Fake Coral and Keys (Fake #2)

7. CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

BLAKE

Now

F orest insists they give him and Amber another room instead of Daisy and me.

“A clean room,” he says, enunciating each word. He mumbles something about not wanting to sleep on that bed in that room. After we get the room situation settled, we have just enough time to freshen up before we’re to meet the rest of his family at the bar for before-dinner drinks. This family sure puts them back.

I find Daisy in the small bathroom back at the bungalow, reapplying her pink lipstick, then gathering her long wavy hair into a little bun at the top of her head. She’s changed into a green bathing suit and a colorful cover-up tied around her hips. She turns when she sees me, and her face lights up, stealing my breath. My chest squeezes. With her sparkling green eyes and her perfectly kissable mouth, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Something about her is different from what I remember, though. She’s brighter. Sunnier. More vibrant than before. And I remember her well. I had five months to scan every single picture she posted online.

The best part? For the next five days, I get to pretend she is mine. I get to pretend I grew up rich. Had a decent father. I even get to pretend my life hadn’t been traumatic and was full of positive memories. I get to pretend I’m something I’m not.

As long as Daisy never finds out what I truly am, and if she keeps allowing me to come on these trips, I’ll break down her walls.

Then she’ll be mine. Completely. Truly. In every way and not just at these Gatherings.

I slide up behind her, pressing my lips to her bare shoulder, kissing the tiny dots of freckles. I place small kisses on her neck and up to her small ear, breathing in her floral scent. “You smell good enough to eat.”

She laughs, backing into me, then turns her face to capture my mouth with hers. She spins around, wrapping her arms around my neck, and presses her body to mine. I grip her hips, pulling her close, lifting her slightly off the floor. She smiles against my mouth like we’ve been doing this for years.

She breaks the kiss and focuses on my eyes. “Everything figured out?”

I brush stray strands of honey-colored hair away from her face. “All settled.”

Daisy backs ups and looks at my khaki pants. “Please tell me you brought swim trunks.”

I leave her to rummage through my bag. I pull out my new bright orange trunks covered with little pineapples and palm trees.

“Are you serious?” she asks, a smile playing on her lips. She points to the swim trunks. “You’re wearing those?”

I glance down at the shorts. “What’s wrong with them?”

“Nothing,” she says, holding her hands up like she’s surrendering. “Absolutely nothing if you were a seventy-year-old retiree planning on attending a swingers party at the Villages. ”

My brows scrunch up as I look at the trunks. “What?”

Daisy gestures to the shorts. “Pineapples, Blake.”

“Yes.” I hold up the shorts to show her. “And palm trees.”

She lets out a small laugh, then presses her fingers to her lips. “You really don’t know?”

I shake my head. “Obviously, I do not.”

“Pineapples are code for swingers.” She grins and turns back to her makeup. Her eyes meet mine in the mirror as she applies lip gloss. “We don’t want anyone thinking I’m willing to share.”

No sharing? A rush of heat, like electric sparks, courses through me. I glance back at the shorts, then meet her eyes again. A small smirk spreads across her lips, sending an intense shiver down my spine. It feels like all the blood is rushing out of my head and going straight to my cock.

Oh, Daisy. You just gave yourself away.

I pull at the back of my shirt and tug it over my head slowly, making sure she’s watching me in the mirror. Her eyes widen slightly at the sight of me bare-chested. She stands upright, her lip gloss frozen in midair. Her eyes travel from the tattoos on my forearms, back up to my chest, down to the line of hair that disappears into my pants. My skin burns from the force of her gaze, making my dick strain against the material. I grip my cock, adjusting myself, letting her see what she does to me.

In the last five months, I’ve worked out nearly every day, trying to keep my mind distracted. Remembering how she’d looked at me on the trip to the mountains motivated me to push myself harder than ever before. I wanted to make damn sure if I was lucky enough to see her again, I’d be better than she remembered. By the way her eyes roam over me, I’d say I succeeded.

“You have more,” she says in this slightly breathless way.

“More?”

She swallows. “Tattoos.”

On instinct, I touch the lines inked into the skin over my chest. The day after I left Daisy outside the coffeehouse, I had a large piece added across my chest and a tiny flower on my wrist.

