THEON“What did Casey want?” Grandpa's voice was quiet, yet it shimmered with the authority that dared you to disobey. “I have no idea.”He dragged in a deep breath, an announcement that his temper was starting to flare.“Theon Murphy, how many times have I freaking told you that giving me answers that aren't really answers will not stand in my house?”If I wasn’t in such a sour mood, I'd have laughed, and for more than one reason too. First, we weren’t in his house, haven’t been for quite some time. And second, I wasn't the child he knew to boss around anymore. I was fucking old enough to decide what I wanted to share and what stayed private.“This is neither the time nor place for that conversation, Grandpa.”I pushed his wheelchair forward, walking behind the nurse as she led us into the private room where his doctor would come run all her tests.“That’s just an excuse to skip the conversation.” He glanced at me over his shoulder, his eyes hard with warning. “You used Alina as a b
ALINAThe lady that was standing behind Theon was drop dead gorgeous, with olive-green eyes that seemed to rival the beauty of nature, and a smile that was so bright the sun glinted off her teeth.He turned around to face her slowly, his demeanor a lot more different than that of the man that I was just now laughing with. I briefly wondered who she was, and why Theon was always surrounded by the most exquisite looking females. Her smile brightened even more. “Aren’t you going to say something, Theon?”Theon forced a smile on his face. I could tell that whoever this woman was, Theon wasn’t very happy to see her. The knot I didn’t even know was in my chest loosened, giving me the opportunity to breathe again.“Casey. What are you doing here?”Her face fell for a moment before she forced the pleasant expression back on her face. “What do you mean? I haven’t seen you in so long and since I heard that you’re in town, I thought that it’d be a good idea to come over and say hi.”Theon’s hea
THEON Of course my big mouth would be loose enough to let out the secret I didn’t even remember I was keeping. I wanted to smack myself upside the head, but instead I settled for a casual shrug as I met Alina's eyes.She repeated the question, slower this time, as if enunciating each word like a slug would be enough to chug my memory and drag the response out of me.“How do you know about Zach, Theon? I don’t remember telling you his name while I told you about our marriage.”“He’s aspiring to do business with my company. I had to do a little background check on him, plus… Tatiana was very helpful with getting me to understand what the history between you and a pompous asshole like Zach was.”Her forehead scrunched, first in confusion, and then anger that caused her eyes to blaze. “Tatiana? You had a conversation with Tatiana about my past?” She ran the fingers of her right hand through her hair, agitation evident in every action. Her lips pressed into a flat line. “Why didn’t you j
ALINAThe words rang in my ears, humming with a certainty that they had indeed been uttered, but at the same time, disbelief swirled inside of me.I mean, there was no way in hell Theon was proposing that we have an actual relationship to rival the rumors that have been flying around concerning the nature and status of our relationship. Right?I had to have imagined that. There's no other explanation.“The wheels in your head are going to combust if they spin any faster.“My head snapped up at Theon's words. If the amusement that clung to his words had not been strong enough, the smile on his face now would be a very vivid indicator of what he was aiming for.I shot him a glare. “Stop joking around. This is serious.“He shrugged. “Of course, it is. There hasn't been a single woman in my house asides Ava since I returned, and all of a sudden there's images of me making out with a nurse? You've got to admit that's one hell of a story.“I instantly sobered up. How had I gotten so lost in
THEONWas I angry? Definitely. But not at Alina. I was angry with myself for giving her that much power over me. The woman didn't have a single qualm with squashing all of my efforts like they were nothing more than an unwanted thought.“Theon,” she heaved a sigh, her eyes softening as she looked at me. “I didn't mean that you helping me out is a bad idea.“I quirked a brow at her. “You didn't? That's surprising. I could've sworn I heard you say, in no uncertain terms, that it was going to make things worse.“Shoving as much sarcasm as possible into the words made me feel somewhat better, but it was nothing compared to the heat that swam back into her gaze. “You know that wasn't what I meant.“I picked up the glass I had abandoned and dunked the content into my mouth, letting the spirit punch me in the chest with heat. She was going through a rough day already. It wasn't such a bad idea to make her feel better.“How do I know that? I don't read minds, remember?“She must have picked
ALINAMy eyes bulged, shock stomping around my insides like a giant sized toddler throwing a tantrum.I tried to form a response for his benefit, but nothing came to mind. The image of my arms around Theon's neck as his lips ravaged mine stared back at me like an accusation.“Do you have nothing to say in your defense?“ Dr. Nolan spoke up in a hard voice. “The way I see it, you're in a very romantic relationship with a man whose grandfather you're supposed to be providing medical assistance to.“I opened my mouth to say something, but the words failed me. The good memories I had of the kiss from last night turned sour instantly.“I'd appreciate a response anytime now.““It's not what it seems like. I… we… It was a lapse in judgment.“ My words came out in a stutter.He sized me up. “Are you telling me that nothing of the sort has ever happened before?“I wanted to lie, to tell him that it was just a one-time error and that it had never happened before, but I couldn't bring myself to sa