French Connection Vol. 3
Chasing Perfection Vol. 4 Preview - Chapter One
Club Privé
French Connection
Vol. 3
By M.S. Parker
This book is 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 LLC
Published by Belmonte Publishing LLC.
Book Description
I'
d given Gavin everything, including my trust, and I'd thought we'd worked past our problems here in Cannes. Then I saw him kissing Alizee…
The trip to France that was supposed to bring them closer together keeps tearing Carrie and Gavin apart, this time thanks to Alizee Padovani. Carrie wants the lies to stop, but when her journalist friend, Pierre, tells her she can't confront Gavin without putting innocent lives in danger, she finds herself caught in a web of deceit. What she doesn't know is that being quiet might be just as deadly.
Everything comes to a head for Carrie and Gavin in the final installment of M.S. Parker's exciting French Connection series. You won't want to miss it!
Chapter 1
Carrie
I was going to throw up.
My stomach lurched and I turned to run. If I was going to be any more humiliated than I already was, I wanted to be as far away from the public as I could get before it happened.
Gavin had kissed Alizee.
Part of me said it had to be a mistake, like what had happened with Felice and Marguerite. I'd jumped to conclusions then and had been wrong. I shouldn't do the same thing here.
There was only one problem with that line of thinking. Gavin hadn't lied to me before. Not a direct lie. Sure, he'd hidden where he was going during the party, but that had been because he'd been trying to surprise me with a gift. This morning, he'd said he had a meeting with Vincent. And then I'd caught him on a yacht with Alizee. Kissing her. It was possible, I supposed, that Vincent was there too and hadn't told Gavin that Alizee would be there. I shook my head; it felt too much like I was trying to convince myself. I'd never understood people who couldn't see what was going on right under their noses, but now I got it. Sometimes, it was too painful to face the truth.
I'd known Gavin had been out of my league from the moment I'd first seen him in that bar. I'd known what people said about relationships based on intense emotional experiences, but I'd always hoped he and I would be the exception to the rule.
All of this flashed through my head in a matter of seconds, processing even as I turned to run. I made it half a dozen steps when I felt a hand close around my arm.
“Carrie, what’s wrong?”
Pierre. I'd completely forgotten about the handsome reporter who'd been the one to bring me here. The one who'd convinced me that Alizee was up to no good. Not that I hadn't already been suspicious. I turned toward him, struggling to regain my composure.
“The man on the yacht,” I forced myself to say the words. “That's my boyfriend.”
Pierre's eyes widened and he glanced back toward the boat. It was too far away for us to see what was happening now and I was grateful for that. If Gavin had lied about who he was going to see, it meant everything else came into question. And having seen the way Alizee had been with him before they'd kissed, it didn't take much imagination to figure out what he was most likely doing right now.
“I am truly sorry about that, Carrie,” Pierre said sincerely. “But you cannot let him know that you saw this.”
“Excuse me?” Now that the initial shock was wearing off, anger was overcoming the nausea. That was a good thing. It meant I didn't want to throw up anymore. I wanted to hit something. Or someone. Preferably two.
“Your boyfriend cannot know we were here.”
“Oh, I fully intend to let him know I was here,” I snapped. I pushed back a few curls that had escaped my ponytail. “And I'm going to tell him what a bitch Alizee is and how I hope the two of them are very happy together.”
I was aware that I was probably overreacting, but I didn't care. I was getting sick of this shit. I was tired of constantly having women throwing themselves at Gavin, at watching him flirt and joke. I hated that he brushed it off as work stuff, saying he had to charm people, but that I should know he didn't want anyone but me. I wondered how I was supposed to know that. I wasn't a fucking psychic. I couldn't read his mind. And right now, that sounded like a line of shit a man fed to a naïve girlfriend or wife while he was out fucking anything that moved.
“You cannot tell him,” Pierre repeated firmly. “If Alizee discovers we are investigating her, she will leave and all will be lost. She will change her operations and we will never be able to help those she is hurting.”
I took a step back so that he wasn't touching me anymore. I was too pissed for any sort of physical contact, no matter how platonic.
“Gavin won't tell her. Not if he thinks she's involved in trafficking,” I said. No matter how angry I was with him, I couldn't believe he'd risk people's lives.
The look Pierre gave me said he didn't agree. “Even if he does not say anything, she will be able to tell something is wrong. Whatever you say to him will change things between them.”
“Fine,” I snapped. “I'll just make up another excuse as to why I was there.”
“And he will accuse you of following him. Spying.”
“But I wasn't!” I immediately countered.
“And that is exactly the problem,” he said. “Your boyfriend will say these things and you will defend yourself. The only way to do that will be to tell him the truth. And we cannot allow that to happen.”
“I can't pretend like I didn't see that,” I said. The sick feeling was back and I hugged my arms across my middle. Despite the warmth of the sun, I was cold.
“You must,” Pierre insisted.
“How am I supposed to go back to our hotel room and pretend I didn't just see him kissing another woman when he told me he was at a business meeting?” I asked. “I can't just smile and pretend that everything's okay. If he touches me, all I'll be thinking about is her, wondering if he touched her the same way...”
