Free Recipe for Attraction by Gina Gordon Page B

coughed. “Give him exactly what he wanted?”
    She hoped her face didn’t give her away because inside she cringed. There was no concrete evidence that Carson and Neil had hooked up. He was fishing for anything he could use against her. But he wasn’t going to get it.
    “Yes, I have gotten to know Mr. Harrison on a personal level over the last year but—”
    “Does he know you’re a murderer?”
    Carson recoiled at Martin’s accusation. How dare he throw this in her face simply because he’d lost their argument. “I am not…” She lowered her voice, “a murderer.”
    “So someone didn’t die while you were in charge of their safety?” She wanted to jab that smug look right off his face. She knew she could take him. She would give anything to challenge him in the ring.
    “It was an accident.” And she wasn’t in charge of their safety technically. Everyone knew when they made the decision to race they were putting their lives on the line. It’s not like she threw a stick in his wheel and caused him to wreck. She had no choice but to watch—as if in slow motion—her friend crash and burn in front of her eyes. “And that part of my life is off limits, and none of his—or your—business.”
    “So, he doesn’t know.” Martin circled around her, tapping his finger against his chin. “I wonder what he would think of his precious architect if he knew you were a criminal?”
    “You wouldn’t dare.”
    She was never charged. She wasn’t a criminal or a street thug—despite her guilt over Mike’s death making her feel like one. She was an architect. Her past was nobody’s damn business and for the sake of her career, this wasn’t something she wanted broadcast to the world.
    “I already know all about your past, Carson. I accept you for who you are.”
    Like hell he did. He knew nothing about her. Absolutely nothing and never would. All he knew were her fathers’ perceptions, and those were so inherently incorrect that it scared her just how many people knew only her fathers’ side of the story.
    Martin picked up his briefcase from the chair at the bar. “Think about my offer. We’d be unstoppable. Business partners during the day. Lovers at night.” His lip curved up in a disgusting smirk. “It’s the best you’re going to get given your history.” He walked away, a little too confident for her liking.
    “It’s never going to happen,” she yelled out. But he didn’t even turn around.
    She had gotten in a few zingers, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the fact that Martin had just destroyed her. He knew her secret. And that meant he held all the power.
    But if spending time with Neil had taught her anything, it was to go for what you wanted without second-guessing.
    And if he ever showed up she’d thank him for teaching her a lesson despite not even being aware. He had a lot of kissing up to do once he surfaced. And just exactly what kind of kissing would you like him to do? And where?
    Maybe he was ignoring her for a reason. Maybe he had gotten everything he wanted from her and he was bored. Moving on to the next female stupid enough to agree to be his sex slave.
    Not that she was a slave, but pretty close to it. She’d given it to him when he wanted, how he wanted, and where he wanted. And it had been fantastic. Each time better than the time before. But she knew the need to race still lingered in his mind. She could see it every time she looked in his eyes. It frightened her. Not only because she worried for the time when she wouldn’t be around to keep Neil off his bike and safe from harm, but it she couldn’t let her own life get out of control. She had worked too hard, sacrificed too much. Lost too many people. And suddenly that bad feeling she’d had earlier turned into something ominous. Neil was missing in action, and there could only be one reason for his disappearance.
    She checked her phone again. Still no messages.
    She called him first, but it went directly to