Shiver of Deception (Soul of the Sinner- Book 5) Read online

  Her eyes were sharp and assessing when she finally noticed me walking in her direction. She started shuffling papers around like she thought it would make me go away. I walked over, placing my arm on the pile to stop her shuffling. Her eyes moved upward to my chest. My eyes clung to hers, analyzing her reaction.

  “Bryn.” Her name felt like a song as it escaped my mouth.

  “Oliver,” she answered while eyeing me up and down covetously. I squinted, peering around the room, wishing that I was alone with her. I wasn’t. “I really need to work on this,” she replied, looking at my arm that was still draped across her paperwork.

  “How about dinner?” I surveyed her.

  Bryn cast her eyes downward before answering me. “I’m sorry, Oliver. I can’t.”

  I stared back at her in waiting silence. She had to give me a good reason for saying no, didn’t she? “I haven’t given you a day or time. Will the answer always be no?”

  We stared at each other across a sudden ringing silence. “Oliver, I work for you. Going out for dinner will never be a good idea,” she responded matter-of-factly.

  I inched closer to her, as close as I could get with others around. “It didn’t feel like a bad idea when we were in my office. I realize it’s been a while. Maybe we should go back up and I could remind you?” My voice broke with huskiness.

  Her mouth dropped open, and it only gave me ideas of what I could put in it. She must have read my mind because she suddenly slammed it shut and narrowed her eyes at me.

  “Oliver… I have... I have to get to work.” Her voice broke off in midsentence.

  “Why aren’t you working in my office?”

  “I thought it would be best if I worked down here.” She hesitated, blinking with bafflement.

  I forced myself to walk away. There were other people around, and I didn’t want to cause a scene. I was sure I would have done exactly that if I had thrown her across my shoulder like I wanted to.

  I sighed as I walked behind the bar. It was obvious why she was working at the bar instead of my office. Bryn didn’t want to be alone with me. Bryn glared at those receipts like the numbers were the most interesting things she had ever seen. She didn’t look at me once. I wasn’t going to leave this bar until she did. I wanted her attention and I needed her eyes on me. I wanted to feel her body and see her soul.

  “Do you like working with numbers?” I asked.

  She answered, turning her face away from me.

  “Is it bothering you that I am watching?” I asked and felt my stare drilling into her. I glanced at the others in the bar and hoped this couldn’t be considered sexual harassment.

  She tilted her head in a nod and left the room. I think my eyebrows touched my hairline as I watched her walk away. She just walked away from me. I didn’t know if I should laugh or be pissed. I had never had a woman walk away from me.

  A few minutes later, she walked through the bar wearing her black leather jacket. She had the deposits in one arm and her handbag in the other. She raised her chin with a cool stare in my direction. “See you tomorrow,” she called out as the door slammed behind her. Bryn was not going to make this easy for me. She was one stubborn ass woman.

  I hung around the bar for twenty minutes after Bryn walked out. Everyone looked at me with suspicion as I washed glasses and checked the stock. They all knew I didn’t belong behind the bar; hell, I knew I didn’t belong behind the bar. This was Alex’s area and he would have a fit if he found me back here. I needed to get out of here for a little while.

  I pushed open the back door to the alley and smiled when my eyes found Bryn. She was sitting in that clown car with her head resting on the headrest. I knelt and knocked on the window. She swung her head around to look up at me. Instead of letting the window down, she pushed open the door.

  “Why are you sitting out here?” I smiled and tilted my head.

  “My car won’t start,” she whispered.

  “Don’t tell me you forgot to plug it up? Does this work like a cell phone?” Seeing the amusement in my eyes, she laughed.

  “My car is environmentally safe. Is that monster gas guzzler yours?” She pointed to my black Jeep Wrangler.

  “Yes, it is, and I can promise you it will start. Would you like a ride to the bank? I can stop by the drugstore to pick up some Energizer batteries for your car if you’d like?”

  She tried to suppress a giggle. “You can give me a ride to the bank and I’ll worry about my car when we come back to the club.”

