Roman-2(Lane Brothers, Book 5)(170)
Convince Chris she was genuine about Thomas? That wouldn’t be hard; she was.
She was about to say that Chris wasn’t her boyfriend but stopped herself. What would be the point? Thomas had already made his mind up about her. She was a cheat. A man eater. Just like how she’d thought he was a sex addict when she’d bumped into his “escort”.
With her stomach swirling, she left the kitchen and went through the hallway, past the pounding door, and up to the bedroom.
Chris was sitting on her bed looking dejected.
“You’re not coming with me, are you?” he said without looking up.
“I’m staying with Thomas. He explained what happened with the tape. It was his sister who leaked it, not him.”
Chris glanced up, his eyebrows furrowed. “And you trust him?”
‘In this world, you can trust no one. Do you understand me? No one.’
“Yes.”
“How well do you even know him, Sash?”
Sasha could feel echoes of the amazing orgasms Thomas had given her running all through her body. She could smell his sweat, remember the feel of his mouth on hers, and the sensation of his cock as it slid inside of her.
“Better than you’d think,” she said.
Chris frowned. “Do you love him?”
Sasha knew better than to hesitate. “Yes.”
Chris let his head drop into his hands. His shoulders slumped with dejection. “Do you think he’ll make you happy?”
Sasha remembered the passionate sex she’d shared with Thomas and the belief that no one would ever be able to satisfy her in the same way. Even if his only intention for being with her was to protect his public image, Sasha had to take it. She had to take the slither of Thomas Lloyd on offer to her.
“Happier than I’d be going back home. Thomas can show me the world.”
Chris looked suddenly disgusted. “So it’s all about the money after all. He can take you all over the world to fancy hotels and beautiful beaches. Whereas me, all I can offer you is love and stability. But you’d prefer the money and the fame. You’d prefer the drama. I never thought you’d become so shallow.” He stood up and began dumping her clothes out of the hold all and onto the bed.
Watching him made her heart ache. Knowing she’d caused him pain hurt her to the core. But she didn’t love Chris in that way and she never would. He would never satisfy her in the way Thomas could. Even though she knew she’d never get to have sex with Thomas ever again, she knew she’d be better off following him than letting him go forever.
“Chris,” she said, tentatively. “I need you to do something for me.”
He swirled around angrily. “Do you really expect me to do you favors after what you’ve put me through?”
“I’m not expecting anything. I’m asking. I’m asking that you wait here until Thomas and I have gone. If the paparazzi get a photo of you then they’ll suspect that we slept together. It would harm Thomas’s credibility.”
“Why should I give a shit about Thomas’s credibility?” His words were cruel, his tone sharp and bitter.
“Because Thomas’s credibility is my credibility. And even though you’re angry with me now, you don’t want to hurt me. Not like that.”
“Don’t I?” Chris snapped back.
Sasha spoke calmly. “Chris, this is the media we’re talking about. What you do now will have ongoing ramifications. It can’t be undone. It won’t be forgotten. It will be immortalized on the internet. If you don’t want drama, then wait until the paps have gone. Do you understand?”
Chris chucked her last top onto the heap of clothes on the bed. He let out a deep sigh, a sigh that told her he understood, that he would play his part in their stupid game.
“You can stay as long as you need to,” she added. “I’ll leave you my key to lock up when you leave.”
Chris sunk down onto the bed and looked up at her, shaking his head. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Sash. I hope you know what you’re letting yourself in for.”
“I do,” she replied, but her insides were a swirling tornado of confusion, anguish... and lust.
Chapter Nine
It was all so covert - the dark sunglasses, the scarf over the head, the hand in front of the camera. Sasha must have seen a thousand other celebrities go through it but now she was at the centre of the scandal.
The rain had started pouring as she bundled into the back seat of Thomas’s car. She recognized the driver as the same one who picked them up that night at the restaurant, when the paparazzi had hounded them and she and Thomas had shared a passionate kiss in the back alleyway. That time he’d been helping them escape the paparazzi, and now here he was doing the same thing again, like a personal getaway driver.