The Truth in Lies (The Truth in Lies Saga) (23 page)

“Was that an invitation?” Drew jested.

“In your dreams, fella,” I retorted.

His lips twisted into a wicked grin.  “God, I love that accent of yours.”

Drew’s eyes danced with humor, as Olivia walked in behind him.  Her nose flared in anger and her arms were crossed tight over her chest.  Drew pulled a bottle of rum from a bag and placed it on the counter. 

“I figured
someone
would only have wine here tonight, and after nearly losing my shirt to Gavin on the golf course today, I need something a little stronger.”

“What happened to Mister-I-don’t-drink,” Olivia jibbed.

Drew twisted the top of the bottle, cutting his eyes to Olivia.  “I’m a grown man.  If I want a drink, I’ll fucking have a drink.  You got a problem with that?”

Olivia huffed, throwing herself onto a nearby barstool.

He acted like he didn’t even notice.  He turned to Jared and me, smiling that heartbreaking grin.  “Anyone else up for a drink?” Drew asked.  His forced laughter sent a cold shiver down my spine. 

Standing behind me, Drew placed his hand on the nape of my back.  His thumb slipped under the hem of my shirt, rubbing along the length of my tattoo, as he pulled four highball glasses from the cabinet above my head.  The feeling of his skin against mine ignited my body in flames.  Fearing my emotions might get the better of me, I threw open the oven door to check on the lamb, giving me a reason to pull away. 

Every hair on my body stood on end at the feeling of Drew’s eyes piercing my back.  My stomach clinched at the sound of a hushed moan bubbling from his chest.  When I straightened up, I turned around to see him pouring each of us a drink.  He turned around and handed me one.

“To an evening with friends,” he toasted.

We each saluted before downing our shots.  Olivia complained under her breath, ignoring the shot in front of her.  Drew pursed his lips, eyeing the untouched shot.  He glanced at me, casting a sly grin before snatching up the shot glass and finishing Olivia’s shot in a masterful gulp.  “No sense in letting it go to waste,” he uttered, as the glass clanked against the marble countertop. 

I left my glass on the counter and returned to my work, mindful of how close Drew stayed to me.  He was like a shadow in the kitchen, watching every move I made.

“Damn, Mickie, that smells fantastic.  If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would’ve thought Olivia catered in.”

“Well
, thank you, kind sir.  Here, taste this.” 

I pulled a steamed asparagus from the pot and offered it to Drew.  He wrapped his lips around my fingers, swirling his tongue as he took the bite, moaning.  “It tastes even better than it smells.”

Goosebumps formed over my skin at the feel of his mouth over my fingers.  His sharp teeth clenched against my skin, and his lips pulled into a seductive, little smirk that incited the creases at the corners of his eyes.  My heart thundered in my chest, as I pulled my hand away.  Rolling my shoulders, I turned back to the stove and stirred the risotto.  There was no doubt that Olivia and Jared had witnessed his little display. 

“Dinner is about ready.  Why don’t y’all go ahead and make your way to the table,” I suggested, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes. 

“That sounds like a great idea.  I’ll help Kenz bring the food in,” Olivia added.

An odd glance passed between Jared and Drew, but they said nothing.  They grabbed their glasses and did as they were told. 

Olivia walked over to me and leaned against the counter, watching me put the final touches on the lamb.  She pulled the tasting spoon from my apron and dipped it into the parmesan risotto.  She made a dramatic moaning sound as her lips smacked over the spoon.

“Drew’s right.  This is better than anything I have catered in.” 

I humbly thanked her and downed another shot of rum.  She patted me on the shoulder and grabbed the serving bowl where the lamb now rested.  I retrieved the garnish bowls and followed her into the dining room.

The dining room was set up for a feast.  In the center of the room stood a large mahogany table adorned with a long white runner trimmed in gold.  Delicate white China topped with soft white linen napkins, framed by gold silverware, created an illustrious venue. 

“Dinner is served,” Olivia announced, as she set down the tray with the rack of lamb at the head of the table.  I placed the remaining bowls around the lamb, making sure that everything was available for consumption. 

