Free Let's Misbehave by Kate Perry Page A

forestall any lecture. “I have a plan.”
    “That’s what I want to discuss. Maybe it’s time to get rid of the plan and do something different.”
    “Different,” she repeated with a frown.
    “Something not related to work.” Her mother smiled. “The word most people would use is time off .”
    “That’s two words,” she replied with a saucy grin.
    Her mother arched her brow.
    Her grin faded, and she sighed. “I can’t relax now, Mum. I have too much at stake. I just need to push a little while longer to secure my position.”
    “And then what?”
    Gigi blinked. “What do you mean?”
    “I mean that there’s more to life than duty and responsibility. They don’t keep you company in the night.”
    Gigi gaped at the woman she’d known all her life, but apparently didn’t know at all. “Mother, are you telling me to get a lover?”
    “Would a lover help you enjoy life?”
    If it were Merrick.
    Merrick was out of the question. He made it clear she wasn’t what he needed. He wasn’t what she needed either, even if she wanted him.
    “Imogen, when was the last time you ate any of Fran’s baked goods?”
    “I’m on a regimen. You know that.”
    “The only thing I know is that if you continue to eat as little as you do, you’ll fade away.”
    “Now you sound like Fran.”
    “Fran is wise.” Jacqueline stood, hugging her book to her chest. “You’re disciplined, Imogen. No one can dispute your work ethic. But what does any of it mean if you’re not happy?”
    She opened her mouth to inform her mother that she was very happy, but she couldn’t manage to form the words.
    “Imogen, I’ve lived my entire life for duty and responsibility, and look at where it’s left me. I just don’t want the same thing for you,” her mother said softly, her gaze downcast as she left the study.
    Gigi was still frozen on the couch when Holly marched in and stuck a sticky note on the table in front of her.
    “What’s this?” Gigi asked, picking it up and looking at the phone number written in Holly’s tidy handwriting.
    “It’s Merrick Graham’s private mobile.”
    Gigi looked up, frowning. “How did you get his private number?”
    “That’d be like giving you a peek behind the curtain, wouldn’t it?” Grinning impishly, Holly left her, closing the study door behind her.
    Gigi’s mobile sat on the table.
    She looked at it. She picked up the note and ran a finger over the numbers.
    She shouldn’t call him. It was a bad idea. She needed to stay away from scandal.
    No one had to know …
    Opening a blank text message, she shook her head. This was a bad idea. But she couldn’t stop herself from writing him. Fortunately, nothing would come of it, because he’d have better willpower.
     
    Nice pic of you and your lady in the paper. Blue becomes you. ~Imogen
     
    His call was instantaneous. “What are you doing?” he asked.
    “Playing with fire.” Obviously.
    There was a pause, and she thought for sure he was going to brush her off, or be outraged over how she got his phone number.
    But he shocked her by saying, “How close to the flame are you willing to get?”
    She rolled the dice and took a gamble. “Come pick me up. Tonight.”
    There was the barest pause. Then he said, “Give me your address.”
    A shiver went up her spine and she felt the sharp pang of lust—or a stab of insanity. She wasn’t sure there was any difference between the two.

Chapter Eight
    Merrick paused next to the curb, his motorcycle idling. What the hell was he doing?
    Meeting Imogen Summerhill.
    Flirting with danger, more like it. He sat up and unstrapped his helmet. There were good ideas and bad ideas, but this one was off-the-charts terrible. Even the fact that it was under the cover of night didn’t make this better.
    And yet, here he was, on his Ducati, waiting for her like a teenager sneaking out on a school night.
    He’d watched her video. He hadn’t been able to help himself.
    It hadn’t been as overt as