When I didn’t move, he put his hand right over my belly. “Release all the negative shit flying through your head right here, right now.”
I nodded and closed my eyes for a few seconds. He grabbed my wrist and put my hand over my stomach. I felt the heat, so much hotter than the rest of my body. Maybe the energy was passing through my hand to his, and he was getting rid of it.
The energy left me in some way or another and a hint of calm crept in.
When I opened my eyes, I mouthed a thank you to him and took a deep breath. “I just need a day. I need to think.”
Bastian opened his mouth to speak.
I cut him off with my pointer finger in the air. “One day, Bastian. That’s fair.”
The muscles through the beautiful man I now hated rippled like every bone in his body wanted to disagree with me. He straightened that navy suit of his and closed his eyes like he needed his own relaxation method.
“I want to work with you. I want this to be an equal partnership where you understand I’m here to make this company better.” His voice held genuine kindness.
Yet, we were on opposing sides of the world. How could I believe him? Hell, we weren’t opposing sides of the world–we didn’t even live in the same world. His was more complicated, more astute; nothing at all like mine.
I grabbed my bag and walked to the door. Bastion grabbed my arm, right above the elbow. He spun me so we were eye to eye. His dark eyes pierced into my soul, into my fears, and peeled them back, shining light on my vulnerabilities.
I bit my bottom lip to try to stifle the fact that his hand on me sparked a fire I’d tried so hard to squelch. Now, we were lighting it again, and I’d have to surround myself with that for six months.
“What are you afraid of, Mo? Of me? Or us? This will only be to your benefit,” he whispered like he was trying to piece it all together. “I’ll pay you fairly. There won’t be many rules. We can make this work. It’s just us.”
“There is no us!” I shot back, my voice loud enough to show them all I was ready to go to war. I ripped my arm from his grasp and my bracelets jangled together, the black one stark against the pastels of the others.
Strength in my rage. I felt it now.
He let me turn so fast that my hair flared out around me, the drama was there for everyone to see.
“Morina.” Bastian’s voice stopped me at the threshold. “You need this more than I do. Your town needs this. I don’t. But I’d like it. It’s a partnership. And it’s an opportunity to do things safely and legally.”
“You’re asking me to give up everything,” I choked out. “And to trust you, a complete stranger who I know has a questionable past. Don’t you get that I have a life? I’m happy. I have a job and maybe a guy or two that likes me. I like coming home and watching what I want to watch and taking care of my grand…”
My grandma.
“Morina...” He said my name softly, like suddenly he had some sort of soul that could feel something other than business transactions. He reached for me but I jerked away.
“No.” I shook my head as I squeezed my eyes shut. “I know. She’s gone. It’s just… it was a slip up. And I… I deserve time to think. Right? Someone agree with me. Dante? The moon is…”
I’d forgotten what day it was. Everything was all out of whack.
“It’s about to be a full moon, Mo. It’s all going to be just fine. Breathe it in. It’s the universe moving with you, huh?”
I nodded and breathed in. One more breath of the air he told me was calm, and I my shoulders relaxed. I chanced one more look at Bastian and let my guard down. I needed him to understand. “I get this isn’t a big deal for you. You’ve been tied to this way your whole life. My life is the complete opposite. I’ve been absolutely free. Probably to a fault. So, I just need a day to think.”
“You can’t tell anyone until we decide, Morina.” He arched an eyebrow as though making sure I understood. “The company being at stake will cause unrest. We need a plan. Take my number.” He motioned for Dante to hand over his card. “Tomorrow, we make decisions.”
I nodded and scanned the room to see who else would know this marriage was a sham. The lawyers, Dante, and him. That was all.
“I’ll call you.”
12
Bastian
On day one, my phone didn’t ring.
On day two, my phone was still eerily silent.