Their Virgin Secretary (Masters of Ménage #6)(30)

Eric's words made him see red all over again. His pal might not be a good liar, but he was a fucking master of manipulation. He'd known exactly where to strike. "Of course I don't, but I just broke her."

"So help us put her back together."

Eric made it sound so simple, but Kell didn't see how. Belle would never forgive him. Would she?

"I'll see her tomorrow, but only to apologize." He would make sure she understood that her virginity wasn't the problem, just his scarred heart. He would swear to her that if he was half the man he should be, he would give her everything he owned, share every day and night with her. He would love her.

But that was a stupid-ass pipe dream. So even if it killed him, he would leave and let her find the love she deserved.





Chapter Five



Belle looked through the peephole of her hotel room door, praying that she wouldn't see Tate or Eric standing in the hall. Even an hour after she'd been utterly humiliated, she was still shaking a little. A shower had soothed her, but she couldn't seem to stop crying.

She sighed in relief when she saw a blonde with a puppy in her arms, grinning like a loon and waving at the peephole.

It was Kinley's big day. Belle couldn't bring herself to ruin the closest thing her friend would have to a wedding. Wincing, she stepped back. Maybe Kinley would think she wasn't in.

Another knock. "Belle? Belle, I know you're in there. Open up or I'll convince the desk manager that I think you're dead in there and I need to collect your body."

Annabelle groaned and reached for the bolt because Kinley would do it. The woman would march right back here with the manager and persuade him to open the door.

With a sigh, Belle saved her friend the trouble.

Kinley's grin faded as she took in Belle's appearance. "Oh, honey. Who do I kill?"

Belle sniffled as the door shut, but she let Kinley hug her tight as the puppy in her arm used the proximity to lick her cheek. Belle was just about to scold the dog when she really looked at the little thing. Okay, so it wasn't the most attractive canine, but there was a well of sympathy in its dark eyes that had her tears welling again. The puppy stared at her, then rubbed its face against her cheek as though it knew she needed comfort.

Reaching out, Belle gathered the pup into her arms. It looked to be the runt of the litter, possibly the ugliest of the three, but in that moment, the dog seemed so sweet, she couldn't help but cuddle the wiggly little thing against her robe.

"I'm serious, Annabelle." Kinley locked the bolt and followed her into the room. "I want to know who to murder horribly. Well, I want to know who to get Law to murder horribly. He used to be Special Forces. He told me he misses killing rat bastards sometimes, so you would be helping him out."

Annabelle shook her head and sank onto the edge of the bed. Her room wasn't anywhere near as opulent as Eric and Tate's, but it was comfortable. "No murder, Kinley. I'm fine."

She just had to be tough. So, it hadn't worked out. Kell had wanted nothing to do with her. And in the end, Eric hadn't seemed much more enthusiastic. Tate had been kinder, but he'd let her go, too. It was all right-or it would be once she figured out how to mend her broken heart. That might take a long while, but she'd bounce back. Somehow, she always did.

Belle scratched the puppy behind its ears and it immediately settled onto her lap, as if it belonged there.

Kinley sat down beside her. "I saw you leave the ballroom. All three of those lawyers stalked after you. I expected you to stay the night with them, but Jessa Lennox saw you fleeing their suite. I don't guess you're running back here to find some sexy lingerie, huh?"



       
         
       
        

How did she explain this to her best friend without sounding pathetic? "No. We tried. It didn't work out."

Kinley's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"

She let her fingers sink into the puppy's scraggly fur. "It means that we came to the conclusion that a sexual relationship between us wouldn't work."

Kinley's delicate bow mouth dropped open. "That's impossible, sweetie. No guy decides something can't work sexually. Not if they're attracted to you, and those three definitely are. Guys will usually just keep trying to please you so they can coax their way into your panties. Or they buy a ton of little blue pills." She gasped. "Are you saying they … struggled?"

Not in any way, shape, or form. No, those were not men who needed any help-chemical or otherwise-to get hard. They'd all had massive erections … that had deflated the minute they found out she was a virgin. "Kinley, it doesn't matter."