Page 1 of A Little Harmless Pleasure

Chapter One

Cynthia dabbed a bit of perfume behind her ears and studied her reflection in the mirror. Pale, underweight, boring. Releasing a sigh, she ordered herself to ignore her inner critic. She reached into her makeup bag and pulled out the pale pink lip gloss, wishing for once she’d gone for the red lipstick she’d wanted so badly. Again, as she’d done over the past few weeks, she squashed the need to rebel against her upbringing. A Myers woman didn’t wear trashy clothes or outlandish makeup. She dressed conservatively, spoke softly, and was probably the dullest person on the face of the earth.

She jumped when a loud rap at her bathroom door brought her out of her thoughts.

“Cynthia.”

Anger resonated from her father’s voice, penetrating the bathroom door. He never had a soft voice, but since she’d called off her wedding to Max Chandler, her father had been beyond angry. She cringed thinking about all the arguments they’d had. Well, not really arguments. More like him shouting at her and, as usual, Cynthia just took it. Cynthia drew in a deep breath, trying her best to calm her nerves.

“I want to talk to you right now about this nonsense.”

She swallowed and looked at herself again. If possible, her face paled even more. Getting past the panic that had her stomach flip-flopping, she screwed up her courage and turned to open the door.

At the age of sixty-five, her father was still considered a handsome man. In excellent shape, with more money than he knew what to do with, he could charm just about any woman into bed, and had on occasion. Her parents had an understanding in their marriage Cynthia couldn’t fathom. Her mother had fallen for his good looks and his family background, but Cynthia had witnessed this side of him too often to be charmed. Anger reddened his face and caused his eyes to bulge. His lips turned down in a frown that could scare a gator.

“Cynthia Louisa Myers, I want to know just what the hell you think you’re doing.”

The urge to slam the door in his face came and went without it ever showing on her face. She’d spent years learning how to hide true emotions. It had consequences. Most of the time, she felt numb. It wasn’t until she broke up with Max that she started feeling something again. Unfortunately, her ulcer, which her doctor had just informed her about, started to churn in her stomach.

“I’m getting ready to go to Max and Anna’s wedding.”

There, that was brave. She could handle this. She could do what she wanted without fear. Or without showing it.

“I will not have it.” Her father leaned forward, trying to intimidate her with his size. She wasn’t a short woman, but she was small compared to him—at least in size.

“I’ve said this before. I don’t want you to have any contact with Max and his slut.”

Anger pulsed through her. Another shard of pain radiated from her stomach. “I told you not to call her that. And I don’t care what you say. They both went out of their way to make sure I knew they wanted me there.” And after the way she had almost caused them to break up, Cynthia thought she owed them for their kindness.

Her father’s mouth opened and closed, twice. His face flushed an even brighter shade of red. “Young lady, you will do what I say, or—”

“Or what, Father?” Her voice had gone soft. No matter how many times she went through this, no matter how old she was, she reacted like a child when her father confronted her. She hated that she wasn’t strong enough to yell back. Hated that even now she wanted to curl herself into a ball and cry.

He schooled his features. His eyes, so much like her own, turned cold. The fury seeped out of his face. When he spoke, his voice was no longer hot with anger. “This is what you want?”

She couldn’t contain the sharp bark of laughter that bubbled up. There was no humor in it.

“What I want? When has iteverbeen about what I wanted?”

His eyes narrowed until just a little of the soft blue of his iris was visible. A shiver skated down her spine and chilled her. “I don’t know what the hell your problem is, Cynthia, but I will tell you this. If you decide to do this—if you defy me—you are no longer welcome in this family.”

Pain splintered her heart. She might be at odds with her parents at the moment, but she loved them.

“What are you saying, Father?”

But she knew. Breaking off the engagement had been her one act of defiance. Even though she had tried to get Max back, he’d been lost to her from the time she’d ended the engagement—not that he had ever been hers to begin with. He’d finally acknowledged his feelings for Anna, and there was nothing Cynthia could have done about it. And now there was nothing she would do.

“You were raised to make a good match. And you did with Max, but you fucked that up.” She flinched at his unusual use of vulgar language. “I thought maybe we could find you someone else, but you’re a laughingstock. Going to the wedding of the man who dumped you for a tramp.”

“So, what? Now that you can’t sell me, you don’t want to have anything to do with me?” She couldn’t stop the little catch in her voice.

He pursed his lips before flattening them in a straight line. “I’ve given you your choices.”

He turned without another word and left. His angry footsteps echoed down the hall as he stomped away. She swallowed the hurt and anger but felt another twinge in her tummy. Before leaving the bathroom, she grabbed up her medicine and took her dose. After downing the pills, she looked at herself in the mirror, squared her shoulders and told herself it didn’t matter.

It did, but she wouldn’t let it bother her today.

Today, she had a wedding to attend.