Page 12 of Indebted

“Juvenile insults don’t become you,” he scolded, and my irritation rose another notch, not because he’d refused my bait, but because his response made my skin tingle. This was no boy before me. Justin was one hundred percent man. And it was sexy as hell. He wouldn’t stoop to my games, and disappointment and admiration warred inside me.

“For some reason,” he continued, “you’ve painted me a villain. I can understand lingering bitterness, but not this level of contempt. I’m not the villain here, Katie. Despite whatever misconception you have, I care about you. It never sat right with me what—”

“You can spare me the guilty father speech.” I didn’t want to hear this, it was bad enough I’d had to relive my past with Zoe. I was done picking at this old scab.

He ground his teeth. “You’re not alone, Katie. You don’t have to be.”

The words grated, because that’s exactly what I was. Alone. Abandoned. Unwanted.

Thanks to my mom. Thanks to him. Suitcases and suitcases filled with baggage that I got to carry around because of my childhood.

“Sorry to shatter whatever illusion you’ve constructed for yourself,” I forced past the lump in my throat, “but we’ll never be a perfect family.” My gaze dropped to the front of his pants, where I could see an unmistakable bulge.

And because I wasn’t feeling particularly mature at the moment I added, “Daddies don’t get hard thinking about their precious little girl.”

The tension in his body radiated outward like a magnetic field, drawing me in. God, why was he so intoxicating?

“Is that what you are,” his voice dropped low, “my precious little girl?”

The words shouldn’t have made me shiver, but they did, a dull throb starting between my thighs. My taunting was backfiring. Big time. He hadn’t taken the bait before, why now? He was the one that was supposed to be disgruntled, frustrated, on edge. Not me.

“I’m not your anything.”

“Do you want to be?” he was back invading my space.

I could hardly breathe. I wanted him too much. It scared me.

I’d never craved anyone like this. I wasn’t an experienced lover. I preferred solitude, sitting behind a desk and talking to a man via chat. While I’d had a few flings, if I’d known this was waiting for me out there, I’d have stepped outside to touch grass a hell of a lot more.

“N-no,” I hated that I trembled with barely suppressed desire.

“Mmm,” the thoughtful sound in the back of his throat resonated like a growl. “I’m not leaving until we’ve reached an agreement.”

“What kind of agreement?” My mind shot straight to the gutter.

Justin remained unfazed—or at least he appeared it on the outside. I bet if I ran my hands down the front of his body, I could get his control to snap. I could end this dark desire burning up inside me.

“I want you to be my employee.”

“What?” My head snapped back.

“A paid internship. You’ll work at my clinic for one quarter. It’ll cover the rest of your tuition. You’ll earn it, all on your own.”

The 180 made me dizzy.

Damn him. I wanted to refuse, but as he’d so kindly put earlier, I’d already chopped off my nose to spite my face. This would border on self-mutilation.

I could live with earning my keep. I worked hard. If he wanted to pay me more than an average intern, then who was I to stop him?

On the flip side, I’d be thrusting myself into Justin Kingston’s presence on a daily basis. I’d be tying myself to him and the reminder both he and my mother had turned a blind eye on me when I’d needed them most.

I really wanted to finish my degree. Did I dare throw my hat in with Justin? I already knew there would be no internship on the boards Zoe sent me that would cover my tuition. It was the perfect scenario and he knew it. He’d figured me out, I couldn’t say it felt good to be so transparent. Meanwhile, I couldn’t get a reading on him.

Conceding my defeat, I nodded. However, there was one thing I needed to clarify for myself.

“Tell me, what kind of coffee do you drink?” It was the closest I’d ever let myself get to asking him outright if he’d read my letter all those years ago.

Surprise flickered across his face, his brow crinkled. “Black. Why?”