Page 46 of A Good Girl's Guide to Dominance
Relief floods my veins like a water hose as I finally exhale. My shoulders fall and a smile forms on my face like the sun coming from behind the clouds.
“Oh,” I say, grinning from ear to ear. “Thank you so much.”
“You're very welcome,” Nix replies. “That was the best pitch I've heard yet. Very passionate and knowledgeable. It helps that you're easy to look at, but the way you spoke took the focus off of that and put it squarely on your words. You're good. No wonder he chose you to deliver the pitch.”
Rome clears his throat before saying. “Umm, yes. She's our best.”
When I turn around to look at him, his face shows no emotion.
“Clearly,” Nix agrees.
“So, what are your thoughts, Mr. Malone?”
Nix licks his lips, eyeing me before looking at Rome. “Well, my first thought is that you're a very lucky man for having such a gorgeous, talented woman on your staff.” I hear Rome shift in his seat, but Nix continues without a care. “Secondly, I loved the way the pitch sounded and I think the idea of Sandcastle doing my ads and marketing sounds like a match made in heaven. But I do have a condition.”
I’m so excited by his words that I almost don't hear the part about a condition. Rome and I both sit up, anxious to hear the part that comes before we can celebrate a victory.
“What exactly is the condition?” Rome asks.
“I’ll sign on the dotted line right now as long as Miss Washington agrees to dinner with me tonight.” I gasp as Nix goes on, ignoring the look of shock on my face. “I'm not asking for anything sexual in exchange for my business, so don't think the worst. I simply would like the opportunity to take you out and show you a good time. No obligations beyond that, of course.”
No words are spoken for the next ten seconds while Nix stares at me, and Rome and I glare back. The lavish VIP area suddenly feels like a sauna with the temperature and humidity turned all the way up, sending sweat seeping through my pores.
What the hell did he just say? Please tell me that he’s kidding. But even if he is, it’s a terrible way to joke, and I’m suddenly disgusted by how brash he is. Nix is clearly unafraid of consequences, and his fearlessness has made him disrespectful. The charm and charisma that I saw earlier are now shrouded in darkness, his true colors floating to the surface like oil in water.
“Are you being serious right now?” Rome asks.
Nix grins. “Do I strike you as an unserious person?”
Fuck. I swallow hard as the two of them glare at each other—two predators ready to fight over their right to a kill. I hate it. It makes me feel like nothing more than meat for them to eat, and I have worked too hard to be thought so lowly of. I want to snap. I want to stand up and yell across the table with a pointed finger that I will not be treated this way, but my fear of everything I know about Nix Malone keeps me silent. So, Rome speaks for me.
“Wow,” he begins. “Out of all the things I expected could happen with this meeting, disrespect on this level wasn't one of them.”
“Disrespect?” Nix says. “She's a single woman who has never eaten at my restaurant. Don't be so dramatic, Rome.”
“Dramatic?” Rome fires back. “You've disrespected my company and my … employee. It’s not something I’ll stand for, Mr. Malone. While I am aware of your reputation in this city, truthfully … I don't give a fuck. I won't allow you or any other man to disrespect Nia. She is worth more than just beingsome girlfor you to wine and dine with your money and fast life. Much, much more. So if agreeing to dinner is what is required for us to win your account, then you can fucking keep it.”
“You speak for her?” Nix asks with a tilted head.
“Nia is fully capable of speaking for herself, but when a man of your stature and notoriety offends her, I will gladly come to her defense. So, this meeting is over. There is nothing left for us to discuss.”
Rome gets up from his seat, and in absolute astonishment, I follow his lead. Nix doesn't say a word as we turn around and head for the sliding door, and I can’t believe Rome is willing to give up this account for me. Another boss might have suggested I go through with the dinner in order to secure the money that comes with an agreement this large, but Nix just flushed it all down the drain for me. If he doesn't care for me at all, he has a very funny way of showing it. All I can do is shake my head in confusion as we reach the doors and Rome slides them open.
“Wait,” Nix yells from across the room.
When we turn around Nix is walking toward us with a scowl on his face. He glares at Rome, who doesn't budge, digging his feet into the floor and holding his ground against one of the most terrifying men in the city.
“You're a fucking bold one,” Nix says. “You said that you're aware of my reputation, which means you know I could close these doors and make you disappear without a trace. No one would ever know where you went. They would say it was like you evaporated into thin air … and yet … you're ready to go to war for her. I'm not sure how I didn't see it when you walked in, but I got it now. I understand and I commend your tenacity. I would do the same if I had someone like her.”
Rome and I stare at each other, neither of us aware of how to respond. Hell, I don't even know what Nix is talking about. What did he not see when we walked in that is so clear now?
“I apologize for my contempt,” Nix says, nodding to both Rome and me. “I hope that you won't allow my coarseness tostand in the way of us doing business together. If you're able to move past it, I'd love to sign on with your company.”
My heart hammers with nervous excitement as Rome looks at me, waiting for me to accept Nix’s apology. Even now he’s willing to forgo it all if I’m too offended to work with Nix.
“Absolutely,” I say with a smile and nod. “Water under the bridge.”
Nix smiles as he extends his hand to Rome. “Good.”