  “We don’t have to come back here if you don’t want to. I probably can lift that car and stick it in my trunk. I can drop you both off at home.”

  Bryn rolled her eyes and got out of her car. We walked over to my Jeep and I opened the door for her, glancing back and smirking at her car. That fucking car just gave me time with Bryn.

  Bryn climbed into my truck and we headed to the bank. I noticed that when I wasn’t glancing at her, she would glance at me. She reached down, turned on the radio, and my eyes lifted as she changed the station.

  “That’s a bold move, turning a man’s station, isn’t it?” I teased her.

  “Sorry, I just like listening to the news.”

  “You would rather listen to bad news instead of music that helps you escape?” Her eyes turned toward me at the same time I was looking at her.

  “Yeah, I would prefer to stay informed,” she whispered.

  I nodded and she focused on the bad news in the world. I guess I had seen enough bad in my world, that I didn’t want to listen to it when I didn’t have to.

  When I finally pulled into the bank parking lot, Bryn stared out the window. She clutched the money bag, but she wasn’t getting out. She looked over at me and closed her eyes.

  “Would you mind making the deposit today? You’ll just take it to the teller window.” Her eyes were full of remoteness.

  “Why don’t you want to take it in?”

  “I suddenly feel light-headed,” she answered and turned away. I studied her thoughtfully for a moment.

  As I was walking into the bank, warning signs were going off. Why didn’t she want to come inside? I didn’t believe that light-headed shit she spouted out.

  I waited in line for several minutes before I was finally able to go to the next available teller. I hated coming to the bank. I hated idle chit-chat with people I didn’t know that always got a little too friendly. More importantly, I didn’t like the little prick that was standing in front of me counting the cash I just brought in.

  “Are you new at the club?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Is that new girl still working there?” he questioned.

  I stared at him with cold eyes and tilted my head, wondering why he was asking about Bryn? I wondered if he had been hitting on her and that’s the real reason she didn’t want to come in?

  “She does. Do you like her? Have you asked her out?” My fist balled at my side as I waited for him to give me the wrong answer. I would break his neck like a fucking twig if he’d asked her out.

  “I haven’t, but I normally don’t get to wait on her. She always goes to the girl at the end. She is really pretty, even if I don’t normally go for blondes,” he answered as he stuck the cash into his drawer.

  “You don’t go for blondes?” I repeated because he must have been talking about some other girl, not Bryn.

  “Nope.”

  “Are you sure you’re talking about the girl that brings in the deposits for this club?” I held up the deposit ticket with the name on it for him to take another look.

  “Yes, I am talking about Brenda. She comes in almost every day to bring in the deposits. She goes to the girl on the end each time. She is around five-foot-nine and has the most beautiful brown eyes and curly blonde hair.”

  I nodded and he handed me the receipt. I couldn’t leave the bank without finding out for sure, so I walked over to the girl at the end who looked too young to be working here. I asked her if she normally made the deposi
t for Deluca’s. She nodded, and when I asked her what the girl that brought those deposits looked like, she described the same blonde.

  I slowly walked away from the window, wondering what the hell was going on with Bryn? Was there someone else coming in for her to make the deposits? Or was she changing her appearance when she brought them in? Before leaving the bank lobby, I made one important call.

  “There is a smart car in the alley. I want it searched. You have one hour to do it.” After hanging up, I stared outside to my truck and watched Bryn. Who the hell was this woman?

  Bryn

  “I suddenly feel light-headed.” That was the best I could come up with? Oliver looked at me with suspicion after I said it, and I couldn’t blame him. What the hell was I thinking? I had to come up with something fast. I couldn’t go into that bank. I didn’t have my wig and they had cameras. If anything went wrong in that bank, the first thing reviewed would be the cameras.

  “We are having dinner before we go back. I think you owe me.” He spoke in an odd yet gentle tone.

  I answered quickly over my choking, beating heart. “Okay.”

  “I hope you like Italian. I know just the place,” he said with quiet emphasis.

  Oliver wasn’t his playful self once he came out of the bank. He was focused and a little cold.

  “Did you have any problems making the deposit?

