Page 25 of Darkness Tempt Me
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I snap. It isn’t like Mavik to lose his composure, especially the day before an important client meeting.
Mavik’s head whips up.
I walk over to his side right as he stands. I reach for his tie automatically and start fixing it for him. “You need to snap out of it. The Sinclair meeting is tomorrow, and you gave me material I’ve never seen before. We need to prepare. You’ve been wanting to meet with the man forever. I know you don’t want to screw this up.”
I found it strange that Mr. Sinclair insisted I be there too, but some clients are like that for whatever reason. Sometimes it’s as simple as wanting to see how the hotshots treat their employees.
Mavik lets out a loud huff of frustration. “You’re right.” He scrubs a hand through his dark hair again. He tugs my hands away and finishes tying his tie himself. “Fuck, you’re right. I need to get myself together. It’s just—”
I place my hand over his. “It’s just what?”
He studies the way my palm rests on top of his before his brown eyes trail over to mine. “What I show you stays between us, understand?”
I roll my eyes. “Of course. I signed a damn NDA before taking this job, remember?
“Right,” he says, looking oddly hurt. He pulls his hand away, and suddenly I’m wishing I’d kept my damn mouth shut about the NDA. It isn’t the only reason I wouldn’t talk.
“Plus,” I say in a softer tone. “You can trust me with anything; you know that. And there’s nothing you can do or say that’ll make me change my mind about you. There’s no one out there who will get me to spill your secrets.Ever.”
A small smile flickers across his lips as his face softens. “Loyal to a fault,” he says, caressing a light finger across my cheekbone, the pad of his thumb landing on my bottom lip. The touch sends a jolt of electricity through me, and my cock jerks. My mouth falls open as I stare into his possessive gaze. Mavik Blackwood just touched me. He never touches me like this. Even those quick hugs and shoulder squeezes weren’t quite like this. This was more…intimate.
As if realizing what he just did, he steps back, putting some distance between us before reaching for a folder on his desk. He pulls out a pretty envelope with a wax seal and hands it to me.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a letter from my Uncle Mick. As you know, he was the former owner of Blackwood Investments. He left this for me with his will. Go on, read it.”
I open the envelope with shaky hands. I’m touched that he would let me read something so personal, but part of me wants him to just give me theCliffsNotesversion. If the contents of this letter are what have him on edge, why the fuck would I want to read it? I tug the decorative stationery from the envelope and unfold it.
Peering down, my eyes eat up the words faster and faster as I read. My mouth falls open, and when I get to a particular line, I gasp.
I know you’ve had your eye on someone for quite a while now.
Jealousy swirls in my stomach. I glance up at him briefly before diving back into the letter. I don’t want to know who Mavik has had his eye on.
Marry him, son. Or marry someone else who will make you happy.
I don’t want to know who the‘him’is. But fuck that.Ican make him happy. I know I can if he’d let me.
With shaky fingers, I refold the letter and try to place it back in the envelope unseeingly. I fumble a few times before Mavik finally takes it from my grasp and places it back on his desk.
“Mavik,” I whisper. “What did I just read?” I think I understand, but I need to hear it from him.
He goes on to explain the breakdown of his uncle’s will and his demands. He tells me about his cousins and how they’ve been trying to get some of their uncle’s stock since he got sick. He explains how he could lose his company if he doesn’t marry someone and stay married for at least a year. All the while, I half listen with all my blood rushing to my head. Then, something he says just…clicks.
Time seems to speed up, and I’m brought back to the present. A surge of energy zips through me. “Choose me!” I blurt.
That scary-as-fuck, intense look bores into me, but I don’t care. Or hell, maybe that intoxicating stare is what encourages me to explain.
“I’ll do it,” I say, nobly volunteering as tribute. Fuck me, am I really saying this out loud? Hell yes, I am. “I’ll do it,” I repeat.
Marrying the man of my dreams? Sign me the hell up. I’ve watched enough rom-coms and read enough romance to know that fake-marrying your boss is the fastest way to falling in love.
Unfortunately for me, the crestfallen look on Mavik’s face says wedding bells won’t be in our future anytime soon.
“I can’t. We can’t.” His gaze somehow grows more intense. Dark. Almost angry.
I prop a palm on my hip. “And why the fuck not?” I ask, my bratty side rearing its head and wanting attention.
