Chapter 13
Vanessa
The man was fucking out of his mind.
Not only was the fury unleashed from deep inside, but I sensed my mouth had dropped open. Christian had gone for the shock and awe factor, which he’d momentarily accomplished, but I quickly regrouped, allowing him to see my clear annoyance.
Even more irritating than what he’d demanded was the fact he was glowing from the revelation, which only added to his insanely handsome appearance.
Dressed in a charcoal suit with a crisp white shirt that likely cost more than my mortgage payment, he appeared like the billionaire mogul he enjoyed portraying.
The red tie screamed of power and dominance.
That’s exactly the reason he’d chosen the tailored outfit.
Did he actually think he could impress me?
I snorted a partial reply. “I don’t think so.
” As I took a deep breath, I chastised myself for my body’s reaction.
Tingling all over in front of him wasn’t allowed.
He seemed to know every variant in my emotions and desires.
Plus, with him crowding my space, the intense aroma of sandalwood, light musk, and the hint of ocean breezes was far too intoxicating.
So was the whiff of my own desire.
“And why is that?” As if to prove my point, he took a deep breath while slowly lowering his gaze. I suddenly felt more exposed than I had on Friday night.
His husky voice reverberated in my ears. “Because I’m not for sale. Not to you. Not to anyone. Plus, I’m the owner of the company. I make the rules.”
“The rules. You know how I feel about strict requirements. Plus, the fact you own the company makes my choice that much more desirable. Lastly,” he mimicked, half whispering as he dared place the tip of his index finger on my nose. Was he trying to admonish me for saying no? “A significant coup.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
He lowered his head even more until our lips were centimeters apart. I’d learned from round one with the man this was a signature method of obtaining control of a woman. I pressed my hand firmly against his chest, but he didn’t budge.
“That means you’ll become an incredible asset to me and to my company.”
“With a fake marriage?” My laugh sounded hollow because I knew he had an ulterior motive.
He dared grip my chin with his fingers, jerking my head up and forcing our lips to meet.
I tried to push him away, but he wasn’t having it, capturing my mouth as if he owned me.
I fisted his shirt, struggling, but his hold was firm.
As he thrust his tongue inside my mouth, I fought to control the moment by dominating his.
That also wasn’t happening. He crowded closer, pressing his full weight against me. With his scent infusing my senses, his touch burning my skin, I was momentarily drawn into the same hunger I’d experienced with him before.
The lines of right and wrong were suddenly blurry, but for what reason he believed I’d comply with his outrageous demands was beyond me. Had he learned nothing from our conversations or time spent together?
Evidently not.
My initial assessment of him stood firm.
He was an arrogant bastard.
Even if he was an incredible kisser.
I was lightheaded, which I had a feeling he was going for.
This truly was nothing but a game to him.
I’d beaten myself up on Sunday, pacing the floor in between calling my brother to make certain he wasn’t doing something stupid.
If he was caught with drugs again, he’d remain in jail until his court date.
I’d found an attorney, even on the weekend, but the cost was more than I could handle. My calls to my father so far had gone unheeded. He was on yet another business trip to Spain of all places. That had left me in a near panic trying to figure out an alternative to accepting Christian’s business.
I’d found none, finally resigning myself to what I needed to do in the wee hours of the morning.
However, this was more than I could tolerate.
As he swept his tongue back and forth, he shifted his hand to my neck, fingering my skin so lightly I shuddered in his hold.
Yet his attempt at reminding me about the passion we’d shared wasn’t going to work on me.
I managed to drive my palm against his chest with enough force, I shoved him back by a full foot.
The space was just enough I moved away from him toward the door, which I opened and threw my arm toward the opening.
“It’s time for you to leave, Mr. Elliot. My offer still stands as long as you play by my rules.” Why not hit him hard with what he seemed to hate?
He slowly turned toward me, taking the time to unbutton his jacket before shoving his hands into his trouser pockets. “I don’t think you seem to understand what I’m saying to you.”
“No, I understand clearly. You think I’m for sale and you’re wrong.
If you decide to move forward with our business engagement, leave the name of your attorney with Amelia and I’ll have mine contact yours.
