Page 50 of Take Me Under

His words cut through me, reminding me that this wasn’t a game. I realized then that it was time to address the real reason for this dinner.

“About that,” I said, jumping on the chance to cut through the small talk. “Can we just discuss why I’m really here?”

“You don’t waste time,” he replied with amusement. “Are you ready to agree to the thirty days? I promise, one month under me, wearing nothing but that ruby necklace, will be worth your while.”

I pressed my lips tightly together, annoyed that his crude words caused a flutter in my belly.

“The necklace will be returned as soon as I get back to Rome. And no, I’m not agreeing to anything yet. You said you had an alternative.”

Anton’s lips curled into a sly smile, his eyes glinting with satisfaction at my directness. Setting his glass of wine down with deliberate precision, he leaned forward slightly, the firelight casting a warm glow over his features.

“I can’t tell you how much I admire your directness,” he murmured, the timbre of his voice low and velvety.

The air hummed between us, reminding me of the moment right before a storm breaks. His gaze held mine in an unyieldinggrip as he reached across the table, his fingers lightly tracing the hand wrapped around the delicate stem of my wine glass. The subtle touch sent a shiver down my spine, reminding me of what his hands had felt like on my body. It awakened a cascade of sensations that I shouldn’t be feeling. At least not now—not at a moment when so much was on the line.

“The alternative, Anton.” The words were barely a whisper. I couldn’t think past his heated gaze. “Tell me what my alternative is.”

“So be it. Yes, I want you, but you have something else that I want, too. Either way, you’ll have to give up something—whether it be your body or a possession.”

My breathing quickened at his words, every breath feeling like a dare. A flush crept up my neck despite my efforts to remain composed.

“I don’t have any possessions that you could possible want.”

“On the contrary, I think you do.”

“It’s unlikely. But prey, tell.”

His answer was as simple as it was surprising.

“The Brutus Denarius.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Serena

The Brutus Denarius.

I pulled my eyes from Anton’s, my gaze fixating on the flickering votive candle at the center of the table. The setting around me blurred as my mind raced, thinking about the gift from my father—a secret that belonged in a museum. The coins weight, both physical and emotional, seemed to press upon me even from a distance.

“Why so quiet, princess?” Anton’s smooth voice cut through my reverie.

I lifted my gaze to meet his piercing onyx eyes, forcing a polite smile. “I’m just wondering what would make you think I have a coin of such value.”

“So, you’ve heard of it then?”

“Of course. It’s the Ides of March coin, struck by Marcus Junius Brutus to celebrate the assassination of Julius Caesar.”

“Correct. It features a bust of Brutus, one of the assassins.It’s one of the rarest ancient Roman coins, minted in both silver and gold. Fewer than one hundred silver coins are known to exist, but only two gold are known to have survived. They are currently located in a museum in France. But rumor has it that you may have a third.”

My eyes widened in surprise before I quickly recovered. While things like ancient coins were commonly discussed within my circle of peers, normal people typically didn’t have such detailed knowledge about ancient artifacts. But then again, Anton was anything but normal.

How could he know I have that coin in particular?

He was correct about the rumor. But he was wrong in thinking there was only one more. There were actually three more coins that nobody knew about—and I had all three of them hidden inside a small safe in my flat in Rome.

I knew their importance, yet I’d never told a soul about them. Mark Antony had melted down almost all the coins for reuse, but my father had discovered three of them on a dig in Athens. He’d gifted them to me the day I received my acceptance letter from the Sapienza University of Rome, setting me on the path to where I am today.

I recalled my father’s words on that day. With him, everything had been a lesson, including his gift.

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