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“Don’t worry about me,” she assured him, her voice strong and steady. “I’ll be fine. You need to take care of yourself. I love you and I’ll be in touch so you’ll know I’m okay.”
The first inklings of remorse crept across Theodore’s face, as if it was finally registering what his daughter was giving up for him. “You don’t have to do this,” he said gruffly.
A sad smile touched her lips. “There’s no other alternative and we both know it,” she said softly. “I just wish you would have told me about the debt before it got this bad.”
Maddux watched Theodore go, thinking about all the deceit and lies the man had kept from his daughter all these years. If she knew all of the truth, she’d undoubtedly see her father in a whole different and unflattering light. He wondered if she would have so graciously offered herself in her dad’s place if she’d known the blood Theodore had on his hands.
As soon as the other men were gone and the door closed behind them so that he and Arabella were alone, she turned around to face him, beautifully, stunningly fearless, and a little defiant as she met his gaze.
And all Maddux could think was that his brother and sister were going to fucking kill him when they discovered what he’d done. That he’d allowed Theodore to walk away unscathed in exchange for a tiny slip of a woman Maddux wanted for himself.
His display of weakness rankled the hell out of him, and he embraced the spite he needed to keep his emotional distance from Arabella Cole when she was nothing more than a piece of collateral in this war between him and Theodore. Physically, however, all bets were off.
CHAPTER SIX
Now that Arabella was alone with Maddux, her initial bravado slipped a few notches and a good dose of wariness trickled through her as her captor held her gaze. His arms were crossed over his broad chest, which was more prominent now that he was no longer wearing his tuxedo jacket from earlier, and he’d taken off his bow tie for his meeting with her father. The first few buttons on his dress shirt were undone, giving her a more detailed glimpse of the scarred flesh on his neck, and he’d rolled his sleeves up, revealing strong, muscled forearms.
She exhaled a deep breath as the charged silence stretched between them, his expression hardening with animosity. Arabella didn’t question offering herself to this dark, commanding man in exchange for allowing her father to safely walk out of this room, because her dad’s health and well-being were what mattered the most to her right now. After everything she’d just heard and witnessed, and the accusations that had been verbalized, she had no doubt her father was far from a saint. But with his age and his heart condition, she knew he’d never survive the stress of everything Maddux had just threatened him with, and she’d offered up the only thing she could think of that might interest a man like Maddux. Herself. In any capacity he desired.
However, Arabella was smart enough to realize that all the resentment and bitterness Maddux harbored toward her dad had not magically disappeared just because he’d accepted her proposal. He still held every single one of her father’s assets hostage, and there was no guarantee that he’d ever relinquish them. But this arrangement at least gave her time to try and figure out a way to get her father out of the mess he’d created for himself. If there was a possibility, she had to try.
Which meant she now belonged to Maddux Wilder. Her life. Her body. Her entire world. She was his to do with as he pleased, and while Arabella was certain she was just a temporary diversion for a powerful man like him, a plaything, and possibly a pawn to use to hurt her father, there was no denying the heat and lust in his eyes when he looked at her. And as much as she wanted to despise him, her traitorous body was inexplicably drawn to Maddux and shamelessly wanted him in ways she’d never desired another man.
“Havin
g second thoughts, Bella?” he asked, his tone mocking, as if he was trying to provoke her or see how far he could push her before she’d break.
“No.” She tipped her chin up, showing her obstinate side. She might be small and petite, but she was not fragile, emotionally or physically. “I don’t renege on my promises.”
He inclined his dark head arrogantly, causing a few long, unruly strands of his hair to fall across his forehead as his mouth twisted sardonically. “Good to know, considering what it’s going to take for you to work off your father’s debt.”
There was a thread of anger in his voice, whether at her or at himself, she wasn’t quite sure, but she stood her ground and didn’t wither beneath his increasingly irritable glare.
His jaw clenched and he strode to the door and opened it before glancing back at her. “Let’s escort you to your new living quarters, shall we.”
It wasn’t so much a question as it was a demand. For her, the fairy-tale ball was over, and Arabella had a feeling she wasn’t going to be living happily ever after any time soon. She walked out of the office, and Maddux took her elbow and directed her toward an elevator on that same floor. He inserted what looked to be a security key card, and the double doors slid open, allowing them inside the surprisingly plush lift.
She had no idea where Maddux was taking her and didn’t bother asking since it didn’t really matter and she had no say in the situation anyway. Her “living quarters” could be a dump or a dungeon with bars for all she knew. He pressed a button with a capital M etched on it, which was above a button with an H and another with a T.
As the elevator gradually made its way upward and past each floor in the district warehouse, her stomach definitely twisted and turned with a bout of silent nerves, because no matter how she looked at things, her life was about to undergo some major alterations, and she had no say over any of the changes about to happen or the demands that Maddux made. She’d given herself to him of her own free will.
The elevator finally came to a smooth stop at what appeared to be the top floor of the building, and when the double doors slid open, Arabella was shocked to see that they’d arrived at what looked to be a luxurious, palatial apartment, with black marble floors and an entryway that transitioned to a spacious open-concept living room, dining room, and state-of-the-art kitchen. Everything was black and chrome and leather, the décor sleek, minimal, and masculine.
“What is this place?” she asked quietly.
“My penthouse, where I live. Follow me,” he said, his tone brusque. “I’m not in the mood to give you a tour of the place. You can familiarize yourself with everything tomorrow while I’m out for the day.”
Alrighty then. She followed him down a hallway off the living room, passing a few closed doors, until they reached a bedroom big enough to host a small party in. The black and chrome and leather theme continued, and there was no overlooking the huge, king-sized poster bed dominating a good portion of the room. The mattress was so high off the ground compared to her petite height, she’d almost need a small set of steps to help boost herself up, or a running start to jump on top.
“This is where you will stay and sleep,” he informed her, his expression and attitude still terse. “There is a master ensuite for your use, as well.”
She turned to face him. “Is this . . . umm . . . a guest room?”
That beautiful mouth of his slanted with callous amusement. “No, sweet, naïve Bella. It’s my room. Trust me, the bed is plenty big enough for two. I didn’t exchange you for three million dollars for you to have a fun sleepover in the guest bedroom.”
She exhaled a deep breath. Okay, fair enough, she thought, realizing that there was no reprieve for her. No easing into the situation or a courtship leading up to the sex part of their agreement. Romance of any kind was not a part of this package deal.
“Make yourself comfortable,” he said, his voice as cool and indifferent as his demeanor. “I’ll be in my office on the other side of the apartment, and I don’t want to be bothered. We’ll go over rules and more general expectations of your duties in the morning.”
