Page 40 of Lie with Me
“That was the point, no?”
“Yes.” I bury my face in his chest, my cheeks redder than a red delicious apple.
“Then my job here is done.”
CJ AND I LIE INbed naked, listening to Grace Potter. After ourcrazy ass night, this is nice. It’s threeA.M.and “Timekeeper” is playing for a second time. I want to ask him a million things, like how long he plans to stay, but I opt for an easier question instead.
“Slade told me he saved your life.”
“Oh, he did? Jerk likes to brag.”
“Will you tell me what happened?” I tilt my face up to look at him.
CJ shrugs one shoulder as he stares up at the ceiling. “Our helicopter crashed in the desert. I was flying. We were returning from a recon mission. It was a system malfunction. I tried to land softly, but it was almost impossible. We were too high, moving too fast, and I didn’t have enough reaction time. Two team members died, but Slade knew I was still alive. He pulled me out of the wreckage before the entire helicopter went up. He dragged me through the desert until he found shelter then kept me safe until a convoy arrived. We were lucky. Really, really lucky. We could have been shot as soon as we got to the edge of the small Afghan town, but they helped us. They took a huge risk, and they helped us.”
“That sounds so terrifying.”
“I wish I could tell you it was, but I don’t remember most it. I woke up in the back of a Humvee being treated by medics.”
“Is that why you left the Army?” I ask delicately.
“I didn’t leave voluntarily,” he says strained. “I loved being a soldier. But I lost thirty percent of my peripheral vision in my left eye during the crash. I wasn’t equipped to fly in combat anymore, so I was medically discharged.” He exhales a soft, shaky breath.
“You couldn’t stay enlisted?”
“I didn’t see much of a point if I couldn’t fly.”
I lift my head to look at him. Really look at him. “I’m sorry,” I say, and I mean it.
“It’s okay.” He runs his knuckles down my face. “It was really hard to accept at first, but I’ve made peace with it. I realize now I was meant for different things.”
I giggle. “Yeah, a multi-million dollar entrepreneur. That doesn’t seem like such a bad alternative.”
“It’s not.” CJ grins devilishly, pulling me to his chest. “I also get to spend time with a beautiful blonde who lets me do all sorts of wicked things to her. The alternative is not bad at all.”
We both laugh. The sound mixed with the music creates a new feeling of happiness within me, rousing emotions I know I should suppress. But resisting CJ is difficult. No, not difficult—nearly impossible. Especially when we’re here like this. No walls between us, except our own secrets and the time ticking away.
IT’S CHRISTMAS MORNING, AND I’Malone. It’s not the first time, and I’m certain it won’t be the last. I meander around my grossly-oversized hotel room. I don’t like it. I’m more accustomed to small spaces. Tara loves it, though, and I guess that’s worth something. I’d do almost anything to make her happy, even enlist my best friend in a surprise threesome. Fuck. That was insane. The girl makes me do crazy things. She makes me crazy period.
Crazy happy, that is.
I stare out the window and watch the snow fall lightly to the ground below. The cars are dusted, but the streets are too warm for any accumulation. I love it when it snows just like this.
I could stand here and get lost in it all day, but Tara inspired me. She actually had the balls to invite me over for Christmas dinner; appalled at the fact I was going to be alone. I politely declined. As much as I love the thought of spending the day with her, I would rather like to avoid her father trying to poison me for sleeping with his daughter. Our relationship hasn’t quite reached that point yet. But she did make me think. I haven’t seen my family in nearly three years, so I figured while I was here, Christmas at their house was a much safer bet. My mother nearly shredded my eardrums when I called her and told her I was coming last night. It made my chest ache in a way it hadn’tin a very long time.
It’s nearly twelve by the time I’m ready to leave. It’s only an hour drive to Connecticut, and they won’t serve dinner until three. Plenty of time to spend with my mother, stepfather, and two half-sisters.
I grab my coat from the arm of the sofa, and just before I open the door, I remember my pocket watch. One day it will not elude me.
I grab it off the nightstand and shove it in my pants pocket, letting the chain hang out. Now, I am finally ready.
I open the door to hurry out when I come face to face with a gorgeous blonde in a long black coat.
“Hey,” she says, sweetly taking in my attire.
“Hey, yourself.” I smile back at her like the dope I am, pleasantly surprised.
“Are you going out?”
