She crossed her arms, her chin lifting. “This is a business arrangement. I’m not going to be your…” She paused, searching for the right word. “Your plaything.”
But I want you to be.
“That’s fair,” I said instead. “Anything else?”
“I want to be able to leave. If I decide I can’t do this anymore, I want an out. No strings, no penalties.”
I studied her, this fierce woman who was trying so hard to be strong. She had no idea how much power she actually had over me. If she walked out of this penthouse right now, I’d follow her. I’d beg. I’d promise her anything.
But I couldn’t tell her that, not yet.
“You can leave whenever you want,” I replied. “No questions asked. No consequences.”
Her eyes widened slightly, as if she hadn’t expected me to agree so easily. “Wait…really?”
“Really. I’m not interested in keeping a prisoner, Zara. I want you here because you choose to be here.”
She swallowed, her throat bobbing. “Okay. Next, you pay for my education.”
“Done.”
“I want to go back to school. Full-time, and you’ll cover tuition, books, living expenses—everything.”
“Okay.”
She blinked. “You’re not going to negotiate?”
I shook my head. “I have more money than I know what to do with. If you want to use it to better yourself, I’m not going to stop you.”
She stared at me for a long moment, searching for something in my eyes. I let her look. I had nothing to hide, at least not about this.
“There’s more,” she said, now beginning to realize just how much control she held.
“Tell me.”
“I need to know that I can trust you. That you’re not going to hurt me, or use me, or—” Her voice cracked.
I pushed off the desk, closing the distance between us in two steps. She didn’t back away. She held her ground, her dark eyes fixed on mine.
“Zara.” I reached out, my fingers brushing her jawline. She flinched, but didn’t pull away. “I don’t want to hurt you. I want to take care of you. I want to give you everything. If that’s not enough, I’ll find a way to give you more.”
“Why?” she whispered.
“Because I can’t stop thinking about you. You are a drug, Zara Cruz, and I am high just off the sight of you.”
She shivered under my touch, and I felt a surge of satisfaction. She wasn’t immune to me. She was fighting it, but she felt it too.
“Um… okay, one more condition,” she said, her voice barely audible.
“What?”
“If I ever change my mind about the no-sex thing…” she trailed off, her cheeks flushing.
Something hot and electric coiled in my chest. “Then you tell me. And I’ll be more than happy to accommodate.”
She pulled away, breaking the contact, and I let her. I had time. I could be patient.
For her, I would learn.
