Fraud (Antihero Inferno #2) - Lily White Page 0,35
a perfectly shaped brow before releasing my hand to climb the stairs.
Stuck in place by the reminder of how we ended up here, I watch as she ascends, the wind whipping her skirt so that the backs of her thighs keep peeking out at me.
How stupid of her to say what she did. Even if I was the one to start it. The easy humor I’d felt only seconds ago is now lost to memories I’d rather forget.
“Mr. Dane. We’re ready to depart. Just waiting for you to board.”
The wind whips my hair as I stare up at Ivy. She glances down at me, the wind catching her skirt just right to give me a glimpse of her black silk panties.
Holding her hand against her skirt to keep it in place, she tips her chin defiantly, her eyes tangling with mine without apology for what she said.
“Mr. Dane?”
Dragging my gaze from hers, I turn to the crewmember speaking to me. “I’ll head up now.”
He nods and waits as I ascend the stairs.
Ducking my head as I step into the cabin, I see Ivy in a single seat near a window, her ankles crossed demurely, and her posture perfectly straight.
I choose a seat opposite the cabin from her, not that she deserves so much space. My eyes are still locked on her as they shut the door and the engines start.
We both buckle our seatbelts as the plane moves down the tarmac, but Ivy refuses to look at me as we lift into the air, climb to the proper elevation and the plane settles in for the two-hour flight.
I can’t take the silence for longer than a half hour.
“Don’t you think it was stupid to bring that up?”
She still refuses to glance my direction, her eyes trained on the sky outside. “I’m not the one who started it.”
“In fact,” she adds, her eyes finally crawling to mine, “I’m not the one who wants to be here. I was happily living my life ignoring all of you, at least until I was dragged back into your bullshit. I miss the days you were away at Yale. At least, then, I didn’t have to watch my back constantly for fear of you sneaking up behind it.”
Grinning, I tap my fingers on the armrest, the tension in my shoulders far too tight to be comfortable.
“There are certain things we don’t talk about, Ivy. Or have you forgotten?”
A bark of laughter shakes her shoulders, but the sound is entirely devoid of humor.
“Are you serious? How many years has it been, Gabriel? If anybody should want to avoid talking about that night, it’s me. None of what happened was my fault. But you certainly made my life hell for it, didn’t you?”
She shakes her head.
“It’s such bullshit. Everybody believes the fake mask you wear. The easygoing jokester that doesn’t care about anything. But I saw the truth, and you don’t like it. Is that why I’m here right now? Because I walked out on something I shouldn’t have? You can blame yourself for that. Not me. Fraud is a good name for you, Gabe. I don’t think anybody realizes just how deep the moniker runs.”
She unbuckles her seatbelt and pushes to her feet. The heels she wears only accentuate the shape of her legs, her tanned skin catching the light just right for the shadow of muscle to highlight how perfect she is.
I can’t help dragging my gaze down and back up again, her eyes narrowed on me because she knows exactly what I’m doing.
“As if,” she scoffs. “That ship sailed a long time ago.”
Without another word, she marches into the back of the plane and enters a room on the left.
It’s exactly the wrong place for her to go, but I don’t mind the choice. The door has a lock but it’s key-coded, the electronic panel on the side a steady green after I get up from my seat to follow her.
With two fingers, I press the handle down and step inside, her back to me as I move in far enough for the door to swing closed behind me.
The light doesn’t stay green after that. But I’m not sure she knows I’ve locked it.
“Nice choice of rooms. Is this a subtle hint or what?” I glance at the bed that takes up the majority of the room.
Ivy groans and turns to look at me.
“No. I didn’t mean to come in here, but after doing so, I thought it would look stupid to march back