Page 48 of Mr. Wicked

“You know, this is actually kind of funny,” she said.

“How so?”

“Your reputation is hanging on by a thread.” Her smile turned sinister. “Your company is losing memberships by the second. Your team had to hire a PR crisis manager just to get you under control and flip your script. You would think that, considering I’m the one doing you a favor, you’d actually be nice to me.”

I growled, “I don’t do nice.”

“Except you need me, and you know that and”—she slowly licked across her bottom lip before moving to the top, nipping the center with her teeth—“that fucking kills you.”

“I don’t need you.”

But I did.

In every way.

My body screamed for her.

My hands ached for her.

“No?” Her posture became more relaxed, and the confidence she was clearly feeling caused her grin to grow even larger. “Not only am I the humble, wholesome girl who could save your reputation and help rebuild the marriage arm for your company, but with my following, I could grow that arm. When my followers see the happiness on my face and our lovey-dovey marriage, they’ll be begging to sign up to Hooked.” She sat up a bit taller. “So, let’s get something straight.” Her pause reinforced that she was using my own words against me. “I don’t care how antirelationship you are, how the thought of marriage has you breaking out in hives, I’m not going to put up with your nonsense. Your nastiness. Or one of the things you do best, which is dismiss my questions so you can trump them with your own.” She lifted her foot and placed it on the center of my thigh, pushing until I backed up. Once she was satisfied with my new location, about six inches from where I stood before, her foot dropped to the floor. “If you want me to even consider helping you, I need to know what’s in it for me.”

“Money.”

“Do better.”

The anger that was building in my chest made me spit, “You want fucking more?”

“Not money-wise, but yes, I want more.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

My hands squeezed together so hard, I had to shove them in my pockets.

I didn’t trust them. Not when I was around her. Not when I wanted to touch her this badly.

Shit, I no longer trusted myself.

Because that mouth, the spiciness, the rebelliousness that I was hearing, made me want to lift her onto the table and fuck her into submission.

With each new side she revealed, she got even more beautiful.

Even this side that was more aggressive than I’d ever seen.

But I couldn’t concentrate on that right now.

Not when she had me by the balls.

No one ever had me by the balls.

But she did.

She knew that.

And she was loving every second.

My jaw clenched, my teeth ground. “What do you want, Jovana?”

“Where do I even start?”

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