Page 45 of Seduced By Contract

"You said you don't like silence, yet you get very quiet when you don't want to tell me about your life."

"I don't want to talk about my family yet."

"But you will at some point?"

"Yes." She turns around in her seat, facing me. "Zeus, we need to set some ground rules."

"I won't intervene between you and your employer again, but as for hiding our relationship within the club, the answer is no."

"Why do you want to expose yourself? For a man in your position, it would be much better if we kept everything anonymous."

She's right, of course, but seeing her think so rationally while I'm a mess inside irritates me even more.

"What's the purpose of this conversation, Madison? I've already told you I won't interfere again, but be warned, this won't be the only time we travel."

"People will talk if they see us together."

"I don't give a damn," I say, pissed off, and I almost laugh at the irony, because just a week ago I was worried that some scandal related to SIN could harm the bank's stocks. "What exactly are you getting at?"

"Nothing. I said what I had to say. Just don't come throwing it in my face if it becomes uncomfortable for you to be seen with me."

"Let me worry about that, but regardless of anything, don't lower your head to anyone in my circle. They're not better than you. When they bleed, it's the same color as everyone else."

"I don't intend to lower my head; I just didn't want to embarrass you."

I park in front of the house, and even after turning off the car, I don't make any move to get out, watching her reaction.

It's not what I expected—no ironic comment about the size of the house or anything like that.

She turns to me, smiling. "I can hear the sound of the water from here." There's so much enthusiasm in her voice that I can't help but smile.

Oh, Madison. Will I be able to decipher you by the end of the months we'll spend together?

"Do you like the ocean?"

"Yes. I went for the first time when I was ten, when Eleanor took us. I think I'm descended from fish, not monkeys."

I get out of the car and open her door. "Do you want to walk on the beach?"

"Can we?" She’s like a little girl in front of a candy store, looking at me and then at the house, as if trying to see the sea beyond it.

"We can do whatever we want. Just let the security guards check the house and the beach first."

Finally, that makes her turn completely towards me. "Do you always follow these rules?"

"Yes, my family is very visible," I say vaguely because I don't want to go into details. "Do you really want to walk on the beach?"

"I do."

"Wait here for a moment."

I step away to instruct the head of security to set up a table with food and drinks to be served by the sea. When my staff has been informed that I’m coming here, they stay up later.

I come back to her. "If you really want to walk on the sand, you need to get rid of those.” I bend down and start loosening her sandals.

"You don't need to do that. I can take them off myself.”

"I don't do anything because I need to, Madison, but because I want to. Haven't you figured that out yet?

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