Lying for Love Read online

  Lying for Love

  Jocelyn Dex

  Published 2014

  ISBN: 978-1-62210-157-3

  Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © Published 2014, Jocelyn Dex. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  Liquid Silver Books

  http://LSbooks.com

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Blurb

  Gina, a football fanatic with a penchant for cussing at the players on TV, has trust issues. She’s finished with all males except for her gorgeous best friend, Miles, and her fat cat, Mewz. Miles would be the perfect partner for her if only she had the equipment he desired. The closer they get, the more her body yearns for his touch, even though she knows it can never be.

  Miles is in love with his best friend, Gina, but she thinks he’s gay. It’s a lie he let her believe so he could get close to her. Telling her the truth now could rip them apart, but it’s a chance he has to take for love.

  Dedication

  To the Dallas Cowboys.

  Hey, I’m dedicating a book to you.

  How about winning a Super Bowl for me?

  Chapter 1

  Miles secretly drooled as Gina twirled around, showing off the red dress she’d donned. It showcased just a hint of cleavage but a whole lotta long, sexy leg.

  “Whatcha think?” Gina asked.

  She might not be interested in a sexual relationship, but she sure did enjoy showing off her assets, and Miles sure did enjoy the show. Of course, the only reason he was getting the show was because Gina thought he was gay and posed no threat.

  Gina cleared her throat dramatically and thrust her hands on her full hips. “Well?”

  Getting up from her bed, he took her hand and spun her around, her coppery-brown hair swishing around her bare shoulders. “Beautiful as always.”

  She play-punched him in the arm. “You say that no matter what I put on.”

  “Because it’s true.”

  She rewarded him with a dazzling smile that made his heart ache. It would be the perfect moment to pull her close and kiss her pink lips, if only she knew his true feelings.

  “You’re so good for my ego. You’re still going to the party with me, right? I’m sure there’ll be tons of hot, single dudes there.” She waggled her eyebrows.

  Tell her now, Miles. He’d love to go to the party with her as her date. A real date. One where, at the end of the night, he’d bring her home, strip her out of that red dress and cover her body with his. But, as always, fear made the words stick in his throat.

  Miles had met Gina at his friend’s company party five months ago. She’d been a combination of angry, sad, pissed, and disgusted when he came upon her on the balcony alone, and he’d been enamored with her at first sight. She’d been a little tipsy, and he still chuckled at how she’d lambasted him, a total stranger, simply for being male. Then she’d apologized, saying he was probably one of the good ones—the gay ones always were.

  His mouth had dropped open. He’d never been labeled gay by a gorgeous woman or anyone else. He’d been about to correct her but instead decided to play along and find out what had brought her to that conclusion.

  “What gave me away?” he asked, leaning on the railing that overlooked a garden.

  “Well, you came with Davey and you’re impeccably dressed.” She looked him up and down with appreciation. “It’s obvious you spend way too much time in the gym. That body. Whew.” She mock-wiped sweat from her brow.

  He chuckled, not letting on how much he appreciated hearing that from a beauty like her. “Stereotyping, huh?”

  Her amber eyes widened. “Oh, sorry. I totally meant it as a compliment.”

  “I’m teasing you. No worries.”

  Visibly relaxing, she said, “Good.”

  They’d chatted and joked for another fifteen minutes before she’d decided to get back inside to mingle. Not wanting it to be the end, he’d pulled a business card from his wallet and suggested they do lunch sometime.

  She’d smiled, took the card, and said she’d love to, and a week later, they had that lunch.

  He knew he should have come clean that day, but as they’d chatted, he’d learned about her last two relationships, how the men had lied to her, cheated on her, and how badly they’d damaged her opinion of men and her trust. Had he told her then, it was clear she wouldn’t have stayed and given him a chance.

  As they’d grown closer, he’d intended, on several occasions, to tell her the truth about his sexuality, but the longer he put it off, the more difficult it became. And now, after five months of lying to her, he knew admitting the truth could very well mean losing her friendship. But if she forgave him, it could also mean being able to touch her and taste her, as he’d longed to do every day since meeting her.

  Instead he asked, “You’re sure there’s no one else you want to take?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Hell yes, I’m sure. Men—present company excluded—are still on my shit list. No dates, no thanks.”

  He was selfishly glad she was still in man-hating mode. The thought of her falling for someone else gnawed at him, but he also wanted her to be happy, to heal from past wounds and find love—preferably with him.

  And there had been times. Times when he’d thought he’d seen a certain look in her eyes as if maybe she saw him as more than a friend. Times when she’d seemed to press closer to him while dancing than a friend would. Times when her hugs lingered a little longer than necessary. He’d loved every second of it, but had eventually written it all off as his own wishful thinking. Hell, he’d probably been projecting his own feelings on to her.

  “Besides,” she said, “why would I need a man when I have you?”

  Ouch. She didn’t even see him as a man?

  Gina slapped a hand over her mouth then let it drop. “Wait. I didn’t mean…” Laughter erupted, and she doubled over before recovering. “You should have seen your face when I said that. I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean it like that. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the greatest man in the universe. Possibly the hottest, too.”

