Page 199 of Modern Romance Collection December 2024 Books 5-8

She was looking at him as if he had lost his mind, and to be fair a part of him was thinking exactly the same.

‘Is this your idea of a joke?’ Her eyes clashed with his, the pupils wide with shock and outrage. ‘Because it’s not funny.’

‘It’s not a joke. It’s a proposition. A chance for you to avoid a prison term. I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept. You see it a lot in the movies. Bunch of no-good criminals are offered freedom and a pardon if they take on a dangerous mission. I believe it’s called the “boxed crook” trope.’

She let out a small, brittle laugh. ‘And there I was thinking you were just being a typical male sleazebag taking advantage of a situation to get his leg over.’

The mouth on her! Tiger stared down at Sydney, feeling his hackles rise. ‘For the record, I don’t take advantage of women, Ms Truitt. And in any case, you don’t need to worry. I’m very choosy about who I get my leg over.’

‘Then I suggest you “choose” some other woman,’ she said, and there was an edge to her voice that made him think his words had hit their target. ‘There must be one in New York who would enjoy your company.’

‘Many,’ he said coolly. ‘But I can’t think of another woman who shares your unique skill set. You see, I need someone who understands that our “relationship” is just for show. Someone who can play a part under pressure. Persuade people that she’s something she’s not. Lie to their faces.’ His eyes locked with hers. ‘Someone willing and available to bend to my will.’

Her pupils flared. ‘Then you definitely need to choose another woman because I’m neither of those things.’

Watching her face, Tiger wondered what it was exactly about this woman that drew him to her so intensely. It was maddening to feel this way, but to not understand why.

Most likely it was just this whole set-up, he reassured himself. He was intrigued, or maybe that wasn’t the right way to describe how he was feeling but he couldn’t think of a better one.

‘You misunderstand me, Sydney.’ He saw her hands ball into fists as he used her name. ‘When I said willing and available, I meant within the context of the alternative being jail time.’

CHAPTER THREE

PUTLIKETHAT, she had no choice, Sydney thought, panic scrabbling in her throat. But, of course, she’d never had one because the choice was between two equally unpalatable options. The classic rock or hard place. Deep blue sea and the devil.

Remembering Noah’s twisted face as he’d reeled off her faults in that cold, hissing voice, she shivered. In some ways, too many ways right now, Tiger had more power over her than Noah had ever had. And yet, although he was making her feel nervous and tenser than she’d ever felt, that wasn’t the same thing as being scared.

The worst part was that she had chosen Noah. There had been no threat hanging over her. At eighteen she had found his authority and rigour thrillingly exotic. He had been so unlike her family, so articulate and emphatic, and she had been hooked.

Had put herself on the hook, she thought, throat tightening at her naivety.No, not naivety. To be naive was to be credulous and clueless about how the world worked. But she was a Truitt, she knew how it worked and, more importantly, how often it failed to work. She had been stupid and smug, believing herself to be different, better than everyone around her. And she had been better academically. She’d worked hard and she’d liked school. There had been rules to follow, and she’d found it relaxing to know what she had to do and where she had to be at what time.

Because home had been far from relaxing. It had been chaotic and overwhelming, and she’d always been on edge, always worrying about what was going to happen next. Noah had seen that, and exploited it, flattering her and isolating her and telling her ‘hard truths’; telling her she deserved better.

Now she could see that his ‘honesty’ and principles were a mask for his cruel, controlling nature, but back then she had wanted to believe him so badly that she had ignored all those red flags in his behaviour until it was too late and she was living in his world—if it could be described as living.

But that was then. Now she understood that to be that certain, that uncompromising, had a dark side. A dangerous side that was best avoided.

Her gaze shifted an inch to where Tiger stood watching her, the potency in his gaze undeniable. Unavoidable.

Because she couldn’t avoid this man unless she let him call the police, and faced the consequences. And she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t fight for her brothers’ freedom from behind bars.

Then again, how could she pretend to be his girlfriend?

Her arm twitched, the point of contact where his fingers had pressed against her skin tingling as if he were touching her now. If she agreed to that, then he would have to touch her, kiss her even. And she knew how he would kiss, could see his hand in her hair the better to hold her as he pressed his mouth against hers.

She took an unsteady step backwards, shivers running over her skin, her head spinning with shock and an intense, alien longing for something she didn’t recognise or know how to process.

‘What about your security team?’ She waved her hand in the direction of Carlos. ‘And your head of IT? They think I’m public enemy number one. Isn’t it going to look a little bit weird if we suddenly start “dating”?’

He shrugged. ‘We use white hats all the time to challenge the integrity of the security system. Obviously, it has to look real or nobody takes it seriously. If I tell them this was one of those occasions, then that’s what it is. The only opinion that matters on that subject, on any subject in this building, is mine. And it’s not just an opinion.’ He lifted his chin and there was a dark gleam in his eyes that made her breath catch. ‘It’s more of a directive.’

His voice was quiet. Matter-of-fact because he wasn’t bragging or bigging himself up. He didn’t need to. The truth of his words was stamped into every curve and line of his gorgeous face.

Her pulse was racing. Tiger might be the most dangerous man she had ever met and yet she wasn’t scared of him in the physical sense. Her fear was that he would somehow sense the heat she could feel blooming inside her.

‘Even if that’s true I don’t see how it’s going to work,’ she said firmly, because she had to try, had to make him see that she would be better employed as a cyber-security asset. ‘This isn’t Halloween. I won’t just be putting on some costume for a couple hours. You’re asking me to convince people that I’m someone I’m not and I’m not an actress.’

He stared down at her, his golden gaze steady and unblinking. ‘Are you saying that Abi and Hannah are in on this? That they know you’ve been hacking my system?’

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