Advantage MacLeod
24
B rynne navigated her way to the front porch entrance using her phone’s flashlight. Since Logan had torn the drywall off, the back door was impassable. She needed a drink but had to get out of the tight-fitting dress and killer high-heeled boots first. It was time for flannel Scottie dogs and a double gin and tonic. After changing, she poured herself a tumbler-size cocktail and made some crackers and cheese.
She needed the fire pit and a talk with Auntie Josie. Declan had prepared the logs and kindling when he came to run the car. What would she do without him?
She lit the fire, wrapped herself in a blanket, and stared up at the stars dotting the black night sky.
How could you do this to me? Why those stupid conditions? I can’t fix this house without surrendering to that bastard up the hill. How could you have trusted him?
She stared into the darkness and waited for the answers she knew wouldn’t come. To the spirits, she muttered, “How do you expect me to find a suitable man on this tiny island of thirteen thousand people? If I couldn’t find one in London, there is no chance of finding one here.”
Brynne had to consider her options. Did she want to live down the hill from the bane of her existence? Seeing the hatred in his eyes today had cut her to the bone. How could she still want him? Unless she really was a masochist? She remembered when he asked that very question.
Maybe I am, since I choose unsuitable men who inevitably hurt me. Not the good hurt like an erotic spanking, but hurt like “you’re sick” or “you’re fired, and you’ll never work in this town again.”
Lights suddenly glowed on the ground beside the house. Brynne heard the car engine and jumped up, her heart hammering in her throat. She grabbed an old canoe paddle to use as a weapon. The interloper came around to the deck and she prepared to swing.
Gage raised his hands in defense. “Whoa, it’s only me. I saw your lights on.”
“You scared the hell out of me. Why are you here? I have nothing to say to you.”
“I thought we could talk and find a compromise.”
“How do you plan to do that? Your trio of suits aren’t here to help you bulldoze me—like you want to do to this house.”
“Brynne, I don’t want to bulldoze the house. I just want to bring decent network capabilities to the islands. Can you not see the benefits of that?”
“I might have if you hadn’t threatened me. Instead, you want to tie me up in court and suck all the money out of my inheritance.” Her face heated at the double entendre, and she hoped he couldn’t see it in the firelight. He smirked, but it was gone so fast it might have been her imagination.
“Your aunt agreed to let my company lay cable down to the shoreline. We talked about it in the spring, but I hadn’t gotten the chance to bring her the paperwork.”
She stared at him and shook her head, regretting the gin and tonics that had scrambled her thoughts.
His tone turned softer. “I didn’t know she was sick. And I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for your loss.”
“Don’t. You don’t get to say that. I don’t want your sympathy or your stupid money.”
“It seems you need my money. The house needs extensive repairs.”
“I’ll find a way. And how do you know that? Are you digging into all my business?!”
“Relax. Your contractor Logan helped build my house and is still finishing a project for me. He told me about your plumbing issues.”
She looked at him and sneered. “How can I possibly trust you? You want to disinherit me and dig up my pathetic excuse for a mother—after you blacklisted me all over London.”
His eyes widened at her scathing tone, but he thundered back. “Your betrayal of my trust brought on your exile from London. Let’s not forget how you faked your way into my club and wrote a sordid news story.”
Brynne raised the oar higher. “I think you should go before this paddle finds its way to your head.” Her voice gave away her near hysteria. “Get off my property and don’t come back. Ever.”
He shook his head, his mouth a hard line. “You will be sorry, Brynne. I’m trying to find a solution that benefits both of us.”
“Oh well, Magnus , I guess you will just have to find another place to lay your goddamned cable.”
His temper bubbled like volcanic lava about to erupt. Gage felt the top of his head tingling when he got into his car and peeled out of her driveway. She was impossible! Unreasonable! How dare she speak to him that way?
She looked like a wild pixie in the amber light, wielding a paddle and threatening his person. The urge to grab her caveman-style and carry her off to his bed was too real. He should not want someone he hated. Right?
She was a challenge. That’s all. He wanted to bend her to his will. Bend her over his bed. Bend her over his knee. Or bend his leather belt over her ass until she begged for mercy.
Except there would be no mercy.
Fuck. What was wrong with him? He had planned to mention the clause in the will, but totally forgot. Pain emanated from her wide eyes when she spoke of her mother. That woman had done a number on her daughter.
Gage refused to feel sorry for her. Everyone had to deal with some shit in their childhood. In middle school, the boys would mock him for not having a father until he learned how to box. They broke his nose only once, and after that, no one touched his pretty face again. The principal expelled him three or four times for fighting—then his mother sent him away to boarding school. The teasing didn’t stop there, but he learned how to close himself off and ignore the snide comments.
He was unbeatable in the ring and vicious when crossed. By the time he reached university, the girls flocked around him like bees to honey. They couldn’t get enough of his aloof confidence. He was a challenge they wanted to conquer, but he did the conquering. He commanded respect, and by the time he was twenty, he’d discovered an affinity for bondage and discipline.
In his third-floor fitness room, he punched the heavy bag until his body ached. He had to regain the upper hand. The plan to entice her with money had failed. Threatening her inheritance only made her furious. Tonight, he tried convincing her of the merits of his project, but she was past caring and wanted to bean him with a paddle. And yet, she still expected him to believe her lies about the article.
After a hot shower, Gage poured a scotch and checked his email. Benson’s latest note suggested they move to contest, then take full advantage of the conditions in the will. The kid tested his patience today, ogling her from the moment she walked in. But he was the only one to add value. When Brynne ignored his request to speak in private, and smiled warmly at him, he wanted to punch his face.
He typed his reply: Do not file any formal actions unless I give you explicit direction.
Garrick sent an update on the club. Requests to join Dominus had been steadily increasing since the story broke. The retraction received more social media attention than the original story. Ironically, the unwanted publicity garnered a positive effect. Several of the members no longer cared if the press knew they belonged to the club. In fact, they said it gave them a cool factor they hadn’t had in years. Patrick Knight posed for the paparazzi, tipping his hat to them as he entered through the front doors. Garrick assured him that things were returning to normal. Only John was still taking advantage of the underground garage entrance.
The last email contained his cable and internet bill from SkyeNet. In a month, he would be the company’s controlling shareholder. In the meantime, he still had to pay the exorbitant bills. His eyes widened when he saw the alert that he’d exceeded the download limit in the last two weeks. How was that possible? Josie was the only one with guest access to his network. Unless…
He used his stellar hacking skills to access the Wi-Fi network. A few clicks later and he displayed the usage, downloads, and all the websites accessed.
Jesus H. Christ. It was no wonder the bandwidth was maxed out! Brynne had been surfing an array of bondage video sites and Pornhub for several hours each night. Her Google searches were eye-opening too… And she had bookmarked four BDSM chat rooms.
It was time to cut her off. With a wicked smile, he changed the guest password and wished he could be a fly on the wall when she tried to get online. The reaction would be like detonating an explosive device.
All he had to do was wait until she figured out that he held the key to all her services, including a decent cell signal. With any luck, she would run back to London.