Reservation (Preservation Series) Read Free Page B

classic case of a business scrambling to reach a confidential settlement before a lawsuit resulted.
    A heavy shudder rolled from my head to my feet, and my jaw still ticked as I thought about those scumbags.
    None of that mattered anymore, though. Not if Kate was committed to putting it all behind her. I wouldn’t be the one to keep dredging all that shit up for her. If she wanted a fresh start, I’d do everything in my power to fucking give it to her.
    “You’re right. And I understand, Kate. Really, baby. So,” I exhaled loudly, ready to change the subject. “How about we have a kickass breakfast and take a swim before I have to leave this afternoon? Hhhmm ?”
    “That sounds perfect,” she purred against my shoulder. No. The sound of her naked feet padding across the wooden floor, the sound of her panting and calling out my name as I make her come in this lush bed...now those are perfect sounds.
    Throwing her hands above her head, she rolled sideways and stretched out like a cat, then pulled herself from the bed to make a lazy, sexy stroll toward the bathroom. I folded my arms behind my head and watched her slink away, soaking up the image of the early morning sunlight caressing her bare skin. Little shadows danced over her shoulders and thighs, lighting up slices of her milky skin as she moved.
    What a sunrise.
    When I heard the faucet turn on in the bathroom, I stood to my feet and broke myself from the spell.
    ***
    Nirvana’s “You Know You’re Right” beat my eardrums to a pulp as our plane touched down at SeaTac. I hated having to pull the earbuds away when we taxied to our gate, but it had to be done. Time to go back to the real world. Hell, absolutely nothing was more invigorating than some classic Cobain pumping into my veins. I was a lucky bastard being born and raised in an iconic musical city, and I knew it. Not everyone appreciated it, though. For some, it wasn’t even on their radar.
    And that was a damn shame.
    Speaking of music, I was long overdue for a show at Easy Street Records. It had been weeks since I’d checked out some live music, and I was feeling deprived. It would be even weirder now going without Kate. We’d made it a habit, especially since Carter and Dean’s band, The Hellions, started playing there regularly.
    Damn it all. How was I going to be away from her for so long?
    That musing was interrupted when my phone chimed, ringing obnoxiously when I stood to my feet to retrieve my carry-on from the overhead. I’d just turned the power back on, what, two minutes ago? And already, I was being bombarded with telephone calls.
    And so it begins.
    I snapped the pull handle up on my suitcase and started down the aisle, moving at a quicker pace as everyone filed off the plane. Not only were messages starting to pour in from my parents, who I hadn’t seen since things ended with me and Jamie, but Bob Hall, Neda—my agent—and all sorts of people from Simon and Warden had been calling, trying to make appointments for this and that. On top of that, my phone’s inbox kept pinging with new e-mails from students, with questions about the last exam before finals, no doubt. I guess it came with the territory while I juggled the job I was getting ready to leave and the one I was about to begin.
    “Yeah? Ryan here.”
    “Are you back?” Bob’s voice filled the line.
    “Yup, just landed, actually.” My tone flared with irritation, but I tried to keep it at bay. This guy was publishing my first book and was about to be my new boss, after all.
    “Good. I know we’re not getting together until Friday, but I need you for another meeting before then to meet with Danny, your new PR king. He’s new to our house, but he knows his stuff. Knows how to handle a talent like you.”
    “A talent like what?”
    Bob laughed. “Oh come on, Ryan. You must know what you’re in here for, now that the film rights are on the table. You’re a young, good-looking bastard, and that means dollar signs. An