Adora forgot how to breathe. He was so much taller than she was, his shoulders blocking out the rest of the room, making her feel small and feminine. He had such a commanding presence, and she imagined he got everything he wanted.
“Cat got your tongue?”
“Yes, I have a boyfriend,” she lied. For all she knew he had another one-night stand still sleeping in his bed. Adora decided it was best to put up a wall to protect herself from this shark. If she rejected him flat out, her mother could lose her job. A boyfriend was a safe answer, an easy out.
He shook his head, his dark eyes stripping her layer by layer. “You’re a terrible liar, little one.” He ran the pad of his thumb along her lower lip, making her bolt back, hitting the counter. Tobias still wouldn’t let her escape. “I’ll bet all my shares in the Bennett Corporation that you’re a virgin, too.”
She gasped.
He chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. “I didn’t get this far by not being able to read people.”
“Where’s my mother?” she repeated, looking side to side for an escape. This stranger had unraveled her in just a few minutes. She felt so exposed, so deliciously violated. He had to be over twice her age, so why did he affect her like this? She wasn’t used to watching all her control slip away.
“Relax, baby girl. I’m just playing.” He stepped back, running his hand through his dark hair, a bit of grey at the temples. Everything about him was composed and deliberate. “I’m just asking for one date.”
“I don’t think I’m your type,” she said. “I’m not interested in a good time, and I can’t be bought.” She stood firm on her beliefs. No way would she be used and discarded. Not for all the money in the world, no matter how tempting he may be.
But a part of her, deep down to the marrow, wanted to be his. Wanted to be taken and claimed. Was she dealing with daddy issues? Was she sick for desiring a man exuding power and control? He was everything she tried to steer clear of, but she was inexplicably drawn to him. That one touch made her desperate for more, but she had to resist her twisted desires. Adora was convinced her DNA was against her, leading her to follow in her mother’s footsteps. She wanted more from a man, demanded more from her life.
“Everyone has a price,” he said.
She pushed away, finally able to breathe once she put space between them. His scent was addictive, pulling her under his spell. Adora turned around once at a safe distance. “Maybe in your world. Not mine.”
“Then prove me wrong. One date.”
It took all her willpower to refuse him. “Sorry, I’m not interested.”
Chapter Two
In all of his forty-five years, Tobias couldn’t recall a moment a woman ever denied him. The Bennett name got him what he wanted, when he wanted it. He knew women wanted him, craved him. Like last night. He didn’t even remember the intern’s name, but she’d been ready to give him anything he wanted, and then something more.
Adora was a beautiful young woman, and he knew for a fact he’d never seen her before. He wouldn’t have been able to forget her. She was nothing like the women he usually brought home. There was an innocent air about her—youth and lush curves. She wore no make-up, and it was refreshing to see what a woman was supposed to look like. There’s no way he’d ever let her go without at least knowing her name.
She licked her lips, and glanced over his shoulder.
The sudden smile transformed her face, a rare beauty, and he glanced to see Maria, her mother. They started talking, and he didn’t understand a word of Spanish.
“Is it okay for me to take my mom home? She’s finished for the day,” Adora said.
“Of course.”
Maria said something else before she went to put her supplies away. The stern look on Adora’s face made him wonder exactly what her mother had told her. Maria had seen it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Leaning against the counter, he reached for one of the grapes in the fruit bowl.
“What will it take?” he asked, popping it into his mouth.
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Every single woman has their price. What’s yours?”
It was clearly the wrong thing to say as she folded her arms, and began to glare at him. “You’re used to clicking your fingers or signing a checkbook to get what you want. I’m not for sale.”
“I didn’t realize I was insulting you.”
She rubbed at her temple, and he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms, to take the troubles away from her. Of course, if he took her troubles away, it meant she’d be giving him all of her attention.