Unmistaken Identity Read online

  “We’ll clean up,” Ephraim called across the room, “and get out of your hair.”

  “No rush. I have no plans tonight.” Dating Sam was spoiling her. Nights with nothing going on didn’t offer the appeal they used to.

  Her door’s bell dinged and she spun with a smile to greet her next customer.

  Sam walked in, eyeing the interior of her store cautiously, like he didn’t know what to expect.

  She shoved her hands into the back pockets of her favorite jeans and sauntered over to him.

  The corner of his mouth quirked and he strolled to meet her.

  He must’ve run home to change because he was wearing athletic pants and a maroon University of Chicago sweatshirt.

  “You made it.” She rose to her tiptoes to greet him with a kiss.

  He draped an arm around her shoulders and they wandered through her store. “Absolutely. I couldn’t ask you what you were doing tonight, otherwise.” A gaming system on the wall caught his attention. “Is this for real?”

  He broke away from her and picked up the gray PlayStation.

  “Chris got his hands on one of the first models. It doesn’t work, unfortunately, but it’s a nice decoration. And I’m sure he secretly thinks he can fix it.”

  “I remember getting one of these when they first came out. Sa— My dad and I would play all night. And since I was like, seven, it’d piss my mom off so much.”

  She chuckled and noticed Joe staring at them. Ephraim was glancing up occasionally, but his expression was more curious where Joe’s looked stunned.

  Sam had that effect on people.

  “Let me introduce you to two of my friends.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. “Joe, Ephraim, this is Sam. He’s a fanboy in disguise.”

  Sam smiled and reached his hand out.

  “How ya doing, Sam?” Ephraim pumped Sam’s hand and went back to picking up the tiny pieces of the game.

  “Joe,” Sam greeted.

  Joe nodded but said nothing. He turned his back on them to help Ephraim, which surprised her. Joe was a little quieter than many customers but always sociable.

  “So, Sam,” Ephraim said. “It’s too bad you won’t be able to join us for many more game days.”

  “I heard. I’m not much of a board gamer. I need graphics and a console.”

  They both chuckled. Sam asked about Axis & Allies and after Ephraim filled him in, Sam stepped away and pulled her with him.

  “Nice to meet you two.” When they were near the cash register, he leaned down to her ear. “So, are you free tonight?”

  “I might be. What do you have in mind?”

  “I think we could fire up that Xbox of yours. I have a competition in mind that involves someone getting naked.”

  A thrill shot through her. She’d been thoroughly sexed the night before, but with Sam it didn’t matter. “You’re on. Swing by around seven thirty and I’ll even feed you.”

  The kiss he gave her before he left was full of promise. With a sigh, she flipped her closed sign over and turned to Ephraim and Joe.

  Ephraim hefted the game box under his arm but stopped with a concerned look at Joe. “You all right, man?”

  Joe cleared his throat and spoke to Mara. “What’d you say his name was?”

  She titled her head at him, unsure of his concerned expression. “Sam.”

  Joe’s gaze went to the door, then back to her. His face had lost some color. “Mara…that’s Wesley Robson.”

  “Joe!” A nervous chuckle burst out of her. “What are you talking about?”

  “Joe?” Ephraim echoed.

  “That man was Wes Robson. I see him most every day I work. Apparently, he doesn’t see me.” Joe shrugged and looked down at his outfit of jeans and a T-shirt. “I’m usually in coveralls, I guess.”

  Mara stared at Joe and the world quit spinning. She blocked out everything but Joe’s news.

  No. It couldn’t be. Her Sam was not Wes. A lump lodged square in her chest.

  Ephraim set the game down and straightened. “Where did you meet him again?”

  She swallowed because she hated the answer. “At Canon, Wes Robson’s nightclub.” She pulled out a chair and collapsed in it. “I asked for him at the bar and low and behold, this guy sat next to me and struck up a conversation.”

  It had to be a coincidence. Sam looked like Wes Robson. And was in his club…with the same name as Wes Robson’s dad… Disbelief rocked her being.

