Faking Ms. Right (Dirty Martini Running Club #1) - Claire Kingsley Page 0,80
practicing. By the time I decided to go upstairs, I was relaxed, my mind clear.
I felt good.
Even the sight of Svetlana lounging on my couch didn’t bother me. I nodded to her, then went into the kitchen to pour myself a glass of whiskey.
“That was a great party the other night,” she said.
I hadn’t heard her approach, but I tried not to react. “It was. Where’s Dad?”
“He went out to get dessert.”
There was something in the tone of her voice that set off a warning in my mind. I put the cap back on the bottle, keenly aware that this was the first time she and I had been alone together since she’d started seeing my dad. Moving Everly in had worked well in that regard.
“Enjoy your evening.” I picked up my whiskey and turned to go to my office.
She stretched her arm across the entrance to the kitchen, blocking my way. There was fire in her eyes—a smoldering mix of desire and anger.
I met her gaze, keeping my expression blank. “Excuse me.”
“Shepherd, why don’t we both admit to what’s happening here.”
“How about you move out of my way.”
Her lips curled in a smile. “I know your engagement is a farce.”
I didn’t reply. Just took a sip of my whiskey.
“Aren’t you getting tired of this game we’re playing?” She dropped her arm and took a step forward.
Damn. She was using my father. Of course she was. I’d known it from the beginning.
“I’m tired of you taking advantage of my father.”
“Oh, Shepherd, don’t be silly. I’m doing no such thing. He’s not serious about me. I’m just a pretty distraction.”
“Indeed, although I doubt he sees you that way.”
She moved closer. I stayed where I was, refusing to give her any ground. This woman was not going to back me into a corner.
“Don’t worry about Richard.” She ran a finger down my chest.
“I don’t understand what you’re trying to accomplish. Have you been using my father as a way to get revenge? Or is this all a twisted attempt to get me to take you back?”
She splayed her hand on my chest. “A bit of both.”
I grabbed her wrist and removed her hand. “Don’t touch me.”
“Shepherd,” she purred. “I know you still want me. I can see it in your eyes.”
“Are you delusional?”
She surged in, invading my personal space. “Stop fighting it.”
I leaned away and backed up but ran into the refrigerator. My whiskey slipped from my hands, falling to the floor with a crash of broken glass. She pressed her body against me and grabbed the back of my neck. Popping up on her tiptoes, she slammed her lips against mine.
“Svetlana? Shepherd?”
At the sound of my dad’s voice, she pulled away. I dropped her wrist and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
“Damn it,” I muttered.
Dad stood a few feet away, a paper grocery bag in his hand. He stared at us, his brow furrowed. “What’s going on here?”
“Dad—”
“He kissed me,” she said.
“What? You just threw yourself at me.”
She crossed her arms. “How dare you. I did no such thing.”
“Yes, you did. I certainly didn’t want you to.”
“Then why did you say all those things?” she asked. “You’re a terrible person, Shepherd Calloway. You know I’m in a relationship with your father. How could you betray him like that?”
I rolled my eyes. “For fuck’s sake. Enough of this bullshit. Dad, Svetlana is my ex. When you met her in Hawaii, I’d paid for her trip to soften the blow after breaking up with her.”
Dad’s eyes widened, moving between me and Svetlana. They came to rest on her. “Is this true?”
She blinked a few times, her face draining of color. She’d probably figured since I hadn’t outed her yet, I wasn’t going to. “I can explain.”
“You lied to me?” he asked.
“This isn’t what you think,” she said.
“No, it’s exactly what you think,” I said. “She’s been using you to get back at me for dumping her.”
Svetlana recovered quickly—she was good, I had to give her that. Her features smoothed and her shoulders relaxed, the guilt disappearing from her countenance. “Shepherd is sadly mistaken. Yes, he and I did date for a short time. But the truth is, I was ready to end things when Shepherd did. I knew it wasn’t going to work out between us. When I met you, everything changed. I knew you were different. You were special.”
“Then why would you keep the fact that you’d been dating my son from me?”