The First Rule Of Faking It (Colorado Dragons #3)

Chapter 1

ONE

TALLY

“Why don’t you go home early and surprise your boyfriend?” Keysha suggested, carefully positioning the last truffle atop the extravagant arrangement intended to be the centerpiece of the bridal table at a wedding that weekend. “I can finish up here. The hard part is done.”

“Hmm.” I was reluctant to leave before the centerpiece was delivered.

Coco Luxe was my business, and it was my reputation on the line if this order didn’t arrive at its destination looking absolutely perfect.

But Thad had been complaining about how long I spent at work, so perhaps, if I got to his place early, it would ease some of the tension that seemed to exist between us lately.

“Go on.” Keysha waved her hands at me, ushering me away, her teeth bright against her dark skin as she smiled. “I’ve got this. I’ll have it packed up and safely in the happy couple’s hands before the hour is out. I’ll even send photographic evidence.”

I looked around the room. The counter was mostly clear, although the sweet, rich scent of chocolate still permeated everything. The dishes had been tidied away and the materials needed to complete the commission were all on hand.

Keysha was right. There wasn’t much left to do. Couple that with the fact the storefront had closed an hour ago and perhaps it really wouldn’t be so bad for me to leave.

The tension dissipated from my shoulders, and they slumped. “Thanks, Key. Are you sure you’ll be all right?”

“Absolutely.” She snapped a tea towel toward me like a whip. “Now, get.”

Laughing, I backed away. “Thanks. You’re the best.”

Her lips twisted smugly. “I know. Just remember that next time I’m due for a raise.”

“I will.”

I washed my hands, removed my apron and hung it on the hook behind the door that led through to the shop, then I grabbed my sweater and pulled it over my head.

It was always a little chilly in Coco Luxe because we couldn’t risk our product melting.

Despite that, I tended to wear short sleeves during work hours, so I wouldn’t accidentally mix any clothing fibers in the chocolate.

Calling out a farewell, I exited through the back door, making sure to lock it behind me. We weren’t in a bad neighborhood, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.

I drove my small Nissan hatchback home, leaving the company vehicle for Keysha to use for the delivery. I parked in the lot and hurried into my apartment for a quick shower. Thad didn’t like it when I smelled like chocolate, which was pretty much always.

I bundled my hair atop my head and scrubbed myself with my favorite lychee-scented soap, then rinsed off, dried, and changed into a pair of dark-washed jeans I had to shimmy to get into and a black button-up blouse.

I stacked a neatly folded change of clothes into my overnight bag, along with my travel toiletries, and slung it over my shoulder, then tucked my wallet into my front pocket, my phone into my back pocket, and locked the door as I departed.

The drive to Thad’s apartment building didn’t take long, but the contrast between the areas surrounding his place and mine was extreme. I always felt a little nervous there.

I scanned the shadowed edges of the parking garage as I made my way across it, moving as quickly as I dared in my kitten-heel boots. I pushed the elevator button and, once I was inside, relaxed a little.

I got out on his floor, walked to his door, knocked, and waited. He didn’t respond. Perhaps I should have messaged before I left, so he knew to expect me.

Oh, well. I was here now.

I tried the handle, but it was locked. Glancing up and down the deserted corridor, ignoring the questionable stains on the off-white wallpaper, I debated whether to call or just let myself in.

I pressed my ear to the door. The faint whump and beep of electropop music filtered through. Perhaps he hadn’t heard my knock above the music.

I pulled my phone from my back pocket, found his number, and hit Call. The phone rang out. I sighed. There was nothing for it but to go in.

I’d dumped the keys in my bag, so I dug around until I felt the pointed metal against my fingertips, then flicked through until I found the blue one that Thad had given me for his apartment. I slotted it into the lock, turned it, and tried the handle again. The door opened.

The mouthwatering aroma of sweet and sour pork greeted me. I padded into the open plan living area. Chinese take-out containers covered the kitchen counter, along with an empty beer bottle and a half-drunk glass of wine.

I frowned. Thad didn’t like wine. He must have had a friend over.

The music was coming from deeper in the apartment, so I crossed the living area into the short hall. The bathroom door stood open, the room empty. The throbbing beat emanated from the bedroom.

I reached for the door, but another sound stopped me in my tracks.

My frown deepened.

Was that…?

Had that been a feminine gasp?

A long, womanly moan removed any doubt.

Dread curled in my gut. Perhaps he was just watching porn, but my mind flashed back to that wine glass, and I tried to remember whether there had been a lipstick mark on the rim.

A male grunt. Definitely Thad.

My throat tightened and my hand shook as I reached for the door and cracked it open.

The familiar sound of skin slapping against skin met my ears, and the air stank of sex.

My gut rolled over.

A dozen possible scenarios ran through my mind in which there were perfectly reasonable explanations for what my senses were telling me, but none of them seemed feasible.

