Truth & Lies (Truth & Love Book 1) Read online

  Truth & Lies

  BJ Harvey

  Truth & Lies

  Copyright © 2022 by BJ Harvey

  Cover Design by

  BJ Harvey

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  ISBN: Ebook - 978-0-6455988-3-4

  ISBN: Paperback - 978-0-6455988-4-1

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the above author of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  Love & Consequences Preview

  Chances Series Preview

  Other Books By BJ Harvey

  About BJ Harvey

  Chapter One

  My life as I know it changes on a flight from Seattle to Las Vegas, an easy two-hour trip at the request of my mom’s boyfriend, Gavin—the man who has healed her heart after my father's death five years ago.

  The trip is short notice, and Mom has no idea I’m coming to visit. But Gavin promised to take care of everything—from getting me from the airport to my hotel room on the Strip, and lunch reservations for Saturday which is when he plans to pop the question. He has made it very clear that all I have to do is catch my flight, and the rest will be taken care of. In his words, he doesn’t want his future daughter to worry about anything.

  Gavin owns the Sovereign Hotel, the biggest and brightest star on the Las Vegas Strip and I’m more than a little excited and intrigued to find out more about both the man and the business.

  And although a weekend away wasn’t on my radar at all because of deadlines and a new magazine title we’re launching in a month’s time, work has been taking over my life and maybe a break is exactly what I need. A little reminder that I'm only human and everyone deserves the chance to recharge now and then.

  Before Gavin called, I’d made plans to meet up with a friend who was going to fly in from San Francisco—the kind of buddy who will leave me entertained, happy and well-sated. However, my mother’s future happiness is and always will be my priority, so I didn’t hesitate before accepting Gavin's generous invitation, thus canceling my weekend of hot adult fun with Aiden.

  And since I’m on holiday, I’ve already downed a glass of champagne since I boarded the flight 20 mins ago, in addition to the two glasses of white wine I’d had at the airport bar. Therefore, it’s fair to say I’m on the tipsy side of sober already. Which is probably why I eagerly return the desire-filled gaze directed my way by the handsome passenger walking past me in First class to take his seat two rows ahead and across the aisle from me.

  He’s a very sexy and fine specimen of a man with black slacks that cling to his ass like Saran Wrap and hair as dark as the charcoal gray button-down he’s wearing. The fabric is tailored to perfection, taut against his toned biceps and covering pecs that any hot-blooded woman would want to lick her way down on her way to the promised land between his thighs. A quick glance down confirms that yes, you could indeed bounce pennies off his butt too and have fun while doing it.

  A woman can tell by the way a man carries himself whether he's the type to take what he wants without apology. Exactly the kind of man I’m craving in my current drunken state. Someone who’ll use and abuse my body in the best possible ways before kissing me goodbye without consequence. In the current state of my life, that’s the perfect kind of companion.

  A knowing smirk plays on the man’s lips as he stows away his carry-on in the overhead locker. The liquor coursing through my veins may have buoyed my confidence right now, but I’ve never been the type of girl to hide my approval of such a fine male specimen or be ashamed to do it. So when he turns his head and smiles his perfect white-toothed grin my way, I don’t dare shy away from his gaze.

  Gone were the free drinks I was planning to consume in my future—all I want to do now is get drunk on the man with the cocky smile and big… ego...

  Our connection is broken when he’s asked to take his seat by a passing flight attendant.

  By the time we’re in the air and the seatbelt sign has been turned off, my mind has already imagined all the creative ways I could please and be pleasured by that man. One look and I’m sure we both know I would be putty in his hands, thoughts of becoming a card-carrying member of the mile high club occupying my thoughts. I bet the cocky bastard knows it too. Something that is confirmed when the flight attendant appears next to me holding out a dirty martini I didn't order.

  “Mr. Matthews in seat 1B ordered this for you,” she explains, handing me the glass and walking away. I glance up and try to catch the eye of the intriguing man but lady luck isn’t shining my way this time.

  Never one to turn down a free cocktail, I lift the flared glass to my lips and relish in the delicious bitterness. Ten minutes later, I’m looking at the bottom of the crystal glass with a warm flush covering my skin and an unmistakable ache between my legs. An ache that I’m sure a certain male passenger with a penchant for buying women drinks could fix for me.

  I rack my brain for a way to approach him. There was undeniable interest in his gaze and there was no ring or tan line on his finger, so that's always a good sign. That doesn't help me find out more about the man though or do anything to quell the growing need for any form of contact with him. The idea of getting off this plane and not speaking to him would be a travesty. Glancing down at the clock on the TV screen in front of me, I see that there are only forty-five minutes of flight time left—plenty of time for an opportunity to present itself surely. I’m an enterprising modern, go-getter after all.

