Bound As His Business-Deal Bride

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

She shrugged. ‘Remember, I kissed you. And while it might have been my ass bare on the table, that one kiss proved I could have you right where I wanted you... Again.’

Her words hit him like a punch in the gut. At the time it had felt all mutual, but had she simply been using him, like last time? The burn inside turned molten, a furnace of rage that transported him back in time, welling and threatening to spill over. His jaw tightened hard enough to crack teeth. He’d let it damn well happen again and he loathed himself for it. He glared at her, standing there triumphant. So damned aloof. How could he have been fooled? She’d not always been cold like this. She’d once been a young woman full to the brim with emotion, or so he’d thought. Except...

He took a breath through that surge of fury and as he did so realised that she wouldn’t look him in the eyes right now. If she didn’t care, she’d be looking at him straight on and not somewhere in the middle of his chest where she seemed to have developed a fixation with his shirt buttons. So instead of listening to what she said, he focussed on how she’d acted instead.

The flush over her skin, her pleas for more, harder. Leaning against his chest, accepting his arms around her as they’d taken a moment and come down from the cataclysm that had been the intimacy between them. Screaming out his name and then pushing him away hard and running like the devil himself was chasing her. Locking the door. He hesitated.

She’s scared.

Of him...

No. It wasn’t him. It was something else and he’d find out what it was if it killed him. He could taunt her like he’d always done as a child, when something had terrified her. She never backed off from a dare but now he began to suspect her lashing out with claws unsheathed was something else. Her trying to force his distance. Right now he enjoyed her claws a little too much because they were both spoiling for a fight. He could give it to her, because making up could be a thrill all of its own. Except he didn’t want to fight with her, but for her, and he knew the ways he could play dirty and win.

What had always had her melting like butter on a summer’s day had not been playing rough—though they’d done their fair share of that and it had been fun—it had been the gentle, tender moments. So she was angling for a fight right now. He wouldn’t give it to her because it was easy to fight when he bit at the hook she cast for him, the one that fed the anger he carried. He’d just have to play smarter, not harder.

‘I’m sorry I didn’t think about contraception. It was irresponsible and wrong. If you don’t trust me, I can get tested again, for your peace of mind.’

Her eyes widened a fraction.

‘No, I trust you.’ Her whole body softened, wilted like something had come loose. Like he might be winning this game, with the rules he didn’t understand. Then it was as if she’d reminded herself she wasn’t allowed to be vulnerable anymore, and everything in her hardened again. ‘But you are a man after all. Led around by one thing. It’s always the same.’

He took the barb, absorbed the sharp stab of it. Ignored the twist of possessiveness like razor wire wrapping round him, at the thought of any other man with her. He had no rights here, none at all. But being around her flung him into a kind of insanity that made him a fool.

‘Cutting me down to size?’

She held her head high and proud. ‘It was easy to do. You’re soft wood.’

He laughed, because now he knew she was lying. She dangled that damn bait so enticingly, but he wouldn’t take it.

‘Yet only minutes ago you were ecstatic with how hard I was. I wasn’t hearing your complaints, only your screams.’

Eve glanced at the bed, at him, then back at the bed. Took a small ste

p away from it like if he was too close to her, she’d tumble him onto the mattress. He was enthusiastic about that idea. It was right where he wanted her, eventually. There he’d get more truth than any conversation they were having right now. Something was going on here and he’d find out what it was sooner or later.

‘Eve. Enough of this. Let’s agree you’re an expert at hurting me. Thing is, I’m worried I might have hurt you.’ He’d lowered his voice, tried for something more conciliatory. ‘I’m sorry about that too.’

She turned away towards the windows, reached to her face and swiped her fingers across her cheeks. Was she crying? He took a step forward, wanting nothing more than to reach for her. Her tears had always broken him, and that sensation of needing to comfort was an overwhelming thing that had his fingers itching to take her into his arms and soothe away whatever pained her.

She gave a sharp, shaky kind of laugh. Wrapped her arms round herself as if holding something in. ‘I... It didn’t hurt. As I said, it’s been a while.’

It would have to have been a hell of a long while for it to surprise her, hurt her, or whatever she’d experienced. He had no rights to her. She was an adult woman who’d left him long ago, but masochist that he was, he needed to know or it would niggle like a splinter under his skin.

‘How long?’

‘Long enough.’ She shook her head, looked at him with her pale and haunted eyes. ‘Not that it’s any of your business.’

Eve looked at her bed again, yet with so much yearning this time it almost cut him off at the knees. A pulse began beating, seductive and low, that primal drive he knew too well, one that he accepted now that he’d probably always have around her. He was half-hard again, and she’d be able to see that. Earlier he might not have wanted to give her that power over him, but he didn’t care anymore.

‘I could guess.’

‘And in the unlikely event you were right, would you expect a prize?’

A slow smile slid across his face. ‘I’m thinking a better idea is something where we both win.’ Part of him was secretly pleased he still knew the ways to make her come apart at the seams.

‘I refuse to play these childish games. It’s a mistake to mix business with pleasure and, anyhow, I can get pleasure anywhere.’