  “And he told you his name was Sam?” Ephraim’s voice was gentle.

  Pushing her bangs out of her face, she kept her hands on her head. How could she be… “I’m so stupid.”

  “Mara,” Joe shuffled closer, “it’s not your fault.”

  She peered up at him. Maybe Joe was mistaken. He only passed his boss every day; it’s not like they were close. “Are you sure?”

  Joe gave her a sad nod.

  “Let’s pull up his picture.” Ephraim took the seat next to her to search on his phone.

  Her laugh was harsh and bitter. “I was going to do the same thing when Sam—ugh, Wes—started hitting on me.”

  Tears burned the back of her eyes, but she refused to cry until she was alone. Ephraim spun his phone toward her. On the screen was a stolid picture of Wes in a suit and tie, a head shot that was used for his profile on his website.

  “That’s him.” Her heart crumbled, cut under the knife of betrayal. Well, didn’t she feel foolish. Like the stupidest, most naïve girl on earth. She’d let her guard down and wham! Stupid girl. “Why would he do that?”

  “My guess is daddy issues. He wants to know why his dad was going to basically give this place to you.”

  She scoffed. “I bet he assumed I slept my way into that contract. Of course, that’s what anyone would think.” Her cheeks flamed. These men were her customers and they’d just witnessed a humiliation that blew Dr. Johannsen out of this realm. At least she was the only one hurt this time.

  Joe shook his head with disgust and laid a hand on her shoulder. “He grew up differently than us. In his world, relationships are a contract in and of themselves.”

  She scrubbed her face. “What do I do?”

  Ephraim swore and pocketed his phone. “Would you like me with you when you confront him?”

  Joe bobbed his head. “I’ll even go with you, Mara. He can’t get away with what he’s done.”

  Confront Wes in front of an audience? Absolutely not. Humiliation, party of one. “No. You’re not putting your job on the line.” Betrayal gave way to anger. “No, you know what? I’m not confronting him. He wants to play some secretive game and dig for information, I can, too.”

  “Mara…” Ephraim’s look was one she’d expect from a father who was afraid his little girl would get hurt. Ironically, it was one she’d gotten from Sam—the real Sam—when they’d talked business and he’d feared for her financial benefit.

  “I know. But I need to know why he’d do this to me and he won’t tell me if I out him.”

  Joe cut in. “Mr. Robson isn’t known for relationships. There are rumors of course, but nothing serious, and he never brings it to the office. I’m surprised he’s even making an effort.” Joe’s kind smile was another she would’ve loved from a father. “He might not even know why he’s doing what he’s doing.”

  Joe might be trying to make her feel better, but Wes’s behavior was inexcusable. Her falling for it was just as bad.

  Ephraim cleared his throat. His elbows were propped on his thighs, his hands pressed together at the fingertips between his knees. His serious expression was all lawyer. “As much as I’d like to think he has legitimately fallen for you because you’re a good person, and he’d be an idiot not to, Wesley Robson is not a stupid person. He inherited everything, but he was a force in his own right before his dad passed away. He knows full well that he can’t deceive you forever, but he’s continuing to. You have to wonder why.”

  “He even asked me out tonight,” Mara muttered miserably. Fo
r all her talk of playing the same game, facing him after work sunk a boulder in her gut. Her courage was nothing more than words.

  The urge to crawl out of her skin grew stronger. She rose and gave each guy a quick hug. Because what the hell, her store was closing and they were her friends. If Wes Robson could do something as slimy as lying his way into her bed, then he wasn’t going to have mercy on her store.

  “Thank you, guys. I mean it. I’m going to go along with it, for now.” Because she didn’t know what else to do. The idea of Sam wasn’t one her heart wanted to let go of.

  Imagine that. Another handsome man was using her for selfish purposes. At least Wes wasn’t married. His duplicity only hurt her.

  “Be safe, Mara. I don’t think he’ll hurt you, but…”

  She squeezed Ephraim’s hand. No, she didn’t think Wes would lay a hand on her. He had all the power anyway. He couldn’t hurt her any more than he already had.

