Deceived 5 - New Beginnings

Deceived 5 – New Beginnings

By

Eve Carter

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2014 Eve Carter.

Published By Belmonte Publishing.

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I was married to the man of my dreams and expecting our first child together. We had a thriving business and amazing friends. What more could I want?

When Chloe Swanson finally married Patrick Collins, she thought her life was perfect. Then her best friend, Elyse, starts dating race-car driver, Ricky, and everything changes. Fortunately, Chloe has a new friend: Ricky's cousin Nina, a rich, sophisticated woman who seems almost too good to be true. The question is, is anyone who they really seem to be?

“Miss Swanson, will you bring me the Von Lamberg file?” Patrick’s velvety voice came over the intercom with a deep, provocative intonation. A smile creased my lips as the playful tone of his voice filled my ears. I couldn’t believe he’d said Von Lamberg, the woman whom we now both despised. She was also a genuine Baroness who’d been determined to destroy the relationship between Patrick and me before it had even started. Thankfully, she hadn’t succeeded and was now rotting away in the New York State penitentiary. Of course we hadn’t even talked about that file for a long time, neither of us wanting to even think about that woman. Patrick was going to pay for this one, I thought, as I pressed the talk button on the intercom.

“Yes, Mr. Collins. I’ll be right in,” I replied in my best breathy, Marilyn Monroe voice.

Even though we were now married, Patrick often called me by my maiden name. In fact, he did so every time he wanted a little afternoon delight. He would tease me into his office for a flirtatious, not-quite-erroneous role-play scenario of secretary and boss.

I closed the file I’d been reviewing, put it aside on my desk, and contemplated how I was going to punish Patrick for using that horrible woman’s name.

I pushed back my chair and stood up to go to his office, remembering back to when I’d first started working for Patrick at Meyer and Meyer. I’d saunter into his office with my top unbuttoned to show off my ample cleavage and push my hands through his dark curls as he pulled me into a deep kiss. His hands would run all over me and I’d ravage his gorgeous body. Back then, it had been a mere fantasy. We’d never done it on his desk. Once we’d gotten married and I went from working with my boss to working with my husband, we’d fixed that.

Standing just outside the door to his office, I smoothed my skirt and released one more straining button on my already tightly-stretched blouse. The bodice of my shirt was already filled to the max. Six months pregnant with our baby and I needed to look into some maternity shirts. Patrick didn’t seem to mind. In fact, I had a feeling they were one of the reasons Patrick seemed to want more of our afternoon “teasers” than ever before.
 
I straightened my shoulders and cleared my throat before knocking and entering his office.

Patrick was leaning against the edge of his desk when I entered. Crisp white cuffs peaked out of his jacket sleeves and the starched collar was a perfect contrast to his dark, neatly-groomed hair. I had always thought Patrick was handsome enough to be on the cover of a magazine, but now, seeing him almost reclining there, one arm across his chest and the other one bent with his hand on his chin, he practically looked like he was posing for the camera. The sleeve on the arm that was bent was pulled back far enough for his stylish watch to show. Its polished steel twinkled a bright reflection in the office lights, and I stifled a laugh as I was struck with the idea that he looked like he was posing for a watch commercial.

“Oh, you think I’m funny, do you?” His eyes bore gray-blue steel into me as he punctuated his remark with a subtle rising of an eyebrow. He was already in character.

I pulled my smile back to a serious expression and continued entering the room in as sexy a saunter as I could manage with my baby bump stretching out the front of a skirt I’d soon need to replace. I paused, flipped my long hair over my shoulder, and said, “Did you want me, Mr. Collins?”

He licked his lips and uncrossed his arms, opening his stance. He straightened, his voice dropping to that low tone that made heat spread across my skin. “Oh, I want you alright, Miss Swanson.”

Without breaking eye contact, I moved a few steps closer, suddenly feeling much sexier than I had when I’d first entered. I loved that when he looked at me, the changes my body was going through, he still wanted me. Still, I pulled back a step when I saw him reach out his hand for me.

“Not so fast, Mister. Remember, you’re my boss and there’s to be no hanky-panky between boss and employee.” I couldn’t resist letting a smile slip out as I responded to the twinkle in his eye. Sometimes the dialogue we came up with during these little sessions made us laugh afterwards.

Patrick smirked and leaned back against the desk again. He put his hands on either side of his waist, gripping the edge of the glass-topped mahogany. His suit jacket hung open, giving him such a casual and irresistible appeal that it nearly knocked me off my feet. I fought the urge to run into his arms and melt against his chest. He still had the ability to make me weak in the knees with just a look. I put my hand on my hip, wanting to cut an image that would make him feel the same way, but as soon as I did it, I knew I’d made a mistake. All I could think was how ridiculous I must’ve looked, with my big belly, trying to act all sexy, and all of my previous confidence drained away.

My face fell and my lips quivered. I dropped my hand limply to my side and bit my lip, trying to tell myself to calm down. My eyes flashed up to the ceiling, not wanting to look him in the eye, for fear that I might fall apart. Tears burned against my eyelids and I knew if I let one go, I wouldn’t be able to stop.

I knew I was overreacting but I couldn’t help it. With all the pregnancy hormones running rampant through my body these days, I would cry at the drop of a hat. One night a few weeks ago, Patrick came home and caught me crying over a Hallmark commercial for Mother’s Day, and I had to stop watching TV altogether after that.

