Shawna Hill
Intimate Illusions
Print Version ISBN-13: 978-0-578-04508-5
Intimate Illusions
Published by Urban Prints Production @ Smashwords.
Copyright © 2010 by Shawna Hill
All Rights Reserved. Outside of excerpts/brief quotes used in reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from the author and or Urban Prints Productions.
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 person you share it with. 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 for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. 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 and un intentional.
Illusion is the first of all pleasures.
~Voltaire
il·lu·sion (ĭ-lōō'zhən)
An erroneous perception of reality. An erroneous perception of belief. The condition of being deceived by a false perception or belief. Something, such as a fantastic plan or desire that can cause an erroneous belief or perception.
Murphy’s Law
Anything that can go wrong…will go wrong.
Men may not get all they pay for in this world; but they certainly pay for all they get.
~Frederick Douglas
Thoughts lead to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions become habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny.
~Unknown
Dear Readers:
I’d like to say thanks to all of you who have supported me through my very recent, first published book, In Between Lies. It was a pleasure to write and I loved hearing your feedback and comments. I hope that you enjoy the sequel (this book) as much as the first one. Please keep the comments coming, I appreciate you for them.
Shawna Hill
Chapter 1 - After the Accident
Dragging her sore and badly broken up body from the driver’s seat, Naomi Saunders walked the dimly lit highway and headed back toward the city lights. She limped in pain, but had maintained her stride down the road. Every time a car approached, she tried to walk strong and appear as if nothing was wrong. The last thing she wanted was for someone to stop and offer help…especially the police.
Her body, ravaged with pain, delivered a strong stride. Like the true actress she was, she moved as if there was no pain at all. Praying that she could make it to the gas station she was slowly approaching, she promised herself to be more careful and mindful of her own safety, before running off like that again. She had unfinished business, of course, but it would be handled differently this time.
The gas station looked deserted. She noticed that one of the pumps seemed to be lit, and working. She watched as a car sped off after fueling, and headed towards the front door.
“Excuse me, ma’am?” She questioned. Can you please call a taxi for me?” she asked.
The small person looked up at her. Naomi had a hard time deciding if it was a man, or a woman, until he looked up and displayed a light blond goatee.
“I’m sorry, sir. Can you help me please? I lost my cell phone and my car is in need of a tow very badly.”
“What happened to you?” he asked.
“I was in an accident, but I’m okay. I just need a tow. If you could call a cab as well, I’d be grateful for your help.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to call the police? You probably should make a report or something… what about the other driver? Is there anyone at the accident site?”
“No, and I hit a tree. It was my fault. I don’t need the police. I just need a tow… and a taxi, please,” she responded.
As she waited for the cab and tow truck to arrive, she played this evenings happenings over and over again in her mind. Her heart hurt. It pained her to know that she’d lost the battle for Kevin Styles heart, yet again. Sudden, sharp pains crowded her chest as she tried to take in slow, steady, deep breaths to calm herself.
The question was… now that she not only tried to take another mans life, attempted to burn down Kevin’s house, then do bodily damage to him, what was her next move? Her conclusion was to lay low for a while and try to rebuild her life. Knowing that Kevin had taped her confession, he had the upper hand and surely thought that she was either dead or on her way to jail. For right now, she thought it was best for him to continue to think that. Yes, she had unfinished business, but first things first.
“Ma’am, the tow truck is here... They need to know where your car is,” the little man said, snapping her back to reality.
As she was giving directions, her cab arrived as well. She gathered her mangled body, slipping into the night, leaving all that she loved and wanted behind.
With no place in particular to go, Naomi randomly chose a hotel to stay in for the night. She’d just gotten her last paycheck from her commercial shoot that she seriously thought wouldn’t be seen by anyone. It was a generous check, and for that she was grateful…
Alone now, she made her way to the large bed that sat before her. With shaking hands and rubber legs, she dropped to the bed to rest. Dried blood stuck to her swollen hands as she tried to wipe them. Raising herself back up, Naomi willed her body to the bathroom. Although the hotel was in the middle of nowhere, she’d expected it to be run down but was happy to see that it was, indeed, very clean. A faint scent of pine wafted past her nose as she inhaled.
She glanced at herself in the mirror. A reflection of wild hair, a now blackened and bruised cheek, and a cut forehead glared back at her, offering her no comfort whatsoever. It was going to take some time for her to rest up and get her face and body back to the mint condition it was before the unnecessary accident.
Naomi sat on the edge of the small tub. A small tear escaped, rolling down her cheek. Kevin had definitely made his decision, and she was not the one he wanted to be with at all. Faced with that fact, she knew it was time to move on. Especially now that she was basically running and didn’t want to be found, she had to make her ends meet and enter a new stage of her life…without Kevin… for now. He would be gone but not forgotten…that she would be sure of.
Six Months Later
“Counsel, one more outburst from your client, and I will not only have her removed from the courtroom, but she will be held in contempt…And you, sir, will be fined for failure to control her,” the judge spat out.
Winston Lane grabbed Shalynn “Dreams” Webster’s arm and gripped it tightly. “I cannot represent you if you are going to continue to make such comments at inappropriate times.”
“But-“
“Never mind the buts, woman. You need to just shut it up, or I’m out of here.” He cut his eyes at her, and she immediately calmed down.
“Of course, your Honor. I do apologize for the outburst. It won’t happen again.”
Winston was a very prolific and profound Lawyer. His cases consisted of high profile, high dollar clients. Any case where there was a high dollar amount at stake or just high profile period, Winston was there. He was the man that could find the loopholes and beat the case. His high win, low loss ratio was exceptional. His networking abilities with upstanding citizens, as well as the shady ones, was unmatched. He was a mover and a shaker and everyone knew when he took a case, it was won, regardless of what they were up against. His interest in Shaylynn’s case was a nominal one but he knew she needed his help. He’d taken her case as a favor to her just because he was a personal friend and a secret client of hers …and had been for quite some time.
There she sat, waiting for her bail to be paid, when she spotted him as he passed her by on the way to retrieving his client from the adjoining cell. Winston spoke and moved with authority. She liked that. Although he was not very handsome, actually he was not even remotely handsome; there was something about him that caught her attention. He had an air about him that she liked….and it smelled of money. Fresh, crisp, green money…music to her ears, delighting each one of her senses.
She hadn’t gone unnoticed by him either. He found himself lingering and walking slowly by where she sat, and eyed her for only a minute, but seemed much longer. He reached in his pocket just as he was almost from her sight and handed her a card through the cell bars then mouthed the words, “call me.”
She called and the rest was history. She quickly made him comfortable with her and her body. In return, he lavished her with money and gifts. He became a regular client almost instantly.
Frequent nights with her, wild, uninhibited sex and all the stuff he loved, she did for him… for a price. He didn’t mind paying it either. He was a single, eligible, and highly paid bachelor that loved his status, though secretly he really wanted to settle down with someone…and soon.