Lucien (The Marchesi Family 1)

That fucking son of a bitch. “That was a lie. He owes me a debt. A debt he was paying off by working for me, but…” Peter’s hands were clasped so tightly his knuckles had gone white. As if that wasn’t enough to betray his nerves, he tapped his foot against the floor in a fast rhythm, though I wasn’t sure he even realized it. “Look at me, Peter.”

He glanced up, and I watched his throat work as he swallowed.

“I will allow you to work the debt off for him.”

3

Peter

I made the mistake of looking into Lucien’s eyes again. His gaze held me there. His blue eyes were as dark as the ocean at midnight, and they mesmerized me. He watched me like he wanted to devour me, and I had a feeling he wasn’t talking about working off Jimmy’s debt employed as his receptionist.

“No thank you. I’ll just go. I didn’t understand the situation. Jimmy never said anything about… He just said he wasn’t taking the job because he’d gotten a better offer.”

Mr. Marchesi didn’t say anything, so I took a few steps toward the door.

“I didn’t dismiss you.” His harsh tone froze me in place.

I turned back to face him and tried to remember how to breathe. I had to stay calm if I was going to talk my way out of this. “I appreciate the opportunity, sir, but—”

“I’m not offering you an opportunity. I’m telling you you’re staying. A debt needs to be paid, and intentionally or not, you’ve agreed to take Jimmy’s place.”

“But he—”

“Lied to you. And he will be dealt with. Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure the work he does for me isn’t nearly as pleasant as the job I’m giving you.”

Why had I ever listened to Jimmy? I’d known something was wrong. Powerful men didn’t just offer assistant jobs to anyone. “Thank you, but I—”

“I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt, because until now, you didn’t know who I was. I don’t take no for an answer. When I want something, I get it, and I want you.”

“You want me, sir? Me?”

He glanced around the room making a show of checking under his desk and behind me. “I don’t see anyone else here, so yes, I must be talking to you.”

I squeezed my hands into fists, not wanting him to see they were shaking. I might not be the smartest guy, based on the fact that I listened to Jimmy, but I’d have to be a fool not to know Mr. Marchesi was a predator, and I was nothing but a frightened mouse. He spoke with such certainty. I had no doubt he was used to getting what he wanted, and while I didn’t know much about designer labels, I could tell his suit fit him like it was tailored for him. His shoes looked like someone had spent hours polishing them. His dark hair was expertly styled, his skin flawless. He had the money to make anything happen. And the way he held himself perfectly still echoed his power. He didn’t fidget. He didn’t blink. He sized me up, and when I shivered under his gaze, I saw the barest hint of a smile. He liked that I was afraid.

I needed to get away from him, yet it wasn’t just fear that had my heart racing, because while I knew he was scary as hell, I also knew he could protect me if he chose. The weight of his presence and his air of utter authority made me crave the chance to learn more about him, and God knows, the man was gorgeous. He’d been created to be as beautiful as he was dangerous, and he wanted me. As stupid as it was, knowing that made my heart flutter. Maybe I really was an idiot because there was no doubt this man could destroy me if he chose. “That’s… very flattering, sir, but—”

Mr. Marchesi took a step toward me, then another until he was so close I could reach out and touch him if I dared. I didn’t.

“Once you crossed that threshold”—he gestured toward the door to his office—“you became mine. The faster you accept that, the easier things will be for you.”

Had his voice really gotten lower and huskier, or was that my imagination? There was heat in his eyes. I was sure of that. They’d been cold before when he’d been angry that Jimmy had sent me, but now they seemed warm, almost comforting, though his words were not.

“You can’t own me, sir. No one can.”

He shook his head. “You’re wrong about that.” He reached out and ran the backs of his fingers along my cheek. I sucked in my breath as I shivered again. “You’re new to my world. Innocent. So I’ll be lenient, but I do not permit defiance from anyone who works for me.”