Beautiful Assistant E-Book

Michelle Love

• Herausgeber: Michelle Love
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

I needed an assistant, not a temptation.
Then she walked in, all raven hair and innocent eyes, a Columbia intern with perfect grades and zero experience.
I knew I shouldn’t hire her. I’m a billionaire, a bad boy with a reputation, and she’s… untouched by the world.
But I did. Now, she's in my office, under my command, and driving me insane.
Late nights, close quarters, and a chemistry that’s off the charts.
I’m fighting a losing battle, trying to keep my hands to myself, but she’s making it impossible.
One wrong move, and I’ll have a harassment suit on my hands.
Or maybe, just maybe, I’ll have something more: a chance at something real, even if it burns us both.

Keywords: billionaire, bad boy, alpha romance, second chance romance, steamy romance, contemporary romance, love books, love stories, new adult, alpha male, romance, action, adventure, steamy romance, small-town secrets, hot, alpha hero, sweet romance, romantic novels, sexually romantic books, guaranteed HEA, no cliffhangers, happily ever after.

Leseprobe

BEAUTIFUL ASSISTANT

A Second Chance Romance

Dirty Network Book 2

––––––––

By Michelle Love

©Copyright 2024 by Michelle Love - All rights Reserved

In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights are reserved.

Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

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Blurb

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Beautiful Assistant Extended Epilogue

Julia

Artimus

Julia

The Brady Files

Brady

Veronica

Brady

Veronica

Brady

Sneak Peek - Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

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Blurb

It all started with a job interview.

Now I’m her new billionaire boss.

From the moment we met, I knew she was special.

My eyes were glued to her perfect form as she walked into my office.

She was tall and lean, and she had just the right amount of curves.

There was instant attraction, and she pulled me from the very beginning.

Sexual misconduct wasn’t tolerated.

Dating between employees wasn’t allowed either.

And I knew the moment I saw her that I’d want to do more than just date that young woman.

She was innocent and wanted more from me. So, I gave it to her.

The pleasure was endless when we finally gave ourselves to each other.

I’d made the rules, so whose business would it be if I decided to break a couple of them!

Chapter One

Julia

New York, New York

Crisp January air hit my face as I got out of the cab in front of the WOLF television station, the newest network to open its doors in our fair city. Somehow, I’d scored an interview for the assistant position to the network’s owner, Artimus Wolfe himself.

I had no real expectations of actually landing the job, though. Fresh out of Columbia, I’d gained my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, but with literally no experience whatsoever, my chances were slim to none. The experience of interviewing with a man like Artimus Wolfe would be invaluable to me in itself, though, so I jumped at the opportunity.

Nevertheless, I did plan on giving it my all. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I walked up to the glass doors with “WOLF” printed across them. I shivered a bit, not from the cold air but from something else entirely. Excitement.

I wasn’t sure why I was allowing myself to get excited over something I knew I didn’t stand a chance in hell of getting, but there it was anyway.

Stepping through those doors into the warmth of the main lobby, I stopped and looked around at the grand entrance. A giant chandelier hung over the midsection of the large room. Not what I had expected at all.

Underneath that was the reception area. A young woman with short dark hair and thick, black-framed glasses stood behind a bar-like desk; her head bent as if she were reading something underneath the top layer of the desk.

Approaching her, I asked, “Do you know where I can go to meet Artimus Wolfe for an interview?”

She looked up at me. “Oh, hi. Didn’t see you standing there. Can I have your name, please?”

The room was bustling with people, so I couldn’t fault her for not realizing one of us had stopped in front of her. “That’s okay. My name’s Julia Bengal. I’ve got a ten o’clock appointment with Mr. Wolfe. I know I’m fifteen minutes early, but it’s my nature to be ahead of schedule whenever possible.”

“Cool.” She picked up a pen and made what looked to be a checkmark on something before looking back up at me. “I’ll need to see your identification, please, Julia.”

Pulling my driver’s license out of my purse, I handed it to her. She looked it over, wrote something else down, then handed it back to me. “Thank you.” I put it back into my purse and looked in the direction she pointed.

“You’ll take the elevator to the far left. You’re going to the penthouse, so press the large ‘P’ button. You’ll be in the lobby when you step off the elevator. Brady is the receptionist up there, and he’ll tell you what to do when you get there.” She winked. “Good luck, Julia Bengal.”

