THE TWIN IN HIS BED

CHAPTER FIVE 

“You almost had me fooled.” 

The words went right through me. 

Blood drained from my face, and cold panic exploded in my chest.

He knew! 

Oh my God!

I was going to jail. 

“Carlton, please.” 

My mouth opened before my brain could catch up. 

Carlton blinked back.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—”

“What are you apologizing for?”

My mouth clamped shut. 

I was genuinely confused. 

I thought he had dis…wait a minute.

His lips curved in a smile that rendered me breathless, and his eyes sparkled amusingly. 

He clearly had no freaking clue! 

Holy Mary mother of everything good! 

I almost spilled our secret!

“You can drop the shy girl act,” he said dryly. He released my wrists and pulled himself away from my body. “We both know you're an animal when it comes to sex.”

An animal? 

The cold and sophisticated Arla?

My sister?

That didn't sound right. I sat up slowly, trying to even my breath, and give my brain the chance to catch up on everything. 

“But, I must say,” Carlton continued behind me. “This is definitely your most committed performance yet.” 

Performance? 

I almost scoffed. 

He really thought I was acting? I almost died of a heart attack.

A sharp knock interrupted the choking tension. My eyes darted to the door, and then Carlton. 

He reached for a black tee shirt on the bed casually.

“Dinner is served, sir.” A voice called from behind the door. 

“I'll be done shortly,” Carlton said, putting on the shirt. 

“Yes, Sir.”

Silence returned the moment footsteps I hadn't heard initially, faded away.

My lungs began to work again. 

Carlton walked back into the closet, and a few seconds he was back, filling the whole room with a scent of wonder.

“Aren’t you coming for dinner?” 

I contemplated my answer. I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, but I wasn't sure I could get anything in my stomach without throwing up under this tension. 

“Dinner's by seven. I never miss it, even when I'm not hungry.” 

Arla's voice rang in my head. 

Fuck her and her stupid guide to self. 

“He notices routine. Not people.”

God damn it! 

I needed her stupid manual to survive this! 

“Arla?” 

“Yes,” my voice cracked embarrassingly.

I cleared my throat. 

“I need to freshen up first,” I added. 

Carlton studied me contemplatively. And for a terrible second, I thought he might offer to wait. 

Then he nodded once. 

“Don't take forever.” 

And just like that, he left. 

Relief washed through me, I almost cried. 

The moment the door clicked shut behind him, I lunged for Arla's phone. 

My hands shook as I dialed. 

It rang once and then —

The number you're trying to call is currently switched…

“No…No…Not now!” 

I hung up and redialed. 

The automated response persisted. 

Pain clawed up, deep inside my chest at every failed attempt to reach her. 

That witch had abandoned me. 

I knew it! 

I knew something was off the moment she hung up. She might have heard Carlton had returned and switched off her phone. 

I can't believe she abandoned me again, and in the midst of this unnecessary chaos. 

Her betrayal twisted the pain in my chest. 

I dropped to the floor. 

What was I supposed to do? 

I knew nothing of her marriage with Carlton besides how cold and indifferent she had made him to be. 

Dinner with him wasn't something I envisioned. I wasn't prepared. 

A sudden knock on the door nearly stopped my heart. 

“Mrs Holland?” Mrs Timothy's voice called from the other end of the door. “Mr Holland said to check on you.” 

Shit! 

“I'll be down shortly,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady. 

“Okay ma’am. Do you need help with anything?” 

A private escape route and a getaway car maybe?

“I'm fine. Thank you.” 

“Alright ma'am.”

Footsteps retreated again. 

I pushed myself up, and walked to the mirror. 

Arla stared right back at me. 

Well, almost Arla. 

Because fear shaded the hue of my eyes. I looked like someone on the verge of collapse. 

Think of mother. 

If I went to jail for this, no one would look after my mother. 

Pull yourself together, Ellesmere!

One dinner. 

Survive tonight.

I walked into the bathroom with that. 

__________________

Dinner felt like an interrogation. I had never been interrogated, but I'd gladly pick that over this. 

Maybe this was a preparation for an actual interrogation. 

The dinning room was basically a dinning hall, and I would have been lost if Carlton hadn't sent Mrs Timothy to check on me the second time. 

Candlelights flickered across polished silver and crystal, and across the table, Carlton watched me. 

Constantly. 

Every time I looked up, his eyes were there. 

Observing. 

