Page 30 of Pleasure Payback

‘Nowyou are. Two years ago, you weren’t.’

My fingers curled into fists. ‘Because you saw to it that I wouldn’t be given the chance. We had a verbal agreement. My trip to Boston was to get the contract signed. Only the morning after we spent the night together, the deal was suddenly off the table.’ Two years’ worth of acrimony and fury bubbled, threatened to erupt. ‘Was the sexthatbad?’

He speared me a hard look. ‘Self-deprecation doesn’t suit you.’

‘Then what was it?’ I pressed. ‘Were you bored? Was messing with me and my business some way to add a little spice to your life?’

He raked his fingers through his hair. ‘Believe it or not, it wasn’t personal.’

‘Really? It feltextremelypersonal. You came to Boston to finalise your portion of the deal. You knew the name of my hotel. You must’ve known who I was when you met with Cahill.’

His lips flattened. ‘Names didn’t interest me. I was interested in facts and figures. Yours didn’t add up.’

‘And you deduced that after, what, an hour? Do you know how long I spent getting that deal together? How hard I worked and how many chips I cashed to make it work?’

‘That was your problem,’ he fired back. ‘You were betting your every last cent on a partnership that would’ve crushed you within a year. I could smell your desperation in the figures.’

‘You bastard.’

The jibe hit its mark and his eyes narrowed. He exhaled harshly as he absorbed it. ‘If you think I’m that despicable, why did you sign up for the show?’

I wasn’t going to expose my true motives. Not until I had him on his knees. ‘Maybe I wanted to look you in the eye and tell you to your face what I think of you. Looks like not enough people have done that in your life.’

A touch of apprehension whispered over his features. ‘And now you’ve done that? Now you’ve satisfied yourself that I’m a complete bastard, are you going to draw a line under it?’

I laughed. ‘You’d love that, wouldn’t you?’

His face tightened. ‘Remember what I said, Neve. I don’t like surprises. And I especially don’t like the wool being pulled over my eyes.’

‘You should’ve considered that before you dismissed me out of hand two years ago.’

‘How long will it take you to get this out of your system?’

I laughed again. ‘I wasn’t aware I was on a deadline. There is one on how much time I want to spend in your company though, so if you don’t mind I’d like you to leave now.’

He didn’t budge. ‘Whatever you have up your sleeve, bear in mind what adverse impact it could have on our new partnership.’

‘Absolutely none. I want this project with Sam and Tyler to work. My feelings towards you won’t impact that.’

Something gleamed in his eyes. ‘I’m glad to hear it. But you’re wrong on one score. I’m equally invested in this. Perhaps more than you know. So I’m going to be keeping an eye on you.’

Absurdly, I grew hot despite being raw inside from his admission that he’d unapologetically screwed me over. I had a feeling that wound would take time to stop stinging.

Thanks to him, almost overnight my business had dried up, word of mouth already a serious threat to my business. Within weeks the bank had been threatening to pull its funding.

It’d taken the best part of a year of back-breaking hard work, total rebranding and an aggressive marketing plan to ensure that I didn’t go under.

I’d emerged from that ordeal better and stronger but the lesson had been hard and a part of me remained battered and bruised by the experience. Andnopart of me was ready to let Damian off the hook.

I’m equally invested in this. Perhaps more than you know.

His words ricocheted in my head. I eyed him. ‘Why? This is just a small cog in your family business. Besides, you don’t strike me as someone who’s into fantasies. Nightmares maybe?’

The corner of his mouth kicked up, and that small action fired heat straight to my clit. ‘This is as good a swan song as any. As for my fantasies, they’re many and varied. Maybe when that homicidal look is no longer in your eyes, I might be inclined to show you one of them.’

My ache in my midriff felt at odds with the heaviness in my breasts and the softening in my pelvis. How could I despise him and want to fuck him blind at the same time? ‘That’s assuming you’re still sane by the time I’m done with you.’

His gaze fired up, dropping to my mouth. ‘You do realise the more you hint at your nebulous plans for me, the more I’m inclined to let you go through with whatever it is you have up your sleeve?’

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