“Yes,” I tell her. “I have a few more tattoos.”

“They are gorgeous.” She glances down for a second as if she’s collecting her thoughts. Her hand finally falls, and she recaps the gloss and places it delicately next to her. Those green eyes dart back to me, and her tongue touches her bottom lip before taking it between her teeth .

Remembering how her pink mouth moved up and down my cock makes me impossibly hard. I unzip my pants, watching her face in the mirror as I push them down my hips, letting my dick spring out. Her lips part and her shoulders rise as she takes a deep breath. I step from the pants, kicking them aside. My dick throbs almost painfully. I grip the head, squeezing the tip to release some pressure, never taking my eyes off hers. Daisy watches my movements, her breathing becoming more shallow as I stroke my cock lightly, telling her silently, this can be yours .

“Do you not like sharing, Daisy?” I ask, letting my hand slide from the base of my dick to the head, then back up again.

She spins to face me, her eyes moving straight to my cock. She leans against the counter behind her, gripping the edge so tightly her knuckles turn white, and I notice the slight movement of her thighs pressing together. That’s all I need. I release myself and stalk towards her. Her breath rushes out in a burst as I weave my fingers into the silky hair at the nape of her neck, pulling her towards me. She crashes into me, her hands landing on my shoulders, then quickly sliding down to my dick as her mouth meets mine. The softness of her lips presses hard to mine, forcing me to release a guttural groan. She grips my cock while her lips part and her tongue licks at the seam of my mouth, begging for entrance. I open for her, unable to contain the need pulsing through me, savoring the sweet taste of her mouth.

Her warm hand strokes my length with steady, fevered strokes. I pump into her hand as I rip at the flimsy fabric tied around her waist. Gripping her ass, I lift her to the counter, sit her down, and then push her legs open. There is nothing sweet about this. We’re both sloppy in our need to consume the other. She’s just as crazed as I feel, making small animalistic sounds in her throat, spreading her legs open wide, and tugging her bathing suit to pull it aside. My hand fumbles with hers as I move to press my dick to her opening. The head of my cock slicks through her folds, and I break the kiss, trying to breathe.

“Fuck,” I hiss out, again sliding my cock through the delicious wetness of her slick pussy, so exposed it sends flames through my blood with every touch. I grip her hand, making her stop her ferocious pumping. “You’re going to make me come before I can even get inside you.”

Daisy lets out a breathy laugh and releases me. She leans back on her elbows, resting her head against the mirror. She pulls her legs up, propping her heels on the counter, so she’s open for me. Behind her, I see our reflection. Me standing above her. Her legs spread. Her delicate flesh where my cock presses to her bare cunt. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. It’s too much. She’s too much. This is too much.

“If you don’t fuck me right now, I will make you.” Daisy tugs at the bathing suit, exposing herself even further.

She’s even more beautiful than I remember. Her cheeks flushed. Her pussy so wet, she’s glistening. My mouth waters, remembering her sweet taste. I rub my thumb over her clit, enjoying how her legs jerk with my light touch. “Look how fucking stunning you are.”

“Blake, please,” she grates out.

Fuck, we need a condom.

“Don’t move,” I tell her, beginning to back away.

She opens her mouth to protest when a hard knock at the door makes her bolt upright, and she nearly slips off the counter. I grab her before she falls, helping her to her feet.

“You have got to be kidding me,” she yells. “Who the fuck it is now?”

Adjusting her swimsuit, Daisy marches to the door and looks out the window. She glances back at me, still standing by the sink, my dick in hand.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I want to scream the words in frustration. Grabbing my swim trunks, I slip them on and join her at the door, pressing down on my dick, trying to calm myself. Talk about bad timing.

“It’s my damn brother,” she hisses.

“He’s got impeccable timing,” I say, pushing strands of hair off her face. She’s completely disheveled, her bun lopsided, her lipstick smeared. “It’s like he has an alarm that goes off every time we try to fuck.”

She laughs, then clamps her mouth shut, giving me a heated look. “Looks like we’ll have to wait until he’s asleep.”

