Playing With Fire (Excerpt Only) - BWWM Interracial Romance

Playing with Fire (Chapter 1)

*AUTHOR NOTE: The full story will not be posted--just a few sample chapters!*

CHAPTER ONE: MEETINGS

Janet could not believe the image before her as light flooded her apartment, her finger still on the switch. After a few seconds of shocked silence, she made her mouth move.

"David, what the hell are you doing here? And how did you get in?"

She could barely contain the panic in her voice as she looked into her ex-fiancé's tanned face.

David looked surprisingly startled by her response, but generally unmoved by the anger she had tried so hard to portray.

"I have a spare key, remember? Jan, just give me a chance to explain..."

Janet held up her hand, closing her eyes briefly during her emotional recoil for reasons far beyond being called the despised, shortened version of her name.

"Look, I don't want to hear it. Just hand me my key and get the hell out of here. I mean, which part of 'I don't want to see you again' don't you understand?"

David let out a breath as he ran his hands through his brown hair, appearing frustrated at last. Then he just looked at her.

She stared back firmly, determined to win the stare-down.

He broke eye contact first.

"Fine, I'll leave," he said. "But this is not over, Janet, not by a long shot."

He tossed her the spare key and she caught it, grasping the piece of metal tightly as if he might snatch it back from her.

David slammed the door behind him.

Janet didn't realize she had been holding her breath until it all came out in a large whoosh.

As firm as she had felt in the moment of confrontation, it was mostly fear that had filled her once she opened her door, flipped on the light, and then saw her ex-fiancé sitting on her couch, staring in her direction. The fear remained as his green eyes came alive while looking at her, and it sat in her chest until he finally left.

Why would he sit in the dark and how long had he been waiting for her to come home?

David had never given her a reason to fear him before, but it unnerved her that it seemed he saw nothing wrong with abusing his previous privilege of owning a spare key to her place.

She hoped he hadn't made any additional copies of her key; clearly, she couldn't trust him to have the integrity to turn those in if he had.

Janet's fear turned to anger again.

Who did David think he was? Why did he think he deserved a chance to explain anything? He and Michelle—or whatever her name was—were free to openly do everything they had done behind her back. Why didn't he just leave her alone now?

Janet tried to shake off her thoughts and the bitterness beginning to creep into her. She had a company function to attend, and she had to go to it clearheaded, without baggage. She couldn't let the new Accounts Manager—whoever he or she was—see her like this. She had to look strong and in control—like she knew what she was doing. Like she had earned her position instead of having it handed to her by her daddy.

When her cell phone rang minutes later, she panicked. She hadn't realized that she had drifted into a long daydream, and her glance at the caller ID confirmed that it was her best friend calling. No doubt, Liz was waiting outside, ready for their carpool to the seven o'clock company reception.