“Thank you.” Leaving the desk, I went to the elevator and felt that a knot had formed in my stomach. I was quickly disintegrating into a nervous wreck, something I hadn’t expected would happen to me.

This was supposed to be nothing more than practice for me. Is this what I could expect with every interview I had? I expected to have many of them before landing a job. This was terrible news for me.

The elevator was full of people. It took forever for me to get up to the penthouse, and I was the only one left by the time I got there. I found it terrifying to be all alone in the large elevator. When it stopped, and the doors opened, I saw another chandelier hanging in the reception area. Both of them were smaller than the ones on the ground floor but more ornate.

A short guy was polishing the brass bar that ran across the front of his desk. “Hi, I’m Julia Bengal.” I came to his desk as he walked around behind it, tossing the white cloth he’d been using into a waste bin.

Pulling off a pair of blue surgical gloves, he tossed those into the trash, too. “You’re early. He’ll like that. Take a seat, Miss Bengal, and I’ll let him know you’re here.”

Before my butt had even hit the chair, a man was coming out of the office right off the lobby. “Julia Bengal?” he called out to me.

My eyes caught his shiny black shoes first and then ran up a pair of long legs covered in black slacks all the way up his over six-foot frame. A white button-down shirt with the top two buttons undone rested under a black suit jacket. My eyes traveled over a firm jaw next, and a pair of chiseled lips smiled at me, and then my eyes finally landed on his—piercing blue, the smile in them as well. His thick, dark hair hung in loose waves just to the top of his collar. A broad set of shoulders and chest to match told me he had a lot of muscles underneath those clothes.

And there I was, ogling the man who was about to interview me for a job as his assistant. This was not good at all.

Why does he have to be so devastatingly good-looking?

My brain kicked in, and my mouth opened as I walked toward him with my hand extended. “Yes, I’m Julia Bengal.”

He gave my hand a little shake and then gestured to his door. “Artimus Wolfe. It’s nice to meet you, Julia. Please, come into my office.”

The place was huge—so much bigger than I’d imagined. A dark oak desk the size of a dining table sat squarely in the middle of the room. Two black leather chairs sat in front of it. One more matching leather chair sat at the right of it, and a big, overstuffed black leather chair sat behind it.

I walked behind him, and he pulled out one of the two that sat across from him. “You can sit here, Julia.”

I took the seat he’d offered as he went around the desk to sit in his chair. “Thank you, Mr. Wolfe.”

The nerves I’d had before were nothing compared to what was now going on inside my body. And what was worse was that my libido came to life in a way it never had before. My mouth watered to taste him, a thing that had never happened to me with anyone else.

I was a virgin with limited experience in even making out. I’d had only one boyfriend in my life, though I’d kissed a couple of guys before him, but nothing ever went further than that. So, the reactions that had been set off inside of me by this man were unusual and a little worrisome.

There I sat, looking at the desk. Only one paper was on it, and his hands quickly reached for it, moving it so he could read it. My head still in the clouds with thoughts of his attractiveness, I envisioned him wadding the paper up, tossing it over his shoulder, and looking at me with wanting eyes. Then, telling me to get naked and get on top of his desk.

At that moment, if he’d said those things to me, I actually thought I might just do them.

But he didn’t do that at all, much to my disappointment. “So, Julia, I see here that you’re a recent grad from Columbia. But you’re not from New York. You’re originally from Atlanta, Georgia.” He looked at me with a cute grin. “Now, how did a girl from Atlanta end up at Columbia?”

“I’ve always wanted to live in New York. I graduated from high school as the valedictorian and had several scholarships. I applied only to Columbia, which my counselor told me wasn’t a smart idea. But I’d always wanted to go to that college. I put my heart and soul into it and was accepted. I’ve been on the dean’s list since freshman year and graduated with honors.” I went silent, feeling like I was talking a bit too much about myself.

He nodded, making those full waves of hair bounce a little. His haircut framed his face perfectly. He looked cute and yet still professional—a combination I’d never seen before.

He had to be in his mid to late thirties. He had that mature look about him while still holding onto the young guy within him. And there I was again, ogling the man who’d be my boss—if I got the job, which I still didn’t think I would.

