Page 43 of Icebound

“Go home, Maddelena,” he said, finally dumping her off his lap. “We’re busy here.”

To Chloe’s regret, the woman didn’t land on her ass—she scrambled off him with unexpected grace. “It’s too late to go back this afternoon. I’ll leave tomorrow. After we spend the night together.”

He didn’t move. “I already have a woman in my bed,” he said repressively, not even glancing at Chloe.

“It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve had two,” Maddelena cooed, her smoky eyes surveying Chloe. “I don’t mind.”

“I do.” To Chloe’s absolute horror, he crossed the room to her, catching her limp hand and dragging her to her feet. Before she could figure out what he intended, his mouth was on hers, and he’d plastered her body against his.

Part of her cried out at the feel of him. So familiar and yet so strange, and she stood still and unmoving in his arms as he kissed her with the same cold expertise he’d shown his so-called wife.

“She doesn’t seem that enthusiastic,” Maddelena drawled.

Bastien lifted his head. “Unlike you, she doesn’t like an audience.”

“That’s no fun. If you won’t fuck me, I thought I could at least watch.”

“She’s shy.” He kept his arm around her, plastering her to his side, and she was torn by the temptation to shove him away and her desire to best this woman. She didn’t move.

Maddelena shook her head, her cloud of dark hair flowing around her shoulders. “You’ve been on this job too long. I’ll go back in the morning. In the meantime, this run-down place must at least have one extra bedroom. Or I could always sleep with Luc.”

The expression on Luc’s face was comically horrified. “There’s an extra room,” he managed without a stammer. He rose from the chair where he’d been observing the whole thing. It was a Noel Coward drawing-room comedy crossed with Martin Scorcese, and Chloe wasn’t sure whether she wanted to laugh or cry.

“Suit yourself,” Bastien said. “You’ll have to make yourself at home—it’s time for our afternoon siesta.”

Maddelena pouted those puffy lips. “That’s hardly being a good host, caro.”

“You aren’t wanted,” he said with brutal finality.

“Luc, it is,” she said with a tiny shrug.

Without another word, Bastien walked out of the room, his hand hard on Chloe’s arm. What would he do if she refused to go? What if she told Maddelena that he wasn’t really interested in her? It would gain her nothing but trouble.

He took her through the darkened hallway to the shabby-elegant bedroom she’d taken, shutting the door behind him. “Is there a key?” he said, letting her go.

“I don’t think so.” Her voice came out shaky, and she cleared her throat.

He looked around him until he found a straight-backed chair, one of the fragile antiques that filled the place. He set it under the door, closing them in, then turned to her in the afternoon shadows.

“Take off your clothes.”

“Fuck you,” she shot back.

“That was the general idea. Take them off or I’ll rip them off you,” he said, almost sounding bored.

“I’m not having sex with you because you’re playing some stupid game with your so-called wife.” She moved as far away from him as she could in the dusky bedroom.

“Oh, she’s definitely my wife,” he said, causing a death knell in her heart. “But she needs to be taught a lesson.”

“Not with me.”

“Oh, most definitely with you. You’ve been too big a distraction for the last week, and I need to get you out of my system.”

“Such a charming declaration. Your seduction techniques require a tune-up.” She was seething mad and didn’t care what she said in her effort to get to him.

“I’m not seducing you. We’re not going to make love. I’m going to fuck you, loudly, so my wife can hear and learn her lesson.”

“Your wife would probably masturbate to the sounds. Give it up. I’m not going to be a pawn in whatever sick game you’re playing. Do whatever you want with her.”