  Just as I’m about to get up from my seat and accidentally bump into the man—or maybe feel the sudden effects of turbulence and fall right into his lap—the inflight phone in front of me lights up, “Seat 1B calling” showing on the screen. My pulse spikes and exciting anticipation kicks in as I lift the handset to my ear.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello, Ms. 3F. How was the martini?” The sound of his deep baritone voice in my ear has me squirming in my seat.

  “A pleasant surprise, Mr. Matthews.”

  “Made to your satisfaction then?” The word satisfaction from his lips tugs at my desire more than any drink ever could. His voice alone invokes images of his body pressing into mine as he whispers dirty nothings in my ear, thrusting deep over and over again until planting himself deep and pouring into me.

  “Anything dirty is always pleasing,” I reply, unabashedly.

  His deep chuckle strokes my needy core. “A woman after my own heart.”

  “If I may be so bold, it wasn’t your heart I was thinking of.” Any ounce of decorum I may have had left disappeared along with the last sip of my cocktail. A gasp comes from beside me, the elderly woman sitting next to me glares in disgust. Maybe she needs a pass to the mile high club more than I do… I open my mouth to say something to that effect but the sexy stranger’s voice in my ear stops me from saying something I’d likely regret to her.

  “Now I’m glad I trusted my gut and read you right.”

  I quirk a brow, a smile playing on my lips. “And what could you tell about me from one look?”

  “That you’re a woman who knows exactly what’s she’s got and what she wants,” he states matter-of-factly.

  I laugh quietly. “Not exactly hard to read when you catch a woman red-handed when she’s checking out the goods.”

  “Indeed. But I’ve always admired a woman who isn’t afraid to show her appreciation for my assets.”

  I find myself enjoying his honesty. “I can only comment on that particular asset, and it’s definitely one to be proud of.”

  “Duly noted,” he replies, sounding amused.

  “So did you only call to assure yourself that I enjoyed your dirty beverage?”.

  “Well that, but more to hear the voice I’ll be hearing scream my name later.” Well damn…

  “And how do I measure up?” I ask, my voice a lot husky and a little curious.

  “That’s something I’d much rather show than tell.”

  “And how would you show me, Mr. Matthews?" I drop my voice to a whisper so I don't scandalize my seatmate too much. "I think you should tell me in explicit detail.” This conversation is definitely heading in the right direction but I need more than just words. I need the promise of action.

  “That would take a lot more than the limited time we have left in the
air, Ms. Jacobs.”

  A soft gasp escapes me before I can stop myself. There’s no way he could’ve had the time to look me up. Unless he asked the flight attendant or somehow snuck a glance at the passenger list. “How do you—”

  “I’m an enterprising man, Alyssa. I make it my business to find out everything I can about people I’m interested in. And you, have captured my attention.”

  “Ah,” I say. “A man who sees what he wants and goes for it?”

  “Precisely.”

  “Interesting,” I muse.

  His answering laugh washes over me like an aphrodisiac. “You have no idea.”

  “So, Mr. Enterprising and Mysterious. How exactly did you see this playing out?” I ask, my curiosity well and truly piqued now.

  “That all depends.”

  “On?”

  “On how you want this to happen. Because believe me, it's a foregone conclusion," he shoots back, his words as smooth as molasses. "I could meet you in the bathroom now and induct you into the mile high club with my tongue."

  “Or…” There’s no way he could miss the wavering husky lilt in my voice.

  “Or we can taunt and tease each other until we land, then I could drag you into the airport restroom and fuck you against a wall so I don’t have to imagine you screaming my name, I’ll experience it first hand.”

  I suck in a shaky deep breath as I try—and fail—to get my body and libido under control. "Two notable options, but they're all a bit too easy for my liking. I'm sure you can come up with a much better proposition than that, Mr. Matthews.

  “Hmm. Now she’s challenging me,” he murmurs. “So what do you want, Alyssa?” It should be illegal for that man to say my name dripping like sex like that.

  “Oh no. This is your show. So how about you make the moves and I decide whether to let you act on them.” I figuratively pat myself on the back and thank the high heavens that my flirting game is still in top form after that martini.

  “If I had my way, I’d ask you to meet me in the restroom, where I'd proceed to lock the door, spin you around to the mirror, and order you to watch my hand disappear under your dress as I touch you everywhere but where you desperately want me the most, torturing you until you were a dripping mess begging me to take you hard.”

  My breathing is erratic, his words stoking a fire raging in my core that I swear only him and him alone can put out. “And then?” I whisper, my thighs clenched tight now.

