Deceiving Derek by Cindy Procter-King Read Free Book Online Page A

situation, it’s a mess. A major one.”
Tightening the sash of her satin bathrobe, she scoured her cramped
walk-in closet for an appropriate outfit for the practice date
Justin had proposed before he’d bolted out of their lunch to meet
his realtor.
    A shrewd one, that Justin Kane. A practice
date might settle her nerves—or at least help her pre-pare for
tomorrow.
    When the Willoughbys arrived.
    Gulp .
    She glanced over her shoulder. “I have no one
to blame for this current mess but myself,” she said to Susannah.
“I never should have lied to Justin about the mountain biking in
the first place.”
    “You can blame me.” Susannah joined Magee in
the tiny closet. “It was my brainwave that you tell him you’re an
expert mountain biker. You wanted to win his account so badly.”
Susannah flipped through the clothes on the opposite rod.
    “Just because you suggested the idea didn’t
mean I had to do it.” That decision had been hers alone, the last
in a string of questionable choices. Considering she’d realized
Justin would only switch advertising agencies to secure the insight
of an account executive who mountain biked, her fib had been a
shady method to land his business. “At least Dad’s still on
holidays. I couldn’t face telling him right now that I’ve made
another mistake.”
    “Will you tell him when he returns?”
    “I haven’t decided. It took forever to
convince him to take Mom on this vacation. I don’t want him to
regret going.” Also, she wanted a chance to rectify the situation
before it became necessary to tell him.
    She studied a short knit dress. Too clingy .
    “I want him to have faith in me again,
Susannah,” she added, riffling through her clothes. “If I’m going
to accept this promotion to account director, I need to feel like
I’ve earned it. Yet every time I turn around, I lose the agency
money…or clients…or both! No matter how hard I try, I screw up.
First the billboards, then the Barnacle Beer ad. And let’s not
forget the little day-to-day snafus. I swear I’ll pull my hair out
if I can’t get my act together soon.”
    Susannah’s muffled giggle drifted to Magee’s
ears. Spinning in the closet, she squinted at the rear view of her
friend. Susannah searched the opposite rod, her long blond curls
bobbling around her shaking shoulders.
    “What?” Magee asked.
    “The billboard mix-up.” Susannah faced her.
“You have to admit, that one was funny.”
    “Susannah!” Magee smacked her friend’s arm. “
‘Do Your Buns Get Freezer Burn?’ is not appropriate copy for sun block. And ‘To
Soothe And Protect’ only marginally suits freezer bags.”
    “Yeah, but the buns line looked fantastic
splashed on the billboard of the handsome cop slathering sunscreen
on the female model. Come on, Magee, you thought it was cute,
too.”
    Magee drew in a breath. “It was mildly
entertaining. But my father wasn’t impressed with the mix-up, and
neither were the Sear-Soothe people—and I can’t figure out how it happened.
Nope. No more, Susannah. I lost two clients over that disaster. I
don’t intend to lose another.” Squaring her shoulders, she selected
a knee-length black skirt for her friend’s inspection. “How’s
this?”
    Susannah stuck a finger down her throat.
“Gag. This is a date, old buddy, old pal. Remember, he’s your lover .”
    How could she forget that most intriguing
detail? Justin Kane might treat his women like dirt—otherwise, why
would Tina Whoever dump him?—but his eyes, body, and deep, sensual
voice inspired fantasies of Magee locking him in her bedroom, oh,
for the next fifty years.
    She waved a hand at the row of clothes. “You
choose.”
    Susannah grinned. “With pleasure.”
    “Great. I’m hot.” And bothered. Extremely so
when she thought of Justin Kane. “I need a pop. Want one?”
    “No, thanks.”
    Leaving her friend in the closet, Magee
strode barefoot to the miniscule kitchen of her U-shaped apartment.
She grabbed a