Free Survival of the Fiercest by Chloe Blaque

into my mouth. His muffled groan reverberates in my ears just as his palm tightens upon my lower back and pulls me even closer. The frantic thump of his heart echoes my own.
    He nibbles and sucks along the column of my throat. My head falls back to give better access, and I slide my hands through his hair. A small gasp escapes me when he palms my ass, giving a small squeeze before sliding his lips back up my throat, stopping at my ear. “Let me come to your room,” he whispers.
    My body has lost all its weight, and I dig my fingers into his shoulders, very aware that my nipples are as hard as diamonds. All I want to do is wrap my legs around him and ride into the sunset.
    But I can’t. Lawsuit or not, I am very aware that I will have to write something about Josie—his friend. Encouraging Evan, as good as it feels, isn’t a smart idea. I move to step out of his arms, but he holds on.
    Okay, that’s sexy.
    “I don’t think so,” I whisper.
    Evan admires my face for a second before dropping a kiss on my lips and releasing me, but he holds on to my hand and pulls me in to his side. That move alone puts my body into a perpetual hum.
    “Is it because I said I’d sue?”
    “Well, it didn’t help.” I smirk. “But no.”
    “Because I’m white?”
    “Don’t be crazy,” I say with a rapid head shake.
    “It’s the boyfriend.” His voice drops an octave, and he grips me little tighter to his side. It was a statement, not a question.
    “It’s because of a lot of things that have to do with me, not you.”
    His slow nod seems to mask a conversation in his head. “We are having a soft opening for the gallery tomorrow,” he says. “Come. A lot of the art came from the Mission District. It would be great if you could write about it.”
    “I’ll try,” I say, knowing I won’t go. “Good night.” I slide my fingers from his, and I head through the lobby doors.
    Sexual desires aside, I am doing the right thing. If tomorrow goes as planned, I’ll have a contract from Viper, and Evan won’t want to see me again.

Chapter Ten
    An invitation to the Muse gallery opening is sitting on my desk when I get to the office the next morning. Inside is a handwritten note.
    Don’t forget your glasses. Bikini optional.
    A lone E is scrawled underneath, and I smile a little at the thought of him wanting to see me again. But that will change. After uploading my flash drive, I pull up the piece I put together for Viper.
    Caught Creeping! Porn star Josie Pink is spotted snuggling up with a new boo. Where’s Big Skinny?
    The picture I took of Josie and Evan graces the page with a three-sentence caption underneath. I left out Evan’s name, but I’m sure the story will be enough for him to hate me. And slap me with a lawsuit. I have to put myself first in this situation. It’s my career on the line.
    I’m posting the piece as a draft into WordPress when Lou pops his head into my cube. It’s only eleven a.m., and he’s so wired his eyes are bulging. Viper must be putting him through the wringer.
    “Well?” he asks. “Is it finished?”
    “Good morning, Lou. Did you have a nice weekend? I did, thanks for asking,” I say with sweet sarcasm. Apparently common courtesy was laid off with the rest of the office. I turn back to my computer.
    Lou takes a deep breath. “Alexandra. I’m sorry. Good morning.” He comes around to my side of the desk. “How did you do with the Jared Waters stuff?”
    “Actually, I didn’t find anything on him. I went with the porn star.” I turn my monitor and show Lou the piece. His face scrunches.
    “What happened to the football player?” he asks, his voice rising.
    “She’s not seeing him. She’s seeing some other guy.”
    “So who’s the guy?”
    I shrug. “Not sure. All I got was a pic.”
    “This is all you got?” Lou’s face is red, and he tugs at his tie.
    “She’s cheating on Big Skinny,” I say, my voice rising an octave. Lou looks like he’s about to explode, and I