Exotic Nights

She felt hollow inside. ‘Please, will you just tell me what it is you want or let me go?’

Leo sat forward, elbows on his knees, glass held casually between long fingers. Supremely at ease, as if he hadn’t just related what he had.

‘It’s quite simple, really. I wanted you the moment I saw you, and I want you now.’ His lip curled. ‘Despite knowing who you are.’

Angel could feel her mouth opening and closing like an ineffectual fish. ‘You don’t. You can’t.’

In a flooding of panic, Angel stood up. She carefully placed the glass down on a nearby table and hoped Leo wouldn’t notice how badly her hand was trembling.

Leo stood too, and they faced each other across the expanse of a few feet.

‘Sit down, Angel, we’re not finished yet.’

Angel shook her head mutely, feeling the world start to constrict around her. Leo shrugged as if he didn’t care. She tried desperately to block out the way he looked so intimidatingly huge opposite her.

‘You’re going to pay me back for everything you’ve done to me, and you will do it in my bed. As my mistress.’

Angel nearly burst out laughing, the need to release some of her pent-up panic almost emerging as hysteria. It faded, though, when she saw the look on his face. Her belly quivered.

‘You’re serious.’

‘Of course I’m serious. I don’t joke about things like this.’

A pulse beat in his jaw, making Angel’s belly clench.

‘Do you think I’m so naive as to assume your father is just going to roll over and take what’s coming to him? I want you, and I want to keep you close, where I can see you—away from your father and his machinations. If that heat between us is anything to go by, I don’t imagine it’ll be unpleasant for either of us.’

Angel’s belly quivered even more strongly and she felt slightly faint.

‘You want to sleep with me?’

His mouth quirked dangerously. ‘Among other things.’

‘But …’

‘But nothing. Everyone saw you and I at that party. I am not about to let you capitalise on that now that I’m back. Not to mention tonight’s fiasco. You’re a danger and a threat. You’ve had the audacity to come into my home twice, and now you’ll pay for it.’

‘But my father—’ She stopped. He will kill me, Angel thought, with a mounting dread that had been born long, long ago.

Leo waved a hand in an abrupt gesture of insult. ‘Your father I don’t much care about. I’m hoping it’ll cause him the maximum amount of humiliation when he sees his precious eldest daughter taken as mistress by his enemy. Everyone will know exactly why you are with me—warming my bed until I’m ready to move on, perhaps even settle down. Whatever you and he had planned, this will play out on my terms. And you can tell him that taking you as my mistress will afford him no honey-trap favours. Things still stand as they are. We certainly won’t be bailing him out.’

Angel just looked at him, barely believing the direction their conversation had taken. She didn’t see the point in revealing the reality of her dismal relationship with her father. He’d believe that as quickly as he’d believe her intentions had been honourable this evening.

So many things were impacting upon Angel at once, not least Leonidas Parnassus’ cold and calculating words. She wanted to shout out that she didn’t want him, that she didn’t desire him, but her mouth wouldn’t formulate the words. And in all honesty she was afraid of his reaction if she did say that. She was still smarting from what had happened in the study. She was far too vulnerable to him.

Feeling so cornered and impotent finally woke her from the stasis that had gripped her. He couldn’t force her to do this. ‘I’ll gain nothing from this liaison because I won’t do it. You couldn’t pay me to be your mistress.’

Feeling panic escalate, right then Angel thought that even if he called the police and they charged her with trespass it had to be a better option than facing what he spoke of.

He looked at her steadily from under hooded lids. A flash of cynicism twisted his features for a moment. ‘You’re absolutely right. I wouldn’t pay you. But you’ll do it because you can’t not. The desire between us is unfortunate, but tangible. You went up in flames in my arms just now, and you owe me after this stunt tonight.’

Derision laced his voice. ‘Despite your words, as soon as you’re in my bed you’ll try and seduce as much out of me as you can. Playing hard to get might be a part of your repertoire, but I don’t do games, Angel, so you’re wasting your time.’

All Angel could feel was mortified heat enveloping her at remembering how she had come apart in his arms, literally. She made a jerky move towards the door, praying that he wouldn’t touch her. She stopped when she felt safer. Leo hadn’t made a move to stop her, but it didn’t make her feel reassured. She turned back to face him and tipped up her chin.

‘I won’t be doing it because you’re the last man on earth I’d willingly sleep with.’

She turned around, but just when she was about to put her hand on the doorknob she heard him drawl from behind her, ‘Do you really think I’m about to let you walk out of here?’