Page 69 of Arrogant and Merciless

“What? You can’t force me to see you.”

I can’t, but my mind works fast, and it doesn’t take me long to find a way to keep her within reach.

“You’re being overly defensive, Taylor. Who said anything about force? I have a job offer for you.”

Taylor

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

“A job offer?I can't think of any job offer you could make that would interest me.”

I try to stay calm, keeping my end of the bargain—to have dinner with him—but inside, I’m trembling. Now I understand what Jackie meant when she said I’d been in love with William. The moment he claimed me, I remembered our first time and how he made me feel as intensely as today.

“It has to do with my job and yours, actually,” he says.

“How could that be possible? I know you’re a doctor.”

“You do volunteer work playing violin for the children at the association. I want to pay you to play at the hospital, three times a week, in the children’s ward for cancer patients who are hospitalized.”

I stare at him, slack-jawed, not believing what I’m hearing. After what happened upstairs—and after what he thinks of me—I thought he’d propose something obscene. I feel my face flush with embarrassment and, at the same time, for having overestimated how attractive he finds me.

“Why me?”

“Why not? I’ve been considering this for some time, and, having someone I know handy, it seemed logical to kill two birds with one stone.”

“Except you despise me.”

He doesn’t deny it. Irritatingly, he takes a sip of the champagne as if he has all the time in the world, then grimaces.

I blink, surprised. “You don’t like champagne?”

“No. I’m a hard liquor man.”

“Then why agree to my request?”

“You’re my guest.”

“No. I’m your . . .purchase . . .until dinner ends,” I say, a bitter taste in my mouth. I immediately regret it. Bickering with him for the next few hours won’t help anything. “Sorry.”

“I’m not the sensitive type, Taylor.”

“I’d never have guessed, William. You strike me as a flowers-and-hearts kind of guy.”

“Don’t be sarcastic.”

This time I don’t apologize, because that would be a lie. In some twisted, insane way, I enjoy provoking him. “Tell me about the job offer.”

“No, first finish eating. Once you’re done, I’ll show you something.”

* * *

An hour later, he has me follow him upstairs again, and the force of his presence behind me is so intense I swear I can feel his body heat. I’m curious about what he wants to show me, and also to hear what he’ll say about this supposed job.

If I am pregnant, I can’t refuse a paid position. Besides helping Jackie with our shared expenses, it would also support me and my child.

My God, a child!

A child with a man who thinks the worst of me, believes I jumped from his bed to his father’s. I try to push away the anger that jolts through me, recalling our argument and the things we said to each other.

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