From there, we’ll handle any necessary discussions over the phone or via email. Have a good day.”
When he slowly headed toward the door, I felt a slight sense of relief. I should know better than to feel that way or to ever let my guard down around him. He had the nerve to close the door.
“What are you doing? You seriously think bullying me is going to force me to change my mind?” I threw at him. “If so, then you don’t know me very well.”
“I think I know you better than you realize, Vanessa. As a matter of fact, I made it a point to get to know you very well. I know your father is Jonathan Blair of Blair Development.”
He allowed the information to sink in as if it mattered to me. “I care why?”
“Oh, come now. You can play the innocent card with someone else, but not with me. Your father’s company is my greatest rival. He’s in the process of attempting to come into Miami and the surrounding area including through the use of unscrupulous methods.”
“Something you would know about.” What the hell was he getting at?
My father was in land development. Wait.
That’s right. Elliot Enterprises had used the blood money earned from dismantling companies as collateral for purchasing land for high-end resorts.
My God. I’d been so busy allowing my hormones to take control I hadn’t made the connection.
He laughed, his eyes lighting up like the fire I felt in my belly. “Yes, I do know how to play the game. But I think you do as well.”
“What are you talking about?”
“As I said, stop playing innocent. You knew who I was. You ran to your daddy and he gave you pointers on how to handle me. What was the goal, to keep me occupied while he lured my potential away?”
“You are such an arrogant bastard. If you knew anything about me, Christian, you’d know my relationship with my father isn’t on the best terms. Unbelievable. I take back what I said. Your business is no longer welcome here. Get the fuck out.”
His features hardened to the point his jaw was clenching. The dark flash of his eyes indicated the same rage boiling deep within me.
“I’m not leaving, Vanessa. We need to make arrangements and, of course, our attorneys can discuss the contract. You’ll be made a very wealthy woman.”
“I don’t know why you think money is everything other than because that’s what you grew up with. That’s what fuels you.”
“You grew up with money as well. Don’t play the martyr card. Your value to me is worth every penny.”
“To what, spy on my father?”
“Nothing so drastic. Merely to allow him to see our alliance is real, our love is explosive and to convince him that attempting to go against me in business won’t be in his best interest or that of his daughter.”
If this wasn’t so appalling, I’d find it amusing. I laughed anyway even as several knots formed in my stomach. “You truly don’t know my father very well. He won’t listen to me. You’ll be wasting your oh-so precious time.”
“Oh, I think he will, especially when he knows I could ruin him and his reputation.”
“The banter is getting on my nerves, Christian. Why don’t you get to the point?”
“I do appreciate someone who prefers cutting through the murky bullshit. I learned that unfortunately on Saturday night you bailed your brother out of jail.”
Oh, my fucking God.
Just when I didn’t think I could abhor him more than I did, he upped the ante.
As he’d done before, he allowed the knowledge regarding the horror of the past two days to slide straight into my mind.
I looked away, incapable of saying anything and trying to avoid tears forming in my eyes.
I’d allowed myself to believe he wasn’t a jerk only to find out that instead he was a monster.
The hurt was raw, eating at me. I’d allowed him to touch me.
Kiss me.
I’d allowed him to fuck me.
What was wrong with me? I was usually a much better judge of character.
“How dare you try and use something so personal to get your way? What happens with my family is none of your goddamn business.” I tried to keep my cool as well as from issuing any display of emotions.
That’s what predators did. They fed on fear and weakness.
He deserved to see neither. Using something so tragic to get what he wanted was the most reprehensible thing anyone had ever done to me. The man reminded me of my father.
Cold.
Brutal.
Heartless.
“Unlike before, he wasn’t simply charged with possession,” he continued, ignoring my request. “This time it was possession with intent to sell. Now, I’m no attorney, but from what I understand, he could be facing serious prison time.”
My stomach was ready to revolt.
The shock showed on my face and in my shaking body. I was hot, so much so, I could spit fire or eat nails. “How. Fucking. Dare. You.”
Great. Now I was repeating myself while rage and hatred churned. How could anyone be so horrible?