Sinful Surrender

r loyalty.

“For Christ’s sake, Arabella,” Gavin shouted angrily, his face contorted with rage. “He’s not going to ask you to cook and clean and wash his laundry for him! He will ruin you for any other man.”

Arabella turned her gaze to Gavin, her expression cool with resolve. “Then so be it. It’s my choice to make.”

Gavin clenched his jaw and shifted his hot, angry gaze to Maddux. “She clearly doesn’t know what she’s saying.”

“I know exactly what I’m saying and what I’m doing,” she snapped at Gavin as she came to stand in front of him, poking her finger at his chest. “Unlike you, I’m willing to stand up and put my father’s life and welfare before my own. I’ll do whatever it takes to relieve him of this burden.”

“Arabella,” her father groaned, the sound filled with guilt. But for a second time, Theodore didn’t try and talk Arabella out of the proposition she’d asked of Maddux.

The man was either truly very sick or fucking selfish as hell, Maddux thought.

When Gavin said nothing else, Arabella whirled around to face Maddux again, the skirt of her voluminous ball gown swirling around her legs. “I promise, you’ll have no trouble from me. I will work off his debt, in any way you demand, in exchange for his freedom. Just . . . let him go. Please.”

Maddux could have denied her request and forged full steam ahead with the original plan, but everything about Arabella intrigued and tempted him. He wanted her, desired her . . . plus there was the bonus of Theodore thinking the worst was happening while his only daughter was under his care. The things the man would conjure in his mind would rip any decent father apart inside.

Determined to keep the upper hand, Maddux strolled around his desk until he was standing in front of Arabella and she tipped her head back to meet his gaze, hers with bold resolve. She’d clearly meant what she said when she’d told him she wasn’t afraid, and her tenacity made his dick twitch with the thought of taming that fiery attitude in the bedroom.

And make no mistake, that’s exactly where he intended to have her, eventually.

Not giving a shit that both Theodore and Gavin watched, he reached out and brushed the backs of his fingers across Arabella’s smooth, silken cheek, immensely pleased to see a heated awareness flicker in her gaze, proof that persuading her into his bed wasn’t going to be all that difficult. She might hate him for what he held over her father, but she wasn’t immune to the attraction between them.

“I’ll accept your offer, Bella,” he murmured, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger, wanting this beautiful creature to look into his eyes and know exactly what he expected of her. Wanting to make sure there was no mistaking what she was about to trade. “Your father’s freedom for your total surrender. That is the deal.”

Her lips parted on a soft gasp at his bold, brazen request, and behind her, Gavin went ballistic at Maddux’s offer. The other man tried to lunge at Maddux, but Mark, one of his security guys still standing at the door, was quicker and had Gavin’s arms secured behind his back in no time flat, holding him back while Maddux continued.

“This is how it will go, Bella. I’m going to be gracious enough to allow your father to walk out of here tonight just as he arrived at the ball, still in debt and his assets signed over to me until I’ve decided you’ve fulfilled your part of the contract, but I will not ruin him tonight . . . as much as he deserves it.” Not yet, anyway.

“No, but you will ruin her,” Gavin shouted belligerently.

What was this, the eighteenth century? Gavin sounded like an ass and Maddux arched an insolent brow at the other man. “I’m not forcing her into this arrangement.”

“Gavin, stop,” Arabella insisted. “I am doing this of my own free will to save my father.”

“Do you realize what he’s demanding of you?” he asked, nearly frothing at the mouth with loathing, along with an unmistakable amount of heated jealousy.

She swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes.”

Maddux allowed a sneer to curve the corner of his mouth as he met the daggers in Gavin’s gaze. “Don’t you think what I’m asking is a small price to pay for her father’s and your sins?” He didn’t enjoy exploiting Arabella, but for the sake of provoking Gavin, he made an exception. “Or maybe you’d like to tell Arabella exactly why you and Theodore are in this predicament to begin with?”

Gavin struggled against the guard’s hold, all to no avail. “Bastard,” he spat at Maddux.

“How long do you intend to keep my daughter?” Theodore asked, still sitting, his color looking slightly better than he had a few minutes ago, and his anger had returned.

Maddux wasn’t sure if Theodore was more concerned about his daughter or the possibility of having his loan forgiven and his assets given back, which Maddux never intended to let happen. Not in this lifetime. “Three million dollars is a shit ton of money, Theodore,” he drawled insolently, knowing his next words would undoubtedly inflame the other man. “It could take years to work off that kind of debt.”

Theodore stood up, though he wasn’t altogether steady on his feet. “You’re a goddamn beast.”

“And you, Arabella, are going to be his whore,” Gavin said, lashing out to hurt her.

Maddux saw the shocked, hurt look on Arabella’s face and he didn’t hesitate to close the distance between himself and Gavin and wrap one big hand around the other man’s throat. With his security guard still restraining Gavin, he squeezed tight until he nearly cut off Gavin’s air supply and the man’s eyes began to bulge. “If you ever talk to her like that again, I will bury you alive beneath five feet of concrete right down the street where the sidewalks are being torn up and renovated. Do you understand?” he asked succinctly.

Gavin tried to move his head, and Maddux took that as a nod of agreement and released the other man, who immediately gasped for breath.

“Get them both out of here,” Maddux ordered his security guys with a wave of his hand. “I want them off the premises immediately.”

Mark dragged Gavin out of the office while he yelled out to Maddux, “You’ll pay for this!”, but before the other security guard could escort Theodore out, Arabella rushed to her father and pulled him into a hug.