Waiting. 

Ensuring my pulse tripped. 

“The food is not to your liking?” Velvety timbre rang across the table then landed on me. I almost jumped. 

“Huh?” I blinked back at him. 

“You've barely touched your food. Do you want something else?” 

How can I when you won't stop staring at me? 

“I…uh…sorry, my mind's just…all over the place.” 

His brows arched as though to say “explain”

Should I have come with a better excuse? 

What would have Arla's mind wandering? 

A psychopathic idea, most definitely! 

Did she ever stray noticeably from the present?

I sighed, picked up my knife and began to cut through the juiciest steak I'd ever seen. 

“I'm just tired, that's all.” 

Please let me be.

 “Hm,” was all he said, and then continued to cut through his own steak. 

Finally! 

I forked a piece of mine, and the moment I tasted it, I almost cried. This was not just the juiciest, but the tastiest steak I've ever had…not that I've had the pleasure of many, but…

Damn! 

A world class chef must be working behind these walls. 

I set to work, forgetting for a delicious moment that I wasn't alone. 

“Delicious, right?” 

“Extremely!” I replied gleefully, then caught myself. I looked up quickly, the house staff shuffled, hiding what appeared to be bewilderment. 

I have acted out of character again, haven't I? 

Man, being Arla is so hard. 

A staff walked up beside Carlton, and refilled his wine glass. Then approached me with the same intent. 

“Don't stop on my behalf,” Carlton chuckled. “It's a pleasure seeing you enjoy your food for once.” 

For once. 

What kind of uptight bitch was Arla? 

But most importantly, why did Carlton come back unannounced? 

“Is that still bothering you?” 

I nearly choked. My eyes bulged out of their sockets. 

Had I said that aloud? 

His stare was answer enough. 

“I…I…didn't mean—” 

Shit! I did! I did!

Why are you here? 

Why are you messing with my sanity! 

“Well, if you must know, my clients left earlier than expected, and there wasn't much to do, so I had to return.” 

I nodded. 

Better not to say anything, or think anything. 

And fortunately, dinner continued in silence. 

—____________________—

The second dinner ended, I practically flew upstairs. I had gotten the idea that Arla and Carlton shared a bed. 

So, my plan was simple. 

Pretend to sleep. Avoid any conversation, or worse, touching, which would lead to imminent death. 

A silk night dress was laid out on the bed when I walked into the room. 

These people were really strange. 

I quickly changed into the nightdress, solely because looking for shorts would waste my time. 

My fingers trembled as I adjusted the straps.

The bedroom door opened. 

Shit! 

Carlton walked in, quite loosened from the evening. He shut the door quietly. 

Too quietly. 

My heart dropped. 

“You didn't stay back for some wine.” 

“I was tired.” 

“You've said that three times tonight,” he said crossing in. 

I moved towards the opposite side of the bed instinctively. 

Distance. 

I needed to create distance. 

His eyes narrowed at my movement. 

“You've been edgy since I returned.” 

And whose fault is that, Mr sticks to routine? 

“Is something wrong?” 

“No.” 

His brow arched at my answer. Then he began to approach me slowly. 

Measured. 

My pulse raced, and I began to back away. 

“Carlton, please…I just need some sleep…”

My back hit the wall, and he didn't stop until he was before me. Heat radiated from him, enveloping me. 

Unsettling me. 

“You know,” he murmured softly, his gaze lowering over me unhurriedly, “I think your curves are filling out.”

My breath snagged. 

“Your tits look fuller and rounder…” he continued, his eyes taking my body in hot appraisal. Then he met my eyes, I looked away immediately. 

He covered the last inch between us, pressing his body against mine. 

Holy fucking shit! 

I could feel him everywhere.

He placed one hand beside my head, against the wall, trapping me there. 

“I swear you've been avoiding me all evening,” he murmured.

“I…I haven't.”

“Hm.”

His fingers brushed slowly against my hips. My eyes found his again. 

He squeezed the flesh softly. 

Fear spiked my blood pressure. I jerked back immediately. 

His gaze darkened at my reaction. 

“Sensitive tonight too?”

His hands slid higher. 

My heart raced. 

“Carlton…” 

“Hm?” 

His hands slid around my waist, pushing my body against him. 

Air fled my lungs. 

“Carlton…” 

He angled his head towards my lips. 

“Relax.” 

Easy for him to say. 

He had no idea he was touching the wrong woman.