I press my lips to hers, then brush my mouth across her cheek, to her ear. “We have five days,” I remind her, then back away, grabbing a shirt, and pulling it over my head.

Daisy looks me up and down, shakes her head at my swim trunks, and pulls the door open. She crosses her arms and stares up at Forest, who’s grinning like an idiot. He gives me a wink. Bastard knows.

She adjusts her messed up bun. “We meet again, pussy-blocker.”

“Daisy!” someone shouts. I look over her shoulder to see the entire family standing in the grassy area in front of the bungalow.

Erin laughs, her hand covering her mouth, then looks at me. “Blake, I think you’re a bad influence. ”

“He could be if you’d stop interrupting,” Daisy mumbles and grabs her sandals before heading out the door.

***

“So tell me, Blake,” George says, forcing my eyes away from his daughter to him. “What made you decide to work in this field?”

I lean back in the rattan seat, swallow the food in my mouth, and glance around. Everyone at the large round table has stopped talking. All eyes slide to look my way, forks or drinks hanging suspended in mid-air, waiting for an answer. I pick up the glass in front of me and take a sip, delaying my response.

George has been asking me vague questions for the last thirty minutes, not prying too much, but digging just deep enough that I have to remember my lies. We had a brief discussion at the last Gathering, but he only got the basics—my line of profession and how Daisy and I met. I should have seen this coming. I’m an idiot that I didn’t prepare a better front to tell her family. Something sweet, like out of a fifties sitcom. Upstanding citizens have wholesome backgrounds.

I’m far from wholesome and my backstory is pretty awful, but they can’t know that .

Heather’s gaze burns into me. She’s watched me closely throughout dinner. Her threat right before we left the mountains rings in my head. She breaks her stare and glances at her husband, then says, “It’s certainly an interesting line of work. I understand you run a security firm for financial institutions?”

I smile at her choice of words. “That is one way of putting it.”

I lean back in my seat, trying to come up with a way to explain what my business entails. My fake company that is. Or rather, the cover for what I really do. If they discovered that I target large investment firms, break through their security software, then transfer the money into offshore accounts, I doubt they’d be so friendly. If they found out that I then get hired by the same company I stole from to fix the holes in their software when the company realizes they’ve been hacked, I doubt her father would be asking me to join any more Gatherings.

No. I certainly wouldn’t be welcome, so I say, “My security firm analyzes weak points in security software. I find any gaps and see if I can break through. If I can, I assist the company in rewriting the software.”

“So you’re a hacker,” Forest says, glancing at his father and then back to me. A hint of something flashes in his eyes. I recognize it. Mistrust .

“That is a crude way of describing it, but yes,” I tell him, unable to keep the sneer out of my words. If he only knew. I feel Daisy shift next to me. I curse myself. I need to keep my temper at bay. Forest has every right to question his sister’s boyfriend. He’s a concerned brother, and to him, to everyone really, I’m a complete stranger. “But, yes, I’m what is called, in simplistic terms, an ethical hacker.”

Justine places her icy hand on my arm, squeezing my bicep lightly. “That’s fascinating. What made you decide to work in this field?”

I take another sip of my drink, trying to figure out how to handle this one. “My father was a banker,” I lie. My father was a mean ass drunk, who couldn’t hold down a job to feed his son, but I can’t tell them that. So I lie. Lie. Lie. That’s what I do best. That’s what I’m good at. Lying. So I lie some more. “He was a financial investor.”

George leans back in his seat, his eyes burning into mine over the rim of his glass as he takes a sip. “Which firm?”

Fuck. Why didn’t I think this through? Of course, he’d know about investment companies. He’s the fucking president of one.

“It was a small, private investment firm. He traveled often and rarely discussed his work,” I say, hoping to be as vague as possible. “Unfortunately, it went under and he went to private advising.”

“I see.” George nods. “What made you decide your line of work?”

Glad that he’s one of many men in banking who don’t like to talk about money losses at dinner, I see the perfect story forming. “The company went under after being hacked. When I saw what it did to him and the company, I knew what I wanted to do.”

Justine taps my arm again, drawing my attention to her. “How did you learn to hack software?”

