Read Beautiful Surrender (The Surrender Series Book Three) for Free Online Page A

since it was Saturday. Thank goodness because I
didn’t think I’d be able to get any work done with everything spinning in my
mind. Although I had been exhausted the previous night, I still had difficulty
falling asleep.
    Unfortunately,
that didn’t stop me from waking up at the usual seven. Habit can be a bitch
sometimes.
    I
immediately checked my phone and realized I had turned it off the previous
night. Remembering why I had done so, I chose to leave it off. Still groggy but
unusually hungry, I decided to start the morning with a big breakfast of eggs,
bacon, and sausage, hoping the meal would help me fall back asleep.
    Fortunately
it did the trick. I ended up sleeping well into the afternoon. I woke up and
immediately went to the couch to veg out in front of the TV. There was a lot on
my mind and I wanted to drown it out, which is why I tuned into Bridezillas—my
guilty pleasure. Except I felt no guilt watching it, only pure unadulterated
pleasure.
    Just
when a bride’s grandmother said she looked like a slut in her chosen wedding
gown, I heard a rustling across the hall. I looked out my peephole and saw Kurt
and Bernie moving boxes from their apartment. I’d barely gotten to know them
and they were already moving out. Bernie’s face was looking a lot better
without all the blood, although it was a bit swollen. His deep tan made it less
noticeable, though.
    I
thought about stepping out to say something to them but everything I could
think of sounded awkward: “Thanks for beating up my ex-boyfriend yesterday . .
. I think? How do you two know Vincent? So . . . do you guys tan together?”
    I ended
up watching them for a few minutes then returning to my show.
    They
didn’t have much stuff, so after a few hours, I heard them finish and lock up.
I spent the rest of the day vegging out on the couch, thinking about my
situation.
    I was
still upset with Vincent even though I knew he cared about me and I cared about
him. It only made it that much more painful that he lied to me. There were
trust issues Vincent and I had to work out and that would take time and effort.
    Then
there was the issue of work. Carl was feeding me opportunities and I’d been
snapping them up, which made me busier and busier. Vincent seemed to be in a
similar situation with his company occupying most of his time the past few
weeks.
    Even
though my employers hadn’t found out about my relationship with Vincent, it was
still becoming a problem. It needed work and neither of us had the time to do
it—at least not without making significant sacrifices.
    When
the latest episode ended with the bride literally pulling chunks of her own
hair out, I came to the conclusion that I was going to take a break from my
relationship with Vincent. I couldn’t keep going with things the way they were.
If I didn’t make a change, I would lose my mind.
    ***
    On
Sunday afternoon I finally gave in to turning on my phone. I was going to call
Vincent and tell him we should take a break. Closing my bedroom door, I picked
up my phone from the nightstand and turned it on. There were a bunch of unread
text messages—some of them new and some of them from Friday when I ran out of
the restaurant.
    I
ignored the messages and called him.
    He
answered on the first ring. “Kristen?”
    His
silky voice had its usual effect on me even though I knew to prepare for it.
“Vincent . . .”
    He
released an audible exhale and I could picture his chest lowering from the
release of air. “I’m so glad to hear your voice. I thought I wasn’t going to
hear from you again and that scared me.”
    “Hey
Vincent. Listen . . . I need to tell you something.” I had to push this
conversation forward before  Vincent’s persuasive hold took effect.
Otherwise, I’d begin doubting my decision. Fortunately, it was much easier to
resist him on the phone than in person.
    “Wait.
Just a moment.” I heard some mumbling in the background. “Shit. I’m sorry,
Kristen. I have a meeting right