  He sat up a little straighter, his ego re-inflating. “Since you put it that way, I’ll forgive you. But what do you mean possibly the hottest?”

  “Well, you know, I haven’t actually seen every other man in the universe.” She shrugged and winked at him.

  He winked back. “Okay then, I’m all yours.” If only she knew just how true that was. He hadn’t been with a woman since meeting her, not even for a one-night stand. Gina consumed his mind and his free time—other women no longer appealed to him. In the course of their friendship, he couldn’t remember a time when he’d wanted to do anything besides be in her presence. It didn’t matter if they were taking a walk, watching TV, or chatting about work. It was good times as long as they were together.

  She threw her arms around his neck and planted a closed-mouth smooch on his lips that shot a fire straight to his dick and a warm, fuzzy feeling to his heart.

  “Awesome. You’re the best.”

  Luckily, she released him quickly, or she’d have felt the erection pressing against his zipper.

  She turned her back to him and pulled her hair out of the way. “Unzip me?”

  He adjusted his crotch, took a deep breath,
and then gripped the zipper between thumb and forefinger, sliding it down to just above her curvaceous ass. She slipped the dress off her shoulders and wiggled the rest of the way out of it. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her walking toward the closet in nothing but black boy-short panties, her plump, round cheeks peeking out the bottom, taunting him.

  God, she was beautiful. She often made jokes about her ass being too big, but it wasn’t too big for him. No, to him it was perfection. He wanted to cup each bulbous cheek and squeeze, caress—maybe take a bite.

  Why did he keep torturing himself? He had to tell her. He would tell her. After the party. She’d have a few drinks, they’d dance, have a fantastic evening, and then he’d tell her how he really felt. Maybe.

  When she exited the closet, she was dressed in a form-fitting pair of jeans and a baby doll T-shirt that said I love Cowboys Football. The casual attire didn’t detract from her looks. Not one bit. Actually, he kind of preferred it. Something about a gorgeous woman in casual clothes did it for him. Or maybe it was just Gina.

  As she pulled her hair into a ponytail, she asked, “Wanna grab dinner and a beer at Jack’s? Cowboys play the Redskins at seven thirty.”

  Jack’s was her favorite neighborhood sports bar, and she loved her some Dallas Cowboys even when they sucked. Watching football with her was great fun for Miles. He loved watching her get all riled up and cussing at the TV. She had a penchant for profanity that put his cussing skills to shame. It was hot on her—adorable even. Hell, everything about her was adorable except the fact that she thought he’d prefer a man over her.

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” he said. “You want to go now?”

  “Yeah, let me feed Mewz first.” He followed as she made her way into the kitchen, opened a cabinet, and pulled out a can of food for her black and white tuxedo cat. As soon as she popped the top, the cat came running and rubbed around her legs until the food was in his bowl. He attacked it as if he was starving, but it was obvious by his size the cat never missed a meal.

  After chucking the empty can in the trash and telling the cat they’d be back in a few hours, she turned to Miles. “Let’s take a cab so we can both have drinks.”

  He waved his hand dismissively. “It’s only a mile down the road. We can walk.” He loved Southeast Texas weather. Well, not necessarily the one hundred plus degrees of summer or the insane humidity, but being able to brave the outdoors without bundling up like an Eskimo for more than a couple months a year was great.

  She wrinkled her nose and looked at the ceiling, contemplating the suggestion. “Okay, let’s walk there, but we’re taking a cab home.”

  He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Think you’ll be too drunk to walk home?”

  “Depends on how the game goes.”

  With anyone else, he’d have instantly agreed to taking a cab, but when he and Gina walked anywhere together, she always looped her arm with his and hugged up to him, which is why he always suggested they walk when the destination was a reasonable distance away.

  “Oh really? Explain the difference regarding ‘how the game goes.’ If they’re winning, we celebrate with beer. If they’re losing, we drown our sorrows with beer.”

  She glared at him with mock-severity. “Beer and football go together. Period. Don’t judge.”

  He held up his hands in surrender. “Hey. Not judging. Just making a point.”

  She laughed, slipped on a pair of sneakers, and then grabbed her apartment keys and her purse. “Let’s get going.”

  And yes, as they walked down the steps to the sidewalk, she entwined her arm with his. If he’d known from the beginning that she was going to turn him into a lovesick fool, he would have run from her, but it was much too late for running.

  Other than pointing out to him a hot guy jogging, she didn’t say much on the walk there. It was one of the many things he enjoyed about being around her. Even when silent, it was never awkward. They simply felt comfortable with each other.

  As they reached the bar, he grabbed the door and held it open for her.

  “Ah, such a gentleman.” She flashed him a brilliant smile as she stepped inside.

  As she walked ahead of him, he couldn’t resist admiring her. Damn, those jeans outlined her apple-shaped ass perfectly, made him salivate, made his fingers itch from the willpower it took to keep from grabbing a handful. He didn’t mean to be such a perv, but everything inside him said they were soul mates. Her mind, body, and soul called—no, screamed—to his.

