“Which part? When you accused me of fucking around with my boss?” His temperature rises, radiating through his clothes like a heat wave. “Or when you snuck into my brother’s room and fucked him to get even?”
I cringe. That’s not how it went, and this is not how I meant for that question to go. I decide not to address either of his questions for fear of getting any further off track, and press on. “After Ransom and I… Afterward, I left because I knew it wasn’t what I wanted. It wasn’t where I was supposed to be.”
Silence descends on us and I lift my head, biting my lip. I’m unsure of what Rebel’s reaction will be, but I know if ever there was a time, this is the time to say it. “I already told you I chose you, but that’s not all of it. I realized that night, despite everything, or maybe because of everything, that it was you. I chose you, Rebel, because there’s no other man for me. There never was.”
EIGHTEEN
“Do you hate your brother?” I’m sitting cross-legged in the center of Rebel’s bed, tracking his movements around the room as he gathers what he’ll need for the trip and packs it all into a piece of luggage that’s double the size of mine.
And they say women are the ones with a clothing problem.
“Yes and no,” Rebel replies distractedly. “We have our problems just like any other siblings.”
“But aren’t you supposed to be super close? I thought twins were supposed to be inseparable.”
“Only if they’re conjoined,” he remarks. Dropping a stack of perfectly pressed shirts into the luggage, he stops to look at me. “Ransom and I used to be close as kids, but it’s never been...symbiotic. That shit you see about other twins being able to read each other’s thoughts and living mirrored lives? We’re about as far from that as you can get. We have the same face, similar personalities, even the same taste in women,” he adds with a dark smile, “but we’re about as different as two people can get.”
Reminded of my time spent with the two of them, I can see where he might think that. Rebel is much more intense than Ransom. However, Ransom can be just as dominate and controlling as Rebel, just as I’m learning Rebel can be as sweet and gentle as Ransom. They’re more alike than either of them realize.
“If you don’t like each other very much, then why offer for him to live here?”
“I told you, he needed a place to crash, and I had the space.” Rebel is getting annoyed, which is evident by the way he moves a little faster around the room, stuffing his belongings into his bag with a little less care.
“Because you don’t stay here often,” I surmise.
“That and because he maintains it while I’m gone. Maids can be expensive. Family labor comes free.”
I nod in understanding, even though I’ve never once known the luxury of having a maid myself. A question that’s burned in my mind for ages rises to the forefront of my mind and, before I lose my nerve, I ask it. “If you have this place, why bother with the hotels?”
“I told you, I travel a lot for business.” He waves his hand at the open suitcase as evidence, but it’s not what I meant.
“No, I mean, why the hotel rooms. Why meet me there when you had this waiting for you?”
Zipping the case closed, he plants his hands on his hips, highlighting the breadth of his wide shoulders. He changed into a simple pair of khakis and hunter green polo when we first arrived. It reminds me a lot of Ransom, but the look is just as sexy on him. I can’t help feasting on him with my eyes. The man is a hot commodity no matter what he wears.
“A few reasons. The most obvious being that you were a stranger. I don’t bring random women into my home.”
“I get that. What’re the other reasons?”
“Your job is another.”
Scrunching my nose in offence, I say, “You told me that it didn’t matter what I do for a living.”
“It doesn’t. It’s honest, but let’s face it, pussycat, it’s not exactly something you shout from rooftops. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how hard you work to keep it a secret. Even my brother knew nothing about it. I bet you haven’t even told your parents, have you?”
My already declining mood plummets with the mention of them. I choose a flippant response in order to suppress the swell of emotion that threatens to suck me down. “Well, since they’ve been dead for years, I’d say the chances of them finding out are slim.”
“Shit.” Rebel’s expression scrunches up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“How could you?” The fact that we know next to nothing about each other despite all the time we’ve spent together hangs like a giant red flag waving between us. It’s apparent to me that we can’t continue on this path like this much longer. The time has come to erase all the secrets dividing us. It’s the only way if we expect to make this work.
“So, the hotels?” I ask, needing to get us back on the topic of conversation.
Clearing his throat, Rebel picks up his bag and motions with a tilt of his head for me to follow. “The first time I saw you dance, I had just returned from a trip. I knew Ransom was home and I didn’t feel like company, so I stopped to have a drink. You were...” He pauses, his shoulders rolling forward as he sets his suitcase by the front door and searches for the right words.
“You were memorizing.” Turning to face me, his expression wills me to understand him. “I’m not the kind of guy that picks up women in bars, let alone strip clubs, but there was something about you. I knew I had to have you.”
Removing a set of keys from the charcoal suit coat draped over the back of a side chair, he continues. “I got the hotel rooms because I didn’t want what we did bleeding into my personal life.” Returning to the door he stops, and with his hand on the knob, he casts me a tense look. “It wasn’t because I was embarrassed by you or what you do. I like my privacy. No one save Ransom and my parents have ever been to my home.”
“What about Florence?” The sound of her name coming off my tongue is so bitter it makes me want to spit.
He shakes his head. “Not even her. And yes, I know she has a key, but only because she owns the building. I’ve never personally invited her inside. Not once.”
Well, color me confused. Did she just let herself in on a whim that night then? I find it unlikely. “I’m sure you’ll understand when I tell you I find that hard to believe,” I say, casting him a doubtful look.
Dropping his hold on the knob, Rebel faces me head on. His thick arms fold across his chest and his eyes hold mine, making me feel like a bug under a microscope. “Explain.”
“What is there left to explain?” I ask, my voice rising an octave. “I saw you, Rebel. I saw you and her together and I know it was you because Ransom was there, too. Even you have to admit the evidence is pretty damning.”
“Yes, it is,” he agrees. “But you don’t know the full story. Unfortunately, neither do I. All I can offer you right now is assurances that I’m not the kind of man who cheats. You should also be aware by now that I’m not a man who lies.”
I can’t deny that I’m disappointed that he’s still incapable of providing me the answers I’m looking for, but I acknowledge what he has given me. “You are many things, Rebel, but I have to agree with you there. As much as it pains me to admit it.”
Dropping his arms, a self-satisfying smile appears on his face. “Well, for once you’re not being a total pain in my ass. Quick,” he says, swinging the door open. “Let’s get out of here before the wind shifts.”
My lips twitching at his uncharacteristic joke, I breeze past him. “I hope you bought traveler’s insurance, Mr. Scott.”
***
Boarding the plane was the easy part. I’ve never been on one before. Having read some racy billionaire love stories, I half expected for Rebel to charter us a private plane. Something flashy and high class, with a private suite for us to have wild, crazy sex in.