‘Tis the season of Wicked Deeds (A Holiday romance Book 1)
‘Tis the season of Wicked Deeds: Chapter 35

WICKED DEEDS

1. Get risqué behavior in public.
2. I wanna be your slave.
3. Be my Daddy tonight.
4. Slut me up, Mr. King.
5. Make love in front of the fireplace.

Kingston and I snuggle under a furry blanket in front of the fireplace.

The steady beat of his heart plays in my ear as I lie with my head resting on his bare chest and one leg thrown over his. My eyes threaten to close from the comforting pleasure as his fingers toy with my hair falling down my back. The teasing sensation is so soothing and hypnotic.

I don’t even know what time it is, but I know it’ll be morning soon.

Yet neither of us mentions sleeping or trekking to the bedroom.

I know I have a huge decision to make. A week ago, it would’ve scared the bejesus out of me and sent me spiraling.

When I look back over my life, I realize I often listen to my brain rather than my heart, and it hasn’t always made me happy.

Ultimate happiness comes with taking a risk and following one’s heart.

I listen to mine and know, without a shadow of a doubt, that it wants to be with Kingston.

I see it so clearly now that he and I belong together. He’s the one and I’ll be so stupid if I walk away without giving us a fair chance.

The way we met is a sign.

If that isn’t one, then it’s running into him here halfway across the ocean.

We are destined to be with each other.

So, what the hell am I doing torturing us both?

As though I’ve had an epiphany, I lift my head, making his hand slide down to my waist. His lazy gaze connects with mine and roams over my flushed face to my naked breasts made visible with the blanket pooled around my waist. Caressing my palm up to the base of his neck, I softly murmur, “King.”

“We should talk,” he finishes, reading my mind.

Nervousness flickers in his light pupils like he’s waiting for the shoe to drop. Hating I’m the reason for putting that look there, I open my mouth to speak. I’m about to confess my feelings when suddenly, my phone rings loudly in the piercing silence.

It can only be one person.

Tina.

I may as well talk to her before telling Kingston the good news. Pressing a finger to his lips, I say, “Hold that thought.”

Taking my hand, he presses a kiss on the inside of my wrist and replies, “Take your time.”

A draft of air touches my limbs as I leave the heat of his body and stand up naked. I follow the sound of the ringtone to the door where I’d dropped my purse. On my way, I pick up Kingston’s discarded shirt and put it on.

Pulling out my phone, I become overjoyed and excited at seeing Tina’s name flash on the screen. Before it can go to voicemail, I hurry into the bedroom for a bit of privacy and accept the call.

“HAPPY NEW YEAR, TINK!!” Tina screeches in my ear.

Yep… my best friend is shit drunk.

“Are you trying to scream it to all of Switzerland?” I tease while trying not to laugh. It slips free when she complains in the next breath.

“I wouldn’t have to if you hadn’t decided to ghost me.”

“Ghost you?”

“Uh… huh,” she slurs slightly. There’s background noise on her side as though she’s out on the street.

“I am coming back, you know.”

“And you better bring me a bucketload of delicious Swiss candies.”

“How could I ever forget about your sweet tooth?”

She chuckles and eagerly demands, “So, did you celebrate the night? Was the trip everything you hoped? And tell me you missed me.”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” I sigh as I lie down in the middle of the canopy bed surrounded with wooden upholstery. The rustic vibes are top-notch here. “I’m having the time of my life, Boo. This town is magical.”

I hold back from revealing to her that I’ll probably extend my trip for a few more days to spend time with Kingston, since there’s no way I’m leaving tomorrow—which is technically today, I guess.

Or am I getting ahead of myself?

Gosh! There’s so much to think about in terms of us dating. How long will we have to do the long-distance thing until he moves to India for work?

See, this is why I need to admit my feelings to Kingston. But first, I need to confess to Tina so she doesn’t think I blindsided her. At some point, they will have to meet each other. However, I’m not sure she’ll even remember or hold on to the conversation considering her drunken state.

I decide to bite the bullet, because I can’t keep it to myself any longer. If our situation wasn’t such a clusterfuck of epic proportions, I would’ve told her about him the moment we met.