  “Is there something on my butt?”

  When he looked up, Gina was looking over her shoulder, straining to check out her ass. Pulling himself together, Miles stepped inside, letting the glass door close behind him. He bent down as if inspecting something and then lightly swiped his hand across her right cheek. His dick twitched in response. “Just a small fuzz ball. It’s gone.”

  “Thanks. Come on.” She grabbed his hand and led him to the end of the bar closest to an enormous flat screen TV. On weekends, Jack’s was hopping, but on Thursday nights, only a smattering of die-hard football fans filled stools at the bar and a few well-worn oak tables.

  The bartender pulled a white towel from his back pocket and wiped down the bar in front of them. “What can I get ya?” He was tall and skinny, a mangy-looking mustache dotting his upper lip.

  Gina leaned forward, resting her forearms on the bar. “After you turn on the Cowboys game, I’ll take a Miller Lite.”

  “I’ll take the same,” Miles said.

  The bartender grabbed the remote from under the bar. “You know what channel?”

  She looked at the guy as though he had frogs crawling out of his ears. “NFL Network.”

  He flipped through the channels until he found the pre-game show then stepped away to grab their beers from the cooler.

  Gina whispered to Miles, “How do you work in a sports bar and not know Thursday night football is on the NFL Network?”

  He whispered back. “He’s new. Might not be a football fan.”

  The incredulousness contorting her face made him laugh out loud, but he didn’t dare mention that there were plenty of people in the world who didn’t watch football. It was a concept she refused to accept.

  She leaned in close, her breath on his ear shooting shivers straight to his dick. “I was gonna ask if you thought he was dateable, but you’re not allowed to date someone who’s clueless about football.”

  Damn. Her thinking about setting him up with a dude took care of the shivers.

  The bartender came back and placed a coaster in front of each of them then set the beers down. “You wanna start a tab?”

  “Yeah, thanks.” Gina started digging in her purse, but Miles pulled out his wallet and handed the bartender a credit card.

  “I was gonna get that,” she said.

  “My treat. You’re taking me to a party Saturday. That can be your treat.”

  “It’s a deal.” Sipping her beer, she turned her attention to the TV, which gave him the perfect opportunity to take her in unnoticed. Her coppery-brown hair, pulled into a ponytail, hung down her back, the feminine curve of her neck exposed. Even leaning forward on the bar, her posture was perfect, her back straight. The hem of her shirt rested just above the waist of her ass-hugging jeans, showing just a sliver of creamy skin. She was the perfect woman, mentally and physically, in his eyes.

  Enjoying the view but wanting her attention back on him, he asked, “Who are we rooting for?” Of course he was teasing, but it had the desired effect.

  She turned to him, an adorably irked look on her face. “What? You better root for the Cowboys. This is a huge rivalry…”

  Miles just smiled and nodded as he listened to her rant. He’d heard it before, but her fiery obsession amused him, and like most things she did, it turned him on.

  When she finished her rant, he asked, “You ready to eat?”

  She nodded emphatically. “Yep.”

  When the lanky bartender finished mixing another patron’s d
rink, Miles waved him over. “Whatcha need?”

  “We’d like a menu.”

  The bartender pulled two menus from beneath the bar and handed one to Miles, but Gina waved it off. “I already know what I want. Jalapeño poppers and a veggie burger with cheese, onion, pickles, lettuce, and tomato.”

  Miles glanced over the menu quickly. “I’ll take the half-pound buffalo burger and smothered cheese fries.”

  The bartended nodded and took the menu from Miles. “Shouldn’t take long. Not too many people ordering food tonight.”

  “Ya know,” Gina said, “you’re going to give yourself a heart attack eating that crap.”

  He smirked. “Oh yeah, your greasy, cheese-filled jalapeño poppers are so much better.”

  She grinned sheepishly. “Hey, at least I’m balancing those out with a healthy, non-greasy veggie burger.”

  “Uh-huh. I’m sure that’s how it works.” Sarcasm dripped from his words.

  She stuck her tongue out at him and laughed before turning her attention back to the game.

  Their food arrived fifteen minutes later. He stole one of her jalapeño poppers, and she stole a few of his fries. They drank and ate companionably while watching the game. The Cowboys were kicking ass, so Gina’s profane outbursts were kept to a minimum but thankfully not completely absent. It would be a shame to miss out on those.

  “That’s bullshit!” she yelled at the screen. She swung around toward Miles, her eyes wide. “Pass interference, my ass. The receiver had his head turned, looking for the ball. That ref is freaking blind.”

  “Right on.” Miles agreed with her even though he wasn’t as certain as Gina that the call was “bullshit.”

  Two and a half hours and several beers later, they both had a buzz, and the blind ref made another bad call in Gina’s opinion.

  “What?” She slammed her fist on the bar hard enough to make the plastic napkin holder rattle. “Unnecessary roughness? What a bunch of pussies.”

  Miles almost snorted beer out his nose on that one but managed to choke it down. Looking around, he noticed smiles and chuckles coming from the other patrons in the bar, but Gina was oblivious.