Neither man appeared to take notice of Olivia’s announcement.  Drew sat next to Jared and they were both laughing.

“No way you did that, man,” Jared chortled.

“I sure did.  She deserved it,” Drew boasted.

“What happened?” Olivia asked, sitting down across from Drew, glaring at him.

I sat down next to her
, across from a grinning Jared.  “Tell them, Drew.  They have to hear this.”

“When I stopped at the liquor store, the clerk had the nerve to write her phone number on my receipt.”

“That was bold of her,” Olivia growled.

“Just listen,” Drew scolded then continued, “I watched a few teenagers get shot down by her when trying to buy beer.  So, I offered to pay them a hundred bucks, plus a twelve pack of beer, if one of them would allow me to use their cell phone to call her.”

I clasped my hands over my mouth.  “You didn’t.”

“I did.  So, this scrawny looking kid gives up his phone and I make the call, but hang up.  I walked back inside and bought the kid his beer.  She asked if it had been me that called.  I told her it was possible and she’d have to call me later to find out.  When I came back out, I handed the kid the beer with his money, and told him to enjoy the additional gift I gave him for later.  He looked at me like I had lost my mind.  Now this chick is going to call him and think it’s me.”

“That’s priceless,” Jared exclaimed through his fit of laughter.

My gut was splitting open, I was laughing so hard. 

All laughter ceased when Olivia mumbled, “I hate that women do that to you.  Do they not have any respect for themselves?  There are better ways of getting a man’s attention.”

Drew downed his drink and poured himself another.  “Yeah, like wearing a shirt and calling it a dress,” he sneered.

“It’s a dress,” Olivia hissed through gritted teeth.  “All I was trying to say is that woman had no clue if you were in a relationship or not.”

Drew caught my eyes and smiled.  Without taking his eyes off of me, he replied, “With that you have a point, but it doesn’t matter if she knew or not. What matters is my behavior.  You see, I have eyes for only one woman, and she’s in this room.” 

He smiled a devilish grin and winked at me.  My face burst into flames.  “Dig in, please, before the risotto gets cold,” I mumbled.

The cold scowl on Olivia’s face flipped into a smile.  She reached across the table and patted his hand.  “That’s so sweet of you to say, Drew.” 

Drew’s lips straightened to a point.  He pulled his hand back from Olivia’s and reached for a bowl.  “I’m glad you think so,” he curtly remarked.

Dinner was loud and enjoyable, but even through all the laughter, the mounting tension between Drew and Olivia grew unbearable.  Once dinner was done, we retreated to the living room. 

When Drew sat down on the loveseat, he patted the seat beside him, nodding for me to join him.  I hesitated because it didn’t seem right for me to sit next to him when Olivia was his girlfriend.  They might be at odds for the moment, but that didn’t give me the right to take her place.  So, I opted to sit on the sofa next to Jared, who seemed content with that arrangement. 

Drew’s smile disappeared the moment Olivia curled up in a ball beside him.  He extended his arm over the top of the loveseat, careful to maintain distance between them. 

Drew’s smile returned when we reached the topic of music.  Not only did Drew seem revitalized by the subject, but, Jared truly came alive.  He mentioned how he wanted to learn percussions.  “I figured a musician such as you knew how to play the drums,” Drew mediated. 

“Sure, every good musician knows h
ow to keep a rhythm, but there’s talent and skill required to play the drums properly.” 

Drew nodded, scooting up to the edge of his seat, effectively pushing Olivia away.

“Have you ever visited the drum circle on Siesta Key Beach?” he probed Jared.

Jared curled his lips and shook his head.  “I’m not even sure what a drum circle is.”

“Wait?  You’ve lived in Florida all your life and you’ve never been to a drum circle.  You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I’m not joking, man.  I’ve never been to one.”

“Well, what is it?” I inquired.

Olivia sat in the corner of the couch now, her knees pulled underneath her as silk shimmered over the cushions.

