Flesh: Part Five (The Flesh Series Book 5) Read Free

“Tyra
will understand as long as that jerk doesn't call and complain about
you.”
    “ And
what makes you think he won't?” I give him an earnest look.
“When he breaks the contract, he's going to have to tell her
something.”
    His expression
sulks, then turns hopeful again in the blink of an eye. “Maybe
he won't break the contract.”
    “ We
both know that's not how these things turn out.”

    ***

    It's rendezvous
time, and I'm strictly business. There were no additional hours after
work spent changing my clothes and fusing with my makeup until it's
perfect. I'm wearing the same thing I wore to work today: a pair of
blue capris with a white button-down shirt and a gray blazer. It's
not easy access. There's no way he's getting into my steel-clad
chastity belt tonight. I've spent the entire afternoon mentally
adding lock after lock to it. Lucian would have to have some
romantic, amazing confession of love to break my resolve, and that's
definitely not happening.
    I arrive on his
doorstep promptly at 8PM. Even though I tell myself I'm not
interested in him anymore, my heart is still fluttering; my whole
body is rigid. Part of me fears that he'll answer the door half-naked
again. Will I really be able to resist all of that bulging muscle and
perfectly kissable skin? The answer is that I have to. I have to, or
else I'm going to keep plummeting down the spiral of depression I've
been fighting to claw myself out of ever since I realized that I'm
engaged in a meaningless relationship with him.
    “ Right
on time, as always.” Lucian beams at me as he opens the door.
    The knot in my chest
softens a bit. He's wearing a shirt today. A white button-down shirt
with gray slacks. It's the first thing I've seen him in that hasn't
immediately made me want to drop my panties. While I still find him
undeniably attractive, the fact that I don't instantly want to peel
his clothes off means that I might stand some chance of resisting
him.
    “ It's
my job to be on time,” I reply curtly, stepping over the
threshold.
    The next thirty
minutes are spent in complete professionalism. Lucian's focus is on
the project, sitting next to me and going through my furniture
selections. Out of everything I've picked out, his preference leans
towards a sled bed with four matching pieces all done in dark cherry.
    “ Of
course, I'll want to go see it physically before we purchase it.”
His finger makes a lazy circle in front of my tablet.
    “ Certainly,
Doctor Reddick.” I nod.
    “ Doctor
Reddick?” He quirks an eyebrow at me.
    If a look could
slice through skin and bone, he'd be in two pieces. I'm not playing
games with him anymore. I'm not his submissive.
    “ Yes,
Doctor Reddick,” my words are pointed.
    His expression is
somewhere between concern and offense. He's not happy that I'm not
giving in to him, not being the mousy, little obedient girl he's been
interacting with all week.
    “ Is
something wrong?” he asks.
    “ No.”
I try to soften my tone. Even though I feel incredibly bitter towards
him, I don't want my bad mood to scare him away before he's even done
anything wrong. If we can keep focused on the task at hand, then
maybe I can escape his house unscathed for once. Perhaps my obvious
disinterest will throw him off enough to make him give me space.
“Let's continue.”
    I turn my attention
back to the tablet and swipe it with my finger to start going over
the selections I made for his guest bedroom. As we look at the beds,
I keep thinking about the one that's currently in his guest
bedroom—the one we first had sex on. It will get moved to
storage soon. Stored away like my feelings for him. I'm not sure why
I'm thinking about it as such, but in truth, while I'm trying
desperately to focus on business, half of the stuff going through my
mind revolves around everything that Lucian and I have done up to
this point, how he's treated me, how I feel towards him. It's like I
can't get away from those thoughts, no matter how hard I