Empire of Lies and Flames (Ruins of Power #1)

Chapter 11

RENéE

Silence hung between us, and it felt like Javier was waiting, baiting me to break it. Finally, he broke it himself with that mocking tone of his. “You've gone awfully quiet. Getting cold feet, or just afraid to actually speak up?”

My fists clenched, and I fought back the urge to rise to his bait, but he was getting under my skin. He knew it too, and he was having the time of his life pushing all the right buttons.

“Do you ever get tired of poking at me, or is this your favorite pastime?” I asked rolling my eyes.

“Oh, it absolutely is,” he smirked. “Come on, tell me. Why do you hate me so much? Don’t be shy.” he asked, feigning innocence but his eyes were gleaming, eager for a showdown.

I kept my mouth shut, but he leaned in closer, egging me on, his smile daring me to snap. “Just tell me, Renée,” he coaxed, his voice low.

“No!” I shot back.

“So…you don’t hate me, then?” he asked with a sly grin.

I gave him a deadpan look. “Hate requires thought. And, believe me, I don’t waste any on you.”

“Liar.” His smile widened and his voice dropped. “I know I haunt your dreams.”

The butterflies fluttered in my stomach, their wings grazing my insides.

“Keep it up, Javier, and I might actually prove you right,” I warned, raising an eyebrow all the while trying to keep my cool.

He just laughed, nudging me playfully. “Oh, really? Then let’s hear it. What exactly bothers you about me?”

Fine. If he wanted a list, I’d give him a damn list. “You want to know? Fine,” I said, turning to face him, leaning forward. “You’re cold, arrogant, ruthless, and I’m still waiting for you to prove you have a heart in there somewhere.”

He smiled as if I’d just handed him a compliment. “Still waiting? Well, that’s practically a confession. I’m flattered.”

He’d pushed me right to the edge, and he knew it. “Flattered? You’re insufferable,” I shot back, practically spitting the words at him. “You’ve undermined my work more times than I can count, pulled clients right out from under me—heck, you've delayed my production for no reason other than to watch me squirm.”

For once, he didn’t interrupt. But he didn’t look apologetic, either.

“That’s all just business, sweetheart. Securing the best deals for the company is part of my job. And those clients came to me because they liked my offer better.” He shrugged as if it were that simple.

“You practically swindled them!” I exclaimed, throwing my hands up. “I’ve come this close to strangling you at least a dozen times!”

“ Negotiation would be the right word, love.” He winked. “Besides, I think you still might want to.”

I bit back a laugh despite myself. “Well, I don’t like playing dirty like you do.”

He shrugged like it was nothing. “All part of the job. What can I say? I like a little friendly competition.”

“Friendly competition?” I nearly laughed at that. “If this is you being friendly, I’d hate to see your enemies.”

“Let’s be honest. My ‘friends’ are rare, but I like to keep my enemies even closer,” he replied with a smirk that could melt steel. “Guess which one you are?”

“Guess where I’d like to shove that smug face of yours?” That pulled out a hearty laugh from him and that irked me even more. “You have no idea what balance is, Javier. You’re always working, always chasing the next deal, like some sort of…business robot!” The insult was out before I could stop it.

He chuckled, clearly unfazed. “What’s wrong with that? I’m ambitious, driven, passionate,” he said as we stepped into the hotel elevator.

“You’re obsessed, arrogant, and heartless ,” I shot back.

“Ouch,” he said with mock surprise, pressing the button for our floor. “I didn’t know a mouth seeming so sweet could be so bitter.”

I crossed my arms, fighting to keep the damn butterflies at bay. “Then you’ve got a lot left to learn,” I muttered, looking up at him with a challenging smile but what I saw in his eyes made me shudder.

The elevator was filling up with people, forcing me to inch closer to him. His hand came to rest lightly on my shoulder, guiding me to stand in front of him. We ended up pressed so close that I could feel his warmth, and I had to focus on not reacting.

A small smile played on his lips as he watched me shift awkwardly in the cramped space, biting my lip to avoid brushing up against him. The elevator emptied, leaving just the two of us, and he finally leaned down, his voice a low murmur.

“Honestly, I just like getting a reaction from you.”

My breath caught, and I looked up, meeting his gaze. “So my anger is what—entertaining for you?”

“Absolutely.” One word, yet it hit like a spark, igniting something that left me breathless. I barely noticed when the elevator opened and we stepped out into the hallway.

“Well,” I muttered, coming to a stop at my door, still tingling with adrenaline from our exchange. “Good thing I’m out of things to shout at you about.”

“Shame,” he said, his voice soft, eyes lingering on me for a moment longer than necessary and there was something almost…hopeful in his expression, something that made my heart stutter a beat too fast.

I bit my lip, hesitating. Maybe I was crazy, but I didn’t want the night to end either. “Shouting at you is strangely satisfying,” I admitted, feeling myself flush.

He took a step closer, close enough that I could feel his warmth. “Then invite me in.” His voice was barely above a whisper, his gaze flicking to my lips before meeting my eyes again. “Yell at me all you want. I can take it.”

I froze, my heart pounding as I processed his words. His smile was relaxed, but the look in his eyes said he was deadly serious.