Kindle Indecent 2

An Indecent Proposition Part II

Stephanie Julian

Published by Stephanie Julian

Copyright 2012. Stephanie Julian.

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All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.

An Indecent Proposition Part I
can be found in
A VERY NAUGHTY XMAS
anthology

Part II continues the story of Julianne, Keegan and Erik…

Chapter One

“…such a shame about Erik. He was such a gorgeous man. Now he’s…well. I mean,
 
who’s going to want to tie herself to…well.”

Julianne Carter’s hands shook as she circled the group of five bitches holding court in the center of the Mifflin Ballroom of the Three Oaks Estate. The exclusive event center catered to the Berks County elite--or at least what passed for elite in this southeastern Pennsylvania county where the third largest city in the state was practically bankrupt and the so-called rich didn’t have near as much money as they thought they did. Hell, even the so-called regular folk were a bunch of stuck-up, narrow-minded assholes.

“…not for all the money…too bad he’s such a geek…”

The women broke out in restrained laughter, making the men in the vicinity look at them with lust. Jules wanted to break her tray over their heads.

Well, shit. Someone obviously forgot to take her happy, smiley pills before she came to work tonight.

Skirting the group of women for the third time, Julianne continued her circuit around the crowded ballroom. The guests had donated a shitload of money to stand around eating beautifully made finger food, drinking way too much middle-shelf liquor and talking shit about men they didn’t know the first thing about.

Then again, it wasn’t like Jules really knew Erik any better. Just because she’s spent the night with him and his business partner, Keegan, didn’t mean she should want to defend them.

After all, they’d only paid her a half-million dollars to sleep with her. And she hadn’t heard one damn word from them since.

With a hard-won pleasant expression plastered to her face, Jules stopped at a group of middle-aged women in power suits who looked right through her, never once taking a breath as they scooped up the hors d’oeuvres Jules had helped make that were pretty damn tasty, if she did say so herself.

But the women just gobbled them down as they discussed the absolute indignity of the latest shooting in downtown Reading. How dare those dreaded immigrants bring their trashy problems with them from those third-world foreign countries?

With her tray cleaned off, Julianne headed back to the kitchen, where the noise level was only slightly lower than the ballroom.

“You look pissed, babe. That asshole in the gray suit try to feel you up again?”

Jules gave a small but genuine smile to fellow server and resident smartass, Jon Petrius, who was handsome enough to give the ladies at these functions dreams that would never be fulfilled. “Not him. Just a long day.”

“Well, you tell me if I need to spike his next drink, hon.”

“And you know we’d all appreciate it,” added Lori Raihl. The blonde beauty had been the object of more than her fair share of gropes. “That guy’s such a douche.”

Jules bumped fists with Lori in complete agreement. “Thanks, Jon, but he’s not the problem.”

“Any time, ladies. Just looking out for my girls.”

Picking up another fully loaded tray, Jules made her way out the door and back into the fray.

“…just as rich. Too bad he’s not half as hot as Erik used to be. He might’ve been worth the effort.”

Jules nearly tripped over her feet as she passed by that bitch Alli Terre again, and her face must have flashed bright red because Jon raised his brows at her as he passed by.

That cow was talking about Keegan.
Her
Keegan.

Not your Keegan
.

Julianne wanted to dump the contents of the tray down the woman’s back.

Sure, Carol would have to fire her but it wasn’t like she really needed the money now. She was only here as a favor to Carol. Another favor but so different from the one she’d done two weeks ago.

The one that made her want to drown pretty Alli Terre in sticky kebabs. And shove the pointy little sticks up her narrow little ass.

Bitch
.

No, she refused to cause a scene. Wouldn’t embarrass Carol like that.

“Oh, Julie. It is you, isn’t it? Wow, that looks delicious.”

Then again…

Taming her grimace, Jules turned and approached the small circle of women. Most of them were Jules’ age, which made them between twenty-one and twenty-three. Jules and Alli had graduated from the same high school, although Alli had moved in much different crowds than Jules. Their school district had encompassed one of the richest boroughs in the county along with the much more pedestrian middle-class neighborhood where Jules and her mom had lived.

