Substitute Seduction (Sweet Tea And Scandal 2)

“Good to hear,” he murmured, “because I’m going to spend the rest of the night doing all sorts of things to you. And I think we’ll both like that.”

* * *

It was nearly two in the morning and Everly sat in her car outside a twenty-four-hour drugstore, tearing apart the packaging to get to the prepaid cell phone she’d just purchased. It was important that the call she was about to make couldn’t be tracked back to her.

She’d been thinking about this step for two days, weighing the options and debating if such a radical move would be beneficial to their plans. In the end, she’d decided that London needed to be punished. Her failure to use the flash drive to pull the information off Tristan’s computer proved that not only her priorities had shifted but also her loyalty.

How was Zoe supposed to get her revenge if London didn’t do her part? More important, what was the motivation for Zoe to take down Ryan if nothing bad happened to Tristan? And Everly really needed Zoe to enact some truly devastating vengeance on Ryan for what he’d done to Kelly.

Everly had kept to her part of the bargain. Satisfaction lay curled like a sleeping house cat in her chest. She was nearly purring with pleasure at the damage she’d caused.

In the midst of the charity polo event, she’d ruined Linc Thurston’s life by showing him the truth about his housekeeper, ending their ridiculous romance.

No doubt by now, with Claire’s past catching up to her in a big way, exposing all her lies and deceptions, Linc was feeling devastated and more than a little stupid that he’d been taken in so easily by an obvious opportunist.

In some way, Everly had actually done him a favor. Not that he’d thank her if he knew she’d been the one who’d contacted Claire’s family and let them know where she was.

The look on Linc’s face when he’d realized that Claire had lied to him about everything had given Everly such a thrill. She’d planned and executed a flawless plan and the results had been better than she could have imagined.

But not everyone had the strength of will to follow through. That had become crystal clear with the way London had chosen her romance with Harrison over loyalty to the plan. And now she would pay.

Everly keyed the play button on her phone and London’s voice rang out with clear conviction.

I’ve used Harrison to get to Tristan. He means nothing to me except as a means to an end.

Everly dialed a number on the burner phone and waited for the call to roll to voice mail. She’d chosen the late hour, knowing Harrison would be occupied with London. The two of them had been spending all their time together, and after watching them at the polo event, it was pretty clear Harrison was falling for the event planner. And she for him.

Well, falling in love hadn’t been part of the plan. London should’ve kept her clothes on and her focus on what they were trying to achieve.

“You’ve reached Harrison. I’m not available right now, but leave me your name and a brief message and I’ll get back to you.”

Smiling, Everly hit Play.

Ten

London woke to a soft morning light stealing past the gauzy curtains of her bedroom. She loved that her windows faced east. Waking up to the sunrise always boosted her optimism. The soothing palette of peach, pink, lavender and soft gold offered a tranquil beginning to her day. She often took a cup of coffee onto her broad terrace and sucked in a heady lungful of river breezes.

Stretching out her hand to the far side of the bed, she found the space empty and the sheets cool. Sighing, she pushed to a sitting position and ran her fingers through her tangled hair. Usually she braided it at night, but Harrison said he loved the spill of her satiny locks over his skin and she adored the way he tunneled his fingers through it.

She slipped from bed and donned a silky robe before following her nose to the kitchen, where the smell of coffee promised a large mug of dark roast. But as she neared the kitchen, the sound of her own voice reached her ears.

I’ve used Harrison to get to Tristan. He means nothing to me except as a means to an end.

She stopped dead, a malignant lump of dread forming in her chest as she remembered when she’d made that declaration. What did Everly think she was doing?

In her kitchen, Harrison stood at the island, one hand braced on the marble countertop while he stared at the phone. He looked like he’d been told he could never race again.

It was the same devastated look Linc had worn at the polo event during the brutal incident with Claire.

A rushing noise filled her ears as the edges of her vision grew fuzzy. She must’ve made a sound because his gaze whipped in her direction.

“What is this about?” he demanded, holding up his phone. “Why did you say those things?”

Even if she could speak, she had no words to explain.

“Damn it, London.” His voice broke on her name. “I thought we had something.”

She had to reply. He deserved an explanation. But would he listen? London doubted she’d be open to it if their situation were reversed.