Page 33 of Peaches

“God woman, you’re going to kill me,” I grate out finally succeeding in cutting her off as I force my eyes closed. “Fine! No addendums. But I at least reserve the right to read it over before I let our office hit ‘publish.’”

I open my eyes to see her angry glare. She hasn’t said no, but she hasn’t agreed yet, either.

“Do we have a deal?”

“How long?”

“What?”

“How long are we staying? How long do I have to put up this... act… to please you? Hell, what I should be asking is why! Why can’t you just march in there like a man and tell them you don’t have a fiancé?”

Her words hit a nerve, but I try and hide it as I take another step forward.

The damn contract. That’s why!

But I see no reason to explain that to her. After all, she’s just passing through in my life. Once I can find a way out of something I never should have signed to begin with, we’ll part, like we should, and this, whatever it is between us, something that is getting harder and harder to deny, will only ever serve as an arrangement we both benefited from.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that asshole!

“What are you afraid of, huh, Brett?”

I take another step.

Make that two.

“What are you trying to hide?”

Step.

“Something tells me, there’s more to this little arrangement than you’re telling me,Brettly!”

She taunts me and I fucking hate it. Okay, maybe I fucking love it. I can’t tell much of a difference with this fire running through my veins.

So, I take one more step with haste.

“Something that could destroy you, and God I’d love to see the fucking day…”

Step.

“…when the mighty King is thrown off his publishing throne…”

It’s a slap in the face. A snub. Something my father does to me often and I don’t take well to things that remind me of my father.

Reaching out to her, I pull her into me harshly and grab her chin with my free hand. She fights me, pushes at my chest, but I’m definitely stronger and I make that known as my grip tightens and I force her eyes to meet my own.

“You’ll stay as long as you’re required, Grace. No shorter. No longer. And as far as fear. As far as anything I might be trying to suppress. Just try and talk to me like that again, Peaches, and you’ll learn all about the secrets in my fucking closet.”

But the look in her eyes tells me she’s not backing down, and fuck, it’s sexy as hell. We all have secrets. Some darker than others. And right now, both of ours are showing. I don’t have toseethem, I canfeelthem.

“Let’s get one thing straight,Brettly,” she hisses as she pushes her sinful body up closer to mine. “I don’t take orders from anyone, including you…”

A low laugh escapes my lips as I quickly cut her off. “You will, Peaches. Trust me. You. Will.”

When all that meets me in response is a heated scowl, I continue. “Do we have a deal?”

“On one condition.”

Well, that’s promising.

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