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The term baby girl had my jaw grinding. “You left for almost a week, then when you finally deigned to show up again, you brought home a boy you thought you could pawn me off on.” His mouth opened like he might try to defend himself, but I carried on, growing louder as my hands clenched into fists. “Then you left again. Now you show up with a car that costs more than I’ll ever make in a year as though that will somehow excuse your behavior! I’m going to school now, if you’ll excuse me.” I started for the door.
“Take the fucking car, Julietta. I don’t want you riding the bus.”
Rage rocketed through my body. “You don’t get to make decisions for me, Romero.”
He set his mug aside and strode toward me like a lion hunting his prey. The distance between us vanished in a blink when he snaked a strong arm around my waist and yanked me against his body.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he whispered, his dark eyes fixed on me and stealing my breath. Stealing my fight. His body was hot against mine and I had to suppress the urge to mold myself to him. “I’m done letting you run off and destroy your life. It belongs to me now whether you like it or not.”
My heart seemed to slow to a stop as his words registered. I jerked out of his grip, knowing full well the only reason I was able to do so was because he let me.
“Oh, so you let me run away? Thank you so much for your permission to nearly fucking starve to death or freeze in my car.” I spat the words like they were acid burning my tongue.
Anger flashed in his gaze, like lightning thrashing the night sky. And damn me to hell because I fucking loved it.
I loved that he looked like he wanted to throttle me. Loved the taste of the violence in the air.
This man was ruining me. In the space of two weeks, he became my undoing. In the course of a single night, I’d given in to the fantasy of his cock in my mouth. What would happen if I stayed? If I let this overbearing man control me, heart, body, and soul?
Good thing I wasn’t going to stick around to find out.
“I could have plucked you out of the hell you threw yourself into. But I knew if I did, you’d hate me for it. Your mother’s life was hard on you, but her passing tore you to shreds. Because you lost the person you’d spent your life caring for. Following behind her and picking up every piece of herself she discarded, all so you could try to put her back together again. You couldn’t do it. Her mother couldn’t do it. Not even I could do it.” A muscle in his jaw flexed. “I knew you needed the space to cope in your own way. But never for a second would I have let you fall into any real harm.”
I sneered. “Because you have god complex or something. I’m not your responsibility. I’m no one’s responsibility.” My voice dropped to the barest of whispers. “I never was.”
He reached for me, but I stepped back. His hand clenched into a fist that he dropped to his side. “Take the car. It’s safer.”
“Give me the money I earned,” I countered. “Besides, I’d just leave the car in the parking lot to be towed away.”
His nostrils flared. “You’re absolutely infuriating.”
“Now you know how it feels.” I spun on my heel and stalked out the front door, slamming it closed behind me. My blood simmered as I passed the Mercedes-Benz, barely reigning in the urge to kick the damned thing. All the way to the bus stop I fumed. By the time I made it to the college, I’d managed to cool down slightly, allowing me to somewhat focus on my classes.
A text appeared from Kieran around lunchtime, and my stomach flipped. See you in three hours.
Fingers shaking slightly, I typed back: Can’t wait.
Once this was done and over with, Romero would have no choice but to walk out of my life forever. The thought made my stomach roil.
I squeezed my eyes shut, took a deep breath, and hit send. Kieran was sexy as hell. I was lucky to be able to lose my virginity to someone like him. Not to mention the hefty paycheck that came with it. And after tonight I’d be gone.
Free.
I could transfer to a different college. Buy a house. Buy a car. Pursue my degree without worrying about balancing a job and paying bills.
And all it would take would be to hand my body over to a very powerful, wealthy man I didn’t know. Totally not insane, right?
* * *
When the final class ended, my nerves were exposed live wires. Volatile. Every step that drew me toward the doors it felt like a billboard was flashing over me, broadcasting what I was about to do.
My phone pinged with another text from Kieran. Limo is out front.
Chest heaving with uneven breaths, I sent back: k. The doors swung open and the light outside was grey. Clouds formed overhead, dark and ominous. Great, the whole fucking universe knows I’m about to whore myself out for twelve million dollars, I thought grimly.
A limo was parked against the curb, blocking the path of students who have to funnel around it, casting it curious glances. The man that stood beside it, hands clasped in front of himself and wearing a black suit that looked a little too big in the shoulders, stared straight ahead. Still, I got the sense that he was on high alert with so many people around.
I stopped a few feet away, my chest tight.
