After the Morning After

By Lisa G Riley

After another spectacular break-up that totally blindsides her, Dr. Victoria Howell has had it with men. She can’t trust her own judgment when it comes to the male of the species, so she’ll just put her overactive libido on hiatus. That’s her story and she’s sticking to it. The story is slightly altered, however, after a sex-filled night with former colleague and suspected corporate thief Sanjay Banerjee, the walking, breathing aphrodisiac. But it was just one night and one night is all it will ever be. And though she’s sure he didn’t steal from the company, she’s going to make sure he keeps his sticky fingers out of her pants from now on.

Sigh. Victoria, with all of her over-thinking simply makes his head hurt, and Sanjay wishes she would lighten up and admit what they both know: she was meant to be his sex slave and obey his every command. Okay -- joking. But they’re meant to be together, and if she would just get her head out of her ass long enough, she’d see that. Proving that he’s not a thief is minor compared to convincing Victoria. But convince her, he will. And then? Simple. Then he’ll have everything he wants.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lisa G Riley
• Release date: Feb 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311631701

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After the Morning After

Lisa G. Riley

www.lisagriley.com

After the Morning After

Copyright © 2011 and 2014 by Lisa G. Riley

All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

Cover Artist: The Other Girl

Printed in the United States of America

This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you.

Dedication

This story is dedicated to a.m. wells, whose personality was a huge inspiration when I was developing Sanjay.

Chapter One

Research scientist Dr. Victoria Howell took a soothing sip of white wine and used a graceful brown hand to push a tendril of hair back into the chignon resting on her nape. Sighing deeply, she looked at her surroundings, wondering if she should have even taken the time to come. The French restaurant was spacious and airy with its high ceilings and exposed brick walls, which were sparsely decorated with still-life paintings of breads and cheeses and big, fat purple grapes hanging off bottles of wine. It was one of the best in town, and she was not in the mood for it. Her mind, as usual, was occupied with problems in her lab. Well, one problem in particular, anyway.

His name was Sanjay Banerjee. He was her second-in-command and a brilliant scientist, but one she’d been told by her boss was persona non grata as of noon that day. He’d been accused of theft. Victoria took another sip of wine and shook her head, unable to believe it. Sanjay was many things, arrogant and a pain in her ass for one, but she could not believe he was a thief. She was sure the accusation had been quite a blow to him. She frowned as she thought about what she’d have to go through to replace him. But what am I thinking about Sanjay for? she muttered and looked at her watch. Her date was late, which was par for the course. He liked to make an entrance.

Victoria winced, knowing that she was only with Keenan for the sex and the easy-like-Sunday-morning feel of the relationship. They’d met, had started a friendship, and within a couple of months, they were having sex. They were friends who had become lovers. The relationship would go no further than that, and it pleased her to know that they were both fine with that outcome. Her cell phone rang, and she retrieved it from the side pocket of her briefcase. She lifted a brow in surprise when she saw Sanjay’s name in the little window. Wondering what he wanted, she debated answering it. Not really in the mood for his foolishness, she murmured. She pressed Ignore.

Victoria.

She looked up after sliding the phone back into its special pocket to find her date standing over her. Her expression froze when she saw that he wasn’t alone. Tall, muscular, and handsome with green eyes and thick chestnut hair, he stood there with a tall, skinny Asian woman Victoria had never seen before. That in itself wouldn’t have been an issue, but his arm was wrapped around her so that his hand rested intimately on her hip. And she was clutching him as if she’d never let him go.

Victoria, this is Kandra. She’s my new one and only. You’re not going to like this, but she won. Didn’t you, baby?

Feeling as if she were having some kind of out of body experience, Victoria watched as the woman stopped chewing her fluorescent green gum long enough to grin vacuously in agreement. Keenan then bent his head.

This cannot be happening. Victoria sat in stunned silence as the man she’d been seeing for the past three months kissed another woman as if he were trying to clean her tonsils with his tongue.

When they finally wrapped up the kiss, Victoria thought she should say something—knew it was her turn for a response. Her mouth opened, closed again, opened… I beg your pardon? Won what?

Keenan Saphmen sighed with impatience, his green eyes glowering. I said, he enunciated carefully as if he were talking to a slow-witted child, It’s over. I’ve chosen Kandra here. You’re out, and she’s in. I might even marry her.

Victoria flicked an uninterested glance at the gorgeous, seemingly indifferent woman draped on Keenan’s arm. Her gaze went back to Keenan. "I’m sorry. Did you just waltz in here and announce that I was unknowingly in some kind of…kind of, I don’t know, running for your affections?" Victoria tried to keep her voice down, but she noticed some of the other restaurant patrons looking their way.

Keenan shrugged and brushed imaginary lint from his spotless suit. No big. It was between you, Kandra, and Gretchen—by the way, have you seen a pretty redheaded woman come in? She was supposed to meet us.

Victoria just stared in bemusement for a moment, the wholly ridiculous tableau stealing her breath. Finally, after waiting in vain for someone to say gotcha and for the smug smirk to leave her lover’s face, realization truly hit, and Victoria laughed without humor and said in as calm a voice as she could, Oh my, God, you’re serious, aren’t you?

Don’t make a scene, Victoria. It’s over.

Victoria smirked as she pulled cash from her wallet, counted it, and then put it on the table to cover wine and tip. You’d love a scene, wouldn’t you, Keenan? She stood and picked up her purse and briefcase. I won’t give you one.

As she walked away from him, only pride kept her from turning around and asking him how he could have done this to her. But as she picked up her light coat from the coat check, only one question was going through her mind. How could she have been so stupid—again?

She left the restaurant, and instead of hailing a taxi, decided to walk to clear her head. She stomped down the darkened streets muttering to herself. I can’t believe it. I cannot believe I let myself in for this again! Knowing she was so angry tears would soon follow, she tried to take deep breaths to prevent them. Instead, her breath hitched and halted…hitched and halted, and then the tears were soon pouring down her face in torrents. Oh, damn, she said with a moan and stopped to lean against the wall of a building.

This has got to be one of the worst nights of my life, she said as she searched her purse for a handkerchief. When thunder boomed and lightning crackled, she only looked up at the sky. "Really?" she asked as rain fell on her face.

She looked around and realized that she’d wandered into an area she wasn’t familiar with. Knowing her efforts were futile, she rubbed her hands over her face to get rid of the wetness there.

Uh, excuse me.

The voice was deeply masculine and as seductive as a midnight-shift working radio announcer’s. In the middle of another effort to dry her face, Victoria snapped her head around and in the direction of the voice. Victoria’s hands slowly fell from her face as she stared at at least six feet of outrageous male gorgeousness leaning out of an opened door and looking at her expectantly. He wore a flowing turquoise polka-dot caftan with matching capri pants beneath.

I hate to interrupt, sweet cakes, the man said in such a gleeful fashion Victoria knew he was lying. Are you just gonna stand there holding up the building, or are you coming in?

Victoria was flummoxed. Uh…

Well? Pure impatience filled the golden voice.

Victoria squinted. Yes, she had seen correctly. His lips were painted a pale shade of pink. They were lovely. She blinked. So were his false eyelashes. I…uh…well…

Quit standing there like a stricken virgin, will you? It’s nice and cozy inside, and the moistness out here is on the verge of ruining my hair. Now come on in.

Victoria stared doubtfully at the big poufy hair that exploded all over his head