Page 24 of Choosing the right Man

“I’m an incredible dealer, Mason. I make you a hell of a lot of money,” she reminds me.

I gaze at her. She doesn’t know me well if she thinks money motivates me. Then again, that’s all that matters to women like Bella. Again, this has never bothered me. It still doesn’t.

“You’re more manipulative than I realized,” I say, not as an insult. Honestly, I’m slightly impressed. I like a woman who goes after what she wants. I’m even more impressed when she’s able to get it.

“I like getting my way, too,” she assures me. I smile.

“And what makes you think I’ll keep doing business with you?” I ask. I have to admit I’m intrigued. My past and present are colliding, and I’m not sure I can keep them apart.

“Because you know I get what I want. All of your dreams will come true if you keep me at your side.”

“And what makes you think you know me well enough to have any clue of what my dreams are?”

“We’ve known each other since birth, Mason. I know you far better than any other person on this earth,” she assures me. She might be right. This doesn’t mean anything, though.

“You know the old me. You know nothing of the man I’ve become.”

“We might evolve as people, but we don’t change that much,” she says. She moves closer. She doesn’t hesitate as she leans intome, her thumb rubbing against my lip just as she’s done many times before.

“Stop,” I tell her.

She laughs again, the sound confident and sultry at the same time. She’s a woman who knows who she is and what she wants. She also isn’t afraid to go after it. This is certainly a quality I normally admire.

“I’ll have you, Mason, unless I decide I don’t want you,” she says. I want to dim some of this confidence and knock her down a few pegs.

My arm snakes out, and I pull her against me. Her eyes widen. She wasn’t expecting this. She’ll soon know she isn’t in control around me. I lean close, my lips centimeters from hers. She pants against me, her eyes dilating.

“No one has me unless I want them to,” I tell her. My lips brush hers as I speak. A slight whimper escapes her. She isn’t as sure of herself as she’s projecting. Before this gets out of hand I push her away and move over to the empty wall in the darkened room. She follows me.

“You can play all the games you want, but I felt you right then,” she says. She doesn’t hesitate as she reaches between us and flutters her fingers across my dick. I don’t respond. I don’t run.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Bella. I’m a guy. Just because you can turn me on doesn’t mean I respect you in any way.”

Her head tilts back as she laughs in a calculated way, showing me the creamy curve of her neck. She reaches for me again, her manicured nails resting on my arm.

I smile, getting ready to say something. But I immediately know the second we’re no longer alone. A mask falls over my face. Bella feels the change and smiles at me in the most calculating way as she flutters her lashes, a mask of her own coming into place.

I stiffen as I realize something has shifted in the atmosphere. Not only aren’t we alone anymore, but someone I wasn’t expecting in this place tonight has appeared as if I’ve conjured her up. I suddenly turn and look at the woman in the large opening to the room. Her eyes are on me and Bella. She looks mortified.

“I’m so sorry,” she says. “I was looking for the other art room the employee told me about. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She then turns and flees.

This night just got a hell of a lot more interesting. What in the hell is Chloe doing at my art show? I have no idea, but I’m definitely going to find out.

“Now we can get back to where we were,” Bella says as she tries to push against me.

I easily slide away from her. “We’re done, Bella. If you touch me again, I’ll burn down the working relationship as well. For now, you can do your job. If you become inconvenient, that will also end.” I walk away, not waiting for a reaction. She can tell by my tone that I’m not bluffing. Then again, anyone who knows me, knows I never bluff. I might have enjoyed her flirting to some extent, but the moment I see Chloe all thoughts of Bella vanish.

I quickly return to the main floor and see Chloe as she turns down a hall. I smile. This is the way to the exclusive room with the most expensive paintings. I’m more intrigued now as a person has to be invited to this room. There’s more to Chloe than meets the eye. It looks like I don’t know everything about her like I thought I did. I smile. This keeps getting better and better.

I quickly move down the hall and thank my good luck when I find Chloe alone in the room with only six pieces of exclusive art. We might not have much time, but for now, I can have her all to myself. I move up behind her and feel her body stiffen. She’s well aware I’m here. This is another thing I love about whatever isgoing on between us. We can feel each other’s presence without laying eyes on the other. It turns me on that much more.

“What brings you here tonight, Chloe?” I huskily ask. My body is on fire, and only this woman can settle the flames. No other will do. I must have her.

“I’m in love with this artist,” she whispers. The words send another flame straight through my soul.

“Why is that?” I ask.

She’s still tense but I can hear the smile in her voice. “I love what the paintings make me feel. I bought my first one six years ago. I was with friends, and we stepped into this gallery, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the image. It was far more than I could afford, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it and came back for it a week later.”

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