's Dominic.

He’s standing against the mirrored wall of the cab looking like he just stepped out of some movie where he starred as the heartthrob. In his white button-down shirt rolled up his arms and black tailored pants he’s the perfect combination of sexy and sophisticated. The five o’clock shadow that graces his chiseled jaw adds to the alluring vision of him.

I’m aware I’m just staring, looking at him like it’s the first time I’ve seen a man in my life. So, I blink to clear the fog of fantasy that’s engulfed my mind and walk-in.

“Morning,” I say.

“Hello,” he replies.

We stand side by side and the doors close, sealing in the tense atmosphere along with the heavy silence.

I don’t know what to say to him and that feels weird. We've never been silent around each other. Even in my younger days when I was just crushing on him, and he made me nervous, I was never stuck for words. Now I am because everything I want to say will unleash emotions I don't want to feel today.

Feeling the weight of his stare I chance glancing at him. I don’t think he’s taken his eyes off me at all. Yet I can barely look at him, and this stupid elevator is moving at snail's pace.

I look away and still feel his eyes. I feel them taking in every part of me, even the secret parts, and that changes the surrounding air with a magnetism that makes me remember hot sinful things from the night we spent together.

He continues watching me and the elevator seems to move slower. Oh, so slow, tortuously slow.

I try to take a measured breath to relieve the tightness in my lungs, but it doesn’t work. It might if he would look away, but he's not going to. That’s what he’s like. He commands attention and I’m defying him by trying to ignore him. The seconds that tick by will be a tug of war of who will crack first. Or who will make the other crack? I have a heads up because I know it won’t be him.

I definitely know when I hear the faint wisp of him breathing out an exaggerated sigh.

“Good date?” he asks. His voice is so sharp it slices through the blanket of silence.

The question surprises me because I’m pretty sure he doesn’t care about my date. When I look at him, I feel trapped instantly when I take in his stormy blue gaze.

“Yes,” I answer, and his eyes cloud, swallowing me into the depths of the tempest.

“Where’d you go?”

“A restaurant. We ate.”

“That all?” The edginess of his tone and the curiosity flickering in his eyes holds the real question he wants to ask.

I just stare back at him, half in disbelief, the other part of me shocked. There’s no way on earth he’s jealous. No way.

“Why?”

“Just curious to see what sort of date Jacques Belmont is.”

My God, I think he is jealous. The Candace of the past would have been doing a victory dance at the triumph of firstly, getting his attention, and the bonus of jealousy. But, since I’m not that girl anymore I harden my stare.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” I inform him.

His eyes narrow and his lips tilt slightly into what could look like the beginning of a smile but isn’t. This man isn’t one who stands for anyone talking to him the way I just did. But there’s not a damn thing he’s going to do about it. Not when it comes to me. He knows I know that fact about him.

“I suppose it’s not.”

I’m about to resume the silent treatment when to my horror, the elevator’s lights flash, and the cab jerks so hard I stumble and fall right into him. He catches me and manages to stop me from hitting the ground, but the impact makes me drop my purse and all the contents scatter.

The elevator stops and we both look over to the panel on the side of the door as it flashes red.