The Canvas Duet

By M.E. Clayton

The Canvas Duet
The Enemy duet is a collective of books about four coworkers that find themselves in positions that they never imagined they’d find themselves in. When rumors, curiosity, jealousy, and lust start to blend into a dangerous cocktail, feelings start to come out in the most unexpected ways. However, with men that aren’t cowards and women that aren’t shy, it’s a hell of day at work.

His Masterpiece
Vera Baker has a crush on her boss, but it becomes so much more when she finds out why he’s called Ana. Now, it’s all that she can do to not climb Travis Hart like a spider monkey.

Travis Hart has always had a thing for his receptionist, but he knows better than to get involved with an employee, no matter how tempting. Now, if he can just keep convincing himself of that.

His Showpiece
Millie Houston might have a thing for her coworker, but considering his reputation, she knows better than to ignore all of Cason Parker’s red flags. However, it’s hard to resist a bad boy that’s a good man.

Cason Parker might have a reputation as a ladies’ man, but he’s secretly been in love with his coworker, Millie Houston, for years. However, it’s getting harder and harder to keep it secret.

NOTE: This book contains adult language, adult situations, violence, and explicit sexual encounters. If sensitive to any of the aforementioned issues, please do not purchase.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M.E. Clayton
• Release date: Nov 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005520465

M.E. Clayton

M.E. Clayton works fulltime and writes as a hobby only. She is also an avid reader and Pinterest addict. When she's not working, reading, writing, or on Pinterest, she is spending time with her family and friends, or her dog, Boy, or her cat, Seatbelt. She lives in California with her husband and enjoys doing nothing but reading. Seriously. She does nothing but read. However, that's how she likes it.

Book preview

His Masterpiece

Copyright 2022 Monica Clayton

Published by M.E. Clayton

All Rights Reserved

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 enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is a work of fiction. The entire content is a product of the author’s imagination, and all names, places, businesses, and incidences are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), places or occurrences, is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent from the author, except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Formatting: Smashwords

Cover: Adobe Stock

Warning: This book contains sexual situations and other adult themes. Recommended for 18 years of age and over.

Table of Contents

Author's Note

Contact Me

Prologue

1. The Word Anaconda

2. Eyes Up Here, Ma'am

3. The Unexpected

4. A Scrappy Little Thing

5. Kiss It & Make It Better

6. There's That Word Again

7. Ah, Jealousy

8. A Double Dose of Jealousy

9. So, We're Doing This, Huh?

10. Anaconda, Indeed

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Author’s Note

Just a couple of things before I let you go and get your read on. While I am doing my best to work with better editing and proofreading software, all my books are solo, independent works. I write my books, proofread my books, edit my books, create the covers, etc. I have one beta who gives me feedback on my stories, but other than that, all my books are independent projects.

That being said, I apologize, in advance, for the typos, grammar inconsistencies, or any other mistakes I may make. Since writing is strictly a hobby for me, I haven’t looked into commitments in regard to publishers, editors, etc. My hope is that my stories are enjoyable enough that a few mistakes, here and there, can be overlooked. However, if you’re a stickler for grammar, my books are probably not for you.

Also, I am an avid reader-I mean an AVID reader. I love to read above any other hobby. However, the only downside to my reading obsession is when I fall in love with a series, but I have to wait for the additional books to come out. So, because I feel that disappointment down to my soul, when I started publishing my works, I vowed to publish all books in my series all at once. No waiting here…LOL. Now, the exception to that will be if enough readers request additional stories based off the standalone, such as in Facing the Enemy. At that point, if I decide to move forward with a requested series, I will make sure all additional books are available all at once. As much as this is a hobby for me, I am writing these books for all of you, as well as myself.

Thank you, for everything!

Contact Me

I really appreciate you reading my book and I would love to hear from you! Now, unfortunately, because I do have a full-time job and one part-time job, plus a family that I love spending time with, I’m not very active on social media. However, for the sites I do participate in, here are my social media coordinates:

Website

News & Updates

Author Pages

Social Media Sites

Email

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Other Books

Prologue

It wasn’t that I felt unwelcomed, so much as I felt uncomfortable. Though everyone was being as friendly as could be, these weren’t my people. Even though I truly did consider Millie a real friend, these were her friends and acquaintances, not mine.

When Millie had invited me to a girls’ night out at our favorite bar, Misgivings, I had been reluctant to accept. However, after pointing out that we lived in America and that I could leave at any time, I had ended up caving. While I had nothing against beer, friends, and checking out hot guys, Millie’s circle was a little bit wilder than I was used to.

