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“I just bet.” Her arms cross her chest, and the V at the top of her buttoned shirt offers me a glimpse of temptation.
Fucking hell, I can still taste her—still feel her—on my tongue, and I’m burning all over again.
Molly pads inside the room and around the farthest end of the couch.
“What can I help you with?” I spot the bright pink polish on her toes before she curls them.
“Well… I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind me playing the piano for a bit.” When I close my laptop, she nibbles her lip before rambling, “Just one song, and then I’ll head to bed. Swear.”
That’s not true, and we both know it. The woman practically haunts these halls at night, but her sudden nervousness puts me on alert.
“I didn’t know you played.”
She looks at the floor before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah. I-I like it.”
Interesting.
“That piano probably hasn’t been tuned in?—”
“Actually, I had a guy come out this morning.” She winces guiltily as she approaches with a wrinkled receipt. “I was going to ask you for permission, but I couldn’t find you, so I told him to leave the bill with me. He said he’d give us a discount since he knew Thomas personally… But if you’re upset, I-I understand.”
That must have been when I was holed up in the office during a rapid succession of back-to-back conference calls. Any noise I heard would have been blended in with the rest of the manor’s renovations.
She retreats several steps, avoiding eye contact—something I’ve seen her do often, especially when she’s uncomfortable.
I stand up from the chair before stepping toward her. Those big green eyes widen, but I won’t let her suffer through this any longer. From this moment on, she’s going to overcome whatever insecurity afflicts her.
When I grasp her chin between my fingers and raise it so she’s forced to look at me, Molly exhales. Already that fire pours into her, and purely because I want to, I stoke it.
“If you want to eat, then eat. If you want to use the card I’ve given you to buy a wardrobe that’s more to your liking, then do that, too. You don’t need my permission to do anything,” I murmur. Then I tighten my grip, goading her. “Now, let’s try that again. Don’t ask if you can play. Tell me you’re going to play.”
Her piercing eyes flit back and forth uncertainly. “I’m… going to play the piano.”
“Better.” I smirk, pushing her further. “What else?”
Molly folds her hand around my wrist. “And I don’t care what you have to say about it.”
I swallow a groan, my dick hardening with her building tenacity. “And about that bill you’ve handed me…”
Her pupils dilate, reflecting the barest morsel of desire before she clips, “Thank you for happily paying it.”
My stare falls to her tempting mouth. “Not bad for a first lesson.”
“Lesson?”
I lower my hand. “I’m going to teach you how to be more assertive.”
Surprised, she asks, “Why?”
Because I want to set fire to this entire town every time you duck your face from me.
“Because you’re more than capable, and I’d like to be the one who helps you see that,” I say honestly.
She shakes her head with the faintest grin. “I’m sorry for running from you earlier. You caught me off guard. Actually, you catch me off guard a lot.”
If she’s smiling, then that must not be a bad thing… Right?
The urge to steal that smile from her mouth is unbearable, but I resist the temptation. By now, we both know that if we want to make it through this fake engagement intact, then it’s best we avoid getting too intimate.
