Naked Games (Hard to Get 3)

On impulse, Catherine went to Wade and hugged him. “Thank you,” she said. His arms wrapped around her in a tight bear hug, and that’s when she knew. He did truly care. Like a brother might care for a sister. It felt good to have him in her corner. She stepped back and looked over at Gracie and saw the tears shining in her eyes. “I can’t tell you how much it means to know that you two are here for me.”

“That’s what family is for,” Gracie said with a small smile.

“I know, but this thing between Dean and me, it’s complicated.”

Wade laughed. “You’re trying to tell us in a nice way that our help isn’t required, aren’t you?”

Catherine winced, knowing how ungrateful she seemed. “Something like that. Although it is appreciated.”

“Okay, but I still want to punch him.”

She shook her head. “If violence is needed, I’ll be the one dishing it out.”

Gracie nodded. “Get him, sis!”

“Darn straight,” Catherine said, feeling a fraction better. For the first time since Dean had opened his big mouth, Catherine felt a real smile coming on. “Now, how about we go see that movie?”

Gracie still appeared unconvinced, but in the end she relented. “I hope he’s at home rotting in his own misery.”

Catherine didn’t want to think about what Dean might be doing. That road led to disaster. She grabbed her coat and purse, and the three of them left the suite. Wade dropped Catherine and Gracie off at the mall, giving them time alone, and promised to swing by and pick them up after their movie to take them to dinner.

Fifteen minutes into the flick, Catherine discovered she was actually having a good time. She’d learned that Gracie had the same love of movie theater popcorn as she did. They shared a big tub, and it wasn’t until the credits were rolling and the lights came back on that Dean’s hurtful words came back to her.

“Come on,” Gracie said, as she tugged her out of the theater. “It’s time for some girl talk.”

They entered a little café on the second floor of the mall, and Gracie ordered them both a cup of coffee while Catherine found a table for them near the back. After they were seated, Catherine said, “Clearly putting on a brave front is a waste of time.”

Gracie blew on her coffee, then said, “I was always terrible at hiding my emotions from Wade. He can see right through me.”

“I don’t know why Dean is so bent on thinking the worst of me.” Catherine squeezed her eyes closed tight. “He’s so hardheaded.”

Gracie snorted. “He’s a Harrison, so that explains the hardheaded part.”

Catherine thought of the conversation she’d had with Deanna in the car on the way to the hotel from Dean’s house. “Yeah, I can see it runs in the family. Deanna was intent on making me see that Dean didn’t mean what he said. The thing is, I heard it with my own ears.”

“Deanna didn’t tell us what happened exactly. She only said that Dean spoke without thinking and that you got hurt because of it. That alone was enough to send Wade into a tizzy.”

Catherine took a sip of her coffee. It was too hot to drink yet and she ended up burning her tongue. She barely noticed though. “The night we shared was so wonderful, Gracie. Dean was attentive, gentle, rough, and completely insatiable.”

Gracie winked. “So far, so good.”

“He seemed to really want me. The way I wanted him. It felt right, but I’d been deluding myself because all he’d wanted was answers. The sex was nothing more than a means to an end.”

Gracie’s brows scrunched together. “Are you saying he was only using you?”

Catherine nodded. “He said as much. The joke’s on him though, because I have no answers to give him. The idiot won’t listen to reason, of course.”

“God, Catherine, I can’t imagine how you must feel.” Gracie frowned. “I’m surprised he’d do something so callous. I really thought he was into you.”

“Yeah, he’s really great at pretending, I guess.” She thought of how many times he’d come, and doubt started to seep in. A man couldn’t fake that sort of thing. He’d turned to her again and again, wanting her with such intensity.

“Are you sure he wasn’t just spouting off? Men sometimes say things when they’re angry that they don’t mean. Women too, for that matter.”

Catherine wasn’t sure of anything anymore. “It seemed like he sincerely enjoyed our night together.” She looked across the table at her sister. “Should I give him a chance to explain?”

“At this point, I don’t see how it can hurt.” She paused before adding, “Not that he deserves it.”

Maybe Gracie was right, but Catherine had a terrible feeling that if she wasn’t