  His voice drops lower, stroking me as if he was right next to me, claiming me as his own. “Then I’d run my fingers through your weeping pussy, my thumb dragging across your throbbing clit as you buck your hips back against my hard cock that’s grinding into your ass like a promise of what’s to come."

  “Jesus,” I murmur, turning my head away from my seatmate.

  “Are you wet for me, kitten? Are you sitting there imagining my hands, my mouth, my cock stroking you?”

  “I’m soaked.”

  “And I’m hard as fucking steel just looking at you.”

  My body spasms and my head snaps up to be met with the most piercing blue eyes I’ve ever seen. I swear they can see right through me into my very soul.

  “I’ve heard it’s hazardous to a man’s health to stay in that state for too long. Want me to help relieve you?” I say, a coy smile curving my lips as I stare deep into his hooded gaze.

  He growls in my ear, the sound making me buzz with need more than any dirty martini ever could. “Your mouth is making promises that my body wants to cash, Alyssa, preferably with you on your knees naked and begging.” Even from ten feet away I can see his eyes fixate on my mouth, his look turning dark as my tongue darts out to run along my bottom lip. “And now I’m imagining your legs on my shoulders and my cock buried so deep inside, neither one of us would know which way was up.”

  “You’re very forward,” I say breathlessly.

  “And you’re irresistible and loving it.”

  I take a moment to steady my breath. “How do I know it’s not you making empty promises, Mr. Matthews.”

  “Kitten, I never say anything I don’t mean and I never promise anything I’m not willing to deliver on. It’s now up to you to decide how you’re going to let me prove that I’m a man of my dirty words.”

  My eyes drift to the TV screen again, a sigh escaping me when I see there are only thirty minutes of flight time left. Not enough to take him up on his offer.

  “Seems today is not our day. Definitely not on this flight, anyway," I say with a pout, loving the flash of hunger in his eyes as I bite my lip.

  “There’s still tonight. Besides, we’re flying to the city of sin, presenting us with a hell of a lot more options to consider.”

  Color me intrigued, this man has me hooked. “Such as . . .”

  “I’d like to propose a game.”

  “A game?” I ask. I’ve never been one to back away from a challenge, and something tells me that any proposal this man might make would be worth my while.

  “That’s all you’re going to get for now, kitten. No game is fun if it’s too easy.”

  “So you say,” I grumble, earning myself another one of his panty-melting chuckles.

  “If you want to know more, you’ll find me when we land and give me the chance to prove I’m a man of my word. I don’t intend to follow through on. Especially when it comes to a woman like you.”

  “I bet you say that to all the girls,” I retort.

  “Maybe in the past, but not today. No one has garnered my attention, nor made a tedious flight this entertaining for a long time. You’ve distracted me from my work, Ms. Jacobs.”

  “Well, I’d hate to have it on my conscience that I was the cause of you getting in trouble. Especially trouble of your own making.”

  “Isn’t that the best kind?”

  “Hmm. But maybe I should just leave you hanging, so you can think about all the things I’d let you do to me if I was to find you after the flight.”

  “Alyssa, I—”

  “Until then, goodbye Mr. Matthews.”

  I don't hear anything else because I end the call with a knowing smile on my face, fighting every urge in my body to not look his way and meet his burning gaze.

  But I don’t lift my eyes his way again. Instead, I lean back in my seat, looking over toward the window, trying to cool my jets. A seemingly impossible task when my mind is racing and my body thrumming with carnal need, his erotic promises running through my head like a porn movie on repeat—one with high definition and graphic detail.

  As a single, free-spirited woman, nothing is stopping me from taking Mr. Matthews up on his offer. All I would have to do is track him down when we arrive and let him follow through on his promise to prove he’s not all talk, no action.

  Nothing more noteworthy happens during the rest of the flight. There are no more drink deliveries or phone calls, and the one time I do allow myself to look toward his seat, I find myself disappointed when I don’t catch him staring back at me. Instead, he’s busy typing away at his laptop, as if his offer isn’t consuming his every thought like it is mine.

  My entire body remains ablaze with lust from just those few words we’d shared. He’s a stranger but in my head, I’ve already imagined him stripping me naked and doing downright all the dirty and delicious things he’d promised.

  The choice is inevitable. The decision all but made for me. I’m in Vegas for the weekend, the perfect place to hook up with a handsome stranger with a dirty mouth I’d like to keep busy.

  Now all I have to do is work out how to find him when we land—or maybe I should turn the tables and wait for him to find me.

  Chapter Two

  I didn’t think finding him after our plane had landed would be an issue, but as hard as I try, I can’t find him anywhere.