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"You sure you can afford to ignore it?" he scoffs.

"No."

"Good. It’s a deal then." He holds out his hand.

I ignore it. "What’s in it for you?"

He glances down at my breasts, then at my crotch. By the time he glares at my face, my mouth is dry, my pussy wet, my scalp tingling as if someone has run their fingernails across it.

"Right." I nod. "Can I think about it?"

"Nope."

My jaw drops.

"Decide in the next second or this is over… Not that there ever was anything between us."

I narrow my eyes, "I think you protest too much. There definitely is a lot between us—which is the only reason you are suggesting this insane arrangement."

"Oh?" He yawns. "Keep kidding yourself, sweetheart. You’re nothing but a convenient hole to wring satisfaction from."

I draw myself up to my full height. "Fuck you, asshole."

"Alphahole." He smirks.

"A-class douche canoe." I tip up my chin, "You know what? You can stuff your stupid-ass proposal in your darkest part."

"You mean my heart?"

"Only you’d say that," I splutter.

"Listen, I have to go attend to my daughter. Why don’t you…uh, head on to the greenhouse? I’ll meet you there."

"Greenhouse?"

"Yes."

"You want me to wait there?"

"Unless you’d rather wait here?"

"Don’t do that."

"What?" He frowns.

"Rhyme your stupid sentences with mine."

"Where you’re concerned, that’s not the only thing I hope to rhyme with." He snickers.

I make a gagging sound. "That was a terrible pun."

"You're right." He raises his hands. "I really have to get back." He jerks his chin in the direction of his garden. "Go on." He turns to leave, glances back over his shoulder. "Or not…your choice."

Turning, he marches inside and shuts the door on me.

Motherfucker actually had the gall to not invite me inside. I stare at the door a second longer. Maybe I should bang on it and demand that he let me in? And then what? He’s only going to refuse me… Or tell me the deal is off. Or worse, he’d allow me in and then I’d be in the same space as him…and his daughter? A tiny version of him, with all of his presence and none of his cynicism. I swallow… Nope, I’d be a goner all over again.

Maybe this is better… I won’t risk breaking my heart twice over, for I am very sure that his daughter would be as adorable as he is. Hang on, did I just refer to him as adorable? Jesus, I am tying myself in knots. I turn, head for the greenhouse in the corner of the sprawling grounds when the gates swing open. A car draws up and parks near the house. A woman slides out. She smooths her gray hair, hauls a designer bag over her shoulder, then pauses when she sees me.