Page 79 of Emperor of Corruption
“You don’t want this to be over, either,” he growls.
He’s wrong. He has to be wrong.
“Don’t pretend to know what I’m thinking,” I snap.
“Then look me in the eyes and tell me I don’t turn you on more than anyone’s ever turned you on. That you don’t think about me in your free time, obsess over me, and fantasize over what I’ve done to you and what I might do to you next.”
My jaw clenches, and I glare at him. “Youtraumatizedme!”
“Once, and out of necessity. It was either get leverage on you that’d keep your mouth shut or kill you. Would you have preferred I chose the latter?”
“The first time we were together—and the second,andthird and fourth. Those memories haunt me.”
“Do they?” Killian challenges. “Or do they titillate you? You’ve had to be in control of your life since you were a toddler. Look me in the eye and tell me that having me take the decisions from you isn’t a relief.”
“Having someone ignore my consent iscertainlynot a relief,” I hiss. “You don’t respect me. You don’t admire me. Youuseme, and can’t understand why I won’t accept your bribes or use you back. You’re completely out-of-touch, and you make me feel like shit far more often than you make me smile.”
“Idorespect you!” Killian roars, stunning me into silence. “And Idofucking admire you, no matter how hard I try not to—and believe me, Lyra, I fuckingtry.I try to see you as beneath me, but youaren’t.You’re all I think about. I sit in boardroom meetings and remember the sound of your voice and the way you moan when I fuck you like I hate you, the way you cry when I hurt you.”
“Y-you’re just infatuated,” I say, but the statement is weak.
“Maybe,” Killian agrees. “In any case, I don’t want this to be done in a week.”
I shake my head. “This is one of the cases where you won’t get what you want, Killian. Our time together has been…interesting, but it’s also broken pieces of me that need time to heal. I can’t stay with you, knowing the impact that two months have already had. I sleep on mycouchbecause I can’t stand the sight of my bed. I go into work every dayhorrifiedthat it’ll be the day you decide to leak the tape you made of me. You’re bad for me—we’retoxic together. You’ve never made me happy—not once.”
“I’ve made you come really,reallyhard,” he retorts.
“That’s not the same thing. You don’t make me laugh or smile.”
“I could.” His voice has quieted. “I could make you happy.”
I release a cruel laugh. “How? You can’t even make yourself happy. You try to fill the empty void inside you with money, but that won’t work. It’ll never work. If you want my advice, look for love. Whether it’s from friends or a significant other—that’sthe only thing that’ll have the power to heal you.”
I’ve barely gotten home when Killian calls me. I contemplate ignoring him, especially in light of the tense conversation we had, but ultimately decide against provoking him.
“Yes?” I answer.
“I’m traveling in a week, for about a week.” Killian sounds distracted, and I hear the noise of typing in the background. If he’s upsetabout how our conversation went, he doesn’t show it. “I have several meetings and events to attend in Europe. We’ll leave on Saturday and return on Monday.”
My stomach bottoms out. “We?Return on… Monday?” I shake my head. “Killian, that Saturday is our last interview together. Then it’s over.”
“We’ve missed interviews. This will make up for them. You’ll be staying in the finest hotels in the world, dining at the best restaurants. I want to hear athank you, not a refusal.”
My eyes squeeze shut. My lips thin. “I can’t afford to take a week off work.”
“You won’t be taking it off work. In fact, you’ll be working very hard. Taking my cock whenever I feel like fucking you—which will be often—and accompanying me to meetings and any evening events.”
My brows touch. “Not as your date, though, right?”
Killian pauses. “Of course, not as my date. You’re not interested in heightening your social status; I’m not interested in investing energy into someone who’s a lost cause.”
He’s reverted to Asshole Killian because I refused him. I’m not surprised, but I am somewhat disappointed. As much as his attempts to extend our arrangement were futile, it felt nice to see the depths of his desire for me.
“I still can’t take a week away from the office,” I say. Sarah might’ve been nice to me for a bit because I got mugged and then decided to catch the plague—her words, not mine—but her leniency with me is very slim these days.
“Your boss already approved my reallocation of your work time,” Killian says.
I freeze. “You went over my head?”Again?
