Page 4 of Savage Game
She stifled a mortifying moan and stared down at her feet. No matter how much she willed herself to lift her gaze, she couldn’t.
A barely audible huff from him told her he’d moved closer even before his perfectly polished dress shoes came into view.
“Mrs. Randall.” The tone of his velvety voice oozed disdain. So did the pause before, “Follow me.”
He showed her the backside of his shoes before they moved out of her sight, and Charlotte’s brain kicked in. She hurried behind him, almost running to keep up with his long, irregular strides.
They reached a mahogany wooden door, and Mr. Nolan held it open and summoned her to enter. Inhaling deeply and squaring her shoulders, Charlotte slipped past him and fought the urge to pick up her pace. Despite his marred face, he was... attractive, or maybe because of it. His clothing was expensive and didn’t hide his powerful body, his scent was seductive and masculine, and he radiated heat and authority. When seated at her husband’s poker table, she hadn’t realized how tall and imposing he was—
“Please have a seat.”
—nor how sensually his voice would stroke her nerve endings. She jerked and then glared when she noticed the smirk on his face.
He had pushed the door closed and leaned his shoulder against the wood. With his arms crossed in front of his chest, an expensive watch peeked from under the fabric of his sleeve—Total arm porn.
Oh, damn, Charlotte, get your mind out of the gutter.
She pulled her stare from his forearms and raised her gaze to meet deep-set cobalt-blue eyes, and the intensity there threw her off balance. Or even more off balance. Her body responded in an embarrassing way. Every inch of her skin came alive as if static energy crackled across it, her breasts grew heavy, and her nipples hardened—all from the sheer impact of his gaze.
Charlotte pulled on the lapels of her blazer as if the thin fabric could hide her reaction or shield her from sexual magnetism and alpha strength.
As she took in his unapologetic stare and air of self-possession, she forced herself to take a seat on the white leather sofa. He was intimidating, and sitting while he stood seemed wrong... no, dangerous. Refusing to give him any more power over her, Charlotte called on her inner core which always helped her in dealing with Liam and waited him out.
He didn’t speak or move for a long time, only staring at her and sizing her up.
Does he find me lacking like Liam does?
The thought was strangely disconcerting.
Finally, he unfolded his arms and pushed away from the door. Mr. Nolan stalked toward the sofa. Despite his noticeable limp, he moved with an animalistic grace.
Her breathing slowed, as if she were a deer threatened by a predator. A predator who was currently looming over her. A predator with muscles rippling beneath his tailored suit. She was no match for him.
Hell, I’m no match for Liam and he’s about half this man’s size.
He sat down in the chair on the left side of the sofa. The arrangement angled his body in a way that obscured his scarred side from her. Was the man self-conscious about it? Immediately, she discarded her silly thought. He was arrogance personified.
He unbuttoned his suit jacket and leaned back with his elbows on the armrests and his fingers steepled in front of his chin. Up close he was even more imposing, and his relaxed pose amplified rather than dulled the impression of controlled strength and power.
Her eyes skittered around the room and strayed to the mahogany door.
“You’re not going to renege on the deal I made with your husband, are you?”
His challenge broke through the fog in her mind and every thought about running fluttered away. Her hands shook, and she folded them in her lap.
I so don’t want to know what Liam got me into this time.
She didn’t want to go down that path. But she wasn’t a coward nor a dishonorable person. Whatever deal Liam had made, she was going to hold up her end of the bargain.
She dipped her head and her bottom lip trembled. “I’m not sure what the deal is.”
“Come on, Mrs. Randall, you can’t possibly be that dense.”
Indignation raised her chin a bit higher. “Liam didn’t disclose what I’m going to have to do for you. My husband simply issued the order to be here today and told me I would be working for you for a month.”
“Working for me?” Mister Nolan stroked his chin and cocked his head, giving her the full view of his face. “The cowardly bastard didn’t explain our deal at all?” He narrowed his eyes. The scars around his left eye pulled in a painful looking way. “For the entire month you’re mine to do with whatever I please.”
She couldn’t have been more shocked if he’d dropped a bomb. Horrible images of whips, chains, and dungeons flashed before her eyes, and her breathing halted before it turned ragged. This man could do so much more harm and damage than Liam, and there were days she could barely walk while under her husband’s roof.
