Page 19 of Tiger on the Prowl

9

Olivia opened her eyes. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. It was 2:17 a.m. and something had awoken her. She turned to snuggle closer to Jay, but she was alone.

Jay’s visit had been a surprise, but a welcome one. And he’d been even more passionate than the night before. The way he’d touched and kissed her in the foyer had turned her on like nothing before. And when he’d taken her right there, pressed against the wall, she’d felt more wanted and desired than ever before in her life. She hadn’t been able to move when he’d gripped her hips and pounded into her, but she’d loved every second of it. It had felt as if she belonged to him, to do with her as he pleased, and despite the fact that she prided herself on being an independent woman, she’d loved feeling him dominate her.

He’d dragged her to bed after they’d both climaxed in the foyer, and half an hour later, he’d made love to her again. This time face-to-face, but just as frantically as in the foyer. She’d fallen asleep shortly later. But now she was awake, and Jay wasn’t in her bed anymore. Had he left?

Olivia swung her legs out of bed and grabbed her nightgown. She slipped it over her head and walked outside into the hallway. She saw immediately that there was light in her office, and the door was ajar. She pushed it open and froze.

Jay, wearing only boxer briefs, was rifling through her office. He was opening drawers and pulling out files.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

He spun around to face her, sucking in an audible breath. His facial expression told her that he knew he was caught doing something he shouldn’t do.

“It’s not what it looks like.”

The cliché rolled off his lips so easily that she realized that this wasn’t the first time he was doing something so despicable. He was a professional at this, hired by somebody to seduce her and then find what everybody in the sci-fi genre wanted to know.

“Who sent you? Who?” It had to be one of the two sci-fi authors she was outselling.

“Nobody sent me.”

“Was it Rick Sanders or John Marston? Which one of those fucking bastards paid you to find my manuscript? Who?” She stepped into the room, furious, and not at all afraid of him, even though he was so much taller and stronger than her. But the adrenaline pumping through her veins now lent her strength.

“Your manuscript? I wasn’t looking for—”

“Don’t lie to me! You fucking bastard, you were playing me all along. You only slept with me so you could get a look at my next book and then leak spoilers! Fuck you, Jay!”

“I don’t know anything about a book,” he insisted.

“Oh please! You’re caught!” she spat. “As if you don’t know who I really am. How stupid you must think I am! Are you gonna leak that to the press too? That you fucked the great sci-fi novelist T.R. Harland so you could reveal spoilers from the next book?” She felt tears rim her eyes, but she pushed them down. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of crying in front of him. “So you could tell the world which character will get the axe next? So you can turn my fans against me and spoil my next release? You fucking jerk!”

He stared at her, almost paralyzed, surprise flickering in his eyes. “You’re a novelist?”

“Fuck you, Jay! Don’t pretend! What are they paying you, huh?”

“Nobody is paying me anything. I didn’t know that you’re a writer,” he claimed and made a step toward her. “Olivia, I’m sorry, I—”

“Why are you still denying what you’re doing? At least be a man, and admit that you were looking for my manuscript! For fuck’s sake, I caught you going through my files!”

“Olivia, please, let me explain—”

“There’s nothing to explain! You used me! You had sex with me so you could find what you were looking for. And I fell for it! Oh my God! How stupid! You were probably laughing behind my back about what an easy lay I am!”

That hurt even more than knowing that one of her rival authors had paid Jay to find her manuscript. But what Jay had done was personal. He’d pretended to care about her. He’d played the considerate lover. How naïve she’d been! Of course a handsome guy like Jay had no interest in somebody like her. She wasn’t a beauty, just a decent looking woman. She had no model figure, nothing that men raved about. She was just a normal woman.

“I slept with you because I’m attracted to you. For no other reason,” he said, his voice sounding resigned. “You have to believe me.”

“I don’t have to do anything!” she yelled. “Now get the fuck out of my house before I call the police and have you arrested for trespassing! And tell whoever hired you that if any part of my manuscript leaks before publication, I will sue them for every cent they’ve ever earned in their entire lives!”

“I’m sorry, Olivia, I truly am. I wish I could explain this to you, but I—”

“Get your fucking clothes, and leave!”

Finally, Jay moved. Olivia watched him walk into the bedroom, where he’d undressed in a hurry only hours earlier. A few moments later, he came back out, fully dressed this time. He looked at her, and parted his lips, as if he wanted to say something else, but he didn’t.

Perhaps he’d finally realized that no excuse in the world would rectify the fact that he’d betrayed her trust. And hurt her like no other man had hurt her before.

When he left the cottage, she flipped the deadbolt and sucked a breath of air into her lungs. With it, the first sob tore from her chest. More followed. Within seconds tears flowed down her cheeks and dripped to the floor. But the tears couldn’t wash away her pain. Jay had used her. Betrayed her. Their lovemaking had meant nothing to him. He’d only slept with her so he could search her home. And she’d been so stupid not to see through him right away.

Olivia felt shame engulf her. She’d behaved like a common slut tonight, letting him fuck her in the foyer only seconds after he’d entered her home unexpectedly. This was even worse than a booty call. Jay hadn’t even called her to announce that he was coming over. He’d simply shown up, confident that she wouldn’t turn him away.

He’d been so smooth that she guessed that this wasn’t the first time he did something like this: seduce a woman so he could execute whatever task he’d been hired for. And she’d walked right into his trap.