So, while they were taking tequila shots at the bar, I was in the girls’ restroom, taking a breather. Some people would call it hiding out since I was locked inside a stall that I didn’t need to use, but it really was just a little breather.

I swear.

My solace was interrupted when I heard the door open, laughter and movement cutting through the silence. I prayed that they would be quick about it, so that I could get back to my solacing, but my ears immediately perked up when I heard them talking.

Millie is such a lucky bitch, one of the women said, and it sounded like her friend, Holly, the one that Millie had introduced me to earlier.

Right? the second woman replied, and she sounded like another friend that I believe was named Cassandra.

Did you know that two years ago, when Travis was running hard, there was some pool party or something, and I guess he and Cason Parker were messing around, and Cason pants Travis, and that’s how he got his nickname Ana.

Oh, God.

They could only be talking about my boss, Travis Hart, because he was the only Travis that hung out with Cason Parker. Plus, I’d heard some people randomly referring to him as Ana before, but I hadn’t ever asked why. Some people were touchy about their nicknames, and since Travis had never volunteered the story behind why some people called him Ana, I had just assumed that it was personal to him.

Well, Charisma Jones hooked up with him last year at the Misgivings lager contest, and she said that he left her sore for days, Holly said, and I could feel my face turning red at hearing such a thing about my boss. She said anaconda was the perfect nickname for him.

God, could you imagine getting pinned to the bed by a guy with at dick that big? Cassandra gushed. I bet it’s painful and deliriously pleasurable all at the same time.

Yeah, Holly agreed. Too bad he’s done partying. I’m not sure what happened to make him hang up his partying days, but I wish that I’d gotten a chance to ride his dick before he went all grown up on us.

Well, Cason Parker is still making the rounds, Cassandra pointed out coyly. And he’s another one with a big dick.

Yeah, I know, Holly replied. I was lucky enough to hook up with him a few months ago at a Halloween party.

Oh, God, Cassandra rushed out. And?

Well, I can surely understand why a girl would lose her mind over him, Holly answered. Not only does he have a big dick, but the man knows how to use it. Plus, he’s dirty as hell in bed. I could hear her voice break with the memory. I’m talking super dirty.

Like calling you a dirty whore? Cassandra asked.

That and more, Holly confirmed. If he did seconds, I would have definitely gone back for more.

God, could you imagine being fucked by both of them at the same time, Cassandra said, her voice turning all husky with the fantasy. I’d do anything to be spit-roasted by the both of them.

Yeah, double penetration would be too-

Be too what?

The girls left the restroom, their unfinished fantasies with them, and out of all the things in the world that I didn’t want to know, it was why Travis was called Ana.

I closed my eyes as my head dropped back in embarrassed defeat. I had to work with both Travis and Cason, and how in the hell was I going to be able to look them in the eye now?

Chapter 1

Vera~

As far as receptionist desks went, mine was a nice one. However, everything at Canvas was nice, something that most people didn’t expect when entering a tattoo shop.

Canvas was owned by Travis Hart, and because the shop was so busy, I worked for him fulltime as the receptionist. In addition, Travis had two other employees, Cason Parker and Millie Houston. Cason was another artist, and he and Travis had been best friends since grade school. Millie was another shop artist, but she also did piercings, and she was the only one qualified to do them in the shop.

Now, while Canvas looked too fancy to be a tattoo shop, its employees looked exactly what you’d expect from such a business. While Millie and I had our fair share of tattoos, Travis and Cason were covered in ink, and it looked good on them.

While I had never imagined myself ending up here, I was happy working at Canvas. My parents, Beau and Everly Baker, were loving, decent, middle-class people that had raised me to appreciate happiness over wealth. With no siblings in the mix, it had been just me and my parents, and my childhood had no complaints beyond curfew and chores.

With my father working at an auto manufacturing plant, and my mother working as a bakery manager, college had been manageable. However, the stress that came with the experience had left me choosing happiness. Upon graduating from high school, I had chosen to work over higher education, and I still didn’t regret the decision. Though my car was used, and my outfits weren’t right off the runway, Canvas paid me enough to live comfortably, especially since it was just me.

So, after trying waitressing, telemarketing, cashiering, and working at an insurance firm, I had applied for the receptionist position at Canvas a couple of years ago, and I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else. As a fulltime employee, I had health benefits on top of a decent paycheck, and that was more than enough. Plus, I loved working with Travis, Millie, and Cason. We had a good thing going, and I knew how important a happy