AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Frowning, I question, “There?”
“Yes.”
I glance at one of the chairs across from him but do as he says, tucking my dress under my knees. He wants me on the floor? Fine.
Arran goes around his desk and sits behind it, all the while his scowl staying on me. He remains like that for a long time. So long, in fact, that I begin to squirm under his scrutiny.
“You have a nice house,” I say, trying to fill in the void of sound.
“Is that how you really feel about it?” he asks. “I’m very good at reading people. This house makes you uncomfortable.”
“It’s not the house,” I blurt before I can think better of it.
He smiles. “It’s me. I make you uncomfortable.”
“Yes.”
Bringing his fingers to his chin, he narrows his gaze on me. I focus on the large ring on his index finger, noting the way the ruby in the center glints. But it’s difficult to avoid his eyes for long when I can feel them pressed to every inch of my body.
I confirm this when I look up and find them trailing over me. It’s not in the same salacious way the men at Asta did. But it’s still a hungry stare. There’s desire in it I don’t believe he’s even trying to hide. But there’s also something else. Another emotion I see, one that speaks of restrained aggression.
“Are you afraid of me, Imogen?”
“Skye,” I whisper, making sure to maintain eye contact. Needing to reassure myself that, though Iamafraid, I’m not a coward. “I prefer to be called Skye.”
“Why did you sell yourself at Asta?”
Shrugging a shoulder, I say, “Money. Like everyone else.”
“No. Any other woman I would have bought would be crawling to me right now, desperate to suck my dick and earn her stay.”
“Is that what I’m supposed to be doing?” Is that why he’s looking at me the way he is? Because I don’t know how I’m supposed to behave? Because I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever I have to in order to achieve my objective.
I make to move, but he lifts his hand to stop me.
“Stay where you are,” he says and I flinch.
“I’m sorry. I thought—”
“For now, I just want you to sit there. Be the pretty object I purchased. Nothing more. Nothing less. Understood?”
I nod, determined to be a fucking statue if that’s what he wants.
With one last glance at me, he opens his laptop and begins to work. For over an hour, he does this, a scowl painted harshly over his features. Only every once in a while does he peer over the screen at me, and when he sees me, it’s very much like he’s looking at a priceless object. His gaze goes over me, his brows pinched together as if he’s trying to make sense of me the way one would a piece of art, then he goes back to work.
Damn Gideon for throwing me into this so unprepared. When I asked for information on Arran, for any clue on how to go about appealing to him, he said it would be better if I came in blind. I call it coming in stupid.
My back starts to hurt, but I fight to keep my spine straight. In order to distract myself from my discomfort, I study my surroundings.
Much like the rest of the house I glimpsed, this room is all dark leather and polished wood. Old tomes line the shelves of three bookcases, with framed photographs placed here and there.
I squint in an effort to view them better, but they’re too far away to be clear. However, even from this distance, I can tell they’re family photos.
The Maxton family has been around for a long time. Old money that came from railroads and banking to form the largest private lending company in the States. Most everyone has heard of them because they own half the city and they’re known for their charitable donations to children’s hospitals and cancer centers as well.
In one of the photographs, I believe I can make out the father, Clive, with one of his previous wives. To one side is his eldest son, Landon. On the other are Arran and a much shorter woman who could be his sister, Catherine.
As I stare at the picture, my mind drifts with unanswered questions that have been nagging at me, yet I know better than to ask them. Why does Gideon want Clive? Why target Arran for the information when he could have gone after Landon or even Clive’s wife? And why was he so sure I was the perfect bait for Arran?
