“Is that the only way I can convince you to say yes?”
“It is.” Colby sounded resolute. The problem was that she wasn’t and had never been this conflicted about anything in her life. She wanted Liam to pursue her, but at the same time, she didn’t. It wasn’t just him that she didn’t trust. Colby didn’t trust herself.
“Then, I’ll be on my best behavior.” Liam wasn’t a liar, but he couldn’t actually agree to her terms either.
Not realizing he never actually promised that they would only talk, Colby tried to sound casual when she accepted. “Where do you want to meet?”
Liam grinned as he slowly started to back away. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”
Colby nodded. “I’ll text you my address.”
“I don’t need it.” He winked. “See you tonight.” Satisfied, Liam turned and reached for Markos’ cell phone.
Liam placed the phone up to his ear. “Lockwood.” His voice changed. It didn’t sound like the man who, only a second ago, had been so gentle. Colby saw the transformation right before her eyes as Liam turned into a no-nonsense cutthroat billionaire businessman.
It was unnerving.
She watched him walk away, all the while second, third, and fourth guessing her decision to go to dinner. Remember your goals because this couldn’t possibly end well for you. “It’s just dinner.”
Her words sounded weak even to her.
Chapter 16
“Does your father know you’re going out on a date with Liam Lockwood?” Lila asked.
“It’s not a date. It’s dinner,” Colby said more to convince herself than Lila. “I think you’ve overlooked the fact that I am a grown woman. I don’t need my father’s permission to go anywhere.”
“That means no.” Lila giggled as she placed her hands on her hips. “You’re not slick, Colby. You’ve never spent two hours in the bathroom, getting ready to hang out with Gonzo.”
“How many times do I have to say that it’s just dinner?” Colby sat on her bed as she slipped on a pair of cross-strapped black stiletto sandals. “Liam and I have a few things we need to iron out.”
“You ain’t foolin’ nobody. More like dusting out a few cobwebs.” Lila laughed. “You’re gonna hurt that poor man in that little black dress.” She continued to crack up laughing. “Breasts sitting all high and perky!”
“Stop it!” Colby laughed too. She got up and went over to the mirror to put the finishing touches on her makeup. “He’s my boss’s brother. I’m not going to sleep with him.”
At the mention of Brian, Lila’s face softened. The energy in the room dropped a little. Lila’s voice softened. “Did you see him today?”
Slowly, Colby stopped applying her lipstick and lowered her hand as she watched her cousin through the mirror. “Yeah. I did.” She hesitated. “You know, last night, he got the same look on his face as you do now. Are you sure it’s really over and done?”
Lila glanced up. Her eyes met Colby’s in the mirror. “I’m sure.”
Colby didn’t believe her. “If I’m overstepping, just say so, but . . . what happened between you two?” She didn’t think Lila was going to answer, but surprisingly, she did.
“Brian and I were once deeply in love. We even talked about marriage.” Lila started to blink back tears. “If he had asked, I would have immediately said yes.” Lila sighed. “I’ve been chasing that kind of love ever since we broke up. Then I gave up on love and set my sights on other priorities. Pathetic, right?”
Colby couldn’t judge. She’d been chasing ghosts for a hell of a lot longer than Lila. “Not at all. But I’m still confused. How did you go from spending your life together to not even being able to be in the same room?”
“Easy if you walk into your best friend’s apartment and find your naked girlfriend in his bed.”
Colby's hands went to her throat. Oh, shit! However, she didn’t voice her surprise out loud.
“In college, Brian was the best of friends with this guy named Anthony Luccesse.”
Why does that name sound familiar? Colby thought.
“Anthony’s family was rumored to be this big crime family. At the time, he was just Brian’s friend. Anyway, they competed over everything, and I mean everything. They got such a high from one-upping each other. But that all sort of slowed down once Brian and I started dating—to a point. Anthony would always flirt with me, but I never took him seriously. He only wanted to get the best of Brian.” Lila had this faraway look in her eyes as if she were no longer in Colby’s bedroom, but back to a different place in time. “Anthony called late one night to tell me that Brian wanted to meet me at Anthony’s place. When I think back on it, that was an odd request. I went like a dummy. Of course, Brian wasn’t there. Anthony asked if I wanted a drink while I waited. We were friends, so I trusted him. I only asked for a water. I didn’t think anything of it. The next thing I knew, I felt fuzzy-headed. I could see and hear everything around me, but I couldn’t move or talk.”
Unshed tears began to stream down Lila’s face.
“Oh, my god! Did he?”
Colby couldn’t finish her words. Lila shook her head vigorously. “No. It didn’t get that far, but he undressed me and placed me in his bed, then got in next to me. Of course, that’s how Brian found us. I was so out of it that I couldn’t say anything. All I remember is Anthony laughing, and then he and Brian got into a physical fight. Shortly after, I passed out.”
“So, all this time, Brian thinks you cheated on him with Anthony?”
Lila wiped away her tears. “Probably. We never talked about it. By the time I got back to our apartment, he had already boxed up my stuff and left it in the hallway. That was the last time I saw his face until the other day.”
Colby walked across the room and took Lila’s
