The Men With the Golden Cuffs Read Free Page B

yet she still woke up at night feeling alone. It couldn’t help that Bridget had watched how amazing Serena’s dating life was. Nonexistent. Nothing. A big fat zero. She had no time to even think about dating. She only had her work.
    The door to the elevator opened, and she walked out, forcing her feet to move. She let her friends lead her to Bridget’s Nissan, and she snapped her seatbelt on like a zombie. They started talking, but she felt far away.
    She hadn’t loved Doyle in a long time. She kind of actively hated him now. Their marriage had been over forever and yet the man could still make her feel like she was nothing.
    And so could Jake Dean. When she’d first walked into his office, she’d felt an instant connection to the man. His eyes had been warm, and she’d sized him up immediately. She did that a lot. She’d seen big, strong Jake and immediately started building a character around him. And then he’d shoved her at Adam, and her brain had gone on overload.
    Two gorgeous men. Partners. Jake would be the deadly predator and Adam the tender warrior. They would function as a team, as halves of a whole. They just needed the right heroine to bring them both to life.
    Yeah, that was going to happen.
    You’re sick, Serena. You’re perverted. It’s just wrong what you wrote. It would be wrong if you wanted one man to tie you up and spank you, but no, Serena Brooks has to go for two. I never would have married you if I had known just how depraved you are. No smart man is going to want a woman like you.
    She still could hear her husband’s words as he’d blown up six years of marriage. She’d made the horrible mistake of showing him one of her stories. She’d written in private for so long. But he’d utterly rejected her when he’d read one of her books. She’d supported him as he’d tried to write, but he’d dumped her because her work wasn’t intellectual. Because her work was embarrassing.
    Of course, once he’d figured out how much money she was making, the asshole had changed his tune.
    Her cell phone rang. She looked down. Her agent. She let her eyes close. She didn’t really want to talk to Lara, but she owed her. “Hello.”
    Lara’s voice came across the line with the force of a bullet. Several bullets. Lara spoke in a rapid-fire manner, peppering her with questions. “Are you out? Is everything done? How do you feel now? So, who did Ian assign to you? I know he wouldn’t take it himself, but I expect someone good.”
    Lara had been the one to send her to McKay-Taggart. She would not be pleased that Serena had been turned down. Serena ignored the first questions. Lara would only really be interested in the answer to her last question. “Sorry. I don’t think they’re going to take the case.”
    She was silent for a moment. Lara Anderson was a bitch and a half. It worked for her as an agent. It sometimes scared the crap out of Serena.
    “I will handle this.” The phone clicked off.
    “Is über-bitch on the case? Goddamn it! What are you doing in the fast lane, idiot? Seriously? Do more than twenty miles a fucking hour!” The horn blared, and the small vehicle in front of them obediently moved to the right lane. Bridget was the very definition of road rage.
    “She’s going to try, but I don’t think these guys go down easy. And, honestly, I don’t think I want them on the case. If Lara forces them to take it, they won’t be serious about it.” And they would charge her out the ass. A pissed-off guardian probably wasn’t the best guardian.
    But when she’d first met Adam Miles, she’d felt like he liked her. He’d smiled and been friendly. There had been genuine concern on his face. She’d felt safe with him. But it meant nothing since Jake Dean seemed so damn willing to shove her to the side.
    But the truth was neither one of them would accept her if they read her work. That would sink her. Jake had probably run her pen name. That was why he’d rejected her.
    “Sweetie,