Double Dare by Karin Tabke Read Free Book Online Page A

she did, the enormity of the morning’s events hit her. She was out of a job, and quite possibly out of a career. Tears stung her eyes. “Thank you.” She sniffled and made her way into the building and to her apartment. Just as she was opening her door, she heard Rosie’s open. Quickly, she slithered inside her apartment and shut the door. She didn’t want company—she wanted to suffer silently.
    Dropping her briefcase and purse on the kitchen table, she dragged her feet back to her bedroom and flung herself on her bed.
    Staring at the molded ceiling, she fought to keep her breathing normal and the tears from falling. What was wrong with her that every man she had been intimate with kicked her to the curb? Why was Evan and even Lockford, whom she had not seen in five years, being so vindictive? Lockford aside, Evan was the married one, not her! Did he think she was going to tell his wife? If she were, she would have done it by now. Should she reach out and swear that she had no plans to out him, not even now? Not even to save her job?
    And what about the patent? How had BioGen gotten their grubby hands on her research? She was the only one with access to her computer files, and she was manic about the security codes. Had Evan used her to somehow get that information? As much as she racked her brain for a way he could have sabotaged her, she couldn’t think straight. But there was no doubt he had used her not only for sex, but to weasel his way into her research project. She was simply a means to an end.
    “You’re a fool, Katy. A fool.”
    Her cell phone pinged, immediately yanking her out of one conundrum into another much more complex but pleasurable one. And that was all it took. Just that one little sound caused her nipples to tingle and her womb to constrict, completely changing the trajectory of her mood. Wild, crazy, rolling-off-the-bed sex with Simon would be the perfect panacea for her current woes. Of course it wouldn’t change anything, but it would sure as hell make her feel better and get her mind off the devastation of the HR meeting.
    I want to see you tonight.
    Simon wanted to see her tonight? Like a date? She doubted it. He wanted to see her naked is what he wanted. And even though she was hot for him, her dander rose. Well, that was too damn bad for him because she was done being at a man’s beck and call!
    I’m busy.

    Katy smiled despite her anger. She was certifiably bipolar when it came to the green-eyed cop. It took everything she had not to text him back and say she was available after all. She had some pride, though, and instead of responding positively or negatively, she didn’t respond at all. Instead, she allowed her anger over her current lack of employment and the underlying reasons to simmer. When it began to boil, she got up from the bed and began to angrily pace her large bedroom.
    “Who the hell do you think you are, Evan Scott?
How dare you?
” she railed. Yanking the lab coat off, she flung it to the floor. Evan was the root of both problems and it was at him she would vent her rage.
    She kicked her shoes off, then pulled the teakwood chopsticks out of her hair and threw them across the room. “You’re not going to get away with any of this! Not by a long shot.”
    She stripped, then pulled on a pair of spandex leggings, sports bra, and T-shirt. She’d run out the anger, and when she could no longer run, she was going to plot. She was a damn good plotter, too. She was not going to lie down, hand them the lube, and let them shaft her. She’d find a way to turn the tables and keep not only her job and her career, but see to it that women in her industry were taken more seriously as woman and scientists!
    As she leaned over to tie her running shoes:
Ping.
Her body responded with its own ping. She was worse than a female dog in heat.
    Are you playing hard to get?
    Exhaling, Katy decided to tell him the truth. Part of it anyway. No. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have texted, I