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“You do realize this will come at a price,” he said casually.
“As always,” I said through clenched teeth.
“I’ll expect a million dollars to be wired to my account upon completion.”
The man was bordering on extortion, but at least I knew whatever information he could provide would be useful. “Done.”
There was no need for further conversation. The man would be paid well no matter the information he provided. If he presented me with a bloody gift, all the better. Business was concluded. I moved away from the patio, heading toward the bar. When I was within twenty feet, I noticed the man coming dangerously close to assaulting her had a weapon hidden under his garish tropical shirt. My hackles raised, I moved closer. Without hesitation, I wrapped my hand around the man’s throat, cutting off his air supply. As he wheezed, I pounded his head against the bar, leaning over so there was no mistake that he’d crossed a line no man should ever cross.
People scattered away from the bar like flies, realizing that pissing me off wasn’t in their best interest. I didn’t need to take a look at Stephanie’s face to know she was furious that I’d intervened, her toleration of this kind of trash another reason I realized she needed a dominant man in her life.
“You should know better than to treat a lady with such disrespect,” I snarled, disgusted by the man’s breath let alone his actions.
“Yeah? Fuck you.”
I couldn’t shove aside the possibility I’d been followed from New York, the drunken state a guise in order to find a swift way of ending either my life or hers. It was entirely possible there’d been spies at the reception, paying close attention to my attraction to the beautiful attorney. It was a risk that couldn’t be tolerated.
When I leaned even closer, I was rewarded with a single moan. “I’m going to say this once. You fucked with the wrong people. Given I am in a good mood, I will give you a choice. Leave and live. Stay and die. It’s that simple. Now, I take it that you will never do this again. Yes?” When he didn’t respond right away, I lifted his head to an awkward angle, fighting with myself to keep from twisting to an angle he wouldn’t recover from.
I resisted the urge to pistol whip him, which would have been the best punishment.
“No, sir. Never again, sir,” he whined. At least he sounded truthful.
“Get the fuck out of here.” It was the last warning the asshole would receive. Later, I would handle the situation more formally.
As I pitched him away, her expression of surprise was followed by a moment of anger amused me. There was much more to the lovely Stephanie than I’d originally thought, not only because of her tenacity in the courtroom, but her clear defiance. The mystery of our filthy act would not be repeated.
I vaguely heard the bartender’s gruff reply, concentrating on the stunning beauty in front of me. Her hair was windswept, the dazzling late afternoon light giving her skin a soft glow. The tropical dress she was wearing was entirely different than the night before, highlighting her voluptuous figure in a delicate, even more feminine way. As she slid a single finger across her cheek, detaching the golden strand of hair from her lips, my balls tightened, my hunger building to an uncontrollable state.
“What the hell were you doing?” she asked, her defiance noted by the slight quiver in her bottom lip.
“By the looks of it, keeping you from getting assaulted.” The way her eyes darted quick glances down my torso, the increased pulse in her neck thrilled me more than I would have expected. Even the way her breath skipped in her defiance enflamed the building desire. “You should know better than to entice a man the way you do.”
“What? Are you crazy? I was doing nothing more than enjoying my… my vacation. Who the hell are you to tell me what I can and can’t do anyway?”
“It’s obvious you were blinded to the fact that man meant you harm.” I gave the asshole another hard glare, daring him to defy my orders.
“From that man? I’m more likely to be fed on by sharks in the middle of the pool.”
As I dared invade her space, she grew more uncomfortable at my presence. It was obvious she was concerned about my sudden appearance on the island, her mind formulating one scenario after another.
“I have no doubt you have incredible capabilities, Stephanie. However, did you happen to notice the man had a gun positioned beneath his colorful shirt?”
The man was glaring at us, muttering in another language that the distance refused to allow me to ascertain.
After nodding to the bartender, I shut down everything around me, allowing our banter to continue. I adored her feisty determination, every expression evocative, a mere hint of the treasure hidden inside. She’d gifted me with a taste. Now the beast wanted more. I’d wrestled with my attraction to her for the past several hours, attempting to ignore my personal needs, but I’d lost the battle. Perhaps I had the moment she offered a single salacious smile.
I’d already realized she was tough, but her determination that people were mostly good made her blind to predators.
Including the one standing in front of her.
I took a deep breath, holding the rich tonic of her perfume in my lungs. I adored a woman with spunk, and she was brimming with fire, refusing to accept my dominance. That only made me crave her more.
Stephanie continued to fight me, trying her best to ignore the growing vibrations, the electricity soaring. Her insistence on knowing my name didn’t bother me in the least. While it had taken a few seconds for the light of recognition to spark another wave of concern, the flash was clear and evident, just like the danger she found her surrounded by. The woman was far too intelligent to ignore the precarious position she’d placed herself in.
Alone on an island far removed from family and friends.
The weapon that she had a permit to carry and knew how to use left inside her small house.
