Free Deception (Tamia Luke) by Naomi Chase

emotions he didn’t want to identify. Didn’t want to feel.
    Despite his resolve to keep Tamia at arm’s length, he’d found himself picking up the phone and calling her tonight. He’d told himself that he was just checking up on her as a formality. But deep down inside, he knew the real reason was that he’d wanted to hear her voice. Once upon a time, their phone conversations had been the highlight of his day.
    Apparently the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.
    “It’s not that bad, is it?”
    Brandon opened his eyes and glanced over his shoulder. An attractive brunette leaned in the doorway of his office with her arms folded across her ample breasts. She wore jeans tight enough to cut off her circulation, and on her feet were pink flip-flops that showed off a French pedicure.
    She was watching Brandon with an expression of amused curiosity.
    He smiled briefly. “Hey, Addison. How’s it going?”
    “Good. Which is probably more than I can say for you. You look like you’ve got the weight of the world on those broad shoulders.” She smiled teasingly. “Don’t tell me you already regret making partner.”
    Brandon chuckled. “Not at all,” he said, returning to his chair behind the enormous mahogany desk he’d recently inherited—along with a plush corner office, a $500,000 salary, and the prestige of being named an equity partner at one of the top law firms in the country.
    Addison eyed him speculatively. “So it’s not the job that had you looking so miserable a minute ago?”
    “Nah.”
    “You must be having woman trouble, then.”
    Brandon gave her a wry look. “If I were, do you honestly think I’d tell you ?”
    Addison grinned unabashedly. “I guess not, considering that your girlfriend and I aren’t exactly BFFs.”
    That was an understatement if Brandon had ever heard one. Cynthia and Addison had been bitter adversaries for as long as they’d worked at the firm. Although both women were talented, hardworking, and ambitious, they had zero respect for each other. Being drastically outnumbered by their male colleagues hadn’t united them either. If anything, their minority status made them even more hostile and vicious toward each other, like two feral lionesses fighting over the last scrap of unconquered territory.
    It didn’t help that Addison had made no secret of her attraction to Brandon. Every time she looked at him, he half wondered whether he had a sign stamped across his forehead that read MANDINGO. He’d often caught her checking out his crotch and licking her lips, as if she were visualizing his big, black dick ramming into her pussy. When he made partner, she’d invited him out for drinks to celebrate. But Brandon was no fool. He knew that she had more than whiskey shots on her mind, so he’d turned her ass down. Even if he’d been tempted to cheat on Cynthia, he wouldn’t have fucked around with Addison. Though she was smart and attractive, he wasn’t interested in white women. Never had been, never would be.
    “Speaking of Cynthia,” Addison said casually, glancing around as she wandered into the large room, “where is she tonight?”
    None of your damn business hovered on the tip of Brandon’s tongue. But he decided not to be rude. “She’s at a bridal shower.”
    “Ah.” Addison nodded, lowering herself onto the sleek leather sofa near his desk. “I see.”
    Something in her tone had Brandon’s shoulders tensing. “What does that mean?”
    Wide green eyes blinked innocently. “What? I didn’t say anything.”
    “You said plenty.”
    Addison shrugged, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “I probably shouldn’t mention this, but a lot of people around here think Cynthia’s starting to lose her edge.”
    Brandon frowned. “By ‘a lot of people,’ I assume you’re talking about associates.”
    “Yeah.” Addison smirked. “You know, the lowly grunts who’ve been toiling away at this firm for years, hoping to join the exalted