An Eye For Illusion: A Private Investigator Romantic Suspense: (Dunn Security Group Book 2)

Chapter 18

Ifinally walk in my door after a day from hell. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

I’m really trying to make progress with Heather. I want to do better. I can do better. This morning was an attempt that fell flatter than one of Dad’s pancakes. The rest of the day went to hell in a handbasket when I discovered a surprise waiting for me in my office.

“Good morning, Heather. How was your weekend?”

She lifts her head from the computer screen. Her brows knit together in obvious confusion, which only makes me feel like the biggest piece of shit in the world. Why is it so hard to believe that I would care about her? Or, at the very least, want to make small talk?

She stammers. “F-fine, I guess.”

I stand there, awkwardly waiting for her to say more, but she doesn’t. Her eyes dart to my office door and back to me too many times to count in the short span of time.

Well, then… So much for that.

“Great! That sounds wonderful! I’ll be in my office if you need me.”

Her eyes widen, and a panicked look overtakes her wholesome features. She really is pretty in a way that I could never be. Her eyes are kind and open, where mine are sharp and shrewd.

“Oh, umm… Well, about that... I… You have a visitor this morning. I’m sorry. I told him you weren’t available, but he insisted.”

At first, I think it’s my father, but my father has never made Heather uncomfortable like this. The two of them get along great, and I’ve never been upset when my father pops in at random. That only leaves one of two candidates who is in my office without my knowledge or invitation.

Elliott… or Colin. I ignore how my heart flutters at the thought of it being Colin. Or how my skin prickles at the idea of him being so close.

We haven’t seen or spoken to each other since that night in the hallway outside my penthouse. Heat rushes through me, settling in my middle as the images from that night come rushing back. My excitement right now outweighs the hurt I immediately felt afterwards.

What woman in their right mind would pay that man a lick of attention after what he said? That would be me, I guess, because I find myself full of nervous anticipation as I approach my office door instead of the anger or aggravation I should feel after what he said to me.

Heather stands, rounding her desk as I go to turn the doorknob of my closed office door.

“Ms. Foster.”

“It’s okay, Heather. I got this. Thank you for letting me know,” I say as I open the door and come face to face with the man who has consumed so many of my thoughts lately.

However, it isn’t the one I hoped to see.

I’m not blissfully unaware of how disappointed I am to see Elliott sitting behind my desk with his shoes propped on it like he owns the place. My mood takes a noticeable nosedive right into the shitter.

“What are you doing here?” I ask as I walk into my office. The first thing I do is push his feet off my desk as I round it to stand next to him.

He smiles like I should be the happiest woman in the world to see him, and I’m reminded of the role I’m supposed to play here.

Put a smile on your face and fake happiness at seeing your fiancé.

I shake my head slightly to rid myself of the disappointment Colin isn’t the one sitting in my chair looking sinfully handsome so I can focus on the man who’s actually there instead. One I desperately want removed from my life.

“Is that any way to greet the man you’re going to marry?” he asks playfully. His eyes roam my body openly, and an uncomfortable shiver worms its way up my spine.

I force a smile and sigh like I’m frustrated at something other than him. “I’m so sorry. Getting in here this morning was rough. You caught me before I had the chance to shake off my bad mood.”

I lean over to give him a quick peck on his cheek, but he takes it as an invitation for more. He grabs my hips and pulls me toward him so quickly that I lose my footing, and my ass lands perfectly in his lap.

He leans forward again to capture my lips with his. I try to relax and lean into his touch, but all I can think about is how different his hands and mouth feel from the man who’s haunted my dreams lately. Elliott’s touch feels wrong and foreign.

I choke out a broken cough when I realize just how much I welcomed Colin’s touch. A man I barely know versus the man whose lap I’m currently occupying. A man I’ve known my entire life.

It’s a stark contrast.

I pull away before pushing up from his lap to create some distance between us. I want to run to my private bathroom to wipe my mouth clean of his saliva and his taste, but I can’t. I stand still as a statue waiting for him to explain why he’s here. I’m scared if I move, my hands will go to my mouth to rid my lips of him.

“I thought we could get some of the wedding planning done today, babe. You haven’t done much, and the big day is right around the corner.” He says it so nonchalantly that my stomach pitches. It doesn’t go unnoticed that he’s back to using nicknames.

