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An Excerpt From: SMOKE AND MIRRORS
Copyright © NATASHA MOORE, 2008
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing,
Inc.
Alexander
Black stalked out of the Winslow
Building, anger
simmering just below the surface. Robert Winslow hadn’t mellowed any in the
past ten years. If anything, he was more of an asshole now than he’d been
before. Why had Alex expected Winslow to talk to him like a civilized human
being?
The
last time he faced Gabriella’s father, he’d been wearing torn jeans and a
faded T-shirt. He should have known the tailored suit he wore now would
have no affect on the bastard. To Winslow, Alex would always be white
trash, regardless of the name he’d built for himself, the success he’d
garnered, the money he’d made.
The
old man couldn’t make it easy. Alex clenched his fists as he remembered the
condescending sneer that slid across Winslow’s face as he sat in his corner
office behind that huge mahogany desk. His voice was still just as
patronizing as the last time. His mind just as closed. He’d refused Alex’s
most simple request outright, not even hearing him out.
Alex
had never taken “no” well.
He
slipped on his sunglasses and contemplated his options. It appeared he’d
have to resort to Plan B. Or perhaps he’d known all along it would come to
this.
He signaled
for Foster to bring the car around. As he turned to open the passenger door
of the black Mercedes, he glanced back to the door of the building,
remembering the bastard’s snide remarks, refusing to let the old man make
him feel small. When the tall, slim redhead stepped out into the busy
sidewalk, his heart stuttered in his chest.
Gabriella.
The
past ten years had been good to her. He caught a glimpse of her emerald
eyes before she covered them with her designer sunglasses. Her oval face
showed a maturity that hadn’t had a chance to develop the last time they’d
been together. She strode down the sidewalk with the same sway of her hips
that had always driven him wild.
Was
she trying to hide that sex goddess body beneath the tailored navy suit? It
wasn’t working. Her magnificent breasts strained against the jacket. Those
long, sculpted legs stretched out forever below the sedate slim skirt. It
was a shame to try to rein in that fabulous body in those no-nonsense
clothes.
He
remembered how she’d looked onstage with him, her hair blowing in the
artificial wind, her body clad in nothing more than a leotard and scarves.
She’d moved her limber body to the heavy music pumping through the speakers
and swayed seductively before him. Alex’s cock stiffened in his trousers as
he remembered grasping her wrists and pretending to force the handcuffs on
her before she stepped into the cage.
Foster
came up beside him. “Talk to her.”
Alex
took a deep breath and shook away the memories. She didn’t even glance his
way. His heart hurt to see her walk by him like a stranger. He caught a
whiff of her perfume, something heavy and exotic that was at odds with the
straitlaced image she was trying too hard to portray. The real Gabriella
was in there somewhere. “Soon.”
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