  ***

  “Wesley, I think I’m dying.”

  “You’re not dying, Mother.” Wesley sat on Mara’s front step. It was a little after seven thirty and she was late.

  “It’s the cold. It’s going to do me in. Have you rented that villa in the islands for me yet?”

  “I’m not renting a villa.” But it was tempting. Months of his mom out of the state. Out of the country. What held him back was the tab she’d rack up because he’d have to open a line of credit for her to use.

  “It’s either the villa or a hospital bill. I’m telling you, I won’t survive another Minnesota winter. Perhaps I’ll need to move in with you.”

  “Stay inside and order in. They deliver everything nowadays. And no, you can’t live with me.” Access to his housekeeper, chef, and driver was what she really wanted. Coveted his private jet, too.

  “We’ll talk about this later. I have another doctor’s visit and he’ll write a note. Not that I should need one for my own son,” she finished with sarcasm.

  It wouldn’t matter, but he let his mom hang up. Villa or a hospital bill. He toed a rock off the step. Would he even visit once or twice a week like Mara did with her mother?

  Mara could visit his mother, too. They could both worm their way into his bank accounts. Even the thought was half-hearted because despite his best efforts, Mara wasn’t giving him those vibes.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when she finally pulled up. How’d that girl always pull him out of his head?

  He went to go open her car door, but he stalled at the look on her face. Stricken. His bubbly girl looked like she faced her worst nightmare.

  He pulled open the door and held out his hand. “You okay?”

  She pursed her delectable lips and shoved two fast food bags into his hands. “It just hit me today. Some asshole’s closing my store out of spite and I can do nothing about it.” She got out and charged toward her front door. “Sorry, I didn’t feel like cooking.”

  The door banged back on him as he followed her. Kicking it open, he stepped in and peeked in the bag.

  “Burgers are fine.” He usually ate clean but a night of fries, whose grease had already soaked through the bag, wouldn’t clog his arteries in one shot. Maybe.

  He doled out the food at her small table.

  “I left a perky woman at the store a couple of hours ago and she came here pissed as hell. What happened?”

  She considered him for so long he shifted in his seat, didn’t dare bite into his sandwich. Strong feelings simmered in the depths of her hazel beauties and it was disconcerting to feel like it was aimed at him.

  “Sam, why are you here?”

  “Because we made a date.”

  She stabbed a fry into ketchup and popped it into her mouth.

  He did the same.

  “It’s just that,” she continued after she swallowed, “you seem like a successful guy. You’re hot and you know it. I’m going out of business, I dress in clothes covered in superheroes, and my history with men is… Well, I haven’t made the best decisions.”

  “So, you’re wondering what I see in you?” Did she hear the incredulous tone in his voice? He hoped so. Yeah, he was in this for other reasons. But say she hadn’t conned his dad; she was smokin’. And ambitious. And sweet and funny and—argh. Was he going to prove Flynn right and quote Shakespeare next?

  His voice dropped low. “Do I need to show you again?”

  Her eyes narrowed on him. “Maybe later.”

  They ate in silence. His chef would go apoplectic if he saw what Wes had just ingested. This entire meal probably wouldn’t buy the one-serving side dish Chef prepared for him at each meal.

  “I haven’t played Halo in forever and I noticed you have the game. Gonna let me warm up before you take me on?”

  “Nope.” She dumped their garbage and went to the living room.

  They set up on the floor, backs against the couch, end table pushed out of the way. He was half hard already, remembering what they’d done on that couch. His personal vendetta to reveal her greedy nature was going to have to wait. His temporary mission was to cheer her up, not because it bothered him that much—it didn’t!—but because he wanted access to her body and Mara was as closed off as his office.

  He got a few giggles out of her. Especially when he died horrible deaths in the game.

  “All right, enough of Halo. What else do you have?”

  “I’ll get one more your speed.” She crawled to the console and switched out games, giving him a prime view of her ass.

  He adjusted himself, but it was no use.

