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‘Can you walk?’ he demanded thickly.
Another tiny shudder, then she nodded. ‘Sì.’
He pressed a kiss to her temple, then slung his arm over her shoulders, gratified when she burrowed into him.
His limo idled on the kerb, the back door guarded by Antonio. Javier helped her into it, and shut the door behind them. When she went to move away, he stayed her. She collapsed against him, but remained silent as the car crawled through traffic. Although her breathing steadied, he knew she hadn’t fallen asleep from the furtive glances she cast at him.
‘We can discuss this now, or we can discuss it in the morning. Either way, my conditions remain the same.’
She pulled away, and this time he let her have a little distance. She would be back where she belonged soon, anyway.
‘Why?’ she queried.
‘Why what?’
‘Why do you want me?’
A bitter laugh scraped his throat. ‘If I could explain the mysteries of sexual chemistry, I would be a far richer man.’ He slid his fingers into her hair. ‘But I want you. Badly. And you want me.’
‘You can’t hold me to a new, sexual contract. That’s deplorable,’ she disputed hotly, but he didn’t miss her lingering glance at his mouth, and the unsteady breath she took when her eyes met his.
She wanted him. Almost as badly as he wanted her, despite having come apart in his arms mere minutes ago.
The memory lit fresh flames in his groin.
‘No, but I did talk to your father again. He believes you are on the verge of reaching a new agreement with me. So let’s hear it.’
Alarm chased over her face, followed by a touch of uncertainty. A swallow moved her throat. ‘I was going to ask for an amendment to our agreement.’
‘One that benefits your father?’
‘One that buys me a little time. An early release of the second quarter payment to him and a percentage of my future earnings will end our business relationship. And I get to find out what happened with my mother.’
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p; Javier allowed the wave of sympathy that surged at her words. He’d been caught between a rock and a hard place where his mother was concerned. Having no immediate solution to the problem of his father wasn’t an issue he’d relished. But that would all be over soon. He scoured her face, took in the change. An instant later the memory of another man’s hands on her eroded his sympathy.
‘You can have your amendment tomorrow. If you give me what I want.’ Still holding her captive, he traced his finger over her passion-bruised bottom lip, the urge to kiss her again firing up inside him. ‘And before you revert to the tired line of not wanting me, remember that I could’ve taken you in that alley, completely and as many times as I wanted, and you would’ve begged me for more. This way we put our cards on the table. There will be no illusions or misapprehension on either of our parts. And you can’t get on your high horse afterwards and claim you weren’t thinking straight.’
Perfect eyelashes swept down. ‘And if I don’t agree?’
‘Your father pursues his imprudent financial schemes until such time as the fallout adversely affects me and my company. Then I take steps to hold you both accountable and you lose what little assets you have.’
She opened her mouth to speak as the car stopped in front of his penthouse building.
He stopped her by pressing his lips against hers, hot and hard, then pulled away before temptation got out of hand. ‘Take the night, think about it and give me your answer in the morning. I know you’ll choose wisely.’
‘You’re so certain you know what I’ll decide?’
He shrugged. ‘Besides the pleasure you’ll receive in my bed, there’s the added benefit that once your father knows you’re mine, truly mine, he’ll think twice about threatening you again.’
‘So those are my two choices? Choose you or choose him?’
‘The writing’s been on the wall for a while, Principessa. This way you know you’re backing the right horse.’
He flung the door open and grabbed her hand. In the bright light of the foyer, he caught a clearer glimpse of her outfit and cursed himself for giving her the night to agree to his demands. The ache in his groin alone threatened to fracture his mind.
Although his every instinct screamed at him to go after her when she muttered goodnight and made a beeline for her bedroom, Javier stayed put.
