Infamous (Beautiful Idols 3)

“The word ‘everything’ makes for a pretty big umbrella, don’t you think?”

Mateo shifted uncertainly. He’d never been any good at this sort of thing. Funny to think how he’d dated Layla for two years—a girl with no fear of confrontation—and yet, he couldn’t remember a single time when she’d made him feel as uncomfortable as Heather currently did. Not even at the very end of their relationship had he felt so much unease. Layla spoke her mind freely, and Mateo had appreciated her honesty.

Heather was just the opposite—rarely, if ever, authentic. Mateo always walked away from their encounters feeling like he’d been used to further her agenda. It was the way he felt now. And yet, because of her, Valentina would gain access to the very best doctors. He had no right to protest.

“I thought you’d be happy about the transfer. I thought that’s what you wanted. So when Ira mentioned he had a connection to the board of directors—”

“Ira?” Mateo’s voice hardened, his gaze locked on hers. It was the worst thing she could’ve said, and the look of regret that washed over her face told him she knew it.

She lifted a hand as though she could somehow stop what she’d started, but it was too late for that. “Listen,” she said. “I know how you feel about him, but you can’t deny—”

Mateo turned on his heel and pushed through the glass doors that led outside. “You asked Ira for help?” He stopped and faced her. He didn’t know what upset him more—that Heather would betray him like that, or that Ira had succeeded in helping Valentina in a way Mateo couldn’t. “I can’t believe you did that.” He ran a hand through his hair. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her. “You know how I feel about him.”

“So you are mad.”

“I’m not mad, I’m just—” Indebted to Ira Redman! He couldn’t bring himself to put a voice to it. “Why do you have a picture of Layla and Tommy kissing?” It came from out of nowhere, and yet, once it was out, he found he didn’t regret it.

“Did you go through my belongings??

? She spoke with an edge that surprised him. If anything, he’d expected her to play defense. Then again, everyone had a shadow side they kept under wraps. Maybe Mateo had just glimpsed hers.

Technically, in his search for paper and a pen he had gone through a few of her things, but he wasn’t snooping. He wasn’t hunting for anything incriminating, and it had nothing to do with whatever she was implying. If he hadn’t found the sexy pic, he would’ve written the good-bye note and been done with it.

But then maybe Valentina wouldn’t be getting the transfer she so desperately needed.

He met Heather’s gaze. “No, I . . .” The words faded. There was no good way to explain. “Just tell me, are you the one who sent it?”

Without hesitation she said, “What if I did? Would that be so terrible?”

Again, her answer caught him off guard. He’d expected her to deflect, or possibly even lie. His mind reeled back to the first time they’d met. She’d acted aggressively flirty despite his insistence that he’d been looking for Layla. At the time, he hadn’t paid it much notice. In retrospect, maybe he should have. Whether or not it was terrible was more complex than she wanted to pretend.

“Why would you do that? Do you have any idea how hurtful that was?”

“More hurtful than living a lie?” Heather’s features were hard, her voice indignant. “I thought you deserved to know the truth. I thought you deserved better than that. And yeah, I admit, I liked you. I still do.”

Mateo sighed and closed his eyes, wishing he could block out the world and everything in it. When he opened them again, Heather was still standing before him, looking so impossibly beautiful, he felt a twinge of regret for what would come next. “Thanks for your help with Valentina. I’m sorry if I seemed ungrateful. I have a lot on my mind, and you took me by surprise.”

She gave a quick nod. “You don’t have to explain.”

Without warning, she leaned in and pressed her lips softly to his. Her kiss was warm. Lush. Hinting at the promise of all she had to offer.

Mateo leaned into the moment. Willfully ignoring the warning bells sounding in his head, he clasped her tightly against him. What could it hurt to just . . .

Before he could finish the thought, he withdrew.

“It’s okay.” Her voice was choked and tight as she fought to blink away the flash of pain in her gaze. “Turns out, you were right to be suspicious. Ira’s willingness to help wasn’t entirely altruistic.”

Mateo stilled. He did not like where this was going.

“Trena’s devoting an entire episode to Ira’s ‘meteoric rise.’” She hooked air quotes around the phrase and rolled her eyes. “His words, not mine. Anyway, I convinced him I could get you to take part if he made a few calls on Valentina’s behalf.”

Mateo was seething but did his best not to show it.

“I’ll explain to Ira. I’ll—” She started to reach for his arm, but reading the look on his face, she dropped her hand to her side. “Don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll still get the transfer. Ira’s a shark, but he’s not Satan. He really does have a heart.”

“You sure about that?” Of all the things he wanted to say, that didn’t come anywhere near the top of the list. But it was the only thing he wouldn’t live to regret.

“I’ll fix it. Promise.”