The Unblocked Collection (15 page)

“He’s not right. You know that.”

Those pain-stricken eyes met mine. “My reputation in this industry is flawless. I almost ruined that.”

“I wouldn’t let that happen.”

She took a few steps toward the door. “Derek, I’m sorry, but I can’t. I…can’t do this.”

That was the last thing she said before she walked out the door. She could say anything she wanted, go anywhere she wanted. But I’d read her body, I’d felt her heat, I’d tasted the thickness of her desire as it had seeped from her skin.

She was out of her fucking mind if she thought I’d let her go that easily.

To be continued…

U
NBLOCKED
:

E
PISODE
2

M
ARNI
M
ANN

Seattle, WA 2015

COPYRIGHT 2015 MARNI MANN

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

Attribution
— You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).

Noncommercial
— You may not use this work for commercial purposes.

No Derivative Works
— You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.

Inquiries about additional permissions should be directed to:
[email protected]

Edited by Steven Luna

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to similarly named places or to persons living or deceased is unintentional.

PRINT ISBN 978-1-62015-769-5

EPUB ISBN 978-1-62015-790-9

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015904707

To TeriLyn, the best partner-in-crime I could ever ask for. Who would have ever thought our love for books and dessert would bring us to where we are today. Thank you will never be enough.

FRANKIE

“WHAT CAN I
get you to drink?” the bartender asked.

I wrapped my hands around the edge of the bar and scanned the rows of liquor bottles. Alcohol was the only thing that would help calm my breathing. There was nothing at this party that would lessen the redness that filled my cheeks, or the throbbing between my legs…those would only be taken care of after I got home, tumbled into an icy shower and rubbed against the two fingers I would plunge inside me.

“Something strong,” I replied.

“Coming right up.”

I had bolted so quickly out of the office that Derek and I had been in, I was just now processing what had led up to my departure. As the events began to unfold in my mind, it really started to hit me…

Less than a minute before, Derek and I had been holed up in an abandoned office near the restrooms, a secret refuge from the schmoozing crowds of the industry party we were at. He had pinned me to a wall, wrapped my legs around his waist and touched me with an intense passion. His fingers, his mouth, his powerful tongue had all caressed my skin in the most tantalizing way. And when his lips finally hovered above mine, ready to deliver a first kiss I’d been so desperately waiting for, my ex stormed into the office.

“
You’re screwing developers now?”
Reed shouted.
“In some office at the gala when everyone out there is waiting to talk to Boston’s top realtor? You used to be so much classier than this. You’ve turned into Julia…”
As if the rest of it hadn’t been insulting enough, Reed compared me to Julia Hayes, the realtor known for screwing her way into contracts. I wasn’t her, and I hadn’t screwed anyone to earn my sales achievements. Not even Derek Block.

But I
had
wanted to screw Derek in that office.

Not because I wanted to get the contract to sell all the units in his building, Timber Towers, but because my need to have him trumped my desire to remain professional—because Derek made me feel sexier and more desired than I had ever felt before.

The bartender placed an empty tumbler in front of me and poured a shot of amber liquor into it. “Bourbon, ninety proof,” he said.

I held the glass to my lips, tilted my head back and swallowed. The burn was startling. “Another.”

He refilled the glass, and I shot it down my throat again.

“One more?” he asked.

I’d already had at least a bottle of wine. Unless I wanted to spend tomorrow with my face in the toilet, it was best that I stop. “No, thanks. Two is my limit.”

I grabbed some cash from my purse, dropped a few bills into the tip bucket, and heard a woman say from somewhere behind me, “…stop partnering with Frankie.” Her voice was irritating and familiar. I turned and saw Julia standing next to Reed. They were no more than ten feet away, and with their backs to me. They hadn’t realized I was at the bar. “Like I said earlier, Reed,” Julia continued, “Frankie’s reign is only temporary. You know that’s true, and I’m going to prove it when I land the deal with Block Development. I’m so close to securing that contract, I can practically taste it…and when I do, think of all the business it’ll bring you. There are over one hundred and fifty units in that building, and many of the tenants will be seeking mortgages.”

Julia wanted to partner with Reed Reynolds, the most successful mortgage broker in the state. Despite our breakup, Reed was still
my
partner…and she wanted Block Development, which was
my
contract. At least all of that had been true before I left Derek in that office. Now I wasn’t sure where I stood with either of these men.

