Page 39 of Alpha Bait

I chuckled, "Really? Does he have a man in mind."

She scowled.

"He doesn't know about us..."

"I know."

"He wants me to marry Will Harkness," she finished.

"That old bastard?"

She sighed and dropped her arms.

"Yes. They're making me an offer I can't refuse."

"Are you considering it?"

"No!" She huffed.

Her lips pouted as anger flooded her face. Her indignation expressed itself in a thunderous response.

"Jamal doesn't own me! I could ruin him, Rich. We could ruin him."

I chuckled.

"Come on. You're angry Indie, but you don't believe what you're saying. You're a Holloway."

"Don't you think I know that? Don't you think I've been reminded of my duty every damn day of my life?"

"Indie, calm down."

"No! I won't be calm! I'm sick of this. I'm sick of you powerful men thinking you can tell women what to do. I don't need a man to tell me how to live my life and who I can live it with, Richard."

"I know."

She glanced over at me and for once, saw that I was on her side. When we were locked away in our hotel rooms it didn't matter who our families were. I saw the longing in her eyes, the desire for what we had to be more than clandestine. Neither of us was in a position to fix that. Not yet.

"What should I do, Richard?"

"Call his bluff."

"You think he's bluffing?"

She moved over to the bed and kicked her heels off, emitting a loud sigh.

"I don't know. Harkness is a notorious bachelor but he wants to settle down. I know that."

"With me? Why me?"

"Politics."

"Politics, love, money... none of them have any business with each other."

"That's not the way the world works."

I joined her on the bed, pushed a curl of hers out of the way and kissing her cheek.

"What about us Richard? If he forces me to do this, what are we going to do?"

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