Pierre grabbed my upper arms and I gasped in surprise. His fingers dug into my flesh and his eyes were flashing. “You must not speak of this to anyone! You cannot ruin what I have worked for!”
I pulled out of his grasp and put my hands on his chest, giving him a hard enough shove that he knew I meant business. I watched him regain control, but there was no apology on his face.
“Carrie, you must consider the big picture.” Pierre's voice was tense. “We cannot allow emotions to sway our judgment.”
I scowled at him. That was easy for him to say. It wasn't his boyfriend making out with some former model. “I'll take that into consideration.”
“You must–”
“Back off, Pierre!” I snapped. “Don't tell me what I 'must' do. I'm not a cop or a reporter. I don't live or work here and I sure as hell don't work for you.” I was so done with this. “I'm going to catch a cab and go back to my hotel. Give me a call if you have anything else on Alizee and still want my help, but I'm not making any promises.”
I walked away before he could respond. I had a feeling I'd just gotten a glimpse of the real Pierre rather than the one with the charming smile. I could handle myself, so I wasn't worried, but I was definitely going to be more careful if I was out with him in the future.
I pushed that thought aside as I gave the cabbie the hotel name. I would deal with Pierre later. Right now, I had to figure out what I was going to do about Gavin and Alizee. I closed my eyes and fought back the tears that wanted to escape. I wasn't going to cry, and definitely not here in the cab.
What I wanted, more than anything else, was to open my eyes and be in bed, basking in the afterglow of an amazing night. I wanted Gavin to be honest with me, even if it meant telling me he was meeting with Alizee. I wanted him to tell me he was only meeting with her because Vincent wanted it, but that he hadn't wanted to be anywhere but in bed with me. I wanted to know for sure that what I'd seen had been Alizee making a play for Gavin seconds before he pushed her away.
But I knew I couldn't have any of that, and I probably couldn't even get an explanation either. As much as I hated to admit it, I believed Pierre had a point. I was just torn between doing what my heart wanted and what my head knew was right.
Chapter 2
Gavin
I put my hands on Alizee's shoulders and held her in place as I took a step back, breaking the kiss that never should've happened. I was stupid for not expecting her to act despite my evident disinterested. She'd said it herself. She was the kind of woman who knew what she wanted and went for it. I just happened to be in her line of fire.
It had been an aggressive kiss, the kind that would've had me hard in seconds if it had been Carrie pressed against me. With Alizee, my only thought was how to make this as polite but clear as possible.
Dammit. I was tired of the misunderstandings with the women in this country. A little bit of flirting was one thing. I mean, I made a living off sexual chemistry, but these women were taking things way too far. It was exhausting to constantly be on guard, wondering who was going to come on to me next. I nearly smiled, realizing how egotistical that sounded, but this wasn't the time for self-reflection. I had one of those women to deal with right now.
“Alizee, I can't do this.” I paused, then amended my statement. “I won't do this.” I didn't want her thinking it was only a matter of ethics. She had to know I was making a choice here… and the choice wasn't her.
Her dark eyes flashed with anger, but not before I saw the surprise cross them. She'd honestly thought I'd go through with it even though I was with Carrie. I wondered if it was arrogance on her part or if she thought all men cared about was sex, no matter where they stuck their dick. I really hoped it wasn't because she thought I, personally, was like that. I was starting to wonder if I gave off some sort of vibe that told women it was okay to seduce me even though it was clear I was taken.
Was I? The thought hit me suddenly. Was that the problem? Didn't I make it clear that I was off the market?
“You really love her,” Alizee nearly sneered the statement, her face twisting into something unattractive. “Your Carrie.”
“Yes,” I said. I wasn't going to make any apologies for it. If anything, it was Carrie I owed an apology to, for not making sure people knew that there was no room for negotiation in our relationship. “I love her and I'm not going to do anything to hurt her.”
“She would never have to know.” Alizee gave me a seductive smile.
I shook my head. “I'm not going to betray her.”
Alizee's mouth flattened and she took a step back. Even while being rejected, she was the picture of calm and collected. “It will cost you your deal.”
“So be it.” The words were easier to say than I thought they would be.
She laughed and shook her head in disbelief. “You will lose everything.”
“If I have her, it'll be worth it. The idea of having everything, but losing her...” My heart twisted at the thought of a life without her. “She's all I need.”
“How noble.” Alizee rolled her eyes. “You are a fool.”
“Maybe,” I agreed. “But it doesn't change anything. Call Vincent and tell him you're killing the idea. Or I'll make the call if you want me to.”
“I am not calling Vincent,” she said. “Because I am not going to stop the project.”
“You're not?” I refused to let myself hope. Alizee didn't strike me as the forgiving type. There was a catch here. I was sure of it.
“Of course not,” she said scornfully. “Why would I do that? A sex club in Cannes will be quite beneficial for my own businesses. I fully intend to continue my support.”
“Oh, well, all right then.” I was pleasantly surprised. That had gone better than I could have expected.
“You, however.” Her eyes narrowed and she gave me a look that was anything but friendly. “If you are not going to fuck me, you can get the hell off of my yacht.”
I stared at her. I'd expected an ultimatum, where I would have to allow Vincent to buy out my part of the club. I hadn't expected her to kick me off the boat. I looked around. We were a good ways from the harbor.