“Love him; marry me. Love him in the shadows; pretend with me in the light.”
I step between Lennox and the window, demanding his full attention. He doesn’t back down, so I don’t either.
He takes another step, forcing me to retreat until the back of my head hits the slanted glass of the window, and I have to stop. I comb my hand through my hair at the mistake I made moving in front of him with no escape route.
His arms come down on either side of my head, boxing me in. His tattoos creep out beneath his blue suit. His hair flops to one side as he throws me the serious stare he gives everyone. He uses it when he wants to pretend there will be hell to pay for disobedience.
I should fear a man like Lennox. He seems to have very little to lose and is willing to push the envelope of his morals to get what he wants. He cares about a handful of people, but I can’t use any of those people against him.
Unfortunately, I care about the same people, and he knows that. He knows that he has me, and he can do whatever he wants with me. He may not physically touch me, but he can make my life hell if he wants to. He can control me. He can always change his mind about the rape thing too. He wouldn’t be the first man in my life to make promises and then break them.
I won’t back down. I can’t just let him win, and I’m not afraid of him.
My heart beats up into my throat as he towers over me, and my defiance rises along with it.
He senses the change in me. Despite the progress he thinks he’s made tonight, we are no further along in making an agreement than at the beginning of this meeting.
We both want what we want—he to become a Corsi boss, me to have my freedom. And neither of us can get what we want without the other.
The way he scowls at me tells me he knows it too. I’m what’s standing in the way of getting what he wants, just as he is to me.
We’re starting a dangerous game. That’s all that’s been decided tonight. One of us will win; one of us will lose. The stakes are high.
Who will land the first real blow?
I thought I did when I kissed Kit, but it was barely a surface scratch. I didn’t wound Lennox—just annoyed him.
The crazed look in his eyes tells me he’s about to land a bigger strike, though.
“You really love him?”
“Yes, of course. He’s seen me through everything. He’s my best friend.”
“I don’t think he is.”
I frown. “Nothing you say is going to make me fuck you and give you heirs. If you want that, you’ll have to take it from me.”
“You want to bet?” he says with a sly smile, his eyes lighting up at the idea. I like his grin, even his conniving one, but I don’t like the way it makes my body feel. I feel light-headed and weightless as an infusing warmth spreads through my body at his sexy grin.
“No, I don’t want to bet. I know I love him. I have nothing to prove. I will never fuck you. You’re giving me him but asking me to hurt the man I love. I can’t do that.”
“Why not? I will never rape you, only seduce you. It will always be your choice. If you love Kit so much, what do you have to lose?”
“You would never win a bet like that.”
Lennox leans in until his breath is hot against my lips. His masculine scent overwhelms me, and I doubt I’ll forget it soon.
I don’t like it or his invasion of my space, but I refuse to yield and show him that.
His hand drops down, and his thumb rubs over my bottom lip. My tongue runs over the spot that his thumb just vacated.
He chuckles. “I think I have a decent shot. But if you really love Kit, if he’s your person, then it won’t be hard to resist me.”
My nostrils flare, and if I knew how, I’d punch him right now and knock his smug expression off of his face. “What are the stakes?”
“If I win, we start trying for kids right away…” He pauses for dramatic effect. “And we do it the old-fashioned way. No IUI crap.”
I frown, but it doesn’t matter. There is no way I’m losing this bet. “And if I win, we don’t try to have kids at all, and you never touch me except for a peck on the lips when we have to in public.”