That’s the last fucking thing I want to do today… or ever.

“Oh, my schedule is packed today,” I lie. I need to find a way out of this because there’s no way in hell I want to spend my day picking out napkins, cake, or flowers with Elliott.

There won’t be a wedding if I can help it.

“I already checked with Heather. It sounds like you don’t have anything on your schedule that can’t wait another day or two. Come on, honey. Aren’t most woman giddy to plan their weddings? I’m starting to think you don’t want to marry me.” There is a sharpness in his gaze that cuts as if he’s daring me to argue.

“You know that isn’t true. I’ve just been so busy with work…” I let my flaky excuse trail off.

“I know, which is why I’ve come to help you. I have everything set up with the vendors, which cost a pretty penny since you’ve left all this so last minute. There’s only a little over a month left, darling. We have no time to waste, and I want this day to be special for you.”

His words make me queasy. I almost swallow my tongue at the image that suddenly pops in my head of me walking down the aisle toward Elliott waiting at the end. However, if my plan is to work, I need to go along with this. Maybe he’ll even slip up and reveal information I can use to get out of this dreaded arrangement.

I close my eyes, and suddenly, the image is replaced with Colin. His smile is big, and his eyes are full of love and joy. My heart pounds in my chest as I make my way down the aisle toward him. I’m so eager I can barely stand to slow my steps to match the beat of the music playing.

My eyes pop open, and the image dissipates as quickly as it appeared.

I feel strange. Instead of dreading the famous walk down the aisle, I was giddy and excited for one brief moment.

What in the world is wrong with me?

I reach up to touch my forehead, half expecting it to be burning up with a fever because that’s the only reasonable explanation why I’d be happy to be marry Colin fucking Brooks.

I’m so caught up in my delusion that I miss Elliott getting up from the chair. I don’t register the fact that he gently wrapped his hand around my upper arm and is pulling me toward my office door.

I’ve wasted all the time I had to protest because my mind decided this was the moment to have a full-blown break with reality.

Why would I want to marry a man I despise?

Despise might not be the right word because I truly despise Elliott, and I’m quite settled about not wanting to marry him.

So why does the sudden thought of marrying Colin not make my skin crawl or my heart race in panic? I don’t have time to unravel the answers to all the questions running through my head right now as Elliott pulls me past Heather’s desk.

“Jade will be gone for most of the day. Make sure to reschedule her appointments,” he barks at her.

His tone finally snaps me out of the fog I found myself in. “Hey, don’t talk to her like that.” I yank my arm from his grasp.

His brows furrow like he can’t fathom why I would be upset over him bossing my assistant around, but he finally relents when my feet don’t waver from where I stand.

“Heather, can you please take care of Jade’s schedule today? I would be eternally grateful so I can whisk away my fiancée for some much overdue wedding planning,” he states in a much friendlier tone.

I’m satisfied with how he corrected his behavior but sorely disappointed that I can’t get out of this whole ordeal.

I need to use this time alone with him to find something I can use. I square my shoulders and follow him towards the elevator. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be to plan a wedding I have no intention of ever seeing through.

We spent the whole damn day picking out flowers, the cake, talking to the caterer about the food, and booking the DJ and the venue. It went on and on. With the wedding a mere month away, I’m surprised we were able to book as much as we did, but that’s because he insisted we get it all done in one day. I’m exhausted physically and emotionally.

It took everything in me to keep a smile on my face and not call the whole thing off right then and there. I feel terrible for wasting everyone’s time, for booking the date, and putting deposits down on services I never intend to use. I suspect my father has paid a hefty price for my lack of planning. For that, I feel even more guilt.

The only thing I managed to get out of was dress shopping. I blamed my complete and utter reluctance on the fact that I didn’t want him to see the dress beforehand. I told him I wanted it to be a surprise for him. He finally relented when I promised to take care of it this week, but not before calling the most exclusive dress shop in town to book me a reservation. To punctuate his audacity, he called Heather to block my schedule off for it!

My desperation to get out of this arrangement is amplified tenfold after today. Elliott spent the day using every excuse he could to hold my hand, touch the small of my back, and pull me in for kisses that were much too inappropriate for public, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop him.