“Being fresh out of college, do you think that gives you more of an edge than a person who has experience in this position?” he asked with a curious expression.

I had to ponder that for a moment before answering. “To be honest, I think there are pros and cons to hiring a person with experience. For one, they’re pretty much set in their ways. And that might not go along with your ways, Mr. Wolfe. Yes, they know what they’re doing, but will it be what you want? I’m a clean slate. You can mold me into whatever you want.”

My breath caught in my throat as a vision of him physically molding me to fit with his perfectly masculine body zipped through my imagination.

Stop it!

“That’s true.” He looked at me as he nodded. “My last assistant had a ton of experience, and she kind of took over. She did the molding since I had no clue what I was doing at first. It would be nice to get to do the molding this time around.”

Does that mean that I have a real chance of getting this job?

Internally, I scolded myself for even thinking the errant thought. Of course, I didn’t have a shot at getting the job. The man was just thinking out loud.

“If I may ask, and I hope I don’t sound like a fool to you, but what exactly would your assistant do, Mr. Wolfe?” I had to ask because I was clueless.

“Assist me.” He gave me a big smile. “And not like make me coffee and bring me things, either. Help me come up with ideas to make the station better. Deal with the things I don’t have time to, both personally and here at work.”

“Like making sure your laundry is sent out and taken back home?” I asked. “That kind of thing?”

“No, my head housekeeper sees to all that.” His long, thick fingers tapped on the desktop. “More like a mind I can work with. Someone who can motivate me, help me come up with innovative ideas, and all the while keep the little things out of my way. Is that something you think you could do, Julia?”

I had no idea if I could do any of those things. But I knew one thing for sure: I sure as hell wanted to try. “I’ve got a lot of ideas myself. I think I would be able to be all you needed me to be, sir. I know I’d like to try. But I would understand if you went with another candidate. Just having this interview is an experience that will help me going forward in seeking employment, and I have to thank you for taking the time to do this interview with you.”

He turned his chair sideways and crossed one leg over his knee. “Your approach is different than any of the other candidates I’ve interviewed. They all talked about themselves as if they had special talents that no one else had. I found myself feeling as if I was trying to make a purchase at a used car lot with annoying salespeople pushing something I didn’t even want down my throat. So, this interview has been refreshing.”

“Glad I could refresh you, sir.” I had to smile at him, as his grin was contagious.

I’d never had so many naughty thoughts about anyone as I had over this guy—and all in the span of a couple of minutes. He had it all—charisma, charm, sexiness, and to top that all off, the man was rich as hell, too. Not that I cared about money, but who thinks having tons of it isn’t an attribute?

“I think we’re done here, Julia.” He got up, and I followed his lead. We began walking to his door as he went on, “I’ve got a couple more interviews to do today, and then that’s all of them. I’ll be making my decision soon. If you don’t hear from my human resources department within the next three days, that means I’ve gone with someone else.” He shook my hand again after opening his door. “It was nice to meet you, and I’d like to wish you all the best.”

“You too,” I said, then left the gorgeous man, confident that what he’d said there at the last—wishing me all the best—meant I wasn’t going to get the job.

Alone in the elevator, I sighed as my heart sank. I knew I’d never see that man again, and I’d most likely never step foot in the WOLF building again for the rest of my life.

I’d had no idea that an interview would be such a rollercoaster of emotions, and I wondered how I’d make myself ever go on another one.

Chapter Two

Artimus

My eyes were glued to her perfect form as she walked away from me. Tall, lean, and with just the right amount of curves, Julia Bengal was a walking heartache. Shiny black hair hung bone-straight down her back and bangs hung to her dark brows, framing her face, accenting high cheekbones. Coffee-colored eyes shone out at me as soon as I faced her. It felt as if she could see all the way through me, right to my very soul.

She wore sensible business attire—a black skirt that went below her knees and a white satin blouse that she’d tucked into the waist of the skirt. A short black jacket made out of the same material as the skirt rounded out her outfit. Her lack of jewelry and her sensible flat black shoes told me she wasn’t trying to show off her phenomenal looks to get the job she’d just interviewed for, but was simply being true to her style and herself.

