Read Online This Round I'm Yours by Clarise Tan, Marian Tee, The Passionate Proofreader - Free Book Online Page A

feeling that he truly did get off on her pain, that he could come just by thinking of her suffering so much.
    “What do you want?” she asked wearily.
    “Still you, Lacey baby.”
    She wanted to kick herself for even asking.  
    “Nothing to say?”
    Other girls might consider his cooing voice sexy, but all it did was make Lace feel like throwing up. Just hearing him speak to her like that already felt like she was cheating on Silver, and she didn’t want that. At all.
    “If you don’t have anything to say—”
    “Oh, I do. But not over the phone. I’d like us to meet again.”
    “No.”
    “Are you sure? You don’t want to talk about my plans for our website launch?”
    Lace couldn’t even muster enough energy to rail at him for being deliberately vague. “Grant—”
    “I’ve got so many exciting plans, and I want you to be the first to know. That’s why we should meet—”
    “No.” She would never meet with him again, never wanted to lie about it to Silver another time.
    “—and luckily for you,” Grant continued, as if not hearing her speak, “—we’re already outside your dorm.”

Bad Falls  

    He stood there, his brown hair properly combed, green eyes smiling, and exuding charm like he was running for Mr. America or even the White House. It made all the girls around him sigh dreamily, but when Lace looked at Grant, all she wanted to do was kill herself. How could she have been so stupid? How did she not see everything of him was just a lie?
    Beside Grant was an older man, his presence momentarily diverting her. He seemed familiar and not familiar at the same time, like someone she knew but couldn’t imagine having anything to do with Grant.
    Partially hidden behind the tall trees lining the street, she worked hard to catch a glimpse of his face while she huffed and puffed as silently as she could. Normally, a walk from the gym to her dorm would take twenty minutes, but this time she had managed it in twelve. Who would have thought fear would work greater wonders than Nike’s best running shoes?
    When the man turned towards her direction, their gazes immediately met, both of them recognizing each other.
    What the hell was Alfred Cohen doing here ? An ex-Times journalist, he was supposedly kicked out of his old job after coming under suspicion for accepting bribes to not write about the truth. Since then, he had made a name for himself in another field, writing about sports scandals with a decidedly sensationalized angle.  
    Lace’s sense of foreboding worsened as she watched Alfred whisper in Grant’s ear while his gaze remained on her, the lascivious joy in his eyes unmistakable.  
    Grant’s handsome face broke into a smile when he turned her way and saw Lace. He crossed the street without hesitation, calling out to her, “Hey, Lacey baby.”
    She wanted to run away but forced herself to stay put, knowing that escaping would only delay the inevitable. “What are you doing here?” she asked stiffly.
    His smile didn’t dim at all. “Just checking up on you. Is that bad?”
    She only looked at him, knowing there had to be more than that.
    “Also…we need to talk in private. So invite us to our room.” When she opened her mouth to answer, Grant took a step closer, murmuring under his breath, “For your own good.”
    He stepped away.
    Behind him, Alfred had caught up to them, his smile turning into a leer.  
    Her gaze jerked to Grant. “Why is he with you?”
    “Who? Alfred?” Grant raised a brow. “You know him, right?” His chest puffed out, his tone boastful as he told her, “You probably never thought I’d be friends with him, did you?”
    She shook her head. No. She never imagined he would be friends with someone like Alfred Cohen, but…didn’t Grant realize the other man didn’t think of him as a friend? She said uneasily, “Grant—”
    Alfred interrupted, “Don’t you think it’s a good idea we talk about this in private?”
    “Oh, yeah, sure.” Grant’s