She seems to think that over. “I get that. And I'm an asshole so I probably would have.”
I laugh. “No doubt.”
Her shoulders shake with laughter as she leans back in her chair. “You bitch. I can’t believe you never told me. And with a client?”
“Yeah. Hayden, but I don’t know what any of it means.”
She rolls to her side, propping her head on her hand. “Was it more than once?”
I nod. “Yes.” I bite my bottom lip, thinking about every encounter. “It’s like I’m addicted. Even now I want to be in his arms. I’ve never felt like this before.”
Her smile is bright and brings attention to her dark blue eyes. “That’s great, Lola. I’ve never seen you light up like that before.”
“Yeah.” I stare into her eyes, eyes I've known for years.
“So, is it just sex? Or have you guys had those intense, crazy talks in between where you learn everything about the person?”
I’m lost in the golden flecks in her eyes. “Ummm . . .He’s kind of a mystery, but we’ve talked. He’s even from Kansas City.”
“Huh. That’s kind of a crazy coincidence.”
Is it? I stare into her eyes. “Your eyes have gold flecks in them.”
“What?” Her eyebrow quirks up. “They do?”
I nod dumbly. “Yes. How have I never noticed that before? I just thought they were blue.”
She wags her eyebrows jokingly at me. “Maybe you just haven’t spent enough time looking into my eyes.”
She’s being playful, but I'm starting to feel sick as I sit up, my hands gripping the edge of the chair, causing her to sit up and face me, our knees touching. “What’s wrong? Lola, it’s probably the patio light or something fucking up the way my eyes look. It’s okay.”
I shake my head and look at her high cheekbones and then her nose. “Your nose.”
“What about my nose?” She looks really freaked out as she stares at me, and my eye stay fixed on her perfectly straight nose.
“There’s a bump.”
Her eyebrows pinch together. “No there isn’t.”
“Yes. There is.” I stare at the tiny, almost completely insignificant bump on the bridge of her nose, one I've never even noticed before. Not until it identically matched another nose I saw earlier today.
One of a total liar.
“Lola, you’re freaking me the fuck out. What is going on?”
I stand up. “I have to go and see Hayden.”
“What?” She stands to face me, looking concerned. “You’re acting weird because you need to get laid?”
I shake my head, the nauseous feeling coming back. “No. I’ll see you tomorrow. I have to go.”
I leave her there confused and probably annoyed, but I don’t care. I’m in my car and driving toward Hayden’s house before anyone can stop me.
Because now I'm on a mission.
The doorbell rings through my house and I glance at the clock, seeing it’s ten o’clock at night. I’m not expecting anyone, and I'm certain it’s not about business. My lips quirk into a sly smile as I make my way from my office toward the front door, hoping it’s Lola.
I don’t bother to tug on a shirt, having been about to go to bed and wearing only black sweats. I smirk, seeing Lola through the glass, standing on the other side of my front door and pull it open. “I thought we said tomorrow.” She’s still dressed in the same skirt and blouse she had on earlier. My eyes trail from her heels up to her face. “But I'm definitely okay with this too.”
Her hair is down, and her eyes are desperately searching mine with an expression that sends chills through me. She seems almost breathless, her lips parted as she stares.
“Lola? What’s wrong?”
“You.”
I swallow the bile that rises in my throat. “What?”
Her gaze stays glued to my face. “You’re Penelope’s brother? Or at least related to her?”
Shit. No. “Lola . . .” I start and see the anger and hurt in her eyes. I reach for her hand, but she instantly jerks away.
“Answer me.”
“Come inside.” I want to touch her, to calm her down, to plead with her to understand.
She folds her arms, staying put on the stoop outside my house. “No. Answer me, Hayden.” She closes her eyes briefly, and then they flutter open, landing on mine. “Are you related to Penelope?”
No more lies. “Yes.”
She looks like she’s going to be sick, and I want to hold her, but I don’t touch her. “Who are you?”
I look in her eyes, begging for forgiveness for keeping this from her. “I’m her brother.”
I think she’s going to slap me. I’d deserve it. But what I didn’t expect from the tiny, ultra-refined blond was for her fist to ball up and sock me right in the eye. Hard. I’ve been hit by a lot of men, and she packs a punch.
My hand flies over my eyes, but other than that I don’t move while she remains in place, furious. Her breathing is rapid as she shakes her right hand that has to be on fire. “How could you not tell me that?” She grits her teeth. “How?”
I drop my hand to the side, my eye already swelling. My jaw ticks with anger. Not necessarily at Lola, but at the whole fucked-up situation.
Thank you, life, for fucking me once again.
“I didn’t fucking know you. What was I supposed to say, Lola?”
“How about when we first met at the coffee shop instead of the line of bullshit you fed me? You could have said, ‘I know Penelope. We share DNA.’”
I growl, thinking about that day, being taken by Lola and her throwing off my plan of getting to know my sister. “I wanted to know who she was first.”
She shakes her head. “That’s why you hired us? It was all a scheme.”
“No.”
“Bullshit, Hayden. You made me look like a fool.”
“It wasn’t about you.” And it wasn’t. Lola was a curveball, something I should be used to but didn’t see coming.
“Right. It was all to trick Penelope. What do you want from her?”
“Nothing.”
She moves closer to me, her chin tipped up, fire burning fiercely in her eyes as she glares at me. “If you hurt her, so help me. I’ll cut your balls off and toss them into the ocean.”
Jesus. A threat shouldn’t be so fucking hot. “I don’t want to hurt her.” I can smell her honey and lavender scent. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“She’s my best friend. You lied to us both.” Her chin trembles. “You slept with me.”
“That had nothing to do with it.”
“No? It wasn’t just to get closer to her?” She’s searching again. “Your taking of my virginity was just part of a fucking scheme.”
Her teeth are clenched again, but now I’m pissed. How the fuck can she think that? “We didn’t know each other. You didn’t fucking tell me the truth either, remember?”
She winces but only slightly. “Fine. I didn’t tell you that I’d never had sex before I gave it up to you. And you’ve lied to me since day one about your identity. Totally the same thing.”