“I changed my mind,” I said, turning to face the bar again. Fortunately, the bartender hadn’t gone far, and his hands were free. “I’ll take you up on that third shot.”

“You got it.”

My throat was used to the burn now, and I drank it without choking.

When I put down the glass, I felt someone at my side. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” It was Zack, a junior broker at our agency, and the date my assistant had secured so I wouldn’t have to attend this party alone.

“Would you like one, too?” the bartender asked Zack, holding up the bottle of bourbon.

Zack glanced at the bottle, then at the glass I had placed on top of the bar. “No, I’m good.”

“Let me know if I can get you anything else, Miss,” the bartender told me.

I tried to focus on Zack’s face, but the alcohol was really beginning to kick in.

“I got a chance to talk to Reed again,” Zack said. “I think he’ll make a great collaborator.”

Reed may have been one of the stars at this party, but I was tired of hearing his name. “You know I want you to weigh all your options before you make a decision.”

Zack leaned into the bar, setting his glass next to mine. “Reed is the type of partner who can take my career to the next level.”

That may have been true, but there was no way it would happen. Zack was too junior-level, his portfolio far too small to seriously interest Reed. He’d be passed off to one of the lower-level brokers at Reed’s firm, at best.

“Did you get to speak to any other brokers tonight?” I asked.

“A few, but none were as impressive as Reed.”

Of course they weren’t. Reed had a way of luring you in and making you believe he was the best of everything. He had me believing that for years.

It had taken me a long time to realize the truth about him.

“I’m sure you agree with…” Zack’s voice trailed off as Julia and Reed joined us, standing to the side of me.

“Frankie, sweetie,” Julia cooed in her falsely sweet tone. “I’m surprised you’re still here.”

“I’m surprised by that myself,” Reed said.

“I thought you’d leave once you found out Derek was giving me his listing.” I could feel the hatred in her gaze and it bore through me.

I took a deep breath and turned toward them. The look on Reed’s face told me the scene he had walked in on earlier was still very fresh in his mind. It was fresh in mine, too. “So Derek has signed your contract?” I asked.

“Not yet, love,” she said. “But he will be soon. Very soon.”

“Has he signed yours…with a pen?” Reed asked me.

I ignored him, keeping my gaze directly on Julia. “I wouldn’t go around telling everyone you have his listing, Julia. No one likes a cocky agent, especially one who hasn’t sealed the deal.” Sparring with someone as catty as Julia wasn’t my style. The second shot of bourbon was obviously working its way through my body and finding a path to my mouth.

I was tired of looking at her smug face, so I turned away and spotted Derek immediately. He stood on the other side of the bar, talking to a developer I had worked with in the past. With his attention focused elsewhere, I had a chance to admire him: the beard that covered his square, defined jaw; the way his large, dominant hands moved; the shape of his lips as he spoke. He made me wet even from all the way over there.

He turned his head my way, our eyes slowly meeting. The look he sent me was calling me closer.

“Cocky?” Julia mimicked, bringing me back to the circle we had formed. “If anyone would know about cock, it would be you, Frankie—the woman who’s definitely sucked his,” and she pointed at Reed, “and probably his, too,” and she pointed at Zack.

“You’re way out of line,” Zack said to her. “Frankie hasn’t done anything like that. She’s my boss.”

“You don’t need to defend her, dear,” Julia said. “With a mouth like hers, she can certainly handle herself.”

“Julia…” Reed said.

My attention drifted to him. Our relationship had ended in such a volatile and reckless way, but there had been so much love between us at one time—enough for me to think he’d do more than just plead Julia’s name. He should have had my back, stepped up to put her in her place. But Reed didn’t care about anything other than money.

Derek wasn’t anything like him; he would have stood up for me. He’d given me a taste of his protection earlier in the night when Randy, some man I’d never seen before, had approached us on the balcony. Even just a quick glance had reminded me of what I wanted, what I craved…his hands, his mouth.

I couldn’t go there again. He and I had to keep things professional, which meant the only mouth I needed right now was my own. “If it’s a cock-sucking contest we’re having, Julia, then I concede to the queen. You might want to wipe your chin before you make your next conquest.” I heard Zack laugh as I bowed in her direction. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” I stepped toward Reed and felt his hand on my arm. I shook it off firmly. His chance to touch me whenever he wanted had passed long ago.