A Beautiful Lie (Playing with Fire, #1) Read online

  Parker looked at him in confusion, and Garrett liked the fact that she was the one perplexed at the moment.

  “Just moving us somewhere a little more private, baby,” Garrett said as he kept his eyes on her and glided them through the water to the spot he’d zeroed in on the moment Parker had pushed her hand into his shorts.

  A waterfall spilled down over the top of a huge stone formation that resembled a cave, directly across from where they had been. Garrett walked them right through the wall of water and laughed at the shocked expression on Parker’s face once they came through on the other side, enclosed behind the waterfall and under the stone structure.

  Garrett let go of her arm that he’d been holding behind her back, so she could push the water and hair out of her face. Parker’s legs were still wrapped tightly around his waist and Garrett’s hand was still under her suit, clutching her ass. He wrapped his other arm around her back and moved them to the wall of the cave.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Parker hissed as she wiped water from her eyes and felt her back press up against the damp, cold stone wall.

  “Finding us some privacy,” Garrett stated as he slid his wet hand up her spine to cup the back of her neck.

  Parker had no idea what Garrett was doing, unless he wanted to talk without the guards looking at them. She quickly glanced around the cave, figuring there weren’t any listening devices in here because it was too wet. Drops of water fell from the ceiling and the spray from the waterfall misted over everything.

  Garrett’s hand trailed around to the front of Parker’s neck until it rested directly over her heart. He felt the beat pick up beneath his palm as he stared at his hand.

  “This bathing suit looks amazing on you.”

  Parker rolled her eyes at Garrett and his need to stay in character when they were under a God damn waterfall in the middle of a cave. She hated the act he was putting on, even though it was necessary when they were being watched or listened to. Fake Garrett confused her and made her imagine things that weren’t really happening between them. It put her on edge and she hated it. She neededher Garrett to make her feel grounded. This job was screwing with her mind. And her heart.

  “Jesus, Garrett. Cut it out. No one can hear you right now,” she said irritably.

  Garrett’s eyes flashed up to hers and the look he gave her made the breath whoosh from her lungs. She’d seen him pissed before, but this was different. This was more, so much more. It made the familiar ache between her legs tingle to the surface and her nipples harden with need.

  “I don’t give a fuck who can hear us,” Garrett said angrily. “This one’s for me.”

  Garrett slid his hand down over top of her breast, pulling the soaked triangle of fabric away with his fingers as he went, pushing the material under the curve to hold it in place. Her pale pink nipple came into view, and Garrett forgot everything around him but Parker and swooped down, wrapping his mouth around it and pulling the tender bud into his mouth.

  Parker’s back arched, pushing Garrett’s mouth harder against her as she cried out from the shock of Garrett’s actions and the pleasure that shot right to her core as he sucked and laved his tongue over and around her nipple.

  Her hands flew to the back of his head and held him in place. His hands pushed her body down lower so his erection nestled against her core. Parker immediately pushed her hips and moved against his hardness. Garrett clutched her and slid the lower half of her body up and down his length under the water, thrusting his hips up to push against her harder.

  The air was filled with Parker's moans and the sounds of water crashing around them. Garrett pulled his mouth away from Parker’s nipple and kissed his way up her chest and neck. Parker didn’t waste any time taking what she wanted. She pulled his head away from her neck and connected her mouth with his, immediately slipping her tongue past his lips.

  Garrett forgot every reason why he shouldn’t be doing that right then and let Parker’s body and mouth make his decisions for him. Her tongue swirled around his, and he sucked it further into his mouth, gliding one hand through the water and around between her legs, sliding his fingers up the thin fabric that covered her.

  He could feel her heat even through the water and didn’t hesitate to push the bikini bottoms to the side and sink two of his fingers deep inside of her.

  Parker’s hips bucked against Garrett’s hand, and she whimpered into his mouth as she deepened the kiss. He pushed and pulled his fingers out of her harder and faster until the sound of his arm splashing through the water echoed off of the walls around them. Her thighs tightened around his waist, and she locked her ankles behind him, her heels digging into him she pulled her body into his hand.

  While Garrett continued to work his fingers deep inside of her, Parker slid her hand between them, dipping it under the water to pull the elastic of his trunks away from his stomach, pushing it down to free him. She slid her thighs lower on his hips until she felt his hardness pressing against the inside of her leg. Without ending the kiss, Parker pulled Garrett’s hand away from her pulsing center, wrapped her hand around his length, and moved it between her legs, pressing herself against the base of his cock.

  Parker’s folds wrapped around Garrett, and it was his turn to moan into her mouth. He held perfectly still, not wanting the moment to end, but at the same time, bracing himself for the onslaught of guilt he was sure to feel at any moment. He shouldn’t be enjoying Parker’s body that way and jeopardizing their assignment by ignoring their surroundings and focusing on how soft and warm her she felt wrapped around his length. He shouldn’t be wondering if she would object to him lifting her hips and positioning his head at her opening so he could slam into her.

