Dirty Little Secret by S.E. Law

8

Luke

That weekend, I take Patty out to a mall on Long Island. Of course, I pretend that I want to buy a rug to replace the one I burned, but really, I just want to spend time with the woman. My girl looks beautiful too. She’s wearing a bright, red-orange sundress that shows off her creamy legs and several tantalizing inches of cleavage. She’s got her hair pulled back with curly face-framing layers curving around her cheeks, and even though we’ve just set out, I’m already ready to ravish her at a moment’s notice.

As we pull up to the mall, Patty’s eyes go wide and she claps her hands.

“OMG, living in Manhattan, I haven’t been to a mall in so long,” she giggles. “This is going to be great!”

“Yeah, there isn’t really enough land in Manhattan to have the kind of super-mall we’re at now,” I say wryly. “But are you hungry, honey? I’m starving.”

“We just had breakfast!” she teases, eyes dancing as we get out of the car. I pat my belly.

“Yeah, but I’m ready to eat again.”

With that, we head to a restaurant in the mall for brunch before ordering eggs Benedict and mimosas. Then, the shopping spree begins. My real motivation for coming is because I want to spoil Patty. I want to buy her anything her heart desires, and money is no object.

“Luke, I can’t,” she whispers, modeling a gorgeous navy-blue evening gown that plunges attractively in the front. “This is a four-figure dress!”

I merely shrug.

“Yes, you can, sweetheart, and as my fiancée, it’s only fitting that you’d have evening wear. I can’t have my wife showing up in rags,” I say with a grin.

She blushes at the term “wife,” but I ignore her rosy cheeks and merely gesture to the salesgirl. “We’ll get that one, as well as the other three, and the matching shoes and purses.”

Once we’re done in that particular boutique, Patty slips her hand in mine.

“Hey,” she murmurs, “I’m getting a little thirsty. Do you want to get a coffee?” I smile down at her.

“Coffee would be good,” I say. “I could use some caffeine. How about this one here?” I ask, gesturing to a Coffee Bean store. “It’s been so long since I’ve been out and about like this.”

“Oh, really?” Patty smiles as we get in line. Her eyes spark with mischief. “But I’m sure I’m not the only woman you’ve ever treated out like this?”

I smirk at the question she’s trying not to ask. Of course, my sassy girl wants to know how many women I’ve dated before her, but I’m not going to give her a straight answer. “Would you believe me if I said you’re the first?”

“No.” Her reply is totally deadpan.

“Wow. Not even a moment of hesitation,” I chuckle as we get to the cashier. I get an iced americano and Patty gets a latte with cream and caramel. As we stand to the side to wait for our drinks, I pull her close to me, enjoying her lush curves.

“I’ve had other relationships,” I tell her, “But I’m serious. You’re the first woman I’ve treated like this.” She shivers against me and presses closer.

“But why?” she asks. I kiss her temple and run my thumb up and down her side.

“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “It just feels right, and I want you to be happy. You are wearing my ring after all.”

She looks like she’s about to say something, but then bites her tongue. After getting our drinks, we find a place to sit down to enjoy the coffees, and as we relax, I notice that she keeps stealing glances at me. I’m used to catching Patty looking at me when she thinks I’m not paying attention, but there’s something more to it today. There’s a question she’s not asking, and I finally decide to turn the tables. I bump her knee with my own and flash her a smile.

“What’s on your mind, sweetheart? Why the long looks?”

Her cheeks flush prettily. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare.”

I take her hand and intertwine our fingers. “I like when you look at me, honey, so look all you want. But this time, I could tell that there was something on your mind.”

She nods, sips her drink, and then meets my gaze straight. “Have you seen Jocelyn around lately?”

I pause for a moment, making sure my expression doesn’t change. How odd that this would come up so soon after my unexpected encounter with the woman just a few days ago. Should I tell Patty? But instead, I decide to keep things simple and shake my head.