  “Not at all. Do you ever have any problems?” he asked in a begrudging voice.

  “No,” I answered softly.

  Oliver didn’t talk on the way to the restaurant. I glanced at him, but he was focused on the road. He never even glanced at me, which I didn’t like. It felt like he went into the bank liking me and came out hating me.

  Oliver pulled into a parking garage, and we took the elevator up seven floors to the restaurant. He stayed focused on everything but me. When we got to the restaurant, he put his hand on my lower back as we were led to the table. Oliver pulled out my chair and sat across from me as the host handed us menus. I looked up at Oliver, but he never returned my gaze. Now, I knew something was wrong.

  “Are you mad at me?”

  “Why would you ask that?” His voice was distant.

  “You’ve been acting like it since you came out of the bank. Are you mad that I asked you to go in and do the deposit?”

  “Not at all. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a bank. You always learn something new each time.” His voice was low and smooth.

  “What did you learn today?” I ask.

  “I had an interesting conversation about counterfeits.” His low voice was a little awkward.

  “Counterfeits?”

  “Yes. Sometimes you think you have a one-hundred-dollar bill, but you must look closer because it may not be real. You have to hold it up in the light and look really fucking close to see if it’s what you think you have.” His tone was velvet yet edged with steel. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I hate when I find out that something isn’t what it seems, Bryn.”

  I swallowed hard, lifted my chin, and boldly met his gaze. “No one likes a fake, Oliver.”

  In the pit of my stomach, I thought he was talking about me. The only thing is, I was not a fake. I had been truthful with him, and if the truth couldn’t be told, it was withheld. I was here to do a job, and I had made sure to keep Oliver at arm’s length. At least, most of the time.

  I sat across the table from cold eyes. I watched as Oliver carefully sliced his steak with the biggest knife he could grab. His eyes were on me with each cut. I almost felt like he was silently threatening me, but I trusted Oliver. I didn’t think he would hurt me; or, at least, I prayed that he wouldn’t. I tried to start casual conversations with him, but he cut them short. He gave one-word answerers, and if it couldn’t be answered with one word, he shrugged.

  Oliver placed both hands on the table in almost a prayer pose as he narrowed his eyes at me. I couldn’t breathe with his eyes on me. He was scaring me. I just need to get away from him.

  “I think we are closer to my apartment than the club. Why don’t you just drop me off there? I can have Uber pick me up tomorrow morning.”

  Oliver tossed two hundred dollars on the table and gave me a nod that we were leaving. He was dead silent as I gave him directions to my apartment. My body tensed when he pulled into the parking lot and got out. Where the hell was he going? Why was he getting out of the truck?

  “Where are you going?” I asked. He rolled his eyes, advising that he’d walk me up to make sure I got in safe.

  “This is a good area. I’m good.”

  “I’ll walk you to your door.” The tenderness in his expression amazed me. One minute he wouldn’t talk to me, and the next he was concerned about my safety?

  “Bryn…” I jumped at the sound of his voice. “Are you going up?” he asked. I stared, speechless as he stood watching me.

  My legs trembled as we walked up to my apartment. When we finally reached the door, I pulled out the key and walked inside. Oliver walked in, too.

  “What are you doing, Oliver? I’m safe. You can go now”

  He looked at me, and the double meaning of his gaze was obvious. “Can I kiss you?” he whispered.

  There was a tingling in the pit of my stomach. I needed to fight the overwhelming desire to be close to him. I didn’t know how to answer him. I wanted to say Yes… Please kiss me. At least, that is what my heart was saying, but my head was screaming NO… Please don’t kiss me, because if you do, I won’t want you to stop.

  “Bryn, can I kiss you?” I saw the smoldering flame in his eyes and it startled me. His eyes had darkened. I did the only thing I could do. I gave him a nod. My heart won out.

  Oliver’s fingers curled under my chin. His gaze traveled over my face and searched my eyes. What did he see when he looked in them? He stepped forward and clasped my body tightly to his. He whispered, his breath hot against my ear, “Do you know how long I have wanted to kiss you?”