As a matter of fact, she hadn’t acted like any of the other people I had interviewed at all. I could tell nerves were coursing through her, but she’d managed to keep them mostly under control. Hell, the girl was just happy to have gotten an interview, being new to the workforce and lacking experience with the whole process of getting a job.

I knew I couldn’t hire her, though. Even though I’d looked through her application and found she’d graduated with perfect grades and even made the dean’s list all four years of college. She’d been in the running from the start with those grades. But once I saw her and felt my body react in a way it never had before, I knew I couldn’t have her around me as much as I would have to if she became my assistant.

And I found that to be a damn shame.

But my company had rules. Rules I’d come up with myself in the hopes of setting a better standard for our industry. Sexual misconduct wasn’t tolerated. Dating between employees wasn’t allowed either. And I knew the moment I saw her that I’d want to do more than just date that young woman.

A knock came at my office door. “Ashton here, Artimus.”

I hit the button under my desk, opening the door for the producer of all our news shows at WOLF. “Come in.”

He jerked his head back a bit. “Did I just see a woman coming out of your office?”

“You did.” I leaned back and put my feet up on my desk. “I’ve just finished interviewing her. I have to say she’s perfect, but I won’t be able to hire her.”

Ashton took a seat as a crooked smile filled his face. “If she’s perfect then why can’t you hire her?”

“Because I had an instant attraction to her.” Looking up at the ceiling, I wished things could’ve been different. But they couldn’t.

“Wow, how unfair is that?” Ashton drummed his fingers on my desk. “I think you need to think about what you’ve just said, Artimus.”

I had no idea what he could be talking about. “And why is that, Ashton?”

He pushed his hand through his dark hair as he let out a long sigh. “You can’t not hire her simply because she’s attractive. It’s not fair, not to mention a little sexist. That’s almost as bad as hiring her just because she is attractive. The bottom line is, if she is the right person for this job, then you should hire her. And what is it that makes her so right for this job anyway?”

It was hard to figure out how to word it, but I gave it a shot, “She’s raw. Willing to be molded.” I rubbed my forehead as I thought about that. “In more ways than one, I’d bet.” I looked at my friend for help. “See, I can’t stop myself from thinking sexy thoughts about her. It would be disastrous to be around her as much as I’d have to be if she were to be my assistant.”

Ashton seemed unfazed by my admission, and he sighed once more. “Artimus Wolfe, would you please listen to yourself? You would deny that woman the job of a lifetime just because you think she’s sexy? Hell, we’ve got tons of sexy women working here. You hired all of them. I’ve got to call this an unfair decision, boss-man.”

I didn’t like to be called unfair. I strove to be fair as much as I possibly could, at all times. What my esteemed friend and employee was saying got to me. So, I pleaded my case a little more, “Ashton, how could I work so closely with her without violating my own rules?”

“I do it all the time. You’ll adapt.” He winked at me, telling me he had the hots for someone he worked with.

My bets were on the cue card girl, Nina. The two often ate meals together, and I always seemed to find them laughing about something together. I’d even caught each of them sending some longing looks from time to time while the other wasn’t watching.

But Ashton was a professional and knew his limits. He’d never jeopardize his career for a woman. And personally, he wasn’t ready for a relationship; I could tell that. His past still held too much space in his mind and heart. A woman would only complicate things for him until he sorted that out.

My friend had something that held him back from making advances on any woman for the time being. I didn’t have a single thing stopping me from doing that.

And Julia stirred me in a way that no one had since... well, since ever. And if she could do that with just her presence for a few minutes, then what else could she stir in me when we were working closely with each other for hours and days at a time?

My assistant’s primary work space was at my desk, just to the side of me. That way, we could look at the computer together and see the ratings and things of that nature.

I knew that if I had to be that close to Julia for any length of time, it would become harder and harder to keep my hands to myself. And I’d have to do that if she were my employee.

It wouldn’t be right to hire a person to work that closely with me, knowing that I have a hunger for her that might make me do things I normally wouldn’t. Even as I sat there, trying to make a case for myself, I envisioned her lying on one of the sofas in the office, her skirt hiked up and exposing a creamy thigh as she bit her lower lip.

Shit, stop that!