“No, not lately. It seems that crazy woman is finally keeping her distance, the way she’s supposed to.”

Patty’s silent for a moment, but then shoots me another look.

“Yes, but why is she so obsessed with you? Do you mind if I ask?”

Ah, there’s the real question. I run a hand through my hair, trying to decide how best to answer, and after a while, I let out a sigh. “No, it’s fine if you ask. About a year ago,” I say, “Jocelyn and I hooked up. It wasn’t anything, but yes, we had sex.”

Patty’s eyebrows raise slightly, but she says nothing.

“Our relationship—if you can even call it that—was supposed to be about nothing but the physical, but Jocelyn got it into her head that it should be something more. I broke it off when she told me she wanted us to get married. Can you imagine that? After a few short trysts in bed, she wanted a ring. But Jocelyn’s tenacious because she started following me around even after I ended things. That was plenty annoying, but when she broke into my apartment, it was the last straw and I ended up having to move. I even got that restraining order, but let’s face it: anyone in New York can find me because I work at Montgomery Holdings.”

“Wow,” murmurs Patty. “That’s pretty insane.”

I sigh.

“I know. She literally became a criminal, she was that determined. But it is what it is, and I think your presence is helping, honey. You’re my fiancée, and Jocelyn hasn’t come around since.”

The lie slides off my tongue so easily, but it feels right because I don’t want to worry Patty. Meanwhile, my girl nods while running her finger up and down the condensation collecting on her cup.

“I’m sorry I asked you something so painful. It’s just that I’m in—” she stops, her cheeks flushing again. “Sorry. I just wanted to know more about what I’m getting into.”

I smile. “No, it’s fine and I don’t blame you for being curious,” I say. “I’d want to know if there was a madwoman around, but fortunately, Jocelyn has backed off. Now, pretty girl, are you ready to keep shopping?”

She nods and pushes away from the table before heading back into the fray. The mall’s pretty crowded now, but it feels like Patty and I are walking in a bubble, our hands linked.

“Do you miss working at the piano bar?” I ask idly. “I know you haven’t been back since we got engaged.”

She smiles ruefully.

“I don’t want to say that I miss it exactly, but I do miss my old coworkers. Sometimes, I wonder if Jamie’s has hired a new piano player because management hasn’t reached out to me.”

“You liked it there that much?”

She smiles. “Like isn’t the right word for it, but yes, I’m definitely nostalgic because Jamie’s is the first place that gave me a chance to show off my musical chops. Before, it was just babysitting and odd jobs. So that makes it special.”

“Hm. Maybe I should get my mother to come by to see you sometime then.”

Patty gasps and playfully punches my chest. “Don’t even joke!” she exclaims while I laugh. “OMG, it would be such a disaster if your mom came to Jamie’s because let’s face it: Martha’s too classy for a joint like that. The whole place smells faintly of stale beer, and there are some really weird people who hang out on any given day. There’s Fat Jack, Big Momma, Kid Cuzo…” she shakes her head. “I really like them, and I miss them even, but I feel like your family would never look at me the same way.” Then, she pauses for a second and chuckles. “But come to think of it, I guess this arrangement of ours is the second gig I’ve gotten based on my ability to play the piano.”

I laugh and take her hand in mine. “Yes, you’re right because what could be more fitting for a billionaire’s wife? I love the fact that you’re a professional pianist. It’s very classy.”

She giggles. “Yes, but how about you? Did you ever play an instrument?”

I nod.

“Yeah, cello when I was a kid, and it was a fucking disaster. I think I accidentally set that thing on fire.”

She gasps. “You did?”

“No, I didn’t,” I acknowledge with a smile. “But I think my brother set fire to his cello because James and I used to be competitive when we were kids. We’re close in age, so you can imagine how much we’d get on each other’s nerves. He wanted a better cello than mine, so he set fire to his so that our parents would buy him a new one.”

Patty giggles and nods. “I’m not surprised you guys are competitive. You are brothers after all.”

I nod.