The kicker was I didn’t get a single useful thing out of Elliott the whole day. Any time I tried to steer the conversation, he redirected us back to the wedding. It was freaking useless.

I’m so desperate I contemplate doing the one thing I know I shouldn’t do…

I grab a bottle of wine out of my wine fridge, opting to pick one of the more expensive bottles since I’m drinking with purpose. I want to get drunk and forget this disaster of a day.

I moan when the first taste of the crisp white wine hits my tongue. I wander over to my favorite armchair, kicking off my heels as I move. Another moan escapes as I sink into the plush material. My feet ache from being on them so long while wearing six-inch heels.

I hate everything we picked today because I couldn’t bear the thought of picking something that I actually liked or even loved. My mind betrayed me multiple times when it repeatedly brought up the image of Colin in a modern, trim-fitting black suit. His eyes were heavy with need as I made my way toward him. My hands itched to reach out to him.

I groan and then gulp another swallow of wine. The alcohol hits my blood stream quickly, warming me as it makes its way through my veins.

Don’t fucking do it, Jade.

You’re still mad at him.

Don’t give him the satisfaction of reaching out first.

Instead of reaching for the TV remote I told myself I needed to distract myself, I find myself reaching for my phone.

My fingers move on their own accord as I pull up our text messages. Before I can second guess myself, I type out my message.

Me: Have you found anything yet?

It takes less than a minute for him to reply.

Colin: Nothing solid, but I’m working on a promising lead right now.

That’s the first bit of hope he’s given me this whole time, and I’m ashamed to admit how fucking relieved I feel.

Me: How long will it take?

Colin: I’m working as fast as I can. This new lead is going to take a bit of time. I can’t rush it. It’s too dangerous.

I suddenly sit up. Dangerous? What the hell does that mean? I hit call and impatiently wait for him to answer.

His slight chuckle causes a tiny piece of my heart to settle after a long ass day of emotional wreckage.

“What do you mean dangerous?” I spit out before he even says hello.

He pauses and then I hear typing. “Well, the dictionary says dangerous means ‘likely or able to cause harm or injury.’”

“Smartass. You know that’s not what I meant. What kind of danger are you talking about?” My words are rushed, partly because I’m concerned and partly because of the wine.

He chuckles but offers no further explanation, which pisses me off. If we’re in danger, I have every right to know.

“I hardly see the humor in this situation, Colin. Sounds like we could be in real danger, and you’re giggling like a schoolgirl about it.”

“Jade, if you or your father were in danger, I would’ve called you immediately.” His tone is harsh. I can’t blame him, I’ve all but told him he’s not taking our safety seriously.

“Of course, you would. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise. I’m just…I don’t know…concerned. You shouldn’t put yourself in danger, either. I can find another way if I need to.”

“You’re concerned for my safety?”

I can hear the smile in his tone, and my heart flips like I’ve never felt before. I place my hand on my chest, willing the traitorous organ to calm down.

I clear my throat, unwilling to give away how I feel. “I wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt on my account.”

“This is deeper than I initially thought. It’ll take some time to get to the bottom of it. I need you to be patient.” His tone is professional.

He doesn’t understand how dire this is for me or how little time I have to end this engagement and ensure Elliott Moore is removed from my life as well as my father’s.

I second guess telling Colin about how Elliott threatened me. Now would be the time to tell him, but when I open my mouth, a small squeak comes out and the words stall on my tongue.

Instead, I say, “I only have thirty-four days. I need this to be over before then.”

“Thirty-four days until what?” he asks, genuinely confused by my admission.

“Until the wedding, Colin. In thirty-four short days, I’ll be Mrs. Elliott Moore, and my life will be forever changed if you don’t find something to get me out of it.” I hate the desperation I hear in my own voice.

I hear what I can only describe as a growl on the other end of the line.

“That won’t happen, Jade. You’ll have your reason. I need to go. I have calls to make.” I’m startled by his response and struggle to find the words to respond, but he beats me to it. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

I look at my phone when the call ends.

Did I tell him too much? Maybe I should’ve told him the whole story this time. The image of walking down the aisle to Elliott pops into my mind again. There’s no fucking way that’ll happen. I pour myself another large glass of wine and settle into my plush chair.