Love, Lies, and Deception Read online

  Alec’s clear blue gaze had me entranced, frozen in place, at least until the obnoxious sound of my roommate’s voice carried up to us from the parking lot. “Tick tock, Marissa! Stop flirting and come on,” Emily yelled at us.

  My face blushed crimson, and I groaned in frustration as I peered down at my rude friend and flipped her off. “Hopefully, I won’t drown her while we’re gone. If I come back without her don’t tell anyone, okay?” I stated jokingly.

  He laughed and glanced down at my suitcase. “I won’t. Here, let me help you with this,” he said, bending down to grab my bag, not giving me a chance to protest.

  Alec carried my luggage with ease down the steps and I happily followed. “Thank you for doing this. I know it’s kind of heavy.”

  “It’s not bad,” he said.

  “So you mentioned California … is that where you’re from?” I asked curiously.

  He looked back at me over his shoulder, but kept descending the steps slowly. “Yeah, Newport Beach. I moved here a couple of years ago.”

  “Wow!” I exclaimed. “Newport Beach is really nice. What on earth would make you want to live here? Don’t get me wrong, I love it here, but there’s not much around other than mountains.”

  He shrugged nonchalantly. “There were many reasons. I needed a change of pace I guess.”

  We reached the bottom of the steps and Emily stomped up to us and grabbed my suitcase from Alec. “Seriously, Rissa, you can get to know the hottie from downstairs when we come back home next week. Now let’s go.” Glaring at her, I wanted to hit her upside the head, but I refrained from it by biting my tongue.

  Ignoring my lethal look, she rolled my bag over to Justin’s car where he casually put it in the back, giving me an apologetic smile. Hoping he couldn’t see my reddened cheeks, I turned back to Alec and said, “Emily is just really excited. It was nice talking to you, though. I’m sure I’ll see you around when we come back.”

  He nodded. “Same to you, Marissa. I hope you all have fun.” The sound of my name on his lips had me staring at them. They were full and soft … totally kissable. Was it bad that I wanted to feel them on mine? I thought to myself. Quickly, I averted my eyes away from those luscious lips and prayed that he couldn’t read my mind.

  “Well, it looks like you better go since your roommate and boyfriend are staring daggers at me,” he said, tilting his head in the direction of my friends.

  “What … who? What boyfriend are you talking about?”

  Alec looked surprised. “Isn’t he the one that’s scowling at me right now, and looking like he wants to kick my ass?”

  Turning my head sharply, I glanced behind me to my friends. The only person who looked our way was Kristian, and he didn’t appear to be scowling. If I didn’t know any better I’d say Alec was fishing for information. Inwardly, I smiled at the prospect.

  “If you’re talking about the goofy looking guy in the Hawaiian shirt, he’s just my friend,” I informed him. “We’ve been friends for a while now.”

  Alec’s eyes twinkled at my response. “I just assumed you were with him since I always see you two together.”

  I shook my head. “No, we’re not together, but we do spend a lot of time with each other. Other than Emily he’s my best friend. I did have a boyfriend, but we broke up not too long ago.”

  “Well, isn’t that a shame,” he said smoothly, running his clear blue gaze down my body. He peered over my shoulder at my friends and saw Emily pacing back and forth, wishing we’d hurry. “Okay, I need to get going. Your friend over there looks like she’s about to hyperventilate if I don’t leave. Have fun in Fiji. People tend to get wild on spring break, so be careful. I’m sure I’ll see you around when you get back.”

  “Sounds great,” I muttered excitedly. “Have a good week of silence. I’m sure Emily and I make plenty of noise above you.”

  He smiled and winked at me. “You have no idea,” he said before heading to the stairwell. He glanced back at me once before climbing the steps to his apartment and disappearing behind closed doors.

  My face flushed crimson, and my heart pounded. I could only imagine what he heard with Emily and I above him. I wonder what he does out here if he’s from California? Maybe I could find out when I came back from spring break.

