Free True Lies by Opal Carew

 
    At the end of Part 3:
    A numbness crawled through her as she heard the name Dane called Storm, but she couldn’t quite conceive of what it meant. She glanced from one man to the other.
    The embarrassment and concern at having been caught in Storm’s arms was replaced by shock as a shiver raced down her spine.
    It couldn’t be.
    She’d been mistaken when she’d thought Dane was Storm the first time she’d seen him. But now seeing them side-by-side … She sucked in a breath. Their features were so similar. In fact, everything about Storm looked strikingly like Dane, especially with him dressed as he was in an expensive suit with his dark hair combed back.
    Astonishment coiled through her. “Oh, my God,” she murmured.
    With eyes wide in astonishment, she turned to Storm.
    “You’re Rafe Ranier!”
     
    As Jessica fled the office, the elevator doors opened. She raced toward them, her heart pounding, trying not to look at Melanie as Melanie exited the elevator.
    “Jessica?”
    But she just continued into the small space and jabbed the Close button, hoping to escape Melanie and her inevitable questions, but Melanie turned and slipped back onto the elevator before the doors closed.
    Jessica swiped an errant tear from her eye, hoping her friend didn’t notice. Was it a tear of anger? Pain? Or just a result of her heightened emotions after getting such a shock?
    “Jessica, what’s wrong?”
    Her tight throat and clenched jaw ached. She shook her head, wishing Melanie hadn’t decided to follow her.
    “Did something happen between you and Mr. Ranier?”
    Mr. Ranier. Mr. Rafe Ranier.
    “You could say that.”
    “Oh, Jessica, I was worried this would happen.”
    Jessica’s head jerked toward Melanie. “You did?” But how could Melanie have known about …
    “Having an affair with your boss is bound to cause complications,” Melanie continued.
    Jessica met her friend’s concerned gaze. Of course she’d naturally think it had something to do with Dane and their sexual relationship.
    “This isn’t about Dane and me.”
    Confusion washed across Melanie’s face. “But you said—”
    She shook her head. “This is about Storm.”
    “The guy who broke your heart?”
    Jessica nodded. “He’s here.”
    “In Philadelphia?”
    “Here in the building . He walked in while I was in Dane’s office organizing the folders he’ll need this afternoon.”
    Melanie frowned. “But why would your ex-boyfriend walk into Mr. Ranier’s office? How did he know you were here?”
    “That’s the thing. He didn’t. You see—”
    She stopped cold. As she’d been gazing into Melanie’s wide green eyes, she suddenly remembered that Melanie had told Jessica that she was in love with her old boss, and …
    Oh, God, how could she tell Melanie that Rafe, the man she loved, was in love with Jessica?
    Luckily, she was saved by the bell as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.
    “Melanie, I’m going home. I’ll take a sick day, or a day without pay. I don’t care. I just have to get out of here.”
    At that, she fled the elevator, leaving a confused Melanie behind.
    *   *   *
    Dane crossed his arms and stared at his brother. He was thrilled to have him back and had all kinds of questions storming through his brain, but that was tempered by one overriding issue.
    “How do I justify not slugging you for manhandling my assistant?”
    “I wasn’t manhandling her.”
    “I come in here and find her in your arms and then she runs out of here, clearly upset.”
    It wasn’t like Rafe to treat a woman with disrespect, and definitely not to hit on one of their employees, let alone aggressively try to seduce her. But his brother had been gone for almost a year. Dane had no idea how he might have changed.
    “Jess and I know each other. Over the past year, I spent eight months in a town called Bakersfield. I met her there and we dated.”
    Understanding smacked Dane in the face.
    “You were the guitarist with