I grunted. “I’ll note that we didn’t get any work finished.”
She hesitated, frowning. “You’re right.”
“Never spoke about the deal once. When I tried, he deflected.”
“Then went on and on about his boats. How the hell does anyone care so much about boats?”
I turned to her and touched her hand. “You did good back there.”
She glared at me and pulled her hand away. “I didn’t do it for you. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t murder our host. I figured that might get in the away of me returning back to Blackwoods.”
I snorted but grabbed her hand and held it tightly. I didn’t let her go when she tried to pull away. “I would’ve killed him if he kept looking at you like meat.”
“Aren’t you glad I changed then?”
“Yes, I am. I can be a stupid man sometimes.”
She stopped trying to wrestle her hand away. “Admitting you have a problem is the first step.”
“You aren’t going in that lake with him.”
“No, I’m not, but I can if I want to.” She yanked herself free and sat down at the table. “And you can’t do a damn thing to stop me.”
I stared at her and laughed.
There was a lot I could do. Lock her in the room. Tie her to the bed. Strip her down and fuck her senseless. Brnovich wouldn’t mind if I ravished Robyn into submission. In fact, he likely expected it.
She was in the nesting ground of sharks, and she was drenched in blood, a lovely little meal. And she had no clue.
“I’ll find the staff and get something to eat. You can relax.”
“Planned on it.” She grinned and leaned back.
I stepped inside, unable to suppress a smile.
9
Robyn
I was flushed and angry but kept it together. I managed that disgusting man for Calvin, even though he looked like he was about to murder the old bastard. I figured pretending to care about boats was better than escaping the country to avoid a murder charge and possibly sparking an international incident, assuming we could get away at all.
The way Calvin looked at me in those moments right before I took charge and defused the situation was like lightning on my spine. He was filled with lust and rage and need, an incredible, electric combination that was both humiliating and exciting. I hated myself for liking it; I couldn’t stop myself from needing him. He was worming his way into my thoughts and I didn’t know what I could do to make it stop.
As the day wore on, Calvin became more and more agitated. Matthias moved Calvin’s soldiers closer together, consolidating them along the same hallway we were staying in. If the staff noticed or cared, nobody said a word.
Calvin paced around the room. He stalked the hallways. He berated a scared-looking cleaning boy as the guy tried to vacuum the carpets downstairs. Calvin looked like a monster possessed by infernal, insatiable appetites.
I couldn’t blame the young kid for being scared shitless. Calvin was terrifying, like a barbarian run amok. He stormed and raged, but did it all internally, silently brooding on his ever-present anger. I was afraid he’d rip the house to shreds.
I was afraid he’d rip himself to pieces.
Or worse, take me. Press me down on the cold bed. Strip off my clothes. Take away what meager dignity I had left—and ruin me, ruin me right. Kiss me, lick me, spread my legs roughly, pin my hands down, hold my wrists, slide his thick cock between my legs and make me scream.
I was afraid of it, but the thought only heightened my latent greed. I wanted more and more, wanted to see how far he’d go, feeling how much pleasure he could give me, if only I’d open myself and let him pillage and destroy.
That was Calvin. He left bodies in his wake. He was a nightmare incarnate. He was hunger and ardor and frenzy. He was the pulse-shattering feeling in the middle of a wild panic, or the scream on the edge of an orgasm, or the brainless tip into black oblivion. He scared the hell out of me.
So yeah, of course he frightened the shit out of the staff.
“Something’s wrong here.” He stood in the middle of our room after having already stormed through the entire house searching for Brnovich, only to be told, over and over, that the minister was busy, and could we please be patient?
“The only thing wrong is your lack of patience.” I sat with my legs crossed, trying to fake my way into relaxation.
“He keeps deflecting. You saw it when we first got here, and again earlier today. Why do you think that is?”
“He’s a government official. Isn’t making you wait part of the game?”
“No, he wasn’t like that before.” Calvin stopped and stared down at his hands. “We negotiated everything, Robyn. Down to the smallest detail. Everything was set. When we came here, I was under the impression that all I had to do was follow through with the plans.”