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Naked, vulnerable, and now nearly broken as he stood in her roo, he pulled his enoran to dress quietly Robotic hands forced his legs into his pants, his shirt to cover his chest, and muscle memory was all he really had until he was fully dressed Resolve flooded through him Maybe he could soften the blow of the inevitable

Jonah Moore was a snake, and he would use the tape to extract whatever he could froet Lydia out from under the worst of thefor the bedroo down at Lydia as she slept Ah, God, why did he have to leave? A quick look at his phone told him it was nearly 1 a the woman he…loved?

Damn close Closer than any other woman

"Save" was an overestiet her away from the worst One phone call and he could wake his hu

But first things first

Reaching down, he brushed Lydia's thick hair away fro her hair a bluish black, like wet onyx poured over creamy skin Her nostrils flared with each delicate breath, face relaxed, a twitch of a sht, and then stopped

Of Matt? Of Mike?

Daered, inhaling her scent Tomorrow all hope was lost She would learn the truth--all of it--and the sheer volue to overcome

He wasn’t Matt Jones

He was Michael Bournham

He was part of a reality television show

She’d been video taped without knowing

And they’d had sex on camera

Which of those lies should she wave away? Were any of theate they were too much He’d be lucky if she didn’t stab hieon him unconscious with a stapler

A wholly unfaht and forehead pounding Michael Bournhao--and he damn asn’t about to let a tear fall on Lydia’s face and wake her up Not like this Never like this

Pulling back, he fought for control as he watched her, one hand gripping the door's threshold so hard that in the ernails and know exactly how they got there, his forear From porcelain skin so delicate he could see her neck’s pulse through it to the full ass that ainst it onceher cry out his real na a death His own

Matt Jones would die tomorrow

Michael Bournhale line:

Sorry Not feeling well See you soon

And now, a text to hu that would need the next seven hours to put in place, if luck were on Mike’s side

And if not, he’d strong-arh it

Chapter Two

Jonahword Swaggered Absolutely ate the floor like he owned the place So deep had shifted in Jonah and Mike knew at that moment that his entire world was about to shatter His breath beca other than air that went in and out of his body, breaking down into the distinctabout and in slowpushed out The light shining in frohter than he’d ever noticed, the way it strea the papers from a utilitarian, functional set of flat objects into little works of art His brain was keenly aware of the beauty in even the everyday nore and mildew

Jonah stood Mike didn’t even bother "Jonah," he said si his lower lip and practically adhter had even commenced

Jonah’s s his eyes, which burned with roin, practically touching his Adaht and so creepy was the look on Jonah’s face

"We need to do so the top of the desk hard enough to make Mike flinch in spite of himself, in spite of his attempts to stay relaxed and to stay liainst whatever Jonah threw at hi in the back of his mind he had to compartmentalize and keep away, because that was the sound of a rat in a cage, trying to escape Escape the fact that he had just made love with Lydia in full view of a Hollywood producer’s ca he could do to stop this froht--no, as he kneould, if it hadn’t already

But that rat…that rat, he had to go sonore him, because if he let it take over then he would become the rat He would becoht now he needed every single brain cell in his logical, analyticalthis Not for hione--but for Lydia

The look on Jonah’s face told Mike that Jonah thought he knew everything in this situation But what he didn’t knoas that last night Mike had executed an order to offer Lydia a proe raise, and a transfer Nothing he did right now, going forward, dealing with Jonah, would stop the video He knew that But he could lessen the iot Lydia as far away as possible

Six o he had opened a new European office--the only European office for Bournhaht, five hours direct out of Boston, would take her to Reykjavik, Iceland, for her new position as director of co of salary, should she accept it