“Tina, there’s one more thing I—”

“Tink, you won’t believe what happened to me,” she exclaims at the same time.

“That’s my line ’cause I have sooo much to tell you too.”

“Me first! I’ve been dying to tell you this.”

Chucking at her eagerness, I turn over onto my stomach, prop my chin on my palm, and reply, “Go on.”

“I ran into Julian.”

I’m certain I didn’t hear her right, and mutter, “Sorry?”

“This!” she says loudly. “I swear this was my reaction too.”

How drunk is she? I frown as a pit form in my stomach, and I sit upright. Swallowing the bag of rocks in my throat, I ask again, “Who did you meet, Tina?”

“The one you catfished in the summer,” she grumbles. “The one Mom picked for me through the matchmaking agency.”

If what she’s saying is true, then who the hell have I been fucking for the last week?

“That’s not the twist, though.”

“No?”

Her sweet voice drops an octave like she’s unfurling a big mystery. “Turns out, he sent his best friend, I can’t remember the name, in his place too, for the same reason I sent you.”

“Kingston.”

“Yes!”

A sardonic and hollow laugh slips past my lips as I process everything Tina has revealed. She’s too tipsy to ask me how I know.

In this entire ordeal, I’m the one who got played, not him.

Oh, how smug he must be!

I can’t believe he’s been lying to me all this time under false pretenses. Was it to teach me a lesson? Did I bruise his ego by pulling the wool over his eyes? Was everything a game? Did he plan a ruse to steal my heart and then stomp all over it for acting like a bitch on our first date? For rejecting him after the kiss?

More importantly, just who is he?

Numbness slowly sinks into my pores as I stare blankly at the wall. I’ve never felt more betrayed even though I have no right. I mean, I conned him too.

Nonetheless, the difference is I had no ill intention and I didn’t string him along.

He had so many chances to reveal his identity.

Yet he didn’t.

God! I can’t believe I was about to give him a chance.

Tina continues chattering, unaware of how badly I’m shaking from the shock of Kingston’s betrayal. “Anyways, I dodged a bullet either way because he is rude as hell and I hate his guts. The fucker cockblocked me by calling me his fiancée. It’s a damn shame too, because he’s smoking hot enough to make a nun wet. Until he opens his mouth, at least.”

“Do you have his picture or his full name?” I ask past the tightness in my throat. I need proof before I confront Kingston, which I wish I didn’t have to do half naked while wearing his clothes.

Just a few minutes ago, his scent calmed me, and now it just makes me want to cry. The saddest part is that despite the anger coursing through my veins, I still can’t replace myself to hate him.

The only thing I’m destined for is a broken fairy tale.

“Julian Kashyap,” answers Tina. “As for his picture, just search him online. He’s some hotshot sports agent here in New York.”

At least, Kingston made his bed of lies based on a few truths.

With each second, I get more and more pissed.

“Look, Tink, I gotta go,” she mumbles in a rush. “We’re about to enter a club. Come back soon. I love you.”

My first instinct is to tell her the truth, but I don’t want to ruin her night. So, I say, “Love you too.”

As soon as she hangs up, I open a search engine and look for the real Julian instead of the one masquerading as him. I replace him on the first attempt, instantly recognizing him as Josh from the picture on Kingston’s office desk.

Except, he’s the real Julian.

I’m freaking impressed at Kingston’s selection of the fake name for his friend. He was prepared for everything.

My heart breaks into pieces when in one of the pictures, I see him and Kingston smiling together side by side.

A part of me wishes for it to all be a big misunderstanding.

Every single word he said, and the promises he made, all turn poisonous.

I am a fool who fell for them.

Under the photo, I learn his full name. When I click on a link to read his full bio, my world once more tilts on its axis.

Kingston Bucher.

Billionaire playboy.

Retired NBA player and founding member of Odyssey Agency.

“Oh fuck!” I curse. “I really am clueless about sports.”

With each article I peruse—there are literally thousands flooding the internet—I learn more and more eye-opening details that pop the romantic bubble I was living in.

Only one epiphany remains.

I got conned by the biggest Casanova on the planet.