Page 27 of Savage Temptation
“Why don’t you wash up? It’s been a long flight after a very traumatic experience. The hot water will feel refreshing.”
Come to think of it, after last night, I most definitely need a shower. Not only are my muscles weary, but my hair is a tangled mess of sweat, and I’m caked in the remnants of our lovemaking.
He sits next to me on the bed, his hand placed lightly on my thigh. “And you’re right, this is huge. I don’t want you thinking that I find your worries trivial. It’s just that we’ve already committed to the arrangement, so worrying would be done needlessly. I’d much rather focus on enjoying myself.”
Something about the way he looks at me makes my heart ache. Like this would be so much better if it were more than thirty days.
But who am I kidding? Any amount of time in Atticus Savage’s bed is a gift. It’s best not to get too greedy.
I make my way into the bathroom to freshen up, still mulling over the details of last night.
What started with getting thrown into a foreign jail ended with me in bed with Atticus again, and I’m not even sure how it got that far.
Then I remember his kiss, his confession. It’s lonely at the top, said so sadly, with such longing.
Atticus can’t trust women because all they’ve ever wanted from him is access to his wealth and power. I represent something he’s never had before. Something he craves.
It feels silly that I should feel sorry for someone like Atticus, who lives a life of obscene luxury and decadence, but money buys security far easier than it does happiness.
After I finish showering, I pull on something comfortable and seek out Atticus. His raised voice catches my attention.
“Fine, if he decides to pull out of negotiations—let him.I have more than enough people backing the Playground.”
Anxiety needles me, because I’m pretty sure him being absent from last night’s party had much greater ramifications than he let on.
“If he wants to have the only platform without access, he’s welcome to it. We’ll see how his stock fares……what does that even matter……it wasn’t even a launch. It was only meant to showcase a very small aspect of the greater technology……”
The world tilts as dizziness crashes over me. This is so much worse than I had imagined.
Atticus sighs audibly. “Fine, then. I’ll fly out to see him.”
I slink away, reeling from what I just heard.
I’m pretty sure I cost Atticus a client. My stupidity, which led to me ending up in a foreign jail, had real-world consequences for Atticus-Freakin’-Savage.
A sick feeling roils my gut. I’m Atticus’s mistake.
“This is your captain speaking,”a voice streams through the cabin.“We will land in approximately twenty minutes. If you could please proceed to your seat and fasten your—”
I can’t focus. All I can do is think about how Atticus’s Playground won’t be on all the platforms. How it leaves room for competitors to gain a foothold in the market.
“Tessa, are you okay?”
I look over to see Atticus’s concerned face.
“This was a mistake!” I blurt out.
His face falls. He looks hurt, which seems ridiculous. He should be angry.
“You can’t risk clients over me! What if you lose your foothold? A competitor could come in. What if—”
He pulls me to his chest, and my legs turn to jelly.
“I wish you hadn’t heard that.”
“Now people are going to doubt your product, and it’s all my fault.”
“First, there are no competitors, because no one else can do what I do. I have a monopoly because of it, and until technology advances, it’ll remain that way.”
