Page 4 of Bargain with the Irish Devil

The man’s eyes are wide and imploring. “I was polite, Declan. Truly, I was.”

“I’m sure he believes he was, and maybe as far as he was concerned, he was. I’m not used to dealing with mobsters. I didn’t think he was polite.”

Declan Kelly laughs. It’s a deep, throaty chuckle softening the hard lines of his gorgeous face. And fuck me, I can’t breathe. “You have watched too much television to go around painting such a broad term to Ryan and myself.”

“So loaning money to people at an inflated rate that would make most bankers swoon is legal? Intimidating people with the threat of violence if that loan isn’t paid back is legal? Peter warned me about you.” I send my own eyebrow up at him.

The smile disappears. A large hand goes up in a motion to the two men to leave. The door closes behind them with what feels like an echoing thud. I want to call them back. I don’t want to be alone with Declan Kelly.

“For you, darlin’, I’ll tell you that I allow people access to their vices. I have two pubs that operate gambling within them. No one is allowed to spend more than they can afford to lose. I do operate an escort service, and the women who work do so because they want to, never because they have to. They are clean of drugs and disease, or they don’t work. Idolend money at a higher rate than is legal, but it is the smallest component of my business. I do not deal in drugs of any kind.”

Why is he telling me this? Will he let me walk out of here?

Shit, he’s still talking. “While there are times when a wrong has been perpetrated of such significance that it had to be answered withviolence,I did not make the decision lightly nor with satisfaction. That is not who I am.”

“I’m very impressed and relieved to know all of that.” I’m bored. Annoyed, he dragged me here. It’s what I hope to hell I convey. When deep down I finally realize I walked into the home of a dangerous man.

“Why don’t you just get to the demand for Peter’s debt so I can tell you to go to hell—the same as I told Peter. I really need to be getting home.”

Ice-blue runs over me as heavy as a touch, slowly from the top of my head to where my ankles are crossed. His eyes might be ice, but they aren’t cold. The touch of those eyes is causing heat to build until I wonder if it will turn my bones to dust. The only reason I don’t flee the room is because I’m positive my legs won’t hold me up long enough.

A corner of his beautiful mouth slides up. “Ms. Beckett, I was looking forward to meeting you, but I must say, I had no idea it would be this enjoyable. Your brother stated you would pay out if he couldn’t. Because of this, I looked into you. What I found is the reason he was lent money. I never believed he would be able to pay it back.”

His honesty stuns me. He knew Peter wouldn’t pay him back?

“He seems to have the worst luck.” A broad shoulder lifts. “I didn’t loan him the money for a profit. It was for you.”

“What? Me? What the hell do you want with me?”

“Your profession as an accountant caught my eye. I have a situation, and I need your expertise. I’m experiencing skimming fromboth of my two gambling concerns located within my pubs, The Garrick and The Black Swan. I can’t say for sure who or how much, but I know something is off in the books. The problem is that several people do the ledger for each pub, and I cannot pinpoint it. As an experienced accountant, you could audit the ledgers and tell me who is stealing from me. If you do this, ten thousand will be deducted from your brother’s debt.”

I’m not sure if it’s worse or not. Declan Kelly doesn’t want my money. Hewants my time and my knowledge. All of those things add up to entering his world in a way I wouldn’t have to if I just gave him money.

“I told Peter that I was done helping him. No more money, no more saving his ass. I can’t go back on that now.” I’m annoyed by how close I am to pleading.

“Your brother has brought much grief to you, I’m aware. I understand your reluctance to allow his problems back into your life. It’s unfortunate your brother brought you onto my radar, for I’m not inclined to let you say no. I need an outsider no one in my world knows. The matter ofsomeone stealing from me cannot get out, I would appear weak. I can’t allow that.”

My stomach drops. I’m going to fucking kill Peter. Bluster is all I have left. “So what, you’re going to tie me to a desk andmakeme do it?”

His smile is wicked, and oh my god, it goes straight to my core. The shock of it leaves me stunned.

“Darlin’, I would love to tie you down.” He winks at me. “But not to a desk. That will be the cover for you in my home to do the audit. You’re a beautiful woman I had to have. Once you’ve completed the audit, you walk away as someone who found me lacking.”

Swallowing down laughter isn’t easy for a brief moment—which makes no fucking sense to me. Yet it’s hilarious I would find him lacking. Everything about the man screams no woman would willingly walk away from him. Except it’s not funny because it’s clear he is not, in fact, joking about keeping me here. “That’s kidnapping.”

“Yes, it is. Without tying you down, it will get me a minimum of three years. If I use the restraints I have in my bedside table, I could get up to twenty years. I do believe you could make those years worth it.” The wicked smile appears again. “I could make it so you want to stay, my dear Miranda.”

I hate him. He’s playing with me. A man as gorgeous as him isn’t truly interested in someone like me. As my ex-husband said often, I was too fat to be anything more than pretty. My husband made it clear the only reason he married me was because of how young and moldable I was supposed to be. Except I refused to be molded, and I could never keep the weight off for him to put up with me.

“Miranda.” His smoky voice is almost a whisper. I don’t understand why it sends a shiver up my spine and turns my skin so sensitive the silk blouse I’m wearing feels like sand. Is it because I’m certain it’s how he would say my name while we were tangled together in…

Oh god. Closing my eyes in shame, I fight for control of my body—of my mind. This isn’t me. I was a virgin when I met my husband due to a complete focus on school to achieve my goal of barely scraping by—like my parents did. The first time we had sex was awful, and it never got better. In the four years of my marriage, I never once looked forward to sex.

Since my divorce two years ago, the few sexual urges I had were satisfied by masturbation. I only felt the need for it perhaps onceevery other month. Sometimes, I went two or three months without. Even when I needed a release with masturbation, I needed a lubricant. My body has never once created the wet heat flooding my core right now.

Shaking my head, I search for the memory of the last time I had sex. The discomfort, the shame, and counting the seconds until he finished. I need to remember that. It didn’t matter what I imagined sex would be like with Declan Kelly. Thereality would be nothing more than embarrassing—for both of us.

A man like him was too used to being wanted. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants—for me to do the audit. God, what is it with the men in my life? Peter, my ex, and even in the end, my father all twisted me to their wants and needs, using my love for them or, in the case of my ex, the need for love to get what they wanted.

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