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“I figured out a lot of things about you in the last month. You should be impressed with yourself. You’ve managed to intrigue me, and that’s more than I can say about most people.”
“Such a self-absorbed remark, Tyler. Should I be impressed?” I ask. “Iwasn’ttrying to intrigue you.”
“What were you trying to do, then, Olivia?”
He sits in the chair across from me. His legs brush against mine beneath the table and I scoot back. He smiles and extends his leg, his foot now toying with mine. I’m going to grit my teeth a lot during this meal.
“It doesn’t matter what I was trying to do,” I say before taking a deep breath. This isn’t going to get us anywhere. “Can we get directly to business?”
“Tsk, tsk, Olivia. You aren’t being very hospitable right now,” he says. “Especially since we know each other quite... intimately.”
I take a few deep breaths and unclench my teeth before responding. “This is a business meeting. Let’s be professionals and focus onbusinessonly,” I say in my best prim voice.
“Yes, business. How’s Timothy?”
“My boss?” I ask, somewhat confused by the quick change of topic. He nods. “He’s fine. Though I don’t know how you managed to convince him to not give me your name. If I’d been better prepared, we wouldn’t waste your time at six hundred dollars an hour.”
“I’m the client. If I tell your boss I want to keep my name anonymous until I’m ready to give it, that’s exactly what he’ll do,” Tyler says before leaning forward. “As a matter of fact, he’ll do anything I ask of him because he’s a smart man and knows not to antagonize me.”
I gasp at his audacity. “Who in the hell do you think you are?”
“I thought you knew exactly who I am, Olivia. Isn’t that why you decided to come after me with everything you had?” The gleam in his eyes reminds me of a hungry tiger. And I have no doubt that I’m now his prey.
“You’re clearly not a very savvy businessman. Do you even need an attorney, Tyler?”
My shoulders back, I don’t break eye contact. If I show him an ounce of weakness, he’ll go right for the jugular. There’s no use making his kill any easier by exposing my throat.
“Yes, I have a number of attorneys for a number of purposes. I need a new one.”
“For what exactly?” I ask.
“You’ll find out, won’t you?”
“This is about payback, isn’t it? I played a game with you, and now it’s your turn,” I say.
He’s quiet for several moments and then he smiles, though the expression doesn’t quite make it to his eyes. He’s certainly playing with me, and he isn’t trying to hide it. When he speaks next, I can barely keep up with his change in voice and topic.
“I’ve had a good day so far. I went to a job site with my brother Blake, had a nice lunch, and met with your boss. I’m feeling very relaxed. You don’t want to ruin my day now by making unfounded accusations, do you, Olivia?”
He’s so damn smooth, so cocky. How had I ever thought I’d be able to go up against a man like him and win? It’s impossible. The world’s made up of the haves and have-nots. I’m a have-not. He’s most certainly a have. I was screwed from the get-go.
“I apologize if anything I’ve said or done tonight has made you uncomfortable,” I say, though it takes a lot out of me to say this. How much do I like my job? I can surely work somewhere else, right?
Then again, he’s the sort of man who will simply follow me wherever I go. I’ve ticked the man off and he’s bound and determined to work up his own revenge plot. So I might as well accept it and hope he grows bored before he makes my life go up in smoke.
“You know you and I will become lovers, don’t you?”
He says the words so casually it takes a moment for my brain to process them. When it does, my cheeks flush, partly with anger and partly with excitement. I had a taste of what being Tyler Astor’s lover feels like, and that taste wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, it was damn good.
“No, Mr. Astor, we won’t be lovers,” I tell him before the waiter approaches.Not again,I silently add. How mortifying — the waiter had to hear my unfortunate comment. I can’t look him in the eyes, so I stare down at the menu instead.
“What’s your wine preference?” That Tyler bothers to ask surprises me. I assumed he’s the type of man to make all of the decisions. Or to try to, anyway.
“I like fruity white wines,” I tell him. I don’t add, however, that the bottles I buy cost less than ten dollars. “Though isn’t it taboo to choose a wine before you know what dish it’s to be paired with? Doesn’t that count as an extreme crime against social order?”
Tyler laughs. “Then I guess we’ll rebel against the rules tonight.” He makes his choice from the wine menu and sends the waiter on his way to find the bottle.
“Mr. Astor—”
