Read Online Lust by T. C. Anthony - Free Book Online Page A

regret it on Monday morning. You knew. Why wouldn’t you just tell me instead of allowing me to make a fool out of myself?”
    “I wasn’t trying to do anything of the sort, Eva.” He went to grab my hands, but I threw them up to back him off.
    “Seriously? Now you are scared of me? You had no problem telling me you wanted to fuck me, allowing me to take you home and put you into bed. That didn’t scare you, now did it?”
    He was right. I was being a hypocrite, but my sheer lust for him had turned into disgust. He was ruining the best thing in my life—my career—and no sex could make up for that.
    He opened the car door and motioned for me to get in. “I’m driving you.”
    His commands would have worked forty-eight hours ago, but they wouldn’t work now.
    “See you in the office…boss.” I turned my back and disappeared into the dark city streets.
    CHAPTER FIVE
    As I walked away into the Manhattan streets, I knew he watched me. I felt his eyes on my spine. I had no idea how long he stood there and stared, but I could feel the energy he gave off. As I turned the corner onto Fifty-Fourth Street, I had to stop. I propped myself on the brick of the first storefront building I came to, buried my face in my hands, and sobbed. It felt good, so good to cry and get it out.
    What had happened? Twenty-four hours of misery! Another day like this and I would have to be committed. How could everything go so wrong in the blink of an eye? Was life that fucked up? I just can’t understand it.
    Pat was gone, Kelly was gone, and the company was now owned by a commanding and arrogant prick who I wanted to undeniably fuck until my legs gave out and my vagina went numb!
    I have always said that life’s a bitch, but this, this day made it a fucking bitch!
    Ring…ring…ring…ring. The display read: DEREK CELL.
    Shit. One more fucked-up line to my day’s fucked-up list.
    “Hello,” I blurted out with a sigh of exhaustion.
    “Hi, babe. Sorry I didn’t call sooner. It’s been a long day.”
    Yeah, you want to talk to me about a long day. I don’t fucking think so!
    “I was hoping to come by, but I called your house and you weren’t home. So are you going home? Babe?”
    Listening to his whining, I contemplated whether I had any energy left, and I concluded it was now or never. “Derek, we have to talk. I don’t want to get into an hour-long conversation, and please don’t go any further after I speak. I’m going to need you to accept what I say and move on. This—you and me—it’s not working. You’re a good guy, great guy in fact, but not the right guy. I’ve enjoyed our time together and really do wish you lots of luck and love in your life, but I don’t want to string you along, because I don’t have the same feelings for you and that is not going to change. I have a lot going on right now and really appreciate that this doesn’t get dramatic, OK?”
    Silence.
    “Derek?”
    Click.
    “Hello? Dial tone. Well, at least he listened and didn’t get dramatic. God, I have to get my ass home.”
    Stepping out of Penn Station the next morning, it was like I had never left the city. It wasn’t late when I left the night before, but the day leading up to the night was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting. I was so eager to be back home, safe in bed, that it cost me eighty dollars for a cab ride back to Long Beach instead of taking the train. All I needed was to get from Point A to Point B without any effort. I could barely recall the cab ride; my thoughts were almost blank. I had spent the entire day spinning in my mind that now, even with all the information I did have, there was nothing.
    Nothing but silence…and a scent.
    I had ridden home holding my head up with my hand, and I still smelled the scent of the Burberry cologne Mr. Mason was wearing.
    It must have worn off on me as he shook my hand good-bye.
    Hoooonk, hoooonk! “You need a cab, lady?” The typical Manhattan cab driver yelled out as I