  When she came back, he pulled her onto his lap. She tensed instead of melting into him like usual.

  He captured her mouth in a kiss, but her wooden response wasn’t promising.

  “Mara, what’s wrong?” He brushed her bangs out of her eyes.

  “I…I just don’t know anymore.” Her eyes glistened. “I’m so tired of everything.”

  “Let me help you forget about it tonight.”

  Her placid stare remained in place.

  Okay. “Then how ’bout you use me as your personal stress reliever?” He released his hold on her and leaned back against the couch. “Use me.”

  She waited so long, he’d taken sex off the table for the night. Then she straddled him and jerked his sweater up. He helped her remove it and shuffled his pants down. Before he tossed them, he grabbed the new box of condoms out of his pocket.

  He fisted the hem of her shirt, but she pushed his hands away to stand. Mara peeling her jeans down was an erotic show he’d pay thousands to watch. When she was bared to him, he fisted himself and gave his cock a sturdy stroke. He was as physically excited as he was mentally with Mara using him for her purposes.

  She knelt back in front of him, that damn shirt still on, her nipples poking through the fabric. He licked his lips but held back from tonguing them through the cloth. This was her show.

  She ripped open a packet and rolled it on him.

  “Do you need to be prepped?” He slid his hand along her thigh, his gaze buried in the view of her sex mounting him.

  To answer, she lifted and settled herself over him to slide down.

  He groaned, but registered that she had misled him. She wasn’t as wet as usual, but the condom lubricated her entrance enough for him to slide in. He went to grab her hips, but she flung his hands off.

  He anchored them on the edges of the cushions. She hoisted herself up and slammed down. His breath whooshed out.

  “Fuck, Mara.” He had to spread his legs a little, with a slight bend at the knees. His fingers dug into threadbare upholstery.

  She rose and came down hard again. Her hands gripped his shoulders. Written across her face was determination. To get off? She oughta know he’d never let her down in that arena.

  She rode him hard. He grunted at the force of holding his orgasm back until she went.

  Her lower lip was sucked in and captured by her teeth. He wanted to be the one nibbling on it, but for some alien reason, he had to let her use
him. He’d give her what she needed. For once, his pleasure wasn’t the goal.

  She let out a little cry and her head flung back. Her neck was exposed and her eyes were closed.

  “Look at me, Mara.” Who knew why it was so important, but it was. She needed to know who she was with. That was it. The connection.

  Her pace increased, she grew wetter, easing the blow to his ego.

  “I can’t—” she panted. “This is—” Her lids shut and her fingernails dug in as her climax hit.

  Her mouth dropped open and he waited for her to yell Sam but it never came. She hollered her orgasm and he gritted his teeth against his.

  The episode affected him. First, the unusual way she’d acted tonight, then the frantic ride. He wrapped her up in an embrace and spun her to the floor with him on top.

  Her eyes flew open with a gasp, but he’d already claimed her mouth.

  Murmuring against her lips, he said, “Now it’s my turn.”

  He pumped and she responded, sluggishly at first, probably due to her recent orgasm and the change of position.

  He broke away from their kiss to hitch her legs up. She’d used him and he’d told her to, but his male side needed to dominate.

  Her hands dropped back behind her head. That shirt. He growled and yanked it up to expose her breasts. The bra was in the way, but not for long. Freeing her breasts, he gave in and lapped at one nipple, then the other.

  Mara moaned and writhed under him. He couldn’t hold back a smug smile. She was unable to control herself and he made sure of it.

  Her walls started to quake around him and he finally broke down the dam holding back his orgasm. Slamming once, twice more, his balls tightened and he thrust one last time before bowing back.

  “Mara!” His buttocks tightened and he shook his release into her.

  Like before, her orgasm was on the quiet side. She didn’t yell his name like she normally did, and if he were honest, it was a relief not to hear the wrong name while the girl he fucked came all over him.

  Her lids were half open and she lazily watched him, but there was a hint of caution in the depths of her gaze. She was usually so open with her feelings, he hated closed-off Mara.