“That only looks good on part of the house. It’s choking the house, all of it on the front needs to be cut back. The architecture is gorgeous.”
Drake makes a note. “Yes, ma’am. What do you think about the drive? We were going to power wash it for now. Then again we are going to need to bring in heavy equipment if we make plans now it could save time to have them tear it up when they come in.”
Alexa shakes her head. “The brick already looks bad, it’s broken in several places.”
“We can go over what you want to do later. What do you think of the door? I was planning on keeping it. It’s sixteenth century, all the iron is original.”
“It’s gorgeous, with a light sand and oil it will glow.” Alexa runs her hand over it. I love how happy she looks, her eyes big and sparkly. She stays that way as we walk through the house. Her thoughts mirror my own on almost every point, and as we walk the house, I see it becoming a home through Alexa’s eyes.
There is an office we will both share. The room is big enough for the both of us, and I do not like the idea of her out of my sight. She blushes as she hugs me tight and agrees to my plan. A place for one cat tree for Felix and Maxi and then another, by the time we are done I believe there will be enough cat trees to form a mansion. We end the tour in the backyard.
“What would it take to enclose this pool? Why the hell have an outdoor pool in Chicago? It isn’t even heated, I would be lucky to use it four months out of the year.”
“I don’t know, man. I’ve never had to deal with an outdoor pool before. The pool in my home was built the way god intended, indoors. That’s a question for Ben. Where’d he and Alexa go?”
I turn, only I don’t see them. Going back inside I find Alexa in Ben’s arms, her hands around his neck. Someone reached inside and gutted me. “You fucking slut.”
Alexa’s face goes white. “Leo, nothing happened!”
The fucker tightens his grip on her. “I swear, Mr. Kaplan. Nothing happened—”
“I made the mistake of living with your lies once, never again.” Turning on unsteady legs, I push Drake out of the way as I leave, not knowing where I’m going, just needing to get away.
I am in the ramshackle coach house when Drake finds me, what feels like hours later. “Alexa sprained her ankle, that’s why Ben was carrying her. It didn’t look good. I had Ria take her to the hospital. It’s just a sprain though.”
I swallow against the tightness in my throat. Alexa was hurt. His hands were not on her out of desire. She did not moan in his arms out of need.
“Are you going to tell me why you freaked out on the woman you love and left her there in pain when I know that’s not you.”
“She lied to me, Drake. She fucking lied. Every day, every damn day for weeks. I cannot forgive her. I cannot trust her and without trust what the hell is there?”
“What did she lie about?”
“She told me she was married. It was basically a requirement for the job. So, she lied to get the job.”
Drake chuckles softly, I want to deck him. He sees my face and shakes his head.
“Are you fucking done?” I snarl, not finding the smallest bit of humor in the situation.
“I'm sorry. I just, man. I can't believe it. Ria lied to me about being married too. She was wearing a ring because her boss told her it would protect her from getting hit on. The hotel she worked at had a very strict no fraternizing with guest’s policy. Then when we met, she was afraid I'd hit it and quit it and leave her jobless. She was trying to protect herself and her brother.”
"No fucking way." I exhale the words. I am stunned at the idea of any woman trying to keep Drake at bay.
“Yes, fucking way. I was pissed, believe I was pissed. I also understood completely what was at stake for her. Hell, if I was completely honest I can't say I would have wanted her for more than a night or two. Fast forward two years, two long damn years of wanting her and not being able to have her, I was in hell. By the time I found out she wasn't married, I would have done just about anything to get and keep her, including marriage when I made a hard vow never to do it again.”
“I can understand Ria’s reasoning, she had more at stake. It wasn’t about her, she had to protect her brother." I think of the very tall, mature, younger brother who was barely a teen when I met him five years ago.
Drake's eyebrow goes up. "If you can understand that would you be able to forgive Alexa and trust her if she had been in the same situation? If she lied to protect herself and someone she loved?"
I hate him for turning it around like that. I want to say no, instead, I take a deep breath. "I would."
“Apart from that lie, is she someone you think you can trust?”
Shit, my hand goes up to my neck. In the weeks leading up to the lie, despite the way I wanted to get rid of her and the shit I did, she had earned my respect. In everything that has come after, my respect for what she thinks and believes, I would have been able to trust her with my fucking life. "Yes."
“Then what difference does it make? What if Alexa had the exact same reasons? Would you have forgiven her?”
“It isn’t the same thing.” Was he deliberately being an asshole?