Page 35 of Tempt Me (Dark Odyssey 4)

“What do you mean, taken care of?”

“It fucking means exactly as it sounds. I’ll take care of it.” I’m tired and fed up. She’s in her right to be pissed, but I can’t deal with it tonight.

“So, you’re just going to keep me here and pay everything. There are some things that money can’t take care of. I’m working, and I was working toward a promotion that would change my life. I can go to work and come back here.”

My hands still, and I intensify my glare on her.

This broad actually thinks she can tell me what to do? And not just that, seems like she thinks she can dictate the terms of this arrangement too, like I’m some kind of schmuck. Fucking fuck that. I have news for her fine ass.

“No. You will not do that,” I inform her. “You are allowed in this room, the kitchen, the library, and your room. Your room has an en-suite shower. The library has books, the kitchen food. It’s enough. You’ll have dinner with me most evenings and I’ll send for you when I’m ready to fuck you. There, that sounds good to me.”

Her face is classically horrified. No—scratch that. It’s the perfect illustration of mortified. She won’t say anything though because a deal’s a deal.Good girl.At least she knows that part.

I decide to continue reeling off the terms. “I will have one of my guys accompany you outside on the grounds, where you can take a walk and get some fresh air. That is what you will do while you’re here.”

“Like an animal,” she fumes. “Walk me like a dog?”

“Ava, if you fuck with me, I’ll put you in a cage like a fucking animal.”

She stands up straightaway, almost knocking over the chair. She shakes her head at me.

“You’d really do that to a person! A cage?”

I choose to ignore her question. “You’re going to the doctors in the morning,” I state. She’s pushing me, but fuck, if she wasn’t enraged before, she’s that now.

“The doctors?”

“For birth control.”

“I’m already on birth control.”

“He’ll also be making sure you’re clean.”

She gives me an incredulous glare. “I’m clean. I’m not some slut.”

“I don’t know that.”

Her eyes blaze. “You asshole. How dare you?”

That’s it. I can’t deal with her tonight.

I get up in one motion and march over to her. Panic washes over her pretty face, and she backs away.

I go for her, walking her right into the wall like earlier. The difference between now and then is, earlier, I was aroused and interested. Now, I’m aroused and pissed.

I ball a fist and land a punch right into the space by her elbow. She flinches but stares at me head on.

“How dare I? Really?” I fume.

“You don’t know me. You can’t just do this. You can’t just keep me locked away. How long are you going to keep me here?” she challenges, and I get up in her face.

“Two million dollars!” I shout. It’s a release of frustration. “Two fucking million dollars. How long do you think you should stay?” Better to pose the question like that to her so she can get the picture of what we’re dealing with.

I lower my head, closer, and bare my teeth. “How long, Ava? What do you think is reasonable?” There’s no good answer. That’s why she can’t give me one. There’s no answer that works for either of us.

Her lips part. Her plump, full lips part, and my gaze drops to them along with the slight rise and fall of her chest. There’s a hint of her cleavage peeking through, and damn it, when my gaze flicks back up to hers, I see that distinct look of fear and want. It’s there again, and I’m not mistaken. The fear just enhances the want. It enhances my want for her too.

I don’t know what it is about this woman that gets to me. I’ve known her for less than twenty-four hours, and this…thing,whatever it is, chemistry, attraction, or madness has me wanting her.

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