His Terms

Beatrice turned around and stared at him with this bored expression on her face. “Rian, I take it you saw that little show?” she said and glanced around, clearly not caring how shit went down.

“What in the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he said in a low voice, and took hold of her arm to lead her away from the crowd that was making their way toward them. He pulled her toward a secluded corner, and didn’t hide his anger for her.

“Rian, calm down. I did you a favor. I know she is your secretary, and that you have a hard-on for your staff, but she is nothing but trash.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ve told you before, and will tell you again, being with me will make our families strong, Rian.”

“Just shut the fuck up, Beatrice.” His hands shook with his rage. “How dare you think you can put your hands on anyone, especially Sorcha, all because you have this dramatized fantasy in your head that what we did for a couple of weeks was more than just fucking.”

Her cheeks turned red, and she pursed her lips. “I’m not a fool to think it wasn’t just about sex for you, and honestly it was for me, too.” She took a step closer to him. “But after those couple of weeks I started to feel more for you, and although it certainly isn’t love, it is enough to start something.”

“There is nothing between us, and even if I had entertained the thought, your little act of assault sealed the deal that I don’t want you.”

The anger faded from her face, and she exhaled. “I’m not apologizing for what I did, but you have to know that I cared about you, and then you just discarded me like I was nothing.”

Although he was angry with her and wanted nothing more to do with her, he couldn’t deny that her words reminded him of what Sorcha had told him in the car when they had gone shopping in the city.

He sighed, ran a hand over his hair, and tried to get his annoyance under control. “I’m sorry that I made you feel that way, I really am. That wasn’t my intention, Beatrice, but nothing is going to change who and what I am.” He said those words, and although he meant them, he also knew that he had hurt her. “I’m sorry I made you feel like that, but I never led you on, Beatrice. I told you up front what it was we were doing, and you thought the same. You only wanted the sex, but then you turned into this crazy woman that hits women that are innocent in all of this. Because you’re jealous, Beatrice, and that is low.”

She didn’t respond for several seconds, but then narrowed her eyes, and he knew she was gearing up to throw one hell of a hissy fit. “You would rather spend your time with a low class employee than a woman like me?”

Rian had apologized for making her feel like she wasn’t worth his time, but she kept stepping over the line. “You’re acting like a snob.” He was about to leave and let her stew in her own self-hatred and annoyance, but she started speaking again.

“If you want a piece of cheap tail, fine, but you and I both know that she can’t give you what I can.”

“And what the fuck would that be?” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at her.

“A pure line of children, without lower-class blood.”

And with that he cursed under his breath and stalked away from her. Fuck her, fuck this situation, and fuck him trying to block out his emotions for Sorcha.

25

Sorcha slowly opened her eyes, the heavy feeling of someone watching her drawing her out of her sleep. After the drama at the dinner party, of Beatrice slapping her across the face, and of Sorcha having the strength to walk away and not retaliate, she had lain in bed and stared at the ceiling.

It had only been a couple of hours, but the ride alone had taken most of that time, especially with the heavy downtown traffic. She hadn’t even waited for Rian, hadn’t called him or even wanted him to come after her.

This wasn’t her life, wasn’t her battle to fight. She had her own problems, her own issues that didn’t have to do with a man she was only fucking for a week’s time, and the bitches that wanted to keep him for themselves. As far as Sorcha was concerned they could have Rian.

But after that thought she felt this tightening in her gut. All she could think about was the talk they had in the car, of the way she felt after laying it out there for him. Could she really be caring about the softer side of Rian Hartford?