  As Parker continued sliding herself against him, letting her warmth caresses him while her tongue explored his mouth, Garrett forgot to care about his actions being unprofessional and the multitude of reasons why it was a bad idea. Even in the water, Garrett felt her wetness coating him, making it easier for her to glide her sex over him. He pulled his hips back slightly so the ridge around the head of his cock rubbed against her clit, and then pushed forward to slide through her again.

  Garrett braced a hand on the wall next to Parker’s head and started pumping his hips faster and harder, slipping through her throbbing sex, but not entering, while she matched his rhythm. Regardless of the doubts and the reasons why not, she felt too good against him to stop. The low ceiling curved right over Parker’s head and her hand smacked on the stone above her to hold herself in place while she rocked against Garrett. She pushed hard with her hand so her body was held tight against Garrett as he continued to slide the tip of his cock back and forth against her. The feel of the soft, smooth skin of Garrett’s hardness moving against her was too much and not enough, all at the same time.

  She felt the familiar coil deep in her belly and the whimpers and moans she made against Garrett’s mouth let him know she was close. He felt his own orgasm building and tighten inside him and wanted more than anything to pull back and thrust into her heat so he could come deep inside her. Garrett wouldn’t allow himself that much freedom with her so this would have to do.

  With a few more passes, Parker erupted around him, throwing her head back and letting her shouts echo in the cave as she rocked and pulsed against him.

  Garrett was flooded with her warm wetness and as she pushed herself harder against his erection, the water splashing around her body as she thrust her hips. He knew he was all done.

  “Uunnngg…fuck,” Garrett shouted against the wet skin of Parker’s neck as she slid up to the tip of his cock. The heat of her opening pressed against the sensitive head, and he came hard, using every ounce of his willpower not to push inside her as he throbbed between her legs.

  His body jerked with the force of his orgasm, and Parker slid one more time down his length, holding herself against the base of him as they collapsed against each other, panting heavily.

  Parker didn’t have time to wonder w
hat in the world had got into Garrett or to enjoy the fact that maybe they were finally moving to a place where they could be real with each other and not be consumed with guilt and memories. The moment was cut short by a voice on the other side of the waterfall.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Miller, I’m sorry to disturb you, but the President has arrived and asked if you would join him for a late lunch instead of dinner.”

  Parker and Garrett didn’t move, their foreheads locked together and both of them glancing down beneath the water where their bodies were still touching.

  “He would like for me to inform you that he will conduct the interview you desire immediately after lunch.”

  The faint sound of footsteps walking away prompted them to start breathing again. Parker finally let her hand drop from its firm hold of the ceiling and pulled back to look at Garrett. She knew immediately that their moment was over by the embarrassment covering his face and the fact that he wouldn’t look her in the eyes.

  Parker unwound her legs from around his waist and pushed herself away from him, refusing to watch him put his precious wall back in place or say something to belittle what had just happened between them. She quickly adjusted her bathing suit, pulling it back into place and covering herself from his view. She turned and swam away from him, making sure she was the one with the last word this time and paying him back for his quick retreat out of bed and away from her the night before.

  “I’m going to take a shower,” she yelled over her shoulder as she moved through the water. “I’ll meet you at lunch.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Parker showered and dressed for lunch, leaving the room before Garrett got back. It was better this way: no awkward silences, no attempt at strained conversation, no need for her heart to crack a little more because of what she’d done, what she’d given that hadn’t been returned. The black three-quarter sleeved wrap dress she wore looked like something she’d wear to a funeral, which was fitting, given her mood.

  She exited the room and smiled at the guard standing in the hallway, her black, peep-toed Jimmy Choo heels clicking on the marble floor as she walked. She’d been there almost twenty-four hours and hadn’t even thought to look around. She was losing her touch and forgetting her training all because of one man.

  Parker didn’t figure she’d find anything or gain access into any room that might have information that would help them, but she couldn’t just sit around and do nothing.

  She wandered along every floor of the palace, walking at a casual pace and pretending like she was checking out the artwork on the walls as she went. Parker wasn’t stupid enough to reach out and turn the handle on any of the closed doors, knowing full well that she’d be seen and questioned.

  Instead, she focused on the conversations of guards and staff. She assumed they had been informed that she spoke a bit of Spanish after her words of thanks to the President’s wife at dinner the other evening. This explained why the people she passed spoke to each other in Portuguese when they noticed her standing there. The two languages were similar in that many of the words were spelled the same, so they were easy to learn. The main difference was the pronunciation. Lucky for Parker she had spent several weeks last summer speaking only Portuguese. She was quite fluent.

  Most of the conversations focused on security of the palace, meetings about security of the palace, or changes in security of the palace. Nothing stuck out to Parker as unusual until she walked by an office with two men in a heated discussion. She immediately recognized the first man as the Vice President. The man he argued with looked like one of the staff members since he wore the same crisp, white uniform everyone else did.

  She walked by the door as quickly and quietly as she could, stopping once she reached the other side so she could listen, translating their conversation in her mind.

  “They are going to find out about the cat.”

  “They aren’t intelligent enough to put that together. You shouldn’t worry so much.”

  “You and I both know what he’ll do if this is uncovered.”

