Page 10 of Resisting Mr Black

I’m not going to be drawn into this.

I tear my eyes from him and stare down the driveway. “I don’t have any,” I tell him, aware that I need to get the conversation back onto a safer topic. “Are you going to sell the hotel?”

“Like I’ve said, I don’t know yet.” There’s a mild irritation in his voice and I get the feeling he doesn’t like me pushing him, but I’m not buying it. He’s a businessman, he must have an inkling about what he’s going to do with the hotel. He does, I’m sure of it.

“You’re going to sell and use the profit for your own businesses, aren’t you? You’ve admitted you don’t have much experience in the hospitality industry, so why would you want to keep it?”

“The place is making a fucking loss.” His jaw twitches. “It’s not good business sense to keep it.”

Anger seeps into my thoughts as his statement confirms my worst fears. “So, you’re going to sell it without a second thought for the employees, some of whom have worked here for decades?” I shake my head. “How do you sleep at night?”

“It’s not personal, it’s business.”

If that’s meant to make me feel better, it has the opposite effect. “Oh, that’s okay, then,” I snap. “Isn’t the property part of your family history? Doesn’t that mean anything to you? It would take a special kind of cold, heartless git to sell a property that’s been in his family for God knows how many hundreds of years.”

I’m aware that my mouth is running away with me and I’ve just managed to insult the guy who gets to decide whether or not I keep or lose my job, but I can’t help it. I get the distinct impression no one ever challenges or stands up to him and it makes me want to do it even more.

There’s a twitch in his jaw again. “You don’t know anything about me, or my family.” He’s right, and I absolutely don’t want to.

“And I don’t know anything about you, but I want to.”

And just like that he’s shoved me on the back foot again. Thirty seconds ago, I offended him and now he wants to get to know me better?

I stare back at him blankly. My brain launches into overdrive along with my pulse as he steps towards me, putting us within touching distance. “Are you seeing anyone?”

I frown even though my heart is jumping around in my chest like a demented frog.What planet is this guy on?He’s just told me I’m probably going to lose my job because of him and now he’s asking questions about my relationship status. “What the hell has my private life got to do with you?”

“I need to know if there’s anything standing in the way.”

I’m more confused than ever. “Standing in the way of what?”

“Of me having you.”

A red flag pops up in my head. I’m blindsided by his directness. My brain, mouth, and common-sense stall as I shake my head in response to his question.What the hell am I doing?His full lips break out into a broad smile, only the second I’ve seen since we’ve met and his dark eyes sparkle in the sunlight, lighting up his beautiful face. He’s perfection.

“Good. Because if there was, I’d have them removed.”

“You can’t…” I falter and force my brain into gear to say the right thing. “You can’t have me. I work for you. You’re my boss. HR would have a field day not to mention what the other staff would think. It’s entirely inappropriate…”

“Fuck what everyone else thinks. I run the place. HR do as I say.”

“Oh, really?” I say sarcastically. “So, one minute you’re talking about selling and rendering me potentially jobless and the next you’re—”

“I’m what?”

“Whatever this is.”

“What do you think it is?”

“I don’t know. It’s obnoxious, and it’s making me uncomfortable.”

His smile remains but the look in his eyes switches from amusement to dark and predatory, and in that moment I can almost feel raw need emanating from him.Desire blazes fiercely in his eyes, as if he might combust if he doesn’t have me. I bite my lip to control my breathing because a man has never looked at me like this before. “I can have anything I want.”

I don’t doubt that for a moment. Yet another red flag pops up in my head, telling me to step away. “I’m not a possession,” I counter.

“No, you’re much more than that.” His voice has taken on a delicious, deep tone and it’s making my legs wobble. “But I will have you.”

I don’t know whether to feel offended or excited.

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