Page 5 of Good Girl Gone Bad

Chapter Two

Marco ran his fingers down his face. The post-climatic haze cleared out of his head as he withdrew from Lily then removed the condom and threw it in the tall, lined trash can. She pulled down her apron and smoothed her hands over it, and he almost wished he could take her again.