“I can’t hire her, and that’s that.” I slammed my fist down on the desk as if to punctuate my sentence.

“Wow.” Ashton just sat there, looking at me with his mouth ajar. “How in the hell did she make that much of an impression on you with just a short interview?”

I had no idea. “You’ve got me. I felt some kind of physical spark run up my arm and through my body like lightning when I shook her hand. It took everything in me not to gasp out loud and throw her hand away like it was on fire. It was the weirdest shit ever, man. And she smelled so good—I feel like I can still smell her shampoo. I know I won’t be able to control myself around her.”

Ashton got up and walked over to the mini fridge, grabbing some bottled water. “Well, you might get mad at me, but I’ve got to say this.” He tossed one of the bottles to me before taking his seat again. “You’re being a hypocrite.”

Okay, first, he called me unfair, and now he’s calling me a hypocrite. This is too much.

“I’d love for you to explain to me why you think that, Ashton.” I readied myself to take what he said into consideration before denying any such accusations against my person.

He took a drink of the water before saying, “You expect every single one of your employees to do what you don’t expect yourself to do. That makes you a hypocrite. It’s just that easy, Artimus.”

Damn, he’s right!

“So I am being unfair for not hiring a person who would be a great fit for the job as my assistant. Along with that, I’m being hypocritical by not hiring a person I have an attraction to because I’ve hired other gorgeous and great people to work here and have made rules that don’t allow them to form relationships.” My friend might be onto something when I put it that way. I was being unfair and a hypocrite—two qualities I didn’t like in other people. Those were also qualities I’d never realized I’d been harboring myself.

I supposed Ashton could see by my expression that the realization was hitting me because he laughed as he got up. “Seems I’ve gotten you to see the light, but I’ve got to get back to work now. I just wanted to come to see how the hunt for the perfect assistant was going. Seems the hunt is over. You’ve found her. All you have to do is get the hell over yourself the same way the rest of us have had to.”

“Seems so.” I watched him leave and put my head in my hands as I rested my elbows on the desk.

It wasn’t easy to admit to myself that I wasn’t the man I thought I was. I knew I had flaws. Everyone does. But I never knew I could be so blind to them.

There were more interviews to do. Julia Bengal might not make the cut if one of them made more sense to hire over her. Somehow, that thought left me with a knot in my stomach.

I felt a smile creep over my lips as I thought about getting to see her beautiful face every workday. Hearing that soft voice—deep for a woman, with a side of sultry that I was sure she had no idea sounded so damn sexy and feminine—would be nice too.

Could I do it?

Could I hold back and maintain my self-control the way I demanded my employees do?

Shaking my head, I knew it would be hard. But I also knew that Julia Bengal was just the right kind of person to help me take WOLF to where I wanted it to be. The very top.

I wouldn’t settle for anything less than that, and I needed the perfect person by my side to help me get there.

Lots of late nights would be expected. Long hours, too. Hell, I was getting ahead of myself. She might not even accept the job once I offered it and let her know all that the position entailed.

But I knew I’d offer her the job. I knew she’d stay on my mind through the remaining interviews.

She’d already cemented herself in my head, it seemed. I prayed she wouldn’t do the same thing in my heart.

A cloud of doubt surrounded me where my will and determination were concerned. But what could I do? I expected that out of everyone else. Time to face the music myself.

Why does that sound so damn scary?

Chapter Three

Julia

The next day, I was back at the job search, looking for jobs on my laptop. I had started bright and early in the morning, and by six in the evening, I was feeling done with the whole thing.

I’d put in six applications at various jobs online, but the only job that really interested me was the one at WOLF.

I hated how I could get so single-minded sometimes. Just like with Columbia, I knew what I wanted and never gave a thought to any other possibility. That’s what is happening now with the position at WOLF.

I had no idea why that was happening in my brain. I didn’t think I had a chance at all of getting even a second interview, much less the job. But still, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Mr. Wolfe had said to give it three days, and if I hadn’t heard anything by then, it meant he’d picked someone else. Well, it had only been one day, but at six o’clock, I knew the office was closed.

One day down, two more to go.

My roommate came in, rushing to get to the bathroom as usual. She refused to use public restrooms. “Hey, Bethey.”