  His mouth covered mine hungrily. His lips were more persuasive than I cared to admit. I curled into the curve of his body. I wanted Oliver, and I’d be damned if I was going to let him leave without having him.

  His hands slipped inside the neckline of my blouse, my nipples firming instantly under his touch. I pulled away, taking him by the hand and led him to my bedroom. Oliver lifted me and laid me on the bed. He undressed me slowly, worshipfully. I didn’t have as much patience and used my foot to push down his pants while he yanked off his shirt. Oliver sat up, holding my ankle as he kissed up each inch of my leg. I trembled as he kissed the moist folds between my thighs and his long fingers swept over my most guarded place. Oliver did things to me that should be considered forbidden. I could no longer lay still when his mouth clamped between my legs and his tongue drove into me.

  When I thought I could take nothing more from him, he sat up and pulled down his boxers. His throbbing erection was huge. It wasn’t just huge; it was mammoth. My pussy clenched at the thought of his erect manhood being pounded into me.

  Oliver’s eyes darkened as he watched me. He gave me a soft kiss.

  “Tell me you want this,” he pleaded as his wet lips grazed against my ear.

  Pressing a kiss into his chest, I looked into his dark eyes. “I want this.” I lifted my hips so I could feel him where I needed him the most.

  Reclaiming my lips, he crushed me to him. This time, the kiss was urgent and exploratory. Every muscle in my body tensed with expectation as his hand lowered to grab his massive erection. I spread my legs open, and he impaled me with one hard thrust. I don’t think he could have sunk into me any further. He was deep, and he was so hard. I could feel him thicken inside me each time he thrust into me and withdrew just enough that it felt like torture.

  He sat up just enough to rub my clitoris before slamming into me even harder. It was too much. I could hear screaming, and it occurred to me that it was my own voice that I was hearing. Oliver whispered into my ear how good I felt, that my pussy fit him like t
he perfect glove. I was made just for him.

  It was too fucking much. It was ecstasy. It felt too good.

  It felt like I belonged to him. His hard body atop of mine. His thick hard dick slamming into me. It felt like I was exactly where I should be.

  “Are you close?” he moaned, and the only thing I could do was groan. When I came, he didn’t stop. It felt like he tried to reach even further, pounding into me even harder. When he finally came, he collapsed on top of me.

  I laid in Oliver’s arms and fell asleep. I slept better than I had in months. The next morning, I turned over and the sheets next to me were cold. There were only crumpled sheets.

  I should have been brokenhearted or even dejected when I woke up and Oliver was gone. There was no kiss goodbye, or even a thank you for the great sex. I looked at the clock and decided to shower instead of mourning the loss of Oliver. I was sore, but it was a very good sore. I knew exactly where Oliver had been and every place he had touched.

  Uber dropped me off at the club, and I decided to get my car home. I could hardly keep my cell phone charged, so why I decided to get a smart car is beyond me. I walked into the club searching for Oliver. He wasn’t in his office, and Adele advised that he called to say he wouldn’t be in. I wondered if he was avoiding me after what happened the night before.

  “Did you need him? Alex can probably help,” Adele offered. I could see the suspicion in her eyes.

  “No, I’m good,” I quickly added before heading to Oliver’s office to work.

  I struggled to take a breath, realizing that I did need him. I thought of Oliver instead of working. The thought of his girth inside me almost sent me over the edge. The thought of him now avoiding me didn’t help.

  Oliver

  I took a few days off. It was highly unusual for me to take time off, and people were getting suspicious. Alex and Frank had been blowing up my phone asking questions. I didn’t know what to tell them, other than I fucked up. I didn’t just fuck up. I fucked Bryn.

  I was in bed with Bryn and it felt right. Afterward, I held her, something I had never done after having sex with a woman. When my cell phone rang, I should have ignored it. I told Thomas to get me what I needed in one hour. I had Bryn’s car searched, and he let me know he didn’t find anything but a blonde wig. I know a wig is normally not a big issue, because women changed their looks all the time. What bothered me is why she was changing her look when making our deposits, and why was she lying about being from Kansas? Bryn was the worst liar I had ever met.