“Yeah, but it got out of control all the time. We used to play ice hockey together too, and some of our fights on the ice could get brutal. In fact, we’d fight so often and so violently that there were multiple trips to the hospital. It wasn’t pretty.”

She gasps.

“That must have made your parents worry, not to mention the hospital bills.”

I laugh. “No doubt! But now that we’re older, James and I have settled into a harmony of sorts. We’re both executives at Montgomery, but we have different spheres of influence. Plus, I think James might be dating someone too because he seems to have mellowed. At least I hope he’s found someone to take off his hard edges.”

She nods. “Yeah, he definitely has a cynical side, but it explains why he’s so protective of you.”

“Protective?” I raise a brow. “My little brother wants to protect me?”

She smiles.

“Well, yes. Don’t you remember when I first met him at that lunch? He was asking me a ton of questions, like he wanted to make sure I wasn’t taking advantage of you for your money or anything.”

“I hadn’t thought about it like that.” I rub my chin, suddenly thoughtful. “To be honest, I thought he was just being an ass, the way he always is. My brother is an odd one, that’s for sure. Do you mind if I confide something in you?”

Patty nods, casually tossing the remains of her coffee in the trash as we pass. “Of course, you can tell me anything.” Then she smiles sweetly. “Especially because, you know, we’re in this scheme together.”

I hide my laugh with a cough. “Right. Of course.” Then, I squeeze her hand as my mouth pulls down in a frown. “I’m a little worried about my brother, actually. Ever since our father died, he hasn’t been acting like himself.” She cocks her head.

“Oh really? I’m sorry to hear about your dad. When did he pass?”

“Just a few months ago, and no, it wasn’t a surprise. My dad had been sick for a while and the writing was on the wall, but James… well, my brother thought there might be a way for our father to bounce back.” I shake my head. “He took our father’s death even harder than our mom, so I’m worried, to be honest. I think he’s fine, but sometimes, I think he’s not. I definitely wouldn’t take anything he says too personally because these are just strange times.”

“I see.” She rubs her thumb back and forth over my palm, sending comfort through me. “And here I was, thinking he was just an overprotective prick when really, he’s suffering in silence.”

I freeze for about half a second, and then burst into laughter.

“No, James is a prick, but yeah, he’s just going through some things.” Then, I spy a jewelry store and pull Patty in behind me.

“Goodness, the jewelry is beautiful,” she says in a hushed voice. “Look at these gems.”

I lead her to the counter with the largest display case and give her palm a squeeze. I saw this item in a magazine a few weeks ago, and wondered whether it’d still be here. Luckily for me, it is.

But Patty’s eyes go wide when she sees what’s behind the glass. She starts to shake her head, but I motion an attendant over before she can protest. The salesperson unlocks the case and then leads us to the back room, away from the eyes of the public.

Patty gasps again because on the table is a crown inlaid with diamonds and white pearls, as well a matching necklace. I steer her toward the mirror and take the necklace from the attendant.

“Luke no,” she says as I lay the shimmering jewels on her neck. “I can’t… you can’t....”

I shush her and then place the crown on her head as a final touch. In the magazine, I thought the gems were too much. But now, as I gaze at this beautiful woman’s reflection in the mirror, all I can think is how much she looks like a queen. My queen. It’s as if the crown and necklace were made just for the gorgeous brunette.

“Do you like it?” I ask in a low voice.

She opens her mouth to respond, but no words come out, and instead, tears well in her eyes. Patty merely covers her mouth with her hands as she gazes at our reflection in the mirror, and then I pull her into my arms and hold those curves close to me. It’s perfect. This woman is my queen, and I want to show her how much I care. Over her head, I nod to the attendant.

“We’ll take it,” I tell him. “Only the best for my girl.”

With that, I have my ring on Patty’s finger, a collar around her neck, and best of all, a crown on her head. Yet it feels right to claim the beautiful woman, and my heart soars with happiness as we depart the mall and head for home.