She was sure he’d accept them—after all, she was Harini Samuels.
Rich, gorgeous and sexy. How could he refuse?
Chapter 8
“Be honest. What did you think of Harini?” Bailey asked Colton when they arrived at her apartment. She sat down on the sofa to remove her shoes.
“She’s interesting,” he responded.
“In a good way?”
Colton nodded. “One thing for sure. She’s high maintenance and has expensive taste. I loved her condo though. That five-course meal… I could get used to dining like this every night.”
“I know…” Bailey responded. “This is how national bestselling authors live. Take note.”
“Baby, you need to get to your computer,” Colton said, “Hurry up and get that book finished.”
“I’ll get right on that,” she responded.
Colton smiled at her, a smile that wove heat through her entire body.
“Actually, let’s not worry about the book tonight.” Moving closer to him, Bailey said, “You know… I have a better idea.”
“What’s that?”
She stood on tip toe and whispered in his ear.
“I like the way you think, baby.” Colton swooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. “You are the only woman in the world for me.”
Colton accepted Harini’s friend request. What started off as harmless flirtation ended up with him coming over two weeks later.
Harini’s eyes bounced around the living room. The only light emanating from candles, giving the space a romantic glow.
“Project seduction underway…”
Without turning around, she said, “Pip, what are you doing here? I figure you would’ve disappeared by now, especially when we’re not getting along.”
“I was hoping that you’d actually come to your senses.”
“Stay out of this.”
“Why don’t you do the same?” he demanded.
She waved her hand in dismissal. “Goodbye, Pip. I’m not doing this with you tonight.”
“You really need to listen to me on this. Bailey is not the one to mess with.”
“Goodbye.”
Pip left in a huff.
Harini took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders. She wanted to be in a peaceful state of mind. She wanted tonight to be perfect.
Colton arrived promptly at nine o’clock.
She put a smile on her face and opened the door. “It’s good to see you.” Harini stepped aside to let him enter.
His gaze swept to her eyes and then slid downward, taking in the strapless black dress with the thigh-high split. Colton walked straight into the living room and sat down on the sofa.
She strolled over to where he was sitting. “I’m happy you’re here,” Harini said as she sat down beside him.
His gaze scanned her face than traveled downward. “You look nice.”
A thrill coursed down Harini’s spine as Colton held the eye contact for much longer than a brief second. Touching his cheek, she said, “You seem a little nervous.”
“All the way over here, I kept asking myself why I was doing this. Coming here,” Colton said. “Bailey’s a nice girl and I really care about her.”
Taking his hand in her own, Harini responded, “Yet, you’re attracted to me.”
“I won’t deny that you’re a very beautiful and very sexy woman.”
“Just admit it.” Harini said. “You are just as curious as I am about where this takes us.”
Colton inclined his head. “You’re not shy at all.”
“I don’t have time to play coy,” she stated. “I see something I want—I go after it. I’ve always been this way.” Harini looked up at Colton’s face, still holding his hand. “Can you handle my truth?”
Colton nodded silently, his eyes on her face.
She stood up.
Harini felt something emanating from him. A kind of weakness. She knew she had Colton when he got up and stepped toward her.
“There’s no coming back once we go down this path,” she warned.
“I know.”
She raised her mouth to his lips.
Colton matched her kiss for kiss.
Harini knew her pull was inexorable and something he could no longer fight. She undid Colton’s shirt buttons, her mouth following, gliding over his chest.
He stepped backward. “Heey… not here. Not like this. Your brother’s home. He could walk out his room any time.”
Harini wriggled her fingers beneath the slope of his belly, reaching for his belt buckle. “You don’t have to worry about Pip. He’s in his room for the evening.”
“I’d feel better if we were in your bedroom,” Colton said. “Not here in the open like this.”
“How cute,” she murmured. “I assure you. My brother won’t be disturbing us, but if it will make you feel more comfortable… c’mon let’s go to my room.”
Once there, Colton took hold of her shoulders, pulled Harini in close and kissed her. For one split second, she thought he’d pull away, but that moment passed in a heartbeat. His tongue tangled with hers, sending streams of pleasure shooting through her, dazzling Harini’s brain, enflaming her body.
His hands on her back felt like live wires, searing her bare skin. Lifting one hand, he pushed his fingers through her curly tendrils. “You are a temptation I know I should refuse, but I can’t. We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Honey, we were meant to do this.”
Harini moved into him, leaning closer still, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Make love to me.”
After their passions were spent, they lay entwined in damp sheets. Harini snuggled closer to Colton, who jumped up as if he’d been shot.
Without saying a word, he padded across the floor to the bathroom.
Gently biting her lip, Harini shivered. Without Colton’s body beside her, she was chillingly aware that she was naked.
Harini pulled the blanket all around her, but it didn’t help. She felt an acute sense of abandonment.
He walked out of the bathroom. Colton wouldn’t look at her.
