Page 46 of Seductive Scoundrel

Now that I’m richer, all that’s left to do is kill the next three days before I get to see Mia.

* * *

Good things do not cometo those who wait. The only way to be successful is to seize what you want – preferably by the balls – and squeeze for mercy until you own it.

And when I catch sight of the immaculate creature walking towards the limo, all I can think is that my strategy of resisting Mia to prove a point only served to keep me out of the best place on earth for far too many days.

I’ve never been more grateful that the backs of limos are soundproof.

Mia is a vision dressed head to toe in my preferences – a diamond-encrusted clip holding back her thick dark hair, a gold mermaid gown that leaves little to the imagination, and skyscraper stilettos that inspire the darkest fantasies. She’s paired it with simple jewelry and, if she followed orders, she’s only wearing a white G-string and matching silky bra underneath.

Her first comment when she slides into the backseat has me chuckling: “I imagined the first time you gave me diamonds would at least be in person.”

I wait until Robert closes the door behind her. “Don’t worry. You’ll get plenty more if you play your cards right.”

“But I don’t want to play you.”

Her voice is so soft that it’s almost imperceptible, but there’s sincerity all over her face with a lot more vulnerability than I’m comfortable with outside of the bedroom.

And it’s a problem.

I’ll never be what she wants me to be, and she’s only pretending that she can handle our arrangement. She already wants more and to hold me down in a way that I will never allow. I’m not a man who can be owned or contained, and I will never belong to anyone.

She knows this, but she’s pretending otherwise when we’re together. I don’t want to hurt her, but I also can’t quit her.

And as usual, my own interests win the war.

“Champagne or whiskey?” I ask as Robert smoothly glides into the traffic we can’t see or hear. I don’t have the patience to drive through congestion myself, but I get a lot of work done while someone else takes on the annoyance and I ride in the back.

“Whiskey.”

“Atta girl.”

I pour us both two fingers and nearly drop Mia’s when she crosses her long, shapely legs and my eyes fall between her thighs. It was a definite mistake not to see her at every opportunity.

“Did anything interesting happen this week?” I ask.

Mia looks surprised and I guess I am, too. I’d normally have her between my legs by now. “Are audits ever interesting?”

“It’s work you chose to do, so I’d imagine you feel some draw to it.”

“It’s work I fell into. I don’t think any little girl dreams of being an auditor. But I like solving puzzles, so there’s that going for it.”

She’s staring at my face like I’m a mystery she’s yet to crack. And she’s smart, so I’ll need to keep my guard up to make sure it stays that way.

“So why don’t you do what you dream about?”

This conversation is intense, and I almost want to crack the window to welcome the comforting sounds of the city into our private bubble. Business relationships are so much easier and less messy than personal entanglements.

But my cock has other ideas.

Mia laughs, but there’s no humor. “It’s not that simple. Everything is easier for rich people. I can’t just quit my job and follow a passion project. I have bills to pay and limited time in the day. I’m sure I’ll retire as an auditor.”

“I wasn’t always rich. I’m not a trust fund kid,” I tell her without elaborating. “But say you could. What would you do?”

“Well,” she says, a thoughtful look in her eyes. “I’d love to do something that matters. Something that makes a difference. Maybe work for a charity that helps animals or people in need. Unfortunately, those positions don’t pay enough for a single gal to live on in this city. I love volunteering, though. It’s how I met Wally.”

And a deep part inside me that I didn’t even know was there wants nothing more than to knock down every barrier and help her make her dreams happen. I could write one check and cover those bills she referenced so she never had to worry about them again.

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