Powerplay by Cher Carson Read Free Book Online

time to end it. There were no expectations, which made explanations unnecessary.
    They both understood the score. Enjoy it while it lasts and don’t waste tears crying when it’s over. If only.
    “I’ve got to go and find my own clothes so I can get out of here.” She walked down the hall into the gourmet kitchen, blushing when she saw the trail of clothes she’d left behind. Judging by the scene, she couldn’t get naked fast enough. Of course, his strewn clothes attested to the fact he’d felt the same way.
    She turned her cell phone on, groaning when she saw six missed calls from Kevin, the last one at 4:04 a.m. He must have been awake all night trying to reach her. The phone in her hand buzzed. Kevin. Poor guy, he must be worried sick by now.
    She cleared her throat and took a deep breath before pressing the button to answer the call. “Hey, Kev, what’s up?”
    “What’s up?” he asked, sounding frantic. “Where the hell are you? I’ve been trying to call you all goddamn night. I’ve been going out of my mind.”
    She thought back to last weekend, when he had been out all night with another woman. She hadn’t even cared enough to call and check in on him. What did that say about her, about them?
    “I’m fine. Don’t worry. I’m heading out now. I have my final dress fitting, and then the girls and I are going out for lunch. I’ll touch base with you later, okay?”
    “Jen, wait. I know you didn’t go home last night. I went by your place when I couldn’t reach you.”
    She pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for him to continue. It’s not that she intended to lie to him about what happened last night, but she didn’t want to have this conversation now. Mark was going to demand answers, and six women were waiting on her to make an appearance at a boutique across town. She glanced at her diamond studded watch.
    She had forty-five minutes and counting. It occurred to her she should be more worried about her fiancé’s reaction to the news that she spent the night with another man, but given his own indiscretions, she couldn’t muster any concern for him. 
    “I let myself in with the key you gave me. I waited there all night for you to come home. Where the hell were you?”
    She chuckled at the irony of the situation. Only weeks before they were supposed to take their vows, they had both been lured into bed with other people, though Jen knew she wouldn’t have pursued Mark had it not been for Kevin’s betrayal. She’d never cheated on anyone before, not even Mark. Even though he’d probably assumed she had been seeing other men while he was out of town, she couldn’t bring herself to sleep with anyone else as long as she was sharing his bed. “I hooked up with a friend last night, Kevin.”
    “A friend? What kind of friend keeps you out all night?”
    She could imagine him pacing the floor, raking his hands through his hair. “The kind of friend you suggested I hook up with after your little incident last weekend, remember?”
    “Are you telling me you actually fucked some other guy last night?” he shouted. “Are you with him right now?”
    She remained silent, refusing to add fuel to his tirade.
    “You are, aren’t you? Put him on the fuckin’ phone. We need to get a few things straight.”
    “Are you crazy? I’m not going to put him on the phone.”
    Mark pushed off from the doorframe when he overheard her last comment. He had followed her to the kitchen, intent on making plans for later, when he heard her answer her cell phone.
    Judging by the tone of the conversation, her boyfriend was pissed. Too damn bad. He reached for the phone, using the element of surprise to catch her off guard.
    She glared at him when he held her phone up his ear. “Give me that phone right now, Atwell.”
    He shook his head, turning his back on her as he walked into the living room. “You wanted to talk to me, buddy? What can I do for you?”
    “Who the hell is