Page 28 of Between Love & Ruin

“Done, then,” I say, internally stopping myself from celebrating. This isn’t even that big of a deal. “I am afraid I can’t stay for long right now. I have a meeting.”

I stand up to leave, but her next words stop me in my tracks.

“I have a condition,” she interrupts, and I turn back to look at her.

“What condition?” I ask.

“If at any point during this deal I feel like… things are changing, I will leave and go back home. I won’t breach the contract or stop the project, but I will go back home.”

I narrow my eyes, not getting why this is coming all of a sudden.

“I have a partner and in no way would I want them to feel uncomfortable,” she adds and how she manages to make and ruin my day within seconds is something I would like to know in depth.

Because did she really have to mention that pig?

Aisha mutters something under her breath, clearly displeased and perhaps a bit taken aback by her words but Sienna doesn’t budge

Instead, she meets my eyes with a challenge.

Not knowing that I love a good challenge. And I always win.

“You have a deal, Ms. Hayes.”

She holds out her hand, and I shake it. The moment her skin touches mine, I notice the change in her expression and the slight hitch in her breath.

And if that is any indication, I can already tell she is going to regret this condition herself.

Sienna Hayes

Maybe I shouldn’t have put out such an absurd condition in front of a man who, if he wished to get anything, would leave no stone unturned to get it. I know that Dominic has been generous in the way he has treated me by far, which is saying something considering we have only met twice.

But the way he was behaving was so unlike everything I had heard about him that I had to do my own research to see if people were exaggerating. Turns out, they weren’t.

He really doesn’t play when it comes to business, and I think I just played right into his hands.

But I couldn’t stop myself. I have noticed that I can’t seem to keep my mind and mouth shut in front of him. Every time he speaks to me, I want to meet his words with a challenge, and that is so unlike me. No man has ever been able to get me as rattled as he does.

And the way Aisha keeps staring at me throughout the lunch after the meeting, as though she will kill me, says that she can see right through my lie.

Mark was just an excuse. I wanted to challenge him and see if I could push his buttons. He surprised me by agreeing to it, and now I’m confused, and Aisha is mad at me.

“Baby, stop glaring at her,” Reyansh says, rubbing a soothing hand behind her back, and I pass him a grateful smile. She really needs to stop doing that.

She doesn’t look nearly as intimidating as she thinks she does—she just looks like an adorable, furious bunny.

“I am not glaring,” Aisha says, but she goes back to looking at me the same way.

Reyansh insisted that we go out to this small restaurant he had found on his last trip here for lunch. He has been great company so far, and I can’t believe that I am saying this, but I am grateful he accompanied us.

I had heard a few things from Aisha about him and their relationship during our meetings that almost always ended up with us chatting about some different stuff, and I had made up an opinion about him that wasn’t very nice.

I can’t even help it. Being in a relationship with Mark has made me very anti-men. And, honestly, I wasn’t particularly fond of them to begin with.

“Okay,” I drop my fork and finally meet her eyes that I have been avoiding ever since. “I know it was a shitty move. But I couldn’t help it.”

“Then why did you say that? I know I don’t need to repeat what this means for you, for us. And why would you constantly put a condition in front of Dominic? He is a big name, Sienna.”

“I know,” I sigh. How do I explain what went on in my mind at that moment? “I just… had to, Aisha. I can’t explain it, but I just can’t shut my mouth around him. Dominic is a big name, influential, yes, but he is so annoying with his constant smiles and underhanded jabs that I can’t stop myself.”