Beauty from Surrender Read Online Free PDF Page A

went well—better than I could've ever imagined—and tomorrow, we'll return to recording the album I walked away from four months ago.
    Perhaps Blake carries some guilt for what he did to me and that's why he was so willing to negotiate with us. Even I have to admit that he didn't have to do that; I was the one in breach of our contract.
    As I'm waiting to catch a ride down, I'm feeling pretty shitty about having just sacrificed myself and everything I believe for the sake of making my dreams come true. But it's the viciousness of the industry. Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do in order to get ahead. I just have to get through this recording and then hope I never have to lay eyes on Blake Phillips's ass again.
    I step into the tiny space that'll take me to the ground floor. Blake follows again, and there's nothing I can do but ride down with him. We're alone, but I don't expect him to stand there and say nothing while he stares at me. He slithered in here for a reason.
    "I'm glad to have you back."
    Oh, hell to the no. "Let's be crystal clear about one thing. You don't have me back. Not like that."
    "I just meant that I'm happy you're home in Nashville where you belong instead of halfway around the world wherever you were."
    Who is he to think he knows where I belong? "I was nine thousand miles away and it still wasn't far enough away from you to suit me."
    He runs his finger down my arm. I used to love when he did that, but now it makes me sick. "Laurie, don't be that way. You missed me. I know it and you know it."
    I look him dead in the eyes for the first time. "You're wrong."
    He smirks and I want to throat punch him. "You thought going away would get me off your mind but that didn't happen, did it?"
    I start laughing because there's no possible way to avoid finding this asshat anything but ridiculous. "I was only in Australia for six hours before I met a real man. I spent three months with him and I assure you that you weren't on my mind while he was fucking me hard and making me come over and over."
    I see the lust in his eyes as he closes in on me. He forces me into the corner and presses his body against mine. "Well, it'll be impossible for him to fuck you hard and make you come from wherever he is, so it looks like you'll be needing another man for that job."
    Is he seriously suggesting he'd be the man to do that? "You have someone you'd like to recommend? Because you sure never fucked me hard or made me come once."
    We reach the ground floor and he's forced to release me before he can respond—or retaliate. The doors slide open not a second too soon and I quickly scramble out. I don't have to look to know he's hot on my heels. His presence behind me is like a bad feeling I can't shake.
    I unlock my car with the keyless remote but he's on me before I can get inside. He grabs me from behind and pulls me against him—just like Jack Henry would, except much rougher. I can feel that he's hard for me, and it's sickening. I look around the parking garage, hopeful someone might see what he's doing. "Are you crazy, Blake? Anyone could see you doing this. There are cameras everywhere."
    His mouth is at my ear and I feel his breath on my skin. My hair stands on end at the back of my neck; my scalp prickles. "I don't care if anyone sees us, Laurie. I've missed you so much and I made a decision while we were apart. I'm ready to leave Beth so we can be together."
    The hell he is. "No, you're not."
    "I am. I swear."
    "No, Blake. You don't understand. I didn't say that because I didn't believe you. I said it because I don't want you."
    His hold on me tightens and he kisses my neck. "I want you, Laurie," he pleads. "I didn't realize how much until I didn't have you in my life. Please, don't make the mistake of ending us before we've had a chance to be happy together."
    "This is insane. You're talking to me like we broke up over a simple indiscretion. You have a wife and she wasn't the transgression—I was. Not