  I never saw him on campus, and he never appeared to be going to class. He looked to be around the same age as me, maybe a year or two older, but there was something about his eyes that had me mesmerized. They were full of secrets, but yet haunted in some way that I found mysterious and other worldly. Kind of like the hot guys I read about in my romance novels when I’m not busting my ass studying. One thing was for sure, I was going to make sure he saw me again when I got back

  We all piled into Justin’s silver SUV and began the hour and forty-five minute drive to Charlotte Douglas International airport. Once we got there we’d then board a plane and travel the thirty-hours it was going to take to get to Fiji. I wasn’t looking forward to being in the air that many hours, but at least we had some stops along the way.

  Justin was driving with Emily in the front seat while Kristian and I sat in the back. Leaning over, Kristian nudged me in the side with his elbow. “So, Em tells me you broke up with Jason a couple nights ago. Why didn’t you tell me? Are you okay?”

  Emily scoffed and glanced back at him. “Are you kidding me? She’s doing better than okay. For once I’ll have my best friend back; you know, the one who used to be wild and dance on pool tables.”

  “Hey,” I objected, smacking her lightly on the back of the head. “Thank you for insinuating that I was boring. Some people do decide to grow up and focus on graduating college instead of partying all the time. Besides, you can count the number of times I danced on pool tables on one hand.”

  Emily cackled. “Yeah, and you were topless dancing on those pool tables, too. Did you forget about that?” She grinned while I blushed and Kristian’s mouth dropped to the floor. “You used to not give a shit back then,” she remarked.

  Justin and Kristian both gaped at me but then burst out laughing. “I hate I missed all of that,” Kristian said out loud, but then leaned over and whispered in my ear. “That would’ve been interesting to see. So, do you think we’ll see that girl in Fiji?” He winked at me and bit his lip, waiting on an answer.

  Sighing, I rolled my eyes. “That girl is long gone, but I might be able to see if she’ll come back for one last time … only one, you got it?”

  “Hell yeah,” Emily shouted from the front. “I might join you for old time’s sake. It’ll feel good to let the wild streak take over for a while.”

  The guys hooted and hollered, and it made me realize how much I missed being able to be care-free and do what I wanted without someone holding me back. Glancing back and forth between my friends, I directed my question to them all, “Did you all secretly wish that Jason and I would break up? Was I really that boring?”

  They didn’t hesitate, and at the same time they all shouted a loud, “Yes!”

  I knew my life had calmed down a bit, but I didn’t realize I was that bad. Kristian reached over and patted my knee. “You weren’t boring or anything, Marissa. You just didn’t have that spark of life that I saw in you when I first met you. The dude was seriously bad news, and a complete douche bag. We couldn’t go an hour in our study groups before his dumb ass would blast up your phone. It took all I had not to grab it and slam it into the ground. Knowing our luck, though, we’d run the risk of him hightailing his sorry ass up here to your doorstep. In that case, I don’t think you could’ve stopped me from beating the shit out of him.”

  Laughing, I smacked him on the arm. “Yeah, that wouldn’t have gone over too well. He already hated how much time we spent together, and if you beat him up it would’ve only added more fuel to the fire.”

  Even though Kristian was a book nerd and a genius on the computer, he wasn’t the typical dorky guy you saw in movies. No … he was tall with average sized muscles that clearly got a wo
rk out even though I never saw him go to the gym. They were all hard and rippled, and I never hid the fact that I appreciated his well-toned body.

  A few drunken nights together had put some wayward thoughts in my head, but I never acted on them. He had ash blond hair, cool gray eyes, and the sweetest smile of any guy I’d ever known. His girlfriend was one lucky woman.

  Kristian moved over and put his arm around my shoulder. “Well, I for one am happy the dick is gone. You deserve so much better.”

  Grinning, I leaned into his side. “Thanks, Kris. For the first time in forever I feel happy and free.”

  “You should be. You’re single now, which means party time. Let’s see the wild and crazy girl Em keeps talking about, and I promise not to put the moves on you. Not unless you want me to.”

  I laughed. “You better not or I’ll call that girlfriend of yours.”