Most of the really rich kids had gone to a private school in a neighboring county. Alli hadn’t. According to the rumors, she’d been kicked out for “ethics violations” and her parents had “punished” her by forcing her to go to the neighborhood school.

Which, Jules silently admitted to herself, was her being just as bitchy as Alli. The girl was stuck-up and could be a royal witch but she wasn’t the second coming of Lindsay Lohan.

“How have you been, Julie?” Alli reached for one of the kebabs on the plate. “I don’t think I’ve seen you since graduation.”

“I’ve been fine, Allison. And you?”

“Oh, Daddy has me working in his office.” Alli rolled her eyes as if she’d been forced into slave labor. “I’d much rather be in New York using my degree in some big firm but Daddy insisted I give him a year before I say adios to Berks County.”

The other girls laughed and their conversation turned back to a discussion of their “awful” jobs. Alli’s daddy owned the largest commercial advertising firm in the county. The girl next to her was finishing her law degree at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Another one was working under—can you imagine?—the CEO of her father’s fuel-importing business.

Jules faked another smile and moved on.

But not before she heard Alli say, “Oh, we went to high school together. I think she graduated with my class. Not really sure…”

Blinking away the sting in her eyes that was absolutely
not
tears, Jules started back on her circuit.

***

Keegan Malone stood at the door to the ballroom, scanning the occupants for any sign of the woman he ached to see.

Carol had told him Jules was working tonight but he wanted to make sure before he walked into this pit of vipers.

Don’t be such a pussy. Get your ass moving
.

The voice in his head was Erik’s. Too bad the guy wouldn’t take his own advice because it was damn good.

So go the hell inside already
.

He would, just as soon as he—

There she was
.

Across the wide ballroom. Dressed in the white shirt and black skirt the catering company required of their servers. The uniform was supposed to make them fade into the background. On Jules, the shirt hinted at her gorgeous breasts, the skirt hugged a perfect ass and the short-heeled pumps she wore made her legs look amazing.

Jules would never fade. Not even amid the fancy dresses worn by the other women.

Just in the few seconds since he’d caught sight of her, he’d watched two guys check out her ass as she walked by.

He wanted to smash their faces in.

But he couldn’t blame them.

Even with her long, dark hair drawn back in a sleek braid and barely any makeup, she was still the most beautiful woman in the room.

Keegan would punch any man who said she wasn’t.

Of course, Jules would probably like to take a swing at
him
.

Hell, he’d actually like it if she wanted to take a swing. The alternative—that she wouldn’t want anything to do with him or Erik again—was much worse.

She’d walked out the door of Erik’s house two weeks ago and Keegan had wanted to drag her back to bed before she could make it to her car.

Erik had said wait.

He’d wanted to say fuck waiting. She’d captivated him and it wasn’t just because of the sex—which had been off-the-charts amazing. No, he wanted to get to know her, everything about her.

That night had been about more than money for him. He’d wanted it to mean something, to be the start of something more than sex. He’d thought Erik had felt the same.

The next day Keegan had wanted to call her but it’d been Christmas Eve. He’d told his parents he’d be there at least three or four days for the holiday. His church-every-Sunday mom knew how to lay some powerful guilt trips. And it’d been months since he’d been back. And it was Christmas.

He’d gone to Boston and spent four days eating his mother’s cooking and thinking about Jules, to the point that his dad had finally asked if there was something wrong. He’d said no, but even his mostly oblivious dad had realized something was up with him.

Keegan had returned to Pennsylvania determined to call Jules, but Erik had said wait, just a little longer. Then he’d locked himself in the lab with their new project.

Keegan had waited. He hadn’t wanted to force the issue with Erik, believing Erik would be just as hungry to see her again as he was. Hoping maybe she’d call. Which hadn’t happened.

What did you expect, dickhead? That the woman you paid a half-million dollars to have sex with you and Erik would want to have anything to do with you again
?

Fuck.

Exactly.

Rubbing a hand over his nape, Keegan sighed. Damn it, he shouldn’t have come. He’d only embarrass her if he walked in and tried to start a conversation.

True, no one here knew about their deal, about that one sex-filled night they’d spent together. But she might be embarrassed and that was the last thing he wanted.

Then again, he didn’t think Jules embarrassed easy.