Free 24 1/2 Kisses (A Bashir Family Romance) by Kennedy Claire Page B

coffee table it was Bill, my boss.
    “Sorry, Eric. It’s Bill.”
    Eric reluctantly released me from his weight. He took off his sport coat and settled into the couch while I picked up the phone.
    “Hi Bill.”
    “Well, looks like you were right all along, Scarlett.”
    “About?”
    “Bashir’s lawyers just killed the story.”
    “What? What are you talking about?”
    “Legal recommends we don’t publish. They’re threatening a lawsuit. I guess that guy was just jerking you around like you said he was. He never intended to give you a story.”
    I stood up from the couch, my face burning hot. All the time I spent being humiliated and tortured in his presence…and he knew all along he was going to stop the story from running.
    “Tell you what, you can do that orphanage story. See you on Monday.”
    After he hung up, I found I couldn’t breathe I was so angry.
    “Is everything okay, Scarlett?” Eric asked.
    “My story’s dead.”
    “Ouch, that’s a tough break.”
    He stood up behind me and started to massage my shoulders. It was a decent effort to bring me back into the moment, but it wasn’t enough. I was about to explode from rage.
    I turned around, his hands falling away from my shoulders.
    “I need to go somewhere right now.”
    He raised his eyebrows in surprise.
    “Now? Okay, I’ll take you then.”
    “No, Eric. I need to go alone.” I felt bad for turning up the heat so much and then failing to make good on my carefully executed seduction. But it had to be done.
    He gave me a reluctant smile and put his jacket back on. When he got to the door he turned around to say one last thing.
    “Tell Dev Bashir hello from me.”
    Then he left.
    After a few minutes, I gathered my senses and grabbed my purse.
    It was time to confront Dev once and for all.

Chapter 9
    D ev looked understandably surprised when he opened the door dressed in a silky black robe, his hair still wet from the shower. His ebony eyes raked ruthlessly over my tight red dress.
    “Scarlett…”
    I didn’t have time for pleasantries. I lunged at him.
    “Were you just playing with me the whole time… making me pay some debt you think I owe you? How could you be so cruel?”
    He backed away from the door, his gaze unwavering and I stepped inside his shadowy apartment, continuing my verbal assault.
    “You’re a—a controlling monster! ”
    “Well, I can call names too,” he said coolly.
    “You’re weak,” he seethed. “A weak, pathetic liar.”
    His words made me snap and I slapped him hard on the cheek feeling my hand sting from the assault. Oddly, I felt something else—something come to life inside of me.
    What’s happening to me?
    His eyes were dark and sinister as he closed in on me, undeterred by the slap. I took a step back, a shiver traveling down my spine.
    Suddenly possessed, he grabbed my arms and pushed me hard against the wall—so hard the silver and black painting crashed to the floor, the glass broken in shards.
    “You’re hurting me,” I uttered, my heart pounding through my chest. What was he doing?
    He didn’t let go.
    “I saw him kiss you,” he whispered intensely. He had the desperate face of a man who hadn’t eaten in a month. “It’s my turn.”
    He attacked my lips with a hard, hungry kiss.
    I loved it. I wanted it.
    No, I’m not supposed to ...
    He’s hurting me…
    I bit into his lower lip full-force feeling my teeth sink into his soft flesh, and he jerked back, releasing his tight grip from my tender arms.
    My eyes widen when I saw he was bleeding .
    Refusing to avert his menacing gaze for a second, he casually wiped the blood off of his mouth with the back of his hand, as if it were a light scratch.
    “Hit me again, Scarlett,” he dared.
    I did.
    It was so hard I thought I broke my hand, but something else broke instead— something from deep inside of me . Out of nowhere, I could feel tears brimming in my eyes as emotions I had locked away for years rushed to the surface.
    He rubbed