  Shaking his head, he chuckled. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be good. She hates that she couldn’t come to Fiji with us. I guess it’s hard to get time off when you’re an aspiring model in New York.”

  Looking up at him, I smiled. “You’ll see her at graduation, right?”

  “Yes, thank God!” He sighed. “I need to get laid … bad.”

  All of us in the car laughed, but I knew all too well how hard it was to have a long distance relationship and be young. Kristian was amazing; always staying loyal and faithful to his girlfriend even though he’d had many opportunities to cheat on her. Desperately, I hoped that one day I’d find someone like him to settle down with.

  Kristian was my rock, and had been for the past two years. He saved me from a horrible fate one lonely night as I walked back to my dorm after a long study session. I was always told never to walk around campus alone after dark, but me being the hard-headed girl I was, I never thought anything bad would happen to me … until that night.

  I was halfway to my dorm, walking through one of the underground tunnels that provided a walkway under the street, when someone grabbed me from behind. The guy’s grip was tight and constricting around my ribs and throat, and I couldn’t scream as he pulled me away from the safety of the sidewalk lights outside of the tunnel. I remembered having one split second where his hands slipped and it gave me the opportunity to call for help.

  Kristian heard my cries and came charging out of the dark to my defense, tackling the guy away from me. Unfortunately, Kristian’s attack made the guy flee, and he was never caught. It was a wakeup call to the campus, so needless to say it struck fear into the students who thought about walking alone at night. After that incident, Kristian and I formed a bond, a kinship of sorts. He made me feel protected when he was around, and I loved him dearly for it.

  Our relationship was strictly just friends considering he had a serious girlfriend, and I had a steady boyfriend on up until a few nights ago. We were both respectful of each other and never crossed that barrier outside of the friend zone. It was what made our relationship work out the way it had for so long, and I loved it. I was glad he never made things complicated.

  Laying my head on his shoulder, I yawned and said, “Maybe one day I’ll find someone like you, Kristian.”

  Relaxing against me, he kissed me on the forehead and said, “I’m sure you will, baby girl. Just give it some time.”

  I could hear the steady beat of his heart and the sound of its comforting melody made my eyes slowly begin to drift closed. Almost immediately, I started imagining I was already out and about exploring the exotic islands of Fiji, and how much fun I was going to have with my friends and being free … being me.

  The week had passed and spring break was over. I let loose while we were there and even did a little topless bar dancing just to amuse my friends. They loved it, especially the guys, but the fun ended pretty quickly when I was grabbed by another man. Kristian ended up punching him and sent him head first into the wall. Needless to say, we were kicked out of the bar after that.

  Now that we were back, it was time to crack open the books for exams. What fun I had in Fiji stayed in Fiji, so it was time to get serious and forget about all of the craziness from that trip. I had a little over a month to study, but I wanted to do the best I could. Kristian and I always competed to see who could make the best grades, and most of the time he won, but I was determined to beat him. We were both graduating with biology degrees, but his goal in life was to be a forensic biologist while mine was in research. I shivered just thinking about what he’d have to do every day in his job.

  We arrived back from Fiji two days ago and it took me the whole two days to recover. I slept for about half of that time too. I called my sister to tell her I was okay, and like usual, she scolded me saying I needed to visit her and the kids. As soon as school ended, I planned on visiting home; it would be the first time in three years.

  Looking at my calendar, I saw that it was Monday morning, April 25th, and classes would be starting bright and early. I was sure I wouldn’t be the only one trudging into classes with an extended hangover. I had never had so much fun in my life being with my closest friends on an island paradise, drinking and lying out on the beach while letting all of my worries soak away. I kind of hoped it would be like that when I made my new home at the beach when I moved to Wilmington.

  Excited, I tossed the covers off my bed and bolted into the bathroom to take a quick shower. An hour later I was dressed, hair flat ironed, makeup on, and ready to tackle the day. The mornings were still cool in the mountains so I put on my favorite pair of skinny jeans with my boots and a thin hoodie over my tee. Kristian would be meeting me at our halfway point to walk me the rest of the way to our first class on campus.