Harini broke into a grin. “I’m cold. Why don’t you come back to bed?”
“I need to leave,” Colton responded without emotion.
She watched him pull his shirt over his head and tuck it into his jeans. Harini reluctantly reached for her robe. “I had a nice time with you, but I have to be honest. I’m feeling like a whore. You might as well leave money on the nightstand.”
The room was enveloped in tense silence.
Why is he acting so distant now? Harini wondered. Was he ashamed of what they’d done? Was he so tied to Bailey that he regretted their lovemaking?
She couldn’t just let him walk out the door without a discussion. “Look, I know that you care about Bailey. That she was your college sweetheart, but you have to consider that maybe you’ve outgrown her. I can look into your eyes, Colton. I know that you feel something for me, too. Our attraction is mutual.”
“I don’t deny that I’m attracted to you, Harini. But I can’t dismiss that Bailey and I have something good together.”
“If that were true, you wouldn’t have made love to me the way you did.”
“It was just sex, Harini.” Colton made his way to the door, shoes in hand. “Let’s not try to make it more that it is.”
“Colton…”
He turned around to find her standing up stark naked. “Are you sure you want to leave?”
Muttering a curse, Colton dropped his shoes and began removing his shirt.
Harini gave him a triumphant grin.
It was almost noon and Harini had a meeting with Edna. Last week when they’d talked over the phone, she implied that she was working on a new proposal. Her agent was in town to discuss it.
In the middle of her bedroom, Harini swiveled to examine herself from the side view in the full-length mirror on the closet door.
“You look good, sis.”
“I ought
to look good, for the price this outfit cost.” Harini swiveled again and admired the rear view. The cost of the clothing she wore on her body right now could probably buy a villa on a private island somewhere. For this meeting with Edna, Harini had chosen a sharply cut, cream-colored Dolce & Gabbana suit with matching Jimmy Choos.
She grabbed her purse and car keys.
Harini drove to the Rittenhouse Hotel.
Edna was waiting for her in the lobby. “Don’t you look divine.”
“Thank you,” she responded. “I’m loving this black suit you’re wearing. It’s a Elie
Tahari, right?”
“Yes. You have a great eye for fashion.”
They found an empty area where they wouldn’t be disturbed and sat down.
“You didn’t have to come all this way, Edna. I could’ve emailed you the proposal.”
“I was going to be in town anyway. A friend of mine is getting married this weekend. I’m the maid of honor, so I came in early to help with all the last minute things that have to be done.”
“It’s not a series proposal as I mentioned on the phone. Right now, I need to stay published and since Snyder and James think I need to go in a different direction—I’m willing to try it with this one book.”
“Fair enough,” Edna stated.
Harini handed her agent the proposal of her story—the main concept was adapted from Bailey’s synopsis. She’d made some changes to it—the title, the names of the characters… just enough to call it her own.
She took a long sip of water. “I worked really hard on this idea.”
Edna grinned. “This is great, Harini. Now, this is what I’m talking about. We’re back to classic Harini Samuels.”
“I’m glad you like it, but will Snyder and James?”
“They’re going to love this proposal, Harini. I have a really good feeling about this. In fact, I’m calling your editor now.”
When her agent finished her phone conversation, Harini said, “Sounds like she’s interested in seeing my proposal.”
Edna smiled. “She’s very excited about it. Send me a copy and I’ll email it to her today.”
Harini pulled out her phone. “I’ll email it to you right now.”
She spent the next hour at the Rittenhouse Spa and Club. It was the one place Harini felt that she could truly relax.
She and Kaile used to always meet there at least a couple of times a month. Their friendship ended when Harini made disparaging remarks about Kaile’s writing skills, although she truly believed that the woman was jealous of her.
As soon as she entered the facility, she was greeted warmly. Harini always requested the same services; the organic sacred facial, the deep moisture wrap, and the sacred nature mani/pedi.
She thought about Bailey.
I did what I had to do. This is my career and it’s all I have. Besides, my readers will expect a story like this to come from me—I know exactly how to tell it to make it come alive—to make it shine. It’s not like I plagiarized her story. My spin on it is actually a much better one. She could never tell it the way that I can.
Harini knew that Pip would never approve of what she’d done, but it didn’t matter. She had to do whatever possible to save her career.
Anybody would do the same if in her shoes. She just had the guts to admit it. Harini also knew that authors like Kaile were too afraid to take her on—she knew too much about them and would expose their secrets in a heartbeat.
Harini guarded her secrets well. She would never allow someone to have that kind of power over her, which is why she did not seek out friendships. The only people she allowed close to her were those she considered her competition. She firmly believed in keeping her enemies close.
She shared little of her personal life, although others felt compelled to tell her their life stories. Harini didn’t understand why people allowed themselves to be bogged down with everyday struggles. She had learned a long time ago—she had to do whatever possible to control her destiny.
