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His eyes flashed and suddenly, he was yanking me forward until I was practically falling into his lap. “You have no idea what you’re playing with.”
“Oh please, instruct me on your grown up ways.”
His dark gaze burned through me. Assessing my face. His thumbs digging into my hips. His eyes were on my lips and I leaned in, close enough that I could feel his breath pour over me. It smelled like whiskey and mint. Like a man who knew what he wanted in life. A man who took what he wanted. And I… “Please.” Begging him. Begging him for…what exactly?
He looked away, placing me firmly back on my ass. “No.”
God, I was tired of moralizing from older men who thought they knew better, “I fucking thought so.”
Growling out, he stood, “You may not want to sell to an arrogant prick like me but there are things at stake that you’re unaware of.”
“That’s what you keep saying,” I, too, stood, staring him down. “But you’ve yet to show me exactly what you’re talking about.”
“There are men whom your father sacrificed to keep you protected from.”
“Oh yeah? Then how come he never told me about these guys?”
“It was his way of protecting you. The less you knew, the better. Secrets are the currency of survival." He huffed, shaking his head and leaned closer. So close, we were practically chest to chest. The fabric of his shirt brushed against my bare skin, goosebumps blossoming in its wake. “And yet, you have no idea, do you?”
“How about you tell me, if you’re so well-informed?” I was sick and tired of his hinting without giving me any actual useful information.
He pinched his lips, his dark gaze searching mine. Once again, this close, I could smell his cologne, a deep musky scent that reminded me of when I used to play with the lilies out back by the pond. It was earthy and toned, full of life.
And yet, it was the smell of a man.
Not the teenage boys I snuck out with at Crestmont Prep…and I…
I liked it. A lot.
It’d been something I longed for—a man who knew exactly what he wanted, and wasn’t afraid to seize it.
It was intimidating and admirable at the same time.
“Miss Duvall,” his tone had cooled and hardened, even though there was a fire in his gaze. Like an outer shell, holding back a lava center. “Your father always worked to keep you protected, including the knowledge of the things he was protecting you from. But I’m not like him. I’m not a sacrificial lamb, but a wolf, determined to have my way.”
I knew men like him, had grown up around them.
Money was a tool—and I was tired of being a shovel.
Tired of standing by while other people had their way.
I folded my arms across my chest and frowned. “No.”
“You have no idea what you’re doing.”
Reaching forward, he gripped my chin, exactly how he’d done in the garden. And, just like then, every inch of my skin was alive with desire and anticipation.
His gaze darkened, landing on my lips and there was a pause. A lingering, the sound of the fire crackling increasing the tension in the room. “I’m here offering you an out. I will give you any asking price you have for the house. And the car.”
“An out for what, exactly?” I demanded, my voice laced with determination.
He faltered, his breath moving in and out, but remained silent. The intensity of his gaze shifted, as if battling an internal struggle.
“You said you didn't know anything about the will,” I pressed, my heart pounding in my chest.
His eyes darted away, fixating on the distant view outside the window. When he turned his gaze back to me, he slowly released his hold, severing our connection. With a resigned tone, he uttered, "Fine."
A shuddering breath escaped me, relief washing over me as he appeared to concede. I thought the tension would dissipate, allowing me to relax.