  Emily was still asleep, or so I assumed since her door was shut and I couldn’t hear Linkin Park blaring out of her stereo. It was our favorite band, and she made sure to wake up all the neighbors with it, too. I knew her she was probably skipping classes for the day, which in all honesty really didn’t matter since our professors never counted attendance anyway. I didn’t have to go to class, but I figured since it was my last semester I might as well invest all I had into it.

  Rushing into the kitchen, I grabbed a cup of orange juice and shoved a blueberry cereal bar into my mouth while packing up my books into my messenger bag. Grabbing my phone off the kitchen counter, I quietly opened the front door and closed it gently, locking it with my key. Excited and happy to be one step closer to graduating, I bounced down the three flights of steps, smiling the whole way.

  “I can’t believe it’s almost over,” I shrieked softly to myself.

  “Hey there!”

  As soon as I hopped off the last stair, Alec’s deep and languid voice halted me in my tracks, making me jump. Grabbing my chest, I turned around and squealed, “Geez, you scared the crap out of me.”

  He was leaning up against the side of our apartment building with a smirk on his face. “Sorry about that; I didn’t mean to scare you. So what guy was lucky enough to snag you on your trip? Surely there was someone, right?”

  Placing my hands on my hips, I retorted back, “Actually, there was no one if you must know. I didn’t need a guy to have fun on my spring break. I had fun just being with my friends.” However, I probably would’ve tried to snag him if he was there.

  His clothes and hair were damp with sweat from his morning run, and from out of nowhere I found myself imagining what it would feel like to run my hands through his tousled, light brown hair, and feel his sweat-laced body gliding on top of mine. Dammit, Marissa, get yourself together, I scolded myself. Never in my life had I ever gotten so flustered being in the presence of a guy.

  Alec lifted his eyebrows in surprise. “Wow, I’m shocked. Most girls I know would’ve banged out at least five different guys during that week of no inhibitions.”

  Disgusted, I narrowed my eyes at him. “Umm … sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not like that. You must be hanging out with a bunch of sluts if that’s what they’d do, and furthermore, I know plenty of guys that would do the same thing. For
all I know, you’re most likely one of them.”

  He feigned shock and put his hand over his heart. “Who, me? I’m offended you would think that, Ms. Chase.”

  I shrugged. “Sorry, but I call ’em like I see ’em. I’ve known plenty of guys like you.”

  He pushed off the wall and strode gracefully the few steps it took until he came to a stop in front of me. “Well, I’d like to change that misconception. Why don’t you find out for real? Unless you’re too scared,” he said huskily, challenging me. His eyes were almost predatory as he gazed up and down my body in appreciation. I shivered and crossed my arms over my chest, hoping he couldn’t see the physical response my body was taking to his closeness.

  Intrigued, I tilted my head to the side and asked, “What did you have in mind?”

  Grinning, he bit his lip and said, “Dinner tonight at my place … I’ll cook. All you need to do is show up.”

  My face must’ve shown my disbelief because he guffawed, a deep and masculine laugh that vibrated through my core. “No need to look so shocked. I can cook you know. What would you like? I can pretty much make anything.”

  Playfully, I narrowed my eyes and tilted my head. “I don’t remember saying I’d come, but the thought is kind of tempting,” I drawled out slowly.

  A twinkle gleamed in his eye. “I tell you what, be at my door by seven o’clock. If you want you can bring the dessert.”

  In my mind, the first thing I thought about was making his body the dessert, but I knew better than to say that. He was intriguing and definitely full of mystery; I wanted to find out everything I could about the alluring Alec Holden.

  Nonchalantly, I straightened the bag on my shoulder and answered, “Fine, I’ll be at your place by seven, and be prepared for double-chocolate brownies. They’re my favorite, and I make them homemade, too. See, you’re not the only one that can cook.” Smiling, I winked and quickly began to walk backwards toward the parking lot. “I have to go or I’ll be late for class. See ya tonight.”