“I was given an old computer when I was young,” I tell her. This isn’t an outright lie. The old man who used to bring me food would often let me mess around with his ancient desktop to keep me out of trouble on nights my father left me alone for long stretches. “I’d sit for hours playing on the old machine, trying to figure out the programs, when I discovered I had a knack for writing and recoding software.”

“How fascinating,” Justine says, her hand still on my arm.

I want to flick her hand away, but I also don’t want to let my distaste for the woman to show. Instead, I reposition myself to lean closer to Daisy at my side. I look at George. “I would guess you’re familiar with security firms, such as mine,”

He nods slowly, picking up the knife and cutting into the bloody steak on his plate. His pale blue eyes meet mine as he takes a bite. I don’t like how he keeps watching me, but then again, considering his job, he has every right to question his daughter’s boyfriend. After he swallows, he says, “I’m familiar with firms such as yours.”

He turns his attention to Lily at his side. I hear something about the upcoming wedding. It seems we are done talking about me. Thank fuck.

I focus back on Daisy and find her staring at me. “What?”

She leans in close to my ear. “That’s what you do?”

“Yes.” Sort of .

She fiddles with the napkin in her lap and glances around the table.

I debate which parts I should tell her are false when I feel a cold hand press into my chest. I turn to find Justine pushing me back so she can look at Daisy on my opposite side. With a moment’s hesitation, because that was simply rude, I lean back so she can speak even though it fills me with dread.

Justine plasters a smile on her plain face. “Did you get your appointment for sizing yet, Daisy?”

I hear Daisy take a deep breath. Her eyes dart to Lily across the table, then back to Justine. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“For Lily’s wedding.” Justine laughs. “Silly girl. So you can get your dress taken out to fit you properly.”

Keep. Your. Mouth. Shut.

I stab a green bean on my plate a little too aggressively. The metal screeches across the porcelain, drawing everyone’s attention. Ignoring the stares, I bring the food to my mouth to stop myself from commenting on Justine’s choice of words.

Daisy stiffens, but then an artificial sugary smile spreads over her lips. “I’m not in the wedding party.”

Justine places a hand over her heart. “I thought you were the maid of honor, being Lily’s sister.”

Erin giggles. “I’m the maid of honor, Justine. You know that.”

Justine shrugs. “Or at least one of the bridesmaids.” She looks at Lily. “There will be ten of us, after all.”

Ten? Who the fuck has ten bridesmaids? After having so many, she still didn’t have room for her sister? I clench my jaw to keep my mouth shut. My outburst at the last Gathering didn’t impress her family. If I do it again and in a public space, I’ll not only humiliate Daisy, but I’ll lose any small amount of favor I’ve made with her parents.

Daisy picks up her drink and throws it back. She’s upset and losing her ability to hide it well.

I look Justine square in the eyes. “I think it’s wonderful that Daisy can support her sister on her big day without the stress of being a part of the wedding party.”

Daisy smiles gratefully at me. “Yes, I prefer it.”

Justine’s eyes travel from Daisy back to me. I don’t like that she’s giving me so much attention. It feels deliberate. Like she’s doing this just to get under Daisy’s skin.

I turn to Kane, who’s been quietly eating and scrolling through his phone, doing his best to stay out of the conversation. “Kane.” My voice is a little too loud. He glances up long enough to let me know he’s listening, so I continue, “Daisy told me what you did for a living, but tell me again.”

Actually, Daisy never once mentioned what this man does, but I figured steering the conversation away from the wedding would be best for Daisy. It’s not like I don’t know his title. I had two months to dig into her life as I watched her in the coffee shop.

He gestures toward George. “I work in George’s office. ”

Fuck. Okay, then. The guy is no help at getting the attention off Daisy.

Lily perks up in her seat. “Kane is head of the finances department.”

How the man is head of anything is beyond me. I’ve never seen a man so uninvolved with life around him. I couldn’t imagine walking through life so distracted. If I could get the entirety of the money I’ve hidden away, I’d be using it to travel, stay in fancy resorts like this one, and drink in every single moment life had to offer. But then, I didn’t come from money. I was poor. Everything I have, I worked for.

Okay, fine. Not everything. I did steal a huge chunk of money. But I’m paying for it now. That’s for sure.

