Page 5 of In His Cuffs

She froze, not realising she had been betraying her inner turmoil.

This David confounded her.

In typical fashion, his dark hair was spiked and brushed severely back from his broad forehead. His eyebrows were drawn together in an arrogant, masculine slash.

As she’d noticed earlier, he wore a pair of dark denim jeans, but she hadn’t seen the scuffed, black motorcycle boots.

Except for his trademark arrogance, he didn’t resemble the man she knew from work.

Normally he wore expensive power suits with crisp button-down shirts. The only concession to an occasional casual look was a loosened knot in his requisite red or blue tie.

She’d spent so much time being irritated by him that she’d never really noticed him as a man.

But now…

His shoulders were broad and his waist trim. The black HM band emphasised the size of his arms. Clearly he had a gym membership, and he used it.

David’s jeans showed off the size of his thighs in a way dress slacks never could. Heaven help her, she couldn’t help but stare at the thick black belt encircling his waist. Add in the cuffs that refracted the overhead light… He made breathing difficult.

“How about it, Maggie?”

She looked up at him. His use of Maggie rather than Margaret had been intentional, as if he knew exactly the effect it would have on her. She would never scene with a man who didn’t respect her wishes, and he was proving he would. “What happened to your no fraternising policy?”

Several more people entered the room, and the noise level increased. He took hold of her shoulders and moved her backwards. She didn’t protest. How could she with the way oxygen deprivation was suddenly making it impossible to think?

He released his grip, but he’d effectively trapped her in a corner, her back to the wall. The act seemed symbolic of their entire relationship. He was adept at manoeuvring her to suit his wishes.

Six months ago, when he’d decided to acquire World Wide Now for far less money than Maggie believed it was worth, she’d put up a fiery verbal protest. Rather than deal with her directly, David had taken her mother aside.

He’d told Gloria that Maggie’s retention was critical to the success of the firm.

In a brilliant strategic move, he’d then called Maggie back into a private meeting and presented a deal that gave him everything he wanted.

If they met his lofty goals, meaning Maggie worked her ass off and brought in sales, her mother would be rewarded with half a million dollars at the end of two years. He hadn’t promised Maggie a penny beyond her regular wages, but he’d somehow figured that taking care of her mother was the biggest incentive of all for Maggie.

Her mother had told Maggie she didn’t have to accept his terms. Another deal, perhaps a better one, would come along. Together, they’d figure it out.

But once David had shown her the reality of World Wide Now’s fiscal picture due to her mother’s mismanagement, Maggie had seen no other option. She loved her mother and wanted her to have freedom from the financial struggles she’d always endured.

If he had simply waltzed in as lord and master, Maggie would have flipped him the bird on the way out of the door. But he was far too smart for that. Still, that didn’t mean she liked or appreciated his manipulation.

Once she’d nodded, he’d pulled out an employment contract. The bastard had prepared it ahead of time. She had signed her name with short, angry strokes. In corporate speak, she was shackled in golden handcuffs.

And that wasn’t much different from the metal pair dangling from his belt loop. Despite her resolve, she kept glancing at them.

He took the glass from her hand and gave it to a passing waiter.

She felt no fear as he leaned towards her, crowding her space. They breathed the same air, and his scent intoxicated her—power, spiced with raw masculine confidence.

“I think we can both agree this is an exception. You wouldn’t be doing this to get ahead at work. I wouldn’t be forcing you to do it to keep your job. At the office, we’ll have the same arrangement we have now,” he told her.

“Meaning you’ll set my schedule, tell me what to do, organise my life, prioritise my tasks and I’ll agree with you.”

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