“So, what do you say?” He smirked at me, like the cat who had got the fucking cream.
Oh, but how I wanted to wipe that smirk right off his lips. I would give my right arm—no, fuck it, I’d give up both my arms if it meant I could take that head from his shoulders and stake it into the ground like poor Zach.
And to think, not five minutes ago, I was hating myself for having such a physical reaction to him. My body had responded to the mere sight of him. As soon as he spoke to me in that gruff, sexy voice, my heart had leapt into my throat and my thighs had clenched. I was a goner when he presented me with his back to collect the folder, and I saw all the tight, rippling muscles working away under his cut. My mouth watered at the tattoos peeking out from the arms of the shirt he wore, and my tongue longed to trace down the ink as it snaked around his forearms.
Dante had always had the ability to set my body aflame. Fortunately for me, he also had the ability to douse that arousal out and replace it with nothing but fury.
“You—” I began, only to be interrupted.
“Oh, Rachel,” he laughed. “What’s with the look of anger? Try to think positively about this.”
“Oh, positive? I positively think you’re a cunt. How’s that?”
“Cute.” He smirked, making me want to slice his lips off his face and shove them up his asshole.
And yet that smirk still did insane things to me, and I wanted to die on the spot thinking that he may notice.
I hated myself for having such an intense reaction to him, and yet he couldn’t have cared less. He was immune to me. He didn’t crave me like I craved him, and it was so fucking obvious he had moved on. Just like I thought I had.
He made me feel crazy. My emotions flipped within seconds whenever I was around him. I craved him and I hated him. I had once thought I loved him. And now I wanted to claw his eyeballs and shove them so far up his ass he threw them back up.
He confused me. He clouded my judgement. I couldn’t think straight when I was around him. His mere presence was consuming, and I was fighting for control, just like I always had whenever he was near.
“You’ve done a good job,” I admitted, pausing as I considered my next words. I couldn’t afford to make one wrong move here. “The folder. The evidence. The threats on my parents’ lives… But you’re more insane than I thought you were if you believed I was going to give in that easy. You don’t get to do everything by your own rules. If we’re doing this, if you’re really going to force me to stay here for six months, then we need to lay some ground rules.”
His eyes lit up, and it was at that moment I knew I had lost.
I could make all the terms and conditions under the sun, but he was the victor here. He was getting what he wanted. Me, back under his roof, the old lady he never wanted, but for some reason, he would never let go.
“Let’s hear them.”
I stepped closer to him, and before he could decipher my intentions, I gave in to my impulses and swung my hand up, delivering a hard slap across his face, the clap echoing through the room.
“And now we negotiate,” I grinned, sitting down on the sofa, resisting the urge to shake the sting from my palm.
Dante sat in the chair opposite me, a huge red handprint on his cheek. I let out a small huff of satisfaction and crossed my legs, swinging my foot in his direction.
He glared at me, his fists clenched at his sides, but he never made a move to retaliate.
Count your lucky stars, Rachel!
“First stipulation. I want Axel returned to me the moment this conversation is over.”
“Done. I may need to get an ice pack first, though. That’s one nasty right hook you’ve got.”
“I’ve been practicing.”
“I can see.” He shook his head, a smile on his lips. “Next?”
“What’s the terms here? What happens after six months?”
“Well…” he paused as he thought it through. “How about this? If you’re still not happy here after six months of solid effort, then you’re free to leave. You can take Axel with you—andBee, if that’s what you wish. But you must stay in Leeds, preferably in the compound. We’ll keep the courts out of it, and we’ll both sign a legal statement, signed and notarised, agreeing to co-parent, but I will only come for visitation. But you must agree to six months ofsolideffort, Rachel. Or else there’s no fucking point.”
That seemed too easy. Nothing was ever simple as far as Dante was concerned. “And if I don’t last the six months?”
“Then we shall never speak again—”
“Sold! Bye!” I said, shooting to my feet.
