Conflicting Ventures

CONFLICTING VENTURES BELLES OF BROAD STREET BOOK 1 AK LANDOW Conflicting Ventures: Belles of Broad Street Book 1 Copyright © 2023 by AK Landow All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Published by Author AK Landow, LLC ISBN: 979-8-9882335-0-3 Edited and Proofread By: Chrisandra’s Corrections Cover Design By: K.B. Designs Photo By: Jane Ashley Converse Cover Models: Maddie Hansen & Dane Peterson Created with Vellum To my youngest daughter: Just because your star shines differently, doesn’t mean it shines any less bright. “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” Coco Chanel CONTENTS Prologue One Prologue Two Chapter 1 Eighteen Years Ago Skylar Chapter 2 Present Skylar Chapter 3 Four Months ago Lance Chapter 4 Present Lance Chapter 5 Skylar Chapter 6 Eight Years Ago Skylar Chapter 7 Lance Chapter 8 Skylar Chapter 9 Lance Skylar Chapter 10 Lance Skylar Chapter 11 Lance Chapter 12 Skylar Lance Chapter 13 Skylar Lance Chapter 14 Skylar Chapter 15 Lance Skylar Chapter 16 Lance Chapter 17 Skylar Lance Chapter 18 Skylar Chapter 19 Skylar Chapter 20 Skylar Chapter 21 Lance Last Night Skylar Chapter 22 Lance Chapter 23 Skylar Chapter 24 Lance Skylar Epilogue Acknowledgments About the Author Also by AK Landow Prologue ~ Indecent Ventures (unedited) PROLOGUE ONE ONE YEAR AGO SKYLAR My naked body is on top of Jason’s as I move my hips over his at a rapid pace. He grabs onto my breasts and dusts his thumbs over my nipples. “Sky, you’re so fucking beautiful. Keep going, baby. You feel amazing.” I look down at my handsome boyfriend. His shaggy brown hair is messier than normal. His lust-filled hazel eyes locked with my green ones. I ride him as hard as I can for as long as I can. I know we don’t have much more time together. He’s leaving town for a job, and he doesn’t want to try a long-distance relationship. I’m devastated. I’m in love with him. I thought he was the one for me. We’ve been dating for four years. Two while in college, and two while we attended business school together. He’s leaving and wants a clean break and a fresh start. He thinks it’s best for the both of us. I tried to explain to him how we could visit each other on the weekends, but he thinks it’s a mistake. We both need to focus on our jobs, not be constantly running to the airport. There’s nothing I can do about it. His mind is made up. He lifts his upper body flush with mine and pulls my lips to his while he thrusts up into me. He whispers into them, “I can’t hold off anymore, baby. Come with me.” I don’t want it to end. We only have one more week together before he leaves. I want to be close to him and enjoy every moment that I can. He licks up my neck and breathes into it, “I love you, baby.” That sets me off and I feel my body spasm around his. I yell out as he shouts my name into his own release. I slow my movements until we’re still. Our arms are wrapped tight around each other, both knowing how much we’ll miss the other. Our chests are moving rapidly in unison. Our heartbeats in sync. As we each catch our breath, he looks up at me. I see tears welling in his eyes. “That was out of this world. I’m going to miss how it is with you.” I play with his hair, as I often do. “It’s always out of this world. It doesn’t have to end, Jason. We can make the long-distance thing work. I’m willing to try. Please, let’s try. I’m not ready to let you go. We’re the only ones for each other. I know it. I can’t imagine ever being with anyone but you.” I feel his entire body stiffen in my arms. I look down and his face looks pained. I run my fingers over his sexy square chin. “What is it? What’s wrong?” He gives me one more soft kiss before he shatters my world. “I have to admit something to you.” “Okay. What is it?” He chews on his lip, which I know to be a nervous habit of his. “Sky, I was with someone else recently. I cheated on you. I’m so sorry, baby. I feel horrible about it. I wasn’t sure if I should tell you since I’m leaving, but it’s getting hard to keep lying to you. I can’t do it.” My body goes numb. Despite my overheated body temperature and being wrapped in his warm arms, I now feel cold. Of all the things that could have come out of his mouth, that’s just about the last thing I expected. I struggle for words for a moment. My head is spinning, but I eventually muster, “Who? When? Why?” He swallows. “Who it was doesn’t matter. It was a few weeks ago. I was drinking at a bar and upset about the end of our relationship. A woman approached me, and I forced myself to do it because I knew it was what we needed to help us make a clean break. It’s time for us both to move on. I wasn’t into it, but I did it for us.” That may be the most fucked up thing I’ve ever heard in my life. My mouth is open in shock, struggling to form words. I look down. He’s still inside me. He told me he cheated on me while his dick is literally still inside me. I’m filled with him. His come is starting to leak out of me. The reality of it hits me and I practically catapult myself off him. I grab the