Free Bound to be Punished: Part I (Bound to be Punished Series) by S.P. Miller Page A

savior, from the corner of her eye and was grateful for the reprieve.
     
    Her friend laughed again and stood as well, grabbing her purse from the table where she’d dropped it, “alright then, you’re saved by the bell. See you tomorrow at six?”
     
    Anne nodded enthusiastically, grabbing her purse and coat as well, “I’ll text you if I might be a few minutes early, but I will definitely see you tomorrow.”
     
    Parting ways with her friend, Anne was grateful to feel the heat dissipating from her face as she headed out to her car and then home. It’d been a long day, and she was ready to lie in the tub and soak, relax until the next day when she’d be busy getting ready with Jessica.
     
    Spending time with Jessica sometimes made it feel like college had never ended. Except now, instead of attending class and doing homework, they were going to work and producing samples and sketches for actual production. It didn’t matter that they were both twenty-four going on twenty-five, or that most of their other friends had settled down with fiancés or husbands. Except… Anne sighed, she had settled down. At least, she had for a while.
     
    When she got home, her apartment greeted her. It was warmly lit with the late afternoon sunshine streaming through the western-facing windows, but quiet and empty. Certainly, the quietude of her apartment was a far cry from the hustle and bustle and general noise of her family home when she’d been growing up. Even after she’d moved out, her college life had been full of noise, and she’d practically lived at her boyfriend’s apartment before moving away.
     
    It's better this way; she reminded herself, closing and latching the door behind her before kicking off her shoes and heading toward the kitchen to start making dinner. She grabbed the remote to her stereo and turned on the radio to provide some form of background noise.
     
    She’d taken Jessica up on her offer and moved out to California in order to start anew, and Anne was determined to do just that. So far, she’d done a pretty good job of turning over a new leaf, by her standards anyway. It had taken a few weeks to settle into her new job, but Jessica had helped immensely, and after four months of work she was really feeling at home. Her thoughts drifted back to the very handsome, very available Adam.
     
    Perhaps it was time for a new romantic relationship…
     
    ***
     
    As it turned out, Jessica had been absolutely right. The opening of The Serpent’s Den, nestled in the heart of West Hollywood, was not an event to be missed. Anne made a mental note to thank her friend again later that weekend when the festivities had died down. Although she couldn’t tell if any noteworthy celebrities had shown up, by the time it was nearing midnight Anne had decided the opening party of the club was a blast.
                 
                  “I found Adam!” Jessica had told her excitedly, shortly after they’d first arrived. Her friend had gone to the bar to get them a round of drinks, and spotted their handsome colleague chatting with the bartender. Evidently they were friends, and Jessica hadn’t wasted any time in getting Anne introduced to him and chatting there at the bar.
                 
                  “So where did you move from again?” he asked her as they both sipped their drinks, “I know Jessica’s been with the company for about two years now.”
                 
                  “Oh I moved from Washington,” she answered, explaining briefly, “you know, not a lot of design work up there. Besides, ever since she moved down here after college, Jessica’s been singing the praises of sunny California. I figured I had to check it out eventually…”
                 
                  “Absolutely,” he agreed, nodding vigorously, “if you’re serious about pursuing a career in set design, you’ve got to be