Page 29 of Red

“I’m fine,” she whispered, trying to pull away. He intensified his grip, bringing her wrists to his mouth and pressing a soft kiss to each of them.

“There won’t be any more anger between us, Melinda,” he promised.

“How can you say that?” She slipped free when he loosened his hold. The carefree air hanging in the room when he’d arrived started to turn cold and stale.

“Because anger gets us nowhere. You end up with a hot ass, and time that could be used finding pleasure is wasted.” He rested his hand on her hip, keeping her close enough for him to sense her. She might be able to control her words, but she hadn’t learned yet to restrain her body from reacting. Right now, beneath his touch, she was soft, but, at any moment, she could tense up.

“You could not spank me every time you got angry with me,” she proposed with a sarcastic smile.

He leaned in closer to her ear. “But you love it when I spank you—even when you hate it. Hell, I think you love it more when you do.”

She stiffened beneath his touch but didn’t move away from him, as though merely his words could freeze her for a moment.

Perfect.

After the silence stretched out, she blinked and turned away. “Is there something you want me for?”

His cock twitched in his pants, answering for him.

“Yes.” He stepped away. Letting her feel his erection wouldn’t sway her to accept the new life he was proposing.

“Okay.” She hopped up on the counter, crossed her ankles, and folded her hands in her lap.

“I spoke with the attorney this morning, and I think I’ve found a way to help both of our situations.” He put the island between them again and rested his fingertips on the counter.

“Yeah? Like I can go home?” Hope tiptoed into her voice, making his throat thicken.

“No.” He shook his head. “But you don’t have to go anywhere else, either.”

“What does that mean?” she asked hesitantly.

“It means, you stay here.” He paused a beat. “As my wife.”

She tensed a fraction of a second before a laugh burst out. “You’re kidding, right? Marry you?”

He’d known she’d be less than thrilled, but laughter didn’t exactly register as a promising response.

“I’m not kidding. You can fulfill the deal by becoming my wife.”

She slid off the counter. “How does that fulfill the debt?”

“One of the requirements my uncle left in order for me to collect the estate is for me to marry. So, I will pay your debt to the estate, fulfilling the debt, and then, once we’re married, the estate gets turned over to me in full, which will reimburse the money I paid out.”

She blinked. “And then I can go home? We can divorce and end this?” There was that hope again.

He curled his fingers into his palms. “No. There wouldn’t be a divorce.” Another of his uncle’s littlefuck yousto Erik and his family. If the marriage dissolved within a year, all monies and properties would revert into a fund until he married again.

His uncle had enjoyed harassing his little sister, and when she made it clear she wanted her sons to have nothing to do with his business—he found a way for them to have no other future without getting their hands dirty in his work. If Erik wanted to use the Komisky estates and funds, he would have to play by the rules set forth by his twisted uncle.

“No.” She shook her head. “I won’t marry you.”

“You understand the alternative?” He pushed, trying to keep the sting of rejection from touching his tone.

“You’ll sell me?” Her gaze flicked away from him. Could that really be a better alternative to marrying him?

“Yes. That’s one of the options. Another would be for you to sell yourself. Work off the debt.” Selling her off couldn’t become an option she chose. He’d find another way, but she would not be sold to anyone who would use her as a plaything and toss her aside.

“Can I think about it?”

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