Slippery S lope
Xander
“ Mr. Pierce,” Gabriella urged. I had yet to take the hand she offered me, and I was surely making obvious my surprise at seeing her here.
I reached out and shook her hand. “Yeah-uhh… nice to finally meet you… Ellie.”
“ You’re the Xander Pierce, aren’t you?” She faked the surprised I just met a celebrity look well.
“ Yeah.”
She smiled nervously as she pulled her hand back and tugged on her braid. “I’m just going to…” She pointed down the hallway. “Sorry for interrupting,” she finished as she scooted past me to make her escape. I watched until she disappeared, then turned back to Avery.
“ So… Ellie?” I pointed my thumb in the direction she went.
“ Yeah…” She furrowed her brows. “That was a little awkward, right?”
“ Yeah… I guess.” Awkward was an understatement. Gabriella walked in here, turned everything upside down, shook it, and left me wondering where her head was. Not that I had any idea where mine was at the moment. I just knew I needed to get her to keep her mouth shut.
“ Xander?” Avery tugged at my hand, pulling me out of my trance.
“ Huh?”
“ You okay?”
“ Yeah, I’m fine.” She walked backward, pulling me down the hallway with a sultry smile on her lips. “Let’s go to bed.”
When we reached the living room, she spun around but kept hold of my hand. Her place was contemporary, all clean lines and spotless surfaces. Much like her office, it felt like walking through a photo shoot for a magazine. Stark-white couches against slate-gray walls and dark-wood flooring. There was a black area rug, but no bright colors. In Avery’s world, there was only black and white, right or wrong. I didn’t know if what I was about to do was a white lie or a black one. On one hand, telling her would hurt, so I was protecting her. A small white lie. But on the other hand, my real reason for keeping this from her was dark. Black . I didn’t want her to know about Ellie because I was selfish, and I didn’t want to lose her. I hoped she’d never find out, and on the off chance she did, maybe by then she’d be so deeply involved with me she wouldn’t be able to just walk away.
We passed the kitchen to the left. Beyond the living room was another long hall, and we headed down that way. The first door in the hallway stood open with soft light pouring through. Ellie stood by the door, watching us as we passed. Well… watching me .
“ Goodnight, Ellie,” Avery chirped, completely clueless to how fucked everything just got. Ellie leaned her hip on the edge of the door, her gaze locked on mine. All at once, I saw accusation, suspicion, and anger flash in her dark eyes.
“ Goodnight, Avery,” she said in a cold tone. Her eyes never broke away from mine. She raised an eyebrow at me, then slammed the door shut. In those short seconds, I knew she was waiting for me to leave before she ran her mouth off to Avery. I knew the picture she’d paint would depict her as the sweet angel she looked like tonight who got taken advantage of by the rich, pushy asshole. And after the way I pushed my way into Avery’s life, she’d believe Ellie one hundred percent. Never mind that she thought the sun rose and fell with the girl.
I had to shut Ellie up. I knew once I started lying I was headed up a slippery slope. But I’d rather take a chance and climb it than walk away—giving up what may be the chance of a lifetime. I damned sure wasn’t leaving this house until I knew Gabby wouldn’t fuck everything up for me.
Soon as she shut the door, Avery pushed me against it. Yeah, we had a long night, but I’d have to be dead to not want to fuck her again—especially when she had that fire in her gaze. The passion in her blue eyes made them even more spectacular.
She moved in on me , kissed my neck, running her tongue across it, then biting me right underneath my jaw. She swiftly pulled my shirt up over my head, lowering her head and
Xander
“ Mr. Pierce,” Gabriella urged. I had yet to take the hand she offered me, and I was surely making obvious my surprise at seeing her here.
I reached out and shook her hand. “Yeah-uhh… nice to finally meet you… Ellie.”
“ You’re the Xander Pierce, aren’t you?” She faked the surprised I just met a celebrity look well.
“ Yeah.”
She smiled nervously as she pulled her hand back and tugged on her braid. “I’m just going to…” She pointed down the hallway. “Sorry for interrupting,” she finished as she scooted past me to make her escape. I watched until she disappeared, then turned back to Avery.
“ So… Ellie?” I pointed my thumb in the direction she went.
“ Yeah…” She furrowed her brows. “That was a little awkward, right?”
“ Yeah… I guess.” Awkward was an understatement. Gabriella walked in here, turned everything upside down, shook it, and left me wondering where her head was. Not that I had any idea where mine was at the moment. I just knew I needed to get her to keep her mouth shut.
“ Xander?” Avery tugged at my hand, pulling me out of my trance.
“ Huh?”
“ You okay?”
“ Yeah, I’m fine.” She walked backward, pulling me down the hallway with a sultry smile on her lips. “Let’s go to bed.”
When we reached the living room, she spun around but kept hold of my hand. Her place was contemporary, all clean lines and spotless surfaces. Much like her office, it felt like walking through a photo shoot for a magazine. Stark-white couches against slate-gray walls and dark-wood flooring. There was a black area rug, but no bright colors. In Avery’s world, there was only black and white, right or wrong. I didn’t know if what I was about to do was a white lie or a black one. On one hand, telling her would hurt, so I was protecting her. A small white lie. But on the other hand, my real reason for keeping this from her was dark. Black . I didn’t want her to know about Ellie because I was selfish, and I didn’t want to lose her. I hoped she’d never find out, and on the off chance she did, maybe by then she’d be so deeply involved with me she wouldn’t be able to just walk away.
We passed the kitchen to the left. Beyond the living room was another long hall, and we headed down that way. The first door in the hallway stood open with soft light pouring through. Ellie stood by the door, watching us as we passed. Well… watching me .
“ Goodnight, Ellie,” Avery chirped, completely clueless to how fucked everything just got. Ellie leaned her hip on the edge of the door, her gaze locked on mine. All at once, I saw accusation, suspicion, and anger flash in her dark eyes.
“ Goodnight, Avery,” she said in a cold tone. Her eyes never broke away from mine. She raised an eyebrow at me, then slammed the door shut. In those short seconds, I knew she was waiting for me to leave before she ran her mouth off to Avery. I knew the picture she’d paint would depict her as the sweet angel she looked like tonight who got taken advantage of by the rich, pushy asshole. And after the way I pushed my way into Avery’s life, she’d believe Ellie one hundred percent. Never mind that she thought the sun rose and fell with the girl.
I had to shut Ellie up. I knew once I started lying I was headed up a slippery slope. But I’d rather take a chance and climb it than walk away—giving up what may be the chance of a lifetime. I damned sure wasn’t leaving this house until I knew Gabby wouldn’t fuck everything up for me.
Soon as she shut the door, Avery pushed me against it. Yeah, we had a long night, but I’d have to be dead to not want to fuck her again—especially when she had that fire in her gaze. The passion in her blue eyes made them even more spectacular.
She moved in on me , kissed my neck, running her tongue across it, then biting me right underneath my jaw. She swiftly pulled my shirt up over my head, lowering her head and
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