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‘And the modifications you seek?’ she asked past the hard lump lodged in her throat.
He straightened from the wall, his height and breath dominating the space so she was aware of nothing else but him.
‘You will not see any other guy while you’re with me. Any past liaisons are officially over as of tonight. As far as the public is concerned, you’re mine and mine alone.’
The possessive throb in his voice rammed home his acting ability. ‘Is that all?’
‘For now. We’ll discuss any further addenda as and when they come up.’
‘How democratic of you,’ she murmured under her breath. ‘Who exactly are we faking all this for?’ she asked curiously.
He thrust his hands in his pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet. ‘Do we have an agreement?’
Rebel swallowed hard, a chasm opening up before her she couldn’t see a way out of. ‘Yes.’
Draco gave a single nod before he strode back into her living room. By the time she followed him in, he’d taken a seat on her small white sofa. The sight of him, dark and imposing, on her dainty sofa sent another fissure of alarm skittering through her. But there was no backing out now. She’d agreed to this.
‘Sit down.’
She curbed the snarky comment that tripped on her tongue and sat down on the armchair opposite him. Draco had nearly walked out and doomed her father to criminal prosecution. While she didn’t know why her father had done what he’d done, she wasn’t about to risk dicing with Draco again. Instinct warned he wasn’t prone to giving second chances.
‘Do you know of Carla Nardozzi?’
Rebel frowned. ‘The three-time champion figure skater? Of course. Everyone knows who she is.’ The twenty-four-year-old was stunningly beautiful, with a talent that had seen her soar up the figure-skating rankings halfway through her seventeenth year. She was the darling of the sports world, with sponsorship deals that had made her one of the richest sports stars by the time she was twenty-one. Her talent and success, coupled with her shy and innocent demeanour, had given her an unattainable, almost royal-princess allure that only added to her appeal.
‘I want her.’
An unpleasant zing jerked Rebel in her seat. Viciously unwilling to examine the feeling, she stared back at Draco. ‘Then I’m at a complete loss as to why you’re sitting in my lowly Chelsea flat when you should be somewhere on the Upper East Side in New York courting her. That is where she lives, isn’t it?’
‘She divides her time between there and her training facility in Switzerland. But at the moment, she’s at her father’s estate in Tuscany.’
‘Even better. You could be reunited with her in less than two hours. I’m sure she’ll eventually see past your...interesting traits to a happy ever after with you.’
A dark frown clamped his straight brows. ‘Happy ever after? What the hell are you talking about?’
She shrugged. ‘You just said you want her...oh, is she playing hard to get? Is that what this is about? You want to use me to make her jealous?’
His frown deepened, then he shook his head. ‘You misunderstand. She’s playing hard to get, but not in the way you think. I want her as a client, but her father’s standing in my way.’
Rebel despised the relief that poured through her. It pointed to an interest in Draco’s private life that shouldn’t be piqued. In any shape or form.
She straightened her back and cleared her throat. ‘Right. I’m still at a loss as to why you need a fiancée.’
Draco sat forward and planted his elbows on his knees. ‘During our last few meetings, Olivio Nardozzi hinted heavily that he’ll let me sign his daughter only if I brought something...more to the table.’
‘More? He wants you to date his daughter in order to secure a business deal?’
A whisper of disdain crossed his rugged face. ‘I suspect he has something more permanent than dating in mind.’
That unpleasant zing returned, harder than before. ‘So you intend to beat him at his own game, all for a business deal?’
Disdain morphed into something darker. Bitterness edged with pain. His features cleared a second later, but the image lingered in Rebel’s mind, sparking a different interest altogether.
‘I have other reasons for pursuing this.’
‘Such as?’ she asked before she could stop herself.
His eyelids dropped. The hands dangling between his knees slowly clenched into fists and bleakness settled over his face. Rebel was certain he wasn’t aware he was exhibiting such a strong and telling reaction to her question. Her breath stalled in her lungs as she watched him battle to get his emotions under control.