Needing to know the truth, I pushed the door again, widening the crack until I could see a strip of bed.

“Fuck, baby. Let me taste those tits.”

The bottom dropped out of my stomach. I reeled backward, inadvertently knocking the door open even wider with my foot.

I stared, horrified, at the sight of my boyfriend’s ass clenching as he thrust into another woman.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, revealing her face.

My cousin’s face.

“Coral?” I choked out, unable to help myself.

Coral’s eyes flew open, the shade of blue almost the exact same as mine. Her lips parted in shock, and she scrambled backward, shoving Thad away and grabbing the pillow from the other side of the bed to shield her naked body.

My back hit the wall, knocking the breath out of me.

Clearly realizing that something was wrong, Thad looked around, a scowl twisting the chiseled planes of his face as his gaze locked on me.

“You shouldn’t be finished at work yet,” he said, as if my being there early was the problem, not whatever the hell was going on between my boyfriend and my cousin.

Perhaps, to him, it was.

I had no way of knowing if this was a one-off thing or if he and Coral had been screwing around behind my back for weeks—or even months.

Bile rose in my throat. I grimaced as the bitter tang filled my mouth, then forced myself to swallow it back down.

“What’s going on?” I demanded, though it was painfully obvious. I just wanted them to have to say it. To look me in the eye and admit what they were doing.

“Tally, I’m so sorry!” Coral slung her legs off the edge of the bed and took a step toward me.

My gaze traveled of its own accord down the long, slender length of her body. The pillow didn’t hide much. Her cheeks flushed red and she snatched the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around herself.

I made myself look away from her, summoning every bit of strength I possessed to stand my ground. I wanted to wilt in the face of this betrayal—not just from my boyfriend, but from my own flesh and blood too.

It didn’t help that Coral looked like a supermodel. With her slim build, flawless golden skin, and a mass of dirty-blond hair streaked with natural highlights, she could have been the poster woman for any surf brand. Never mind that we didn’t live anywhere near the ocean.

Thad reclined against the remaining pillow, emotions flitting through his eyes and leaving just as swiftly. A flicker of embarrassment, followed by defiance.

He met my gaze. “Perhaps if you were more available and put more of an effort into being here for me when I need you, then I wouldn’t have had to find someone else.” His gaze skimmed down my body. “Losing a few pounds wouldn’t have hurt either.”

“Excuse me?” Outraged, I glared at him. “This isn’t my fault, you asshole. Don’t you dare blame your bad behavior on me.”

His sheer audacity stunned me. And made me want to punch him in the face. Maybe put a kink in that long, straight nose of his.

“First of all, I know you don’t like the hours I work, but if it was a deal breaker, then you should have either told me so I could decide whether to change or just ended things.

Secondly, I weigh the exact same as I did when we met.

You thought I was sexy then, so don’t try to gaslight me about it now. ”

I knew I was thickly built, but I was fit from years of Pilates and yoga, and I liked my figure. Plenty of men had proven they had no problem with it either. Some had even rhapsodized over the curve of my breasts and ass.

“Fuck. You,” I enunciated.

Because seriously, screw him.

A lot of plus size women I knew were self-conscious about their weight, and if he’d pulled this same shit on them, they might have bought into it. How dare he try to play into anyone’s insecurities like that?

“In case it isn’t clear, we’re over.” I turned away from him and started for the door, but a hand landed on my arm. Small but with a firm grip. “Let me go,” I growled at Coral, tears stinging the backs of my eyes. I had to get away from them before my emotions got the better of me.

“Tally, I—”

I yanked my arm away from her and ran from the bedroom, my bag jostling on my shoulder with each step. I bolted across the living area, out of the apartment, down the corridor and into the elevator, where I collapsed against the wall.

I stared back down the hall, afraid that one of them—probably Coral—might try to follow me, but no one had emerged by the time the doors hissed shut with painful slowness.

I jabbed a button and fought a wave of nausea as the elevator carried me down to the basement parking garage. The doors opened and I peered around, trying to keep my wits about me, but all I could focus on was getting to my car.

I rushed across the concrete floor, my heels clacking loudly. Thank God the keys were still safely in my grip. I pushed the key fob to unlock the car, grabbed the handle, and dove inside, pushing the button again to lock myself in.

Then, as I drew in a shaky breath, the tears finally began to stream down my face.

What the hell was I supposed to do now?

Alec.

I had to call Alec.

My best friend.

The guy who was always there for me.

He’d know what to do.

I found my phone and tried to bring up his number but was trembling too badly to hit the right buttons.

It’s okay, I soothed myself. Thad is an asshole. And Coral is a bitch. Just keep breathing. Don’t let them get into your head.

With my emotions a little more under control, I was finally able to dial Alec’s number. I waited, scarcely daring to breathe, for him to pick up. When he did, the tears came even faster.

“Tally?” he asked. “What’s wrong, cocobug?”