Page 45 of Modern Romance September 2025 1-4
His smile widens. ‘Then please send Mr Tanaka in. I need to discuss with him my plans for taking his company and cutting it up into little pieces.’
CHAPTER THREE
Ulysses
Katla freezes, her gazeclear and cold. ‘You wouldn’t dare,’ she says. ‘You’d destroy Tanaka Solar just because I won’t go to bed with you?’
Little volcano. I can see her starting to boil already and I am here for it. She’s outraged, which of course she should be. Olympia will have my head when she finds out about my behaviour tonight but, as always, it’s better to ask forgiveness than it is to beg permission.
Not that I beg anything from anyone. Ever. I’m aware I am being a petulant child, but that doesn’t bother me. What bothers me is that she doesn’t seem to understand what I’m saying. I’ve already told her I’m not going to force her into my bed. I’ve no need to force any woman, not when I have so many who want to be there willingly.
So I laugh softly. ‘You mistake me, ice queen. Yes, I want to go to bed with you. I’ve made no secret of the fact, and what man wouldn’t? But all I’m actually asking for is time. However we spend that time is up to you.’
This doesn’t mollify her. I can see flashes of lightning in her eyes, like a thunderstorm over the blue seas of the Mediterranean.
‘For the sake of argument,’ she says, ‘How much time are we talking about here?’
I lean back in my chair and put one foot on the opposite knee, entirely at my leisure, as I like to be. Meanwhile, she sits bolt-upright with her hands clasped on the table, her chin at a belligerent angle. She’s all challenge, which looks incongruous with the reindeer antlers and Christmas sweater.
‘Well,’ I say. ‘Let’s see. You’ve refused me six times, so I’m thinking…perhaps one month for every one of those refusals.’
She blinks, shock flickering in her eyes. ‘So, six months? You can’t be serious.’
‘Miss Sigurdsdottir, I am always serious, especially when it comes to women.’
‘But…why? Why me?’
I stop lounging and lean forward, put my elbows on the table and clasp my hands, pinning her with my gaze so she can see just how serious I really am. ‘Because you are unique. You are rare. You are a mathematical genius and a beautiful woman and it’s no lie to say that I’m fascinated by you.’
She’s not expecting me to be so honest; I can tell by the way her pretty pink blush deepens. But there’s no point hiding my interest. After all, my presence here basically shouts it, so why shouldn’t she know she’s fascinating to me? That’s she’s rare and beautiful? That she’s unique?
‘Well,’ she says primly. ‘That’s very…interesting. But I’m not giving you six months. That’s ludicrous.’
‘I’m not here to debate the finer points of how ludicrous or otherwise my ultimatum is, Katla.’ I taste her name like it’s something sweet and hot, melting on my tongue. ‘I’m not here to bargain, either. I’m here to get what I want, no more and no less.’
‘And you’re going to use Mr Tanaka’s company to get it?’
‘Let’s be honest.’ I lean forward a little more. ‘My intention has always been to take Tanaka Solar. I let you and Tanaka walk away from our first meeting only because you captured my interest and I wanted to take some time to consider my approach. I have considered it now and this is my offer. At least I’m giving you a chance to save the company.’
Her gaze narrows into sharp needles of sapphire. ‘Or perhaps you don’t take it in the first place.’
I give another low laugh, very much enjoying the run for my money she’s giving me. I had no idea this Christmas Eve would turn out to be so…exhilarating.
‘Or maybe you could give me your time without arguing,’ I suggest.
Her delectable mouth hardens. ‘But I’mnotinterested in giving you my time. I don’t know how I can be any clearer.’
‘Really?’ I raise a brow. ‘I think you’re interested, Ms Sigurdsdottir. In fact, I’d go as far to say that now you can’t think of any else.’
‘You’re wrong.’
‘Am I? Care to test that theory—how me just how clear you can actually be?’
She pushes her chair back and rises to her feet. ‘I don’t care to test anything, thank you.’
‘So you’d really throw Tanaka Solar away?’ I ask. ‘Just so you don’t have to spend some time with me?’
There’s that pretty flush again, bringing colour to her cheeks. I watch it spread down the elegant column of her neck, making me salivate like a hungry wolf.
