Annihilate Me (Vol. 4) (The Annihilate Me Series) (33 page)

*
 
*
 
*

When
Bernie was finished with all of us, we stood and appraised each other.

“Look
at us,” I said.
 
“We’ve turned into
‘Charlie’s Angels’.”

“Well,
at least two of us are angels,” Blackwell said, lifting her bob with her
hand.
 
“I don’t know about this
other one yet.
 
She came off as a
little hellion earlier.”

“Are
you provoking me again?” Lisa asked.

“Maybe.”

“Well,
don’t.”

“You’re
so sensitive.”

Lisa
was about to bite back, when Blackwell stopped her.
 
“My dear, you
will
come to know
me.
 
I’m about to become as involved
in your life as I am in Jennifer’s.
 
Here’s how I know that.
 
Here’s my little surprise for you tonight.
 
My secret gift.
 
I’ve been holding it back for a solid
week.”

She
furrowed her brow at Blackwell.
 
“What are you up to now?”

“Only
good.
 
You know I’ve read your
work.
 
You know I think you have
talent.
 
Maybe, just maybe, I might
have passed along some of your work to a few influential editors at Wenn
Publishing.
 
Word has it that some
editors are interested.
 
One in
particular is especially interested.
 
Soon, you might be getting a call from him.
 
From what I hear, there might be a
five-million-dollar contract coming your way.”

“A
what?”

“You
heard me.
 
And with your success on
Amazon, I believe that it’s a fair amount that’s deserved.
 
Just to set your mind at ease, even Alex
doesn’t know about this, and I’m hardly in a position to suggest advances for
authors at our publishing division.
 
In this case, I was simply a middleman, and I’m happy to report that
there was genuine excitement about your work.”

“Excitement?”
Lisa said.

“Yes,
that’s right.
 
Excitement.
 
Even among those impossible snobs.
 
This is something you earned with a
little nudge from me.
 
A few people
read your work, all of the feedback was positive, and one editor decided that
he wants to pursue you.
 
I might
have heard a certain figure being tossed around when he called me back.
 
Now, please, close your mouth for God’s
sake.
 
With your undead breath, a
fly will probably zip inside, which I can’t have when we’re this close to
having dinner.”

*
 
*
 
*

When
we got into the elevator, I pressed the button for Alex’s floor while Lisa
stared straight ahead, unmoving, unblinking, and unspeaking.

“I
think I put the poor girl into a coma,” Blackwell said to me.

“Can
you blame her?”

“Please.”
 
She took Lisa by the arm.
 
“Look at me.
 
That’s right—look at me.
 
Focus, darling.
 
Snap, snap, snap.
 
Good, good, good.
 
You’re about to see Tank.
 
You know, the man you want to land.
 
He’ll be in a tux.
 
He’s going to look more handsome than
ever.
 
Why are your eyes crossing?”

“Five
million dollars….”

“Jesus,”
Blackwell said.
 
“Pull yourself
together, Lisa.
 
If you want to
attract him, get back into yourself.
 
Are you with me?
 
Of course
you’re not.
 
Well, you better do it
quickly, because the elevator is starting to slow.”

And
then it stopped.
 

The
doors slid open, and I felt my heart quicken when I saw Alex standing in a tux
next to Tank, who looked adorable in his own.
 
He also looked a bit nervous.
 
I saw him look at Lisa.
 
And as reserved as he was, he couldn’t
help but take in every inch of her as if she was a feast.

Blackwell
stepped out of the elevator and kissed each of the men on the cheek.
 
“Look at you boys.
 
Perfection.
 
And Tank, I can only imagine the yards
of fabric it took to cover that chest of yours.
 
Beautifully tailored.
 
And you did it without me, so color me
impressed.”
 
She lifted her nose and
sniffed the air.
 
“What’s that I
smell?
 
So divoon.
 
So aromatic.
 
Tell me it’s a form of ice.”

“It’s
not ice,” Alex said.

“Well,
then.”

I
moved into Alex’s arms.
 
He kissed
me lightly on the lips and said in my ear, “You look beautiful.”

“You
look pretty swell yourself, Mr. Wenn.”

“Do
I?”

“You
do.”
 
And in his ear so no one else
could hear, I whispered, “And tonight?
 
When we’re alone?
 
I’ll be
undressing you.”

It
was at that moment that the elevator doors closed behind me, leaving Lisa
inside.

“Oh,
that girl,” Blackwell said.
 
“What
is wrong with her?
 
Press the
button, Jennifer.
 
God!”

I
pressed it, and the doors opened again.
 
Lisa was standing there, but this time she was looking straight at Tank.

“Hi,”
she said to him.

And
in that moment of silence that stretched between them, I sensed the wealth of
possibilities that were there before them.
 
I looked at my best friend and saw that her lips had parted and that she
was meeting Tank’s gaze with her own.
 

I
knew that look—I’d seen it before.
 
It was raw, unfiltered lust.
 
When I looked at Tank, he seemed dumbstruck by Lisa’s
transformation.
 
My heart swelled
for them.

Please
let this be the beginning of something concrete between them
, I thought.

And
then Tank stepped forward and took Lisa’s hand.

“Lisa,”
he said.
 
He didn’t say her name in
greeting.
 
He said it as a
statement.

“Tank.”

He
lifted his hand and turned her around so her red dress fanned out and glimmered
around her.

“You
wore red.”

“I
did.”

“Was
that intentional?”

“I
might have chosen it for you.”

“Thank
you,” he said as he admired her.
 
“I
don’t know what else to say.
 
Just…thank you.”

And
with that, I thought their relationship finally had taken off.
 
Of course, at that point, I had no idea
about the wrecking ball that was about to swing their way….

###

Also from international best-selling

author Christina Ross....

After the
Holiday Edition
,
available
here on Amazon
(you’ll
also find it on Nook and on Kobo via a quick search), the
Annihilate Me
series
ends, but only in a sense.
 
After
the
Holiday Edition
, it’s now time
for new stories and characters to emerge from the series.
 
There is, in fact, a whole world of
stories to tell because of this series.
 
When I asked you on my
Facebook
page
to
enter the world of Christina Ross, I meant it.
 
In that world, we’ll meet new friends,
and also keep in close contact with old friends, such as Jennifer and Alex.

The
Holiday
Edition
features Jennifer, Alex, Lisa, Tank, Blackwell and her two
daughters up to no good in Maine.
 
In that book, Jennifer and Alex make a major announcement that will explored
in the
Unleash Me
series.
 
That series will follow Jennifer’s best friend, Lisa Ward, as she
explores her writing career, enters into a tumultuous relationship with Tank,
and considers the possibility of a relationship with another man when she and
Tank struggle to resolve their issues.
 

The
Holiday
book is a critical bridge
between the
Annihilate Me
series and the
Unleash Me
series.

If you’d like more of Jennifer and
Alex—and if you want to see them get married!—look for them (along
with Blackwell) in the
Unleash Me
series.
 
They’ll all play a major part.

Please join my mailing list here so you
won’t miss that book or upcoming books:
 
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I love hearing from my readers!
 
Please write to me at
[email protected]
or write to me on my Facebook fan page
here:
 
http://on.fb.me/ZSr29Z
 
I love to chat with my readers on Facebook.
 
I also do giveaways there.
 
I hope to see you there soon!

If you would leave a review of this or any
of my books, I’d appreciate it.
 
Reviews are so critical to an author’s success, I can’t even tell
you.
 
So, thank you if you leave a
review!
 
Please know that I’m grateful
for it.

Here’s to the
Annihilate Me
series—and then to the
Unleash Me
series!
 
And
then to many stand-alone books!

XO!

—Christina