Page 18 of Beast

He laughs. “You, Blake, are a terrible liar, you should work on that.”

Moving to the other side of the kitchen, he grabs two wine glasses and pours us each one. And then he passes me glass. I take it, knowing I’ll need it to get through this evening. The red liquid sloshes around as I bring it to my lips, taking a long sip. It’s rich and smooth, probably some expensive vintage that costs more than my entire wardrobe at home.

Gaston smirks at me as he takes his own glass, his eyes never leaving mine. “I hope you like it. It’s a rare Cabernet Sauvignon from a small vineyard in Napa Valley.”

I shrug, feigning indifference. “It’s fine, I guess.” I don’t want to give him any satisfaction.

He chuckles, a low, dark sound that sends a shiver down my spine. “I can see right through you, Blake.”

Rage coils through me as I place the glass down on the counter. “You don’t know anything about me.”

He steps toward me, closing the distance in two short strides. “I know enough. You’re stubborn and defiant, but fiercely loyal to your friends. You’re intelligent and quick-witted but can be impulsive and reckless too.”

Bile rises up my throat as it’s all true, but how could he know that? Perhaps Taren gave him information on me.

Gaston reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my skin. “And I know that deep down, you crave submission. You want someone to take control and dominate you in every way possible.”

I jerk away from his touch, my cheeks burning with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. “You’re wrong,” I snap, but even I can hear the lack of conviction in my voice.

There’s a predatory gleam in his eyes. “Am I? We’ll soon find out, won’t we?”

He turns back to the food, opening the containers and placing them on the counter. The aroma of spices and grilled meat fills the air, making my stomach growl despite my best efforts to ignore it.

“I hope you’re hungry,” Gaston says, handing me a plate. “I ordered a little bit of everything, so you can try whatever you like.”

I take the plate from him, my fingers brushing against his. The contact sends a jolt of electricity through me, and I quickly pull away, busying myself with loading my plate.

Gaston eyes remain on me like a hawk while we sit to eat. It’s unnerving and at the same time thrilling how interested he is in me. I take another sip of wine, hoping it will calm my nerves.

Instead, the alcohol only makes me more acutely aware of his proximity and how fucking beautiful he is.

God, what is wrong with me?

I should be disgusted by him, repulsed by everything he stands for. A man richer than God with all the power in the world, and he abuses it by buying women. But instead, I find myself drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. And the problem is, flames always burn you.

7

GASTON

Sitting at the boardroom table of my company QuantumTech Solutions, I find myself distracted. A rarity in my life. Distractions are the makings of failure and yet here I am, thinking of nothing but the beauty I’ve got locked away in my penthouse apartment.

It’s been a week since Blake came home with me. A week of teasing and tormenting each other. I haven’t even touched her since we got back to Mexico City, because she’s hellbent on proving she’s not affected by me when we both know it’s a lie. And when I fuck her, she’s going to be begging me for it.

“Gaston, what’s your input on this?”

I glance at Javier, the head of operations. “Sorry, what was the question?”

His brow furrows. “Is there something wrong, sir?”

“No, I just didn’t sleep well last night.”

Javier runs through some bullshit issues with staffing again and I tell him to do whatever he wants. If he needs more staff, hire. This kind of shit is below my station.

“Okay, sir. I’ll get on it.”

I shake my head. “Great, if that’s everything. I need to?—”

“No, sir,” Damien interrupts. “There’s an issue with Pablo Estrada attempting to buy our land. He’s very persistent.”

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