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Spinning me to face him, he grasps my face in his hands. “It’s your company too. Whilst you are here, this is your house. Until I no longer require it, your time is mine, Ava. You are mine until I let you go.”
Lowering his face to mine, he presses his lips to my cheek. Every part of me is trembling. I’m choking on my unshed tears and my thumping heartbeats.
“He doesn’t put his lips on you again. Do you understand?”
I have no idea what’s happening right now, because he’s being every bit the man I wanted in that bar and every bit the man I loathe. The juxtaposition of the two only adds to his allure.
“Answer me.”
Shaking my head, I push away from him, only to be pulled back. Tighter. As much as I try to fight him off, he’s solid and stronger than me. His shirt strains over his shoulders as he holds on to me.
“I hate you.”
“You were never meant to like me.” With an acid chuckle, he lets me go. “Now, be a good little mouse and show the world who you belong to.”
Chapter 4
Ava
Robert looks around the meeting room while he takes a gulp of his black coffee. I had his favorite bakery drop off some pastries, but he’s barely touched the one on his plate.
“The contract is ironclad,” he finally says. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t expect it. I know the kind of man Damon Coldwell is.”
The door opens and like his name summoned him, Damon walks in with Francesca in tow. The atmosphere cools, and the air thickens around us.
“Mr. Rhodes, it’s good to see you again so soon.” His eyes flicker to me and then back to Robert as he introduces Francesca. “She’s the CFO. We sat together for a while last night and put together a forecast on how we expect the book to do based on interest and demand.”
Robert laughs dryly, and all the while I’m taking the other woman in. Her gold-tipped brown hair dazzles under the lights like it’s glitter dusted, and her blue jeweled eyes sparkle. She’s an average height, but her build is petite and toned beneath the clingy shift she’s wearing.
From nowhere, the thought strikes me: Has Damon fucked her too?
Like he can read my thoughts, a hand brushes her shoulder while he pulls out one of the chairs for her to sit.
Falling to the pit of my stomach with a wringing ache, my heart wilts.
“Is that why you’re asking for more?” Robert sits straighter, all easiness evaporating from him.
“You stand to make a lot more, and you’ll have a team of copy editors and publicists at your disposal. While Miss Monroe will still be on hand to help you, you will have other resources too.”
The way he says it doesn’t sound like I’ll be working with Robert at all. Glancing over the spreadsheet with the figures that Francesca puts in front of me, I’m impressed. I always thought that the value of his work was being underestimated, but seeing it like this…
“You stand to make forty percent more than what Monroe forecasted.” I turn to face him. There’s no chance I’m allowing Damon to walk into my meeting with my client and undermine me.
He can keep his games the hell away from my clients. I might not be happy about taking Robert from Monroe, but I’m not letting anyone else have him.
“Money isn’t everything.” Robert faces me. “I didn’t leave Monroe because of the money.”
No, neither did I. But yet, currency is the gospel we all live by.
“The success of Behind the Headlines will be measured in sales and how it grosses. Your work deserves the credit.”
His booming laugh fills the room. “Sounds like you’re using my own words against me.”
“I’m learning,” I chuckle back at him, while meeting Damon’s gaze.
I won’t lose to you.
“Robert.” Damon levels me with a rueful smirk before focusing back on the client. “When you sign, we’ll have a team of people who will work to get you on the cover of every magazine and on every relevant show. We don’t just want to sell your book to the obvious market; we’ll put it on coffee tables and bedside tables across the world. We’ll put you center stage in front of the world.”