“Hey, Julia,” came her breathless reply before the bathroom door slammed shut, followed by a great sigh of relief as she finally got to pee.

Thankfully, I didn’t have a bladder that was as shy as she was. I couldn’t imagine holding it in all day long.

Closing my laptop, I began to think about what I’d make for dinner when my cell rang. Picking it off the coffee table, I gasped, “It’s WOLF!” Swiping the screen, I answered the call, “Hello!”

“Can I speak to Julia Bengal, please?” came a woman’s voice.

“This is she.” I bit my pinky fingernail as I waited to hear what she had to say. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

“This is Tanya with the human resources department at WOLF. Mr. Wolfe has made his choice for the position as his assistant. He’d like you to start on Monday. I’m going to need you to come in tomorrow to sign all the new hire paperwork. After I explain the job to you, you will accept it, of course.”

“Of course!” I put my hand over my mouth to silence the scream of happiness that was dying to escape. “Any specific time, Tanya?”

“No, just before five in the evening. I’ll need about two hours of your time. See you tomorrow then. Have a nice evening. Congratulations, Miss Bengal.”

With the call over, I began to jump around my apartment, finally able to let out my excited screams. Bethey came out of the bathroom with a puzzled look on her face. “And what’s this about, Julia?”

“This is about,” I grabbed her hands and made her jump in a circle with me, “me getting my first job! I got the assistant job at that new network, WOLF!”

“No way!” She shook her head in disbelief. “You’ve been on one interview, and you’ve landed your dream job in less than two days. Julia, do you have any idea how rare that is?”

“I totally do.” My head was spinning, so I stopped jumping.

Bethey pulled me in for a hug. “This needs to be celebrated. I say let’s go out and get our dance on, girl.”

I agreed, feeling ready to celebrate. We got ourselves dressed up and decked out, then headed out to one of her favorite clubs. I was never one to go out a lot. School came before anything else, and that had hampered my clubbing.

Whenever I had gone, I did enjoy it. The only drawback was that I’d met my ex-boyfriend at one of the bars that were popular with Columbia students—and that relationship hadn’t turned out to be so great. But we weren’t going to one that he frequented, just to be on the safe side.

Bethey didn’t know the whole story behind our breakup. No one did. I preferred to keep that to myself. I wasn’t particularly proud of myself for what had happened with the guy.

Bethey bought my first and only drink, as I’d never been a huge drinker either. I was a seasoned pro at making one drink last for hours. When you put your head into the books, alcohol proved to be your enemy.

We danced like no one was watching, as the saying goes. I loved to dance. I had no idea if I was any good at it, but I loved to do it. Bethey and I were dancing our little hearts out, and I felt like I was on cloud nine.

The music was rocking. The crowd was electric, and the night was going fabulously.

Until I felt someone grinding on me from behind and turned around to let the fucker know that that was not okay. And that’s when I spotted my ex, smiling right at me, his face only inches apart from mine.

His soft blond curls bounced over his broad shoulders as he moved his hips in a sexy gesture. Bright blue eyes and boy-next-door good looks made him seem like the exact opposite of what he was—a great guy.

“What do you think you’re doing, Price Stone?” I asked him as I stopped moving and crossed my arms in front of my chest. I’d worn a short romper that revealed a ton of cleavage, and I didn’t want him looking at it.

He had the nerve to put his hands on my hips. “Come on, baby. I’ve said I’m sorry more than I’ve ever said it in my entire life. Can’t you cut a guy a break?”

“No.” I pushed his hands off me. “Leave me alone.” Turning around, I tapped Bethey on the shoulder as she’d turned away to dance with someone else. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

She waved me on, and I left the crowded dancefloor. My great mood had been blown to smithereens by the man. We’d only dated for six months, and it had been a month since I had broken up with him—it defied my imagination why he thought I’d ever change my mind and want to start seeing him again.

How can a person keep seeing someone they don’t trust?

It wasn’t as if we were in love or anything like that. So why did he keep on showing up, calling and texting me, and telling me over and over again how sorry he was for doing something he claimed he didn’t remember doing?

Just when I thought I’d effectively ditched they guy, I felt a hand on my arm, pulling me back. “You and I need to talk, Julia. This is the first time I’ve seen you in a month.” There he was again, the asshole.

