Lie for a Lie (Lovers #1)

Chapter 1

Paige

I am sitting alone at the small bar at my sister Bre’s favorite restaurant, Val’s. It’s a family-owned place, and Bre did some under-the-table legal work for the owner while in law school, so anytime we have a big celebration, Val pulls out all the stops.

I hear my phone alert me that I have a new message, and I try not to roll my eyes when I see that it is after seven, and I have been waiting for my big sister for twenty minutes already.

Bre: Hey, we are stuck in traffic. Be there soon.

“How is it I made it here before her?”

I sigh out loud to myself, tucking the piece of my messy braid behind my ear.

Me: I’m patiently waiting.

I worked a half shift, getting off around three this afternoon. I had enough time to grab a birthday card for my sister before heading home and finding a new dress draped across my bed.

Apparently, Bre thought of me when she saw it, but she has a habit of dressing me up whenever I meet someone important in her life. Today is no exception.

Bre has opted to have me finally meet her boyfriend of a few months, Chris Lewis, and a few of his close friends for her birthday. The same boyfriend Bre has been uncommonly quiet about. I laugh to myself at the strangeness of that feeling. Bre isn’t overly analyzing this one.

All I know is Bre met Chris and one of his friends at a bar downtown. There may have been something about another friend, but I was tired most of the time we talked. The rest of the time, Bre has gone to Chris’s.

I work long hours as an emergency room nurse. Living with my sister since our parents died unexpectedly when I turned seventeen. The night of their drunken accident, Bre was the one to notify me.

I moved in with my high school sweetheart, Alex, and his parents for most of my junior year. Bre had no idea since she hadn’t talked to our parents for about five years at that point. I was pretty much in the same place since I kept myself busy with track and dance until they died.

I shake my head of any thoughts of them and focus on trying to write something down in Bre’s card. I opted for something inappropriate and a bit dirty. The card is white and simple with the words, “Hope your birthday is filled with lots of love, laughter, and cock.”

I know my sister is going to hate it. I finally jot down a few things and put the printed itinerary for the surprise Europe vacation I have booked for us. I saved for the trip for about a year and paid for it in full last week. We will leave in a little over four months, and I know Bre will need to over-plan everything for the trip.

I laugh at the thought of the two of us running around in a European country. A dream we have shared since we were young. It probably all started with our mutual obsessions with romance. Between books, movies, and our obvious daddy issues, we have serious expectations for what we want in a life partner.

“Anything else?” the bartender asked, catching my attention.

I finish drawing the heart above the I in my name.

“Water, please.”

I smile and look at my nearly empty wine glass.

He offers me a smile, but I notice his eyes roll over me, and I decide to head to the restroom quickly to make sure I still look all right.

Grabbing my purse, I head towards the restroom, wasting no time touching up my red lipstick.

I look at myself in the mirror and admire the dress Bre bought me. The dress is deep purple, ending mid-thigh with a slit up one leg. It hugs the curves of my breasts and exposes my skin between the straps around my ribs and back. My thick blonde braid is loosely placed over my left shoulder, ending just below my breast. The few strands that keep falling out of the braid have a soft curl. I can’t help but smile at the beautiful disaster staring back at me. I look beautiful but can’t help feeling empty. Besides my job and the gym, all I do is read too many books.

I quickly wash my hands and head back to my drinks. Before focusing back on my phone. Trying to remember the last time I have even been interested in someone for more than quick and pointless sex. My last relationship ended two years ago, if I even want to call it that.

I had been seeing a co-worker casually after almost eight months of serious flirting. We went on a handful of dates, fooled around a bit, and then, when I wanted more, he ran and took a job elsewhere before posting pictures of himself all over social media with someone he was working with. That was a great self-esteem boost.

I close my eyes in frustration and sigh before opening my eBook app on my phone to one of the fantasy stories I’ve been attempting to read without dying of boredom.

I am so lost in my eBook that I don’t notice the man who comes up next to me to order. I only notice him when he slightly leans over my shoulder, which isn’t difficult with his height, as he reads the somewhat questionable fantasy book on the screen.

“You know the next book in the series is worth the dragging storyline in this one.”

His smile is wide, friendly, and fits perfectly on his handsome face.