Chapter 9
“Colton, did you get my message?” Bailey asked when he answered his phone the next morning. It wasn’t like him to not call or text her back.
“I’m sorry, baby. I went out with the boys last night and got in late.”
“You must have gotten a little drunk as well,” she said, amused. “You didn’t respond to my texts or my voicemail.”
Silence.
Bailey glanced at the phone in confusion. “Hey… you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“You okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” Colton responded. “Hey, can I call you later? I need to jump in the shower. I didn’t realize it was this late. I was supposed to be in the office thirty minutes ago.”
“Sure. I’ll talk to you then.”
Bailey ended the call, then walked over to Cassidy’s desk. “So, where are we going for lunch?”
“I thought you had a date with Colton.”
“I just got off the phone with him and he didn’t mention it. He went out with the boys last night. He sounded like he had a hangover. Anyway, will you be my lunch date?”
Cassidy chuckled. “Of course, I will. You know I’m always down for food.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see you at noon. I’d better start working my claims before it gets too crazy.”
Bailey headed back to her cubicle.
Colton hadn’t acted like himself, but she wasn’t really worried. He wasn’t a big drinker and couldn’t handle too much alcohol. He normally didn’t drink during the work week. Maybe they were celebrating something special, Bailey considered.
The telephone on her desk began ringing, forcing all thoughts of Colton out of her mind. She needed to focus on her workload.
Right before Bailey left for lunch, Harini called.
“I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.”
“You’re fine,” she said. “I was about to have lunch with a friend of mine. What’s up?”
“I wanted to know how your writing is coming along?”
“It’s going well. I should be finished in a couple of weeks.”
“Don’t rush it,” Harini said. “Take your time, Bailey. That’s where most writers go wrong—they want to rush the process. Do you have someone to edit your book?”
“No, I hadn’t really gotten that far. Do you know of someone?” Bailey chuckled. “Of course, you do. Harini, I don’t know why I asked that question.”
“I spoke with the young lady I use and she’s willing to edit your book. However, she won’t be able to get to it for a month.”
“That’s fine,” Bailey responded.
“Great. I’ll text her contact information to you.”
Bailey was touched. “Thanks Harini. You’ve been so incredibly helpful. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you.”
Cassidy approached her desk just as her conversation ended with Harini. “Was that your new B.F.F.?”
Bailey chuckled. “You’re funny.”
“C’mon girl… I’m hungry. You know I’m eating for two. I need food.”
Picking up her purse, Bailey said, “Let me get you to a restaurant before you run out of fuel. I don’t want Joe coming after me if anything happens to you and that baby. Do you know what you want to eat?”
“Wings. I’m in the mood for some hot wings.”
“Sounds delicious,” Bailey murmured. “I think that’s what I want as well.”
Lunch over, it was back to the office.
Bailey spent the rest of her day on the telephone, fielding calls from customers. She ended up working an extra hour to keep her claims under control.
Colton called her shortly after she got home from work. Bailey was just about to find something to make for dinner. “You sound a lot better,” she told him.
He chuckled. “Rough night.”
“I bet.”
“Have you eaten?” he asked.
“No, I was just about to try and figure out
something.”
“How about the pizza place on the corner?” Colton suggested.
“Near my place?”
“Yeah.”
“You want to meet me there?” Bailey asked as she headed toward the door. “I can leave now and place the order. It should be ready by the time you get here.”
Colton laughed. “Open the door, baby.”
She did.
He was standing outside her apartment.
“How long have you been here?”
“From the moment I called you,” Colton responded.
Bailey quickly grabbed her purse and keys. “Let’s head out.”
“Is something bothering you?” she inquired when they were seated at the restaurant. Colton was usually more talkative, but he’d barely said more than two sentences to her during the drive.
“Why do you ask?”
“You’re not acting like yourself, Colton. Is there something more going on with your job?”
“Rumors are still circulating, but there’s nothing concrete,” he responded. “I guess the uncertainty is unsettling.”
“You’re going to be fine,” Bailey assured him. “Any bites from any of the companies you sent your resume?”
“Not yet.”
“Do you want to see a movie on Friday?” she asked. “Denzel has a new one coming out.”
“I’ve already made plans with my boys. We can go Saturday night if you want.” Colton picked up his menu. “What toppings do you want on your pizza?”
Laughing, Bailey said, “I can’t believe that you asked me that. I always get the same thing.
I’m predicable. That’s what Cass always says.”
“Do you believe that about yourself?” he asked.
Bailey shook her head. “I don’t think so. I just like certain foods, but I’m also willing to try new things.” She paused a moment, then said, “You know what… Let’s get something different. Let’s try a veggie pizza.”
“Really?”
She broke into a grin. “Yes. We can still get our pepperoni and sausage, but let’s order a small spinach and mushroom.”
“Cool,” Colton murmured.
After placing their order, he reached over and took her by the hand. “You know I love you, right?”
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