“Didn’t Jim work in finance, too?” Justine asks, practically petting my arm.

Everyone stops what they’re doing. It’s like someone hit the pause button. Mouths hang halfway open with unspoken words frozen on their tongues.

Note to self: Find out who the fuck this Jim is.

Heather sets her fork down on her plate with a loud clink . She glances between Justine and Daisy, her eyebrows climbing upward. “Who’s Jim? ”

Daisy waves away her mother’s words, but I can feel how her entire body tenses next to me. I grip her knee under the table. Her eyes flutter to mine, then down to her drink.

“No one important,” she says, adjusting the umbrella in her drink. I think this is her second? Maybe third?

Justine huffs. “Uh, I’d say he was very important.”

If looks could kill, Justine would be sliced into a thousand pieces with the daggers Daisy shoots her way.

Her mother leans forward, staring directly at Daisy. “Who’s Jim, Daisy?”

“Yeah,” Lily chimes in unhelpfully. “Who’s this Jim guy?”

Suddenly it hits me. After Jim. Not after gym like I thought. Daisy had mentioned she was tired of living in after Jim, and I hadn’t understood. I do now, though. I would put all my money on this Jim person Justine keeps mentioning are the broken promises Daisy referred to when she asked me if we were just pretending. I’d also bet that Justine knows a hell of a lot about this Jim character.

“Jim was someone I dated for a bit,” Daisy says. “Seriously unimportant. ”

Lily looks satisfied with this answer, but Heather’s eyes stay on her daughter’s face for a minute before turning back to the conversation around the table.

Justine opens her mouth, but I place a hand on her arm. Her eyes fly to me, and she clamps her mouth shut. I squeeze her forearm, making sure I have her full attention.

“Daisy tells me you work for a marketing company?” I don’t give a flying fuck what Justine does for a living, but I’ll do anything to keep her from bringing up Daisy’s past again. The trite little woman seems hellbent on trying to upset Daisy.

Justine leans forward and props her elbow on the table, resting her chin on her hand as she looks at me. Her eyes slide from my face down to my chest, then back up. “You’re interested in marketing?”

“I’m interested in the people in Daisy’s life,” I say.

She smirks and takes a sip of her drink. “I am in marketing. I work for a large company and handle all the marketing for our clients.”

I glance at Daisy. She’s back to stirring her drink, but her eyes are fixed on me. There’s a strange expression on her face. Is it anger? At me? Justine? I can’t help but feel like I’ve done something horribly wrong, but I’m not entirely sure what it is .

“She also uses her expertise to help me market my clothing line,” Lily says. “She’s my hero.”

Justine puts a hand to her chest. “You’re too sweet. You know I do it for the free clothes.”

Lily bursts out in canned laughter so fake it makes it seem like I’m the most honest person to walk the planet. “Speaking of clothes.” She turns to Erin, who’s been oddly quiet through most of dinner. “Let’s get some shots of my new bathing suits before sunset.”

Heather’s fork clinks loudly to her plate as she drops it. “We haven’t finished dinner.”

Lily points to the ocean behind us. “We need to get ready. The sun will set in like an hour.”

Lily stands abruptly and drops her napkin in the center of her plate. She moves around the table and grips Daisy’s hand, removing the fork from her fingers.

Daisy’s eyes go wide. “What are you doing?”

“We need models,” Lily says, bouncing up and down. She clutches Daisy’s hand and pulls her from her seat. “Come on. It will be fun. I have the perfect bathing suit for you.”

Daisy stumbles up awkwardly and shoots me a desperate, pleading look. I shrug. I’m not going to stop Lily, who seems determined to include her sister in her shenanigans. Daisy hesitates but steps away, shooting me a tight-lipped expression over her shoulder.

Justine watches them, her lip curling. “I’ll pass for now.” Her eyes slide over me then she looks up at Lily with a sweet smile. “I’d much rather stay here and enjoy dinner.”

Erin stands and pats Justine on the head. “Okay, good, we only need Daisy right now.”

I watch as Justine’s eyes narrow and her mouth flattens into a thin line. Why do I have a feeling Daisy is going to pay for this dismissal later?