  Parker knew her Portuguese was spot on and there was no doubt in her mind she translated what they said perfectly. But what the hell did it mean, she wondered.

  “Mrs. Miller,” a familiar, booming voice echoed in the hall behind her, causing her to jump and turn around. “You look lovely this afternoon.”

  Parker easily masked the look of guilt on her face and smiled politely at Fernandez.

  “Thank you, Mr. President. I hope you don’t mind. I was just enjoying some of your art pieces before our late lunch,” she said, the lie easily rolling off of her tongue.

  Fernandez stared at her with a smile on his face, but it wasn’t one of joy. He was using it to cover up his irritation because she was wandering around alone.

  “And which piece have you enjoyed the most?” he asked her, attempting to trip her up, most likely knowing full well she hadn’t been paying a bit of attention to any of the paintings or sculptures as she wandered.

  Parker had spent the better part of eight years studying this man. She knew the name and location of every single piece in the palace, along with how much it cost and the date it was purchased. She didn’t need to pay attention to her surroundings to know how to answer his question.

  “I am particularly fond of the Salazar, 'Unscathed Earth', in the northwest corner of the third floor, next to the executive office balcony,” Parker replied confidently, raising one of her eyebrows in challenge.

  If Fernandez was ruffled by her knowledge, he didn’t show it.

  “I do believe we should be heading down to the dining room. It would be a pleasure to escort you,” he replied, bending his elbow for her to take.

  Parker had a feeling he didn’t really care about being a gentleman, he just didn’t want her snooping around anymore. She wondered if the guards would get a good tongue lashing later for not stopping her.

  Garrett stood up from his place at the table as Parker entered the room on Fernandez’s arm. He’d spent the better part of the last two hours wondering if something had happened to her. The only thing that kept him calm was the subtle, clean smell of her soap from the shower and the exotic scent of her coconut perfume she’d sprayed while getting ready in their room. It permeated the air when he finally let himself in after wallowing down by the pool for an hour after she left.

  Fernandez walked Parker over to Garrett’s side and he greeted her with a kiss on her cheek. The dress she wore clung to every inch of her curves and showed off a generous amount of cleavage, and Garrett had to remind himself that it would be inappropriate to maul her at the dinner table.

  “I found your wife roaming the palace unaccompanied, so I thought I’d escort her back to your care,” Fernandez said as Garrett pulled Parker’s chair out for her.

  The condescending way he spoke of Parker, making it seem like she’d sneaked away from her husband without permission, made her curl her fists in anger.

  Garrett nodded his head in thanks and put his hand over Parker’s fist that rested in her lap so he could try and calm her down. He knew full well that comment would bring her claws out, and it would be incredibly hard for her not to say something snarky to the man in response.

  “Thank you for the use of the pool today, Mr. President. It must be wonderful to have such a beautiful retreat right in your own backyard,” Garrett told him as one of the waiters began serving lunch.

  “I’m happy you were able to take advantage of it. I’m afraid with my busy schedule I’m not afforded much free time to appreciate my surroundings. I was informed that you and Mrs. Miller had a wonderful day and that you were able to find a little privacy from the guards,” Fernandez said simply with a sly smile aimed at Garrett.

  This time it was Garrett’s turn to curl his hands into fists at Fernandez’s blatant admission that he’d been told exactly what he and Parker had done that day. It disgusted him and made him want to punch the smug look off of the man’s face for thinking he could just take advan
tage of them like that.

  Parker was just as enraged as Garrett was at the President’s words, but she quickly changed the subject to diffuse the tension in the room.

  They made a good team, even if neither one of them could admit it.

  When lunch was over they made their way up to the President’s office. Parker stopped in the suite along the way and picked up her camera.

  Fernandez sat down behind a giant oak desk, pointing to the chair directly in front of it for Garrett. He pulled out a small tape recorder, a notebook, and a pen and began the interview.

  Parker attached the new lens Garrett had bought her for her birthday to the end of her camera, adjusted the settings for the dimly lit office, and began circling the room, taking random pictures. She listened to Garrett’s questions, knowing that none of them would cause the President to slip in any way. But at least the interview had gotten them close to him, close enough to know he wasn’t what he seemed.

  Garrett watched Parker out of the corner of his eye as she slowly and quietly took pictures of the President during the interview. The new lens allowed her to zoom in so close to items that she could see particles of dust on them. Parker made sure to snap a photo of every single piece of paper in the room. She knew the President wouldn’t be careless enough to leave something laying around that would blatantly point a finger at him; she just needed a clue―something that could tie him to the missing girls or to what happened to Milo.

  Luckily, Parker was behind the man when Garrett saw the small look of surprise on her face as she stared at something on Fernandez’s desk. He didn’t pause or lose his concentration at all while he asked Fernandez what made him run for office, still watching Parker as her breath quickened and she slowly lowered the camera from her face concentrating whatever it was she had noticed.

  Parker shook the fog from her head and quickly pulled the camera back up to her face before Fernandez noticed the clicking behind him had stopped. She adjusted the focus ring, set the shutter speed, and zoomed in as close as she could, snapping several pictures before walking back around to the front of the desk as if nothing was amiss.