Pregnancy was making me feel about as sexy as an elephant in a shoe closet. Oh, geez. Elephants and shoes were not even sexy at all. See, I couldn’t even think of anything sexy, let alone act like I was sexy. I swallowed hard, desperate to keep back the tears.

Patrick saw the change in my expression in an instant and his teasing look evaporated into an expression of concern as he crossed over to me in two quick strides.

“Chloe, baby, what’s wrong?” His eyes searched mine for an answer as he took my hands in his.

“I’m sorry, hon. I ruined our fun little game,” I said, looking down at the floor.

He lifted my chin with his fingers, forcing me to meet his eyes. His voice was tender, full of love and gentle understanding. “No, you didn’t. Talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinking. What’s wrong?”

I sniffled as the first of the tears sneaked out. “I feel like a whale. You were sitting there when I came in, looking all sexy and hot, and I look like a beluga whale.” I rubbed my hands on my cheeks, hating myself for crying.

He pulled me into his arms and cradled me against his chest. I let him hold me, my arms dangling at my sides, my cheek pressed to his white shirt. He pressed his lips against the top of my head. “I love you.”

I sniffed, not because I didn’t believe him, but because I did. It just made me feel worse that he was being so sweet and I couldn’t even hold it together for fifteen minutes.

“Chloe.” His voice was firmer. “Take a breath, babe. You’re not a whale. You’re beautiful.”

I shook my head, the soft cotton of his shirt rubbing against my cheeks. “But look at me, I’m getting huge.”

“You are not.” He patiently repeated the words he’d said to me at least a half-dozen times this month already. “You’re the perfect size and I think you’re even more beautiful than ever. You’re having our baby.”

I sighed. “But I feel awful sometimes. My hormones make me crazy, and I don’t want you thinking of me as this psycho pregnant lady who can’t keep herself in check.”

He pulled back and looked down at me, his eyes shining. “Never.” The single word was hard, unyielding. “You are my wife and you are pregnant with our baby. You’re the most magnificent person in the world and I could never view you any other way, no matter what.” He paused, and then added, “I know all about these pregnancy mood swings women get. Ryan told me all about them.”

“Seriously? Ryan?” I chuckled,
hiccuped
, then laughed again.

He smiled back and put his hand on the side of my face. I leaned into his touch.

“There’s that smile I love. Feel better now?”

I nodded and he continued, “I’m not kidding about Ryan, by the way. I know it sounds weird that I’d hear it from him, but you wouldn’t believe how excited he is about this baby. You’d think he’s the one having it.” Patrick laughed again and I was still close enough to feel the vibrations in his chest. “He even came in the other day with a book he bought for me called
So You’re Having a Baby
.”

“Aww, I think that’s really cute. You know he’s just excited for us.” The story had tears pricking at my eyes again, but these were at least good ones and they were easier to fight off as the arousal I’d felt before started to come back. I looked up into Patrick’s eyes and wrapped my arms around his neck. I gave him my best sultry smile. “So, Mr. Collins, why
did
you want to see me?”

He pulled me closer, resting his forehead against mine as he spoke in a husky voice. “You didn’t bring the file like I asked, Miss Swanson. That’s very naughty of you. I think you need to be punished.”

“Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you, Mr. Collins.”

He pressed his lips to mine in a soft kiss, then cupped my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing over my cheeks.

I murmured against his mouth, “What are you going to do with me?”

“
Mmm
.” He kept our faces millimeters apart as he spoke and his breath was hot on my skin. “I should spank you, but lucky for you, I won’t do that to a pregnant woman. Maybe, instead, I should take you on top of my desk.”

I ran my hand down his stomach and reached for the bulge in his pants. He wanted me and I definitely wanted him, too, but he’d used that woman’s name and I was going to make him work for it. He was already hard, his manhood straining against the fabric of his dress slacks. I cupped him, slowly rubbing up and down, and I smiled as he responded with little twitches and jerks. His eyelids were fluttering as I stroked him through his pants.

I used my best breathy voice. “Oh, Mr. Collins. You’re so big and hard. Is this what naughty girls do to you?”

“That’s certainly part of it.” Patrick groaned, his hands running up and down my thighs from skin to cloth and back again. He leaned forward, took my lower lip between his teeth and bit it gently, teasingly, then sucked it into his mouth, sending a jolt of pleasure straight through me.

I pulled my mouth away with a teasing laugh. “Is that all you’ve got for my punishment? A weak little bite on the lip? I think you can do better than that.” I gave him a squeeze.

His lips curled into a smile as he put his mouth against my ear. “You tempt me, Miss Swanson, you tempt me.” He ran his fingers down my neck, and farther down, lightly tracing a path across the swell of my breasts and dipping into the crease of my cleavage. His breath against my skin made me tremble with excitement. Pregnant or not, he still got my motor going every time.

I leaned in, moving my hand harder against his throbbing manhood, forgetting for a moment that I wasn’t planning on finishing this right now. The feel of his body against mine, knowing how I turned him on, all of it was heady, a reminder of everything that we had together.

“
Mmm
. That feels so good,” he murmured as he pressed his face against the crook of my neck.

“Do you like that, Mr. Collins?” I moved my hand the way I knew he wanted me to, his words pulling me back from the brink of forgetting that I’d wanted to make him pay for what he’d said. “Just like this?”

“Yes, baby, just like that.” His voice was rough and I knew he was getting closer. “Let me take you here. Right now.”