I blink, slightly startled, and feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment, needing to adjust myself in the seat to regain my composure.

“Thank you for that advice. I am so bored with it, I almost fell asleep.”

Our eyes meet and a genuine smile dances across my lips. His eyes dart down toward them, and I can swear electricity begins to hum between us. He then smiles, making something primal stir beneath my skin. I have to sip my drink to quench the fire in my lower gut.

“I fell asleep a few times while reading it. I probably wouldn’t have finished it if I hadn’t been deployed and bored out of my mind.”

“How many tours?”

“Two.”

“And the best book you could find to read was full of questionable fairy porn?”

He lets out this laugh that causes my chest to ache. I take another sip of my drink before reaching a hand out to the beautiful stranger.

“Paige,” I say, introducing myself.

Recognition flickers in his eyes at my name as he takes my hand into his.

“It is an unexpected pleasure, Paige. I’m Graham.”

His name echoes through my soul as I take in his dark, curly hair and handsome, robust features. But it is the perfect dimpled smile that seems to keep widening that is getting all my attention.

“Do you have a sister named Breanna Harris by chance?”

I suddenly realize what the recognition in his eyes is from. A bit of anxiety runs through me, and I finish what is left of my drink.

Please be the single friend Bre was talking about.

“Yes, and call her Bre. If she hears you call her Breanna, she will lose her mind.”

He lets out a low chuckle and holds my gaze long enough for me to realize how blue his damn eyes are. Causing me to suck in my bottom lip slightly.

“She terrifies me,” Graham said playfully, making me genuinely laugh.

“Yeah, she is a bit intense. We are polar opposites. She is Little Miss Perfect, and I am just happy to be here most of the time. More of a wall flower.”

Graham chuckles as the bartender comes over and greets him.

“Whiskey and whatever she would like.”

I smile.

“Red wine, please.”

As the waiter leaves, I can feel Graham’s eyes rolling over me, and I play with the piece of hair that keeps falling into my face.

“So, anything I need to be worried about with Chris?”

I shrug, and Graham smiles.

“Nope, he is one of the good ones.”

He seems proud of him, and it makes me feel a little less nervous. I don’t have time to respond before hearing Bre’s shouting from behind me.

“Oh, that’s where you two are!”.

I feel nothing but disappointment as our drinks appear, but all I can notice is my sister and the tall and rather pretty redhead glaring at me.

The female’s eyes dart back and forth between me and the hunk of a man next to me. Walking straight over, and shoving herself into the small space between us, I lean back in my seat as she grabs my wine the bartender had placed in front of Graham, and offers me the fakest smile I have ever seen.

She then turns to Graham and makes sure to straighten out his already straight collar before putting her left hand on his chest. Her massive and beautiful princess-cut diamond is on full display.

Ah! He is engaged.

His blue eyes glare at the redhead. Not exactly in a way I call loving.

“Hi, I’m Katherine. Graham’s fiancé,” the red-headed bitch says.

Graham gives me a wicked, apologetic smile before she pulls him away by his blue button-down shirt. Smile gone the second his attention is fully back on Katherine. I linger on the interaction, but I’m not really sure how to process it. All I want to do is flirt some more with Graham.

“Come on, the table is ready. Chris is over there.”

Bre excitedly grabs my hand, pulling me off the barstool and snapping me back to reality. Quickly, grabbing my things, following her to the table.

“That was a little aggressive, right?” I ask Bre, taking her hand.

She stops and turns back towards me, almost confused.

“Who, Katherine? She is a little off.”

Bre shrugs, attempting to move us forward again. I grip her hand tighter, and Bre stills long enough to turn and look at me.

“Happy birthday,” I say nervously, handing her the card.

Bre smiles as she pulls the card from the envelope. When she opens it, she glares at me, and I let out a small laugh. Her glare fills with tears almost immediately, and she looks at me in disbelief.

“Paige, are we finally taking our trip?”

Bre’s excitement is contagious, and I can’t help but smile.

“I had some help from a travel agent. All I need is for you to confirm the dates work for you.”

“This is so amazing, Paige. Thank you!” Bre says, pulling me back into her arms.

We hug momentarily before Bre regains her composure and takes over the situation again. I don’t fight her this time as we walk toward our table.