I glared at him. “Price, you don’t even come to this club. Are you stalking me or something?”

He smiled with the same smile that had initially drawn me to him. But now it made me kind of sick. “Stalking is an ugly word, baby. I just wanted to see you. I’ve missed you. Haven’t you missed me at all?” His fingers tightened around my arm, reminding me again why I dumped his sorry ass.

“No, I haven’t missed you at all.” That was the truth. How could anyone miss a person who’d done something so wrong to them?

The way he looked into my eyes stupefied me. “Don’t lie, baby. I know you’ve had to miss me. How many times do I have to tell you I’m sorry before you’ll believe me?”

“You can’t say it enough,” I let him know as I jerked my arm out of his grip. “So stop doing it. If you’ll notice, your apologies haven’t done one bit of good. Frankly, I don’t understand you, Price. You’re a reporter for The New York Times. You’ve got your good looks and can be charming. So, what’s stopping you from moving on and finding yourself another victim? I mean, girlfriend.”

His expression changed to one of hurt. As if my words really had an effect on him. “Victim?” He shook his head sadly. “Julia, I don’t remember what I did. I have to take your word for it. And I have. I was the one who woke up with a large bump on the side of my head, and I didn’t see a mark on you. But I believed you, apologized to you, and swore it would never happen again. Why can’t you accept the fact that people make mistakes, baby? I am only human. And I don’t want anyone else. I only want you.”

He couldn’t seem to recall that I had shown him the bruises he’d left on me. In the month since we’d broken up, I’d started to think that he only wanted me because of my status as a virgin. He’d nearly come on himself when I’d told him that the first time we’d made out, and he’d wanted to take it all the way home.

My ideas about sex were different from most people's. I’d always thought that sex was a lot deeper than most let it be. I wasn’t religious, just deeply spiritual. I knew that sex with the right person could be a spiritual experience. One that made a connection between two people that would last forever—like eternally.

I knew most people didn’t think the way I did. But I wasn’t about to change my beliefs because of what other people thought. And I knew that Price Stone wasn’t the man that I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. So he wasn’t ever going to get into my pants and take my virginity the way he likely hoped he would.

It wasn’t in me to be mean to anyone, but I had to stand up for myself if I hurt the man in the process, that couldn’t be helped. “Price, I don’t want you. There is nothing you can do to make me want you. If you want to know the truth, I had no plans to ever have sex with you. Maybe that’ll help you get over me. There would never have been any sex, Price. Do you understand that completely now?”

He shook his head. “You don’t know that, baby. We were getting close. Hell, I’d finally gotten you to come over to my apartment. That told me you were getting comfortable with me. And that night would’ve led to more nights where you and I could be all alone in the comfort of my place. More nights where we could really get to know one another. I knew it would take a lot of time with you. I was ready for that. I was in it for the long haul, just the way you told me you would be.”

He was taking my words out of context, which was something he excelled at. “I wasn’t telling you that I wanted that with you, Price. I was just telling you that to let you know how I felt about sex. I’m sorry if you understood it differently than how I meant it. Yes, I was getting more comfortable with you, that’s true. And just when I gave you more of a chance, you went and blew it.” I gave him a good look over for a moment, thinking about my next words. “And it doesn’t look like you learned anything from the experience anyway. You need to stop drinking, for one.”

And just as those words left my mouth, the expression on his face jumped from sad and misunderstood, to one of elation. “I’ll quit drinking. For you, I’ll do that. I’ll do anything for you, baby. You’ve got to believe me. Give me one more chance, please. I’m begging you.”

A few people around us had become invested in our argument. I couldn’t help but notice the women who looked ready to pounce on the good-looking, well-built man who was pleading with me for one more chance.

If I had real feelings for the man, then it would’ve bothered me that those women were waiting for me to walk away and leave him to them. There had been a part of me that had liked Price in the beginning—I never would’ve started dating him if there hadn’t been. But a larger part of me had always felt that he couldn’t be trusted. And that part of me had turned out to be right.

Looking into his blue eyes, I stuck to my guns. “Price, this is over, and it’s going to stay over. Leave. Me. Alone.” And then I walked away without looking back. Because when someone hurts you, you’ve got to have the backbone to not give them another chance to do it again.