Chasing Perfection Vol. 2 (16 page)

My stomach twisted and I clenched my jaw. I couldn’t let myself feel hurt or disappointed. We’d never made any promises to each other, and I’d initiated both encounters. I’d told myself that it had only been sex, that I needed to get him out of my system so we could work together. I didn’t want a relationship with anyone right now, especially not him. Those were all of the things I’d known going into that first night, and he’d never indicated that he wanted otherwise. And even if he had, I told myself that I would’ve turned him down.

Why, then, did I feel sick? Why couldn’t I focus on my work? I didn’t have any answers, or at least no answers I truly wanted to explore.

After nearly an hour, I gave up work as a lost cause. No way was I going to prostitute myself just so DeVon could get his way, but I had to leave. The meeting would be the perfect excuse, even though I didn’t intend to go. If DeVon was pissed that I skipped it, then I’d tell him to go to hell and find another agency if I had to. I wasn’t about to become his plaything.

“Tracy, I’m heading out.” I kept my voice even and professional. “I have a meeting this afternoon.” That was true. “And then I’m heading home.” Also true. I never specifically said I was
going
to the meeting. Implied, yes, but not a direct statement of falsehood. The lawyer in me loved the semantics.

I didn’t really remember leaving or even the first part of my drive back to my apartment. My head was still caught up in everything that had happened over the past couple days. I was debating whether or not to call Krissy as soon as I got home when my car came to a sudden and violent stop.

My body lurched forward and I had a split second to see that I’d just rear-ended a car before the air bag went off. It had been long enough, however, to see that I hadn’t hit just any car. It had been a police car.

Could this day get any worse?

DEVON

I told myself that it had been her choice. Sure, I’d given her the go-ahead, but Krissy was a strong-willed woman. If she didn’t want to go to Carter Bilson’s house, she would’ve said no. Hell, she probably would’ve slapped me for the mere suggestion that she fuck him. I’d never tell one of my agents that they actually had to have sex with anyone, but I was never one to tell them how far they could go, either.

So if I hadn’t forced her into it, why did I have this knot of something that felt a lot like guilt in my stomach? This was business. What had happened with Krissy had been fun. Fucking, nothing else. Fucking, like she was probably going to be doing with Carter Bilson this afternoon.

“Dammit!” I slammed my hand down on my desk.

I didn’t want her to go through with it. I hated the idea of him touching her, seeing her naked. I remembered the hickey I’d put on the inside of her thigh and the thought that he’d see it made my entire body go hot. I raked my hands through my hair and squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to get the image of Krissy writhing under Carter’s touch out of my head. That just made it worse. I could see him on top of her, hear her moaning, saying his name as she came. I saw her face, contorted with pleasure. That expression that made things deep inside me spark and burn.

I had to stop her.

I hurried out of my office. Maybe she bailed, I thought, as I rode the elevator down. Maybe she’d agreed in the restaurant, intending to call things off and make some excuse. When I got close enough to her office to look in, however, I didn’t see her. I told myself she was probably just in the bathroom, but I asked Tracy anyway, hoping I didn’t sound too interested.

“She left. Said she had some sort of meeting this afternoon and then she was going straight home afterwards.”

I was already walking towards the exit before Tracy had finished speaking. Something very much like panic was fluttering in my stomach. I had to get to her before she did something stupid. She had to know that this wasn’t what she had to do to get the job done. She had to know that I didn’t want her to do it.

Only the thought that getting stopped for speeding would mean taking more time to get to Bilson’s house kept me from inching that speedometer higher and higher. My stomach churned and I felt ill. Was it already too late? Were they in bed together? Would I walk in to find them fucking right there on the couch?

The idea that I could catch her in a similar position to the one I’d been in when she and I had first met made me want to throw up. Irony could be a real bitch sometimes.

When I turned into the driveway and saw that Krissy’s car wasn’t there, the relief that came over me was so strong that it almost took my breath away. I parked the car and took a moment to compose myself. I couldn’t take the chance that Carter had seen me pull in and then leave without explanation. I had to have an excuse to be here. Fortunately, a house call about a project I was particularly passionate about wasn’t out of character for me.

I headed towards the front door, mentally preparing myself to tell Carter that Krissy had gone home sick and that I was here to discuss Mirage’s clients reading for him.

I rang the bell and waited. Carter usually took his time getting to the door, even if he was nearby. He liked to make people wait. I was surprised, then, when the door opened less than a minute later. Surprise turned into shock when I saw Krissy standing there...wearing nothing but a sexy silk bathrobe.
What the fuck!

To be continued in the exciting last installment, Chasing Perfection Vol. 3 coming September 15
^th
.

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Acknowledgement

First, I would like to thank all of my readers. Without you, my books would not exist. I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

A big “thanks” goes out to all my Facebook fans, street team, beta readers, and advanced reviewers. You are a HUGE part of the success of my series.

I have to thank my PA, Shannon Hunt. Without you my life would be a complete and utter mess. Also a big thank you goes out to my editor Cindy at smashingedits.com and my wonderful cover designer Sinisa. You make my ideas and writing look so good.

About The Author

M. S. Parker is the author of the Erotic Romance series, Club Privé.

Living in Southern California, she enjoys sitting by the pool with her laptop, writing her next spicy romance.

This book was a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2014 Belmonte Publishing

Published by Belmonte Publishing.

All rights reserved. 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 copyright owner.

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