“It’s where a bunch of people get together to get drunk and make fools of themselves.  That’s what it is,” Olivia sniveled.

Drew turned his head glancing over his shoulder at her.  “It’s more than that.  It’s when the world stops and listens to the music.  The beat carries you away and everything around you ceases to exist.  For a moment, the music makes you one with nature.”

“That sounds amazing,” I whispered.

Drew’s focus turned to me.  The force of his stare felt as if he were studying me.  His face broke into a smile.  “Yes, it’s breathtaking.”

“And when does this happen?” Jared asked.

“Come rain or shine, every Sunday at sundown, they play to the rhythm of life,” Drew mused. 

“It’s sounds awesome.  I’ll have to check it out,” Jared stated, enthusiasm bubbled around him.

“I’m still shocked you’ve never been to one.”

“Leave the poor guy alone, Drew,” Olivia grumbled.  “So what if he’s never been to a drum circle.  I’m sure many people have never been to one.”

“I haven’t,” I chimed in.

“Well, there you have it, McKenzie.  We can go together sometime,” Jared suggested. 

My eyes caught Drew’s and I gasped at the storm clouds that darkened his beautiful eyes.  Tension rolled off of him like a fog.  His teeth gritted tight, tiny wrinkles appeared on his forehead and the large vein along his neck pulsed with each mounting beat of his heart.  Yep, Neanderthal was back, and he was in rare form.

“That sounds like a great idea,” Olivia exclaimed.  “A real date.”

“Yeah,” Drew growled, his jaw locked.

The tension started to mount so high in the room that
I pretended to look down at my watch.

“Damn, look at the time.  I think we better head out,” I said, standing up.  I tripped over Jared’s foot, stumbling.

“Oh, no, you all have been drinking.  You’re staying right here tonight.”

“There’s no need.  I didn’t have that much to drink.  I can drive,” I protested.

“You know, she’s right.  I think we should all just go home,” Drew agreed.

Olivia extended her hands out to Jared and Drew.  “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk,”

“I’m not drunk.  Besides, I don’t have anything to sleep in,” I persisted.

“You can hardly stand on your own two feet.  So, you’re staying.  You can borrow something of mine.”

“That way you can make sure she’s dressed to your standards,” Drew mumbled, refusing to hand over his keys.  Olivia gave him a dirty look, while Jared and I pretended not to hear him.

Jared slipped his keys back in his pocket, also refusing to hand them over.  “I’m capable of handling my own keys, but I promise that McKenzie and I will stay.”

I shot him a menacing glance to which he returned a snarky little nod.

“Fine, if Mickie and Jared are staying, so am I,” Drew grunted, slamming his back against the couch with his arms crossed over his chest.

With a sigh, I offered Olivia my hand.  “C’mon, Liv.  Let’s find me something to wear.”

Olivia took my hand, and followed me into her bedroom.  She offered me a silky negligee to wear, but I immediately rejected it.  One, I wasn’t wearing something like that in front of Jared
; and two, I wasn’t wearing something like that with Drew in the house.  I reached into her closet and pulled out a Patriot’s t-shirt that was hanging in the back.  It looked brand new which didn’t surprise me. Olivia wasn’t a huge sports fan, nor was she a huge t-shirt fan. 

I showed her the t-shirt and she shrugged.  “You can keep that.  I’ll never wear it.”

“Thanks,” I replied, as I got undressed and slipped the t-shirt over my head.  It was probably two sizes too big for me, but it was perfect for sleeping in.

Olivia opted to wear the nightie I had turned down.  She pulled a robe around her as we walked back into the living room where the men were still chatting away. 

“All right, guys, it’s time for bed,” Olivia purred. 

I rolled my eyes.  The idea of sleeping in the same bed with Jared didn’t appeal to me, but I wasn’t going to argue.  Drew and Jared stood up from their seats and joined us. 

“Nice t-shirt,” Drew noted.  “The Patriots are my favorite team.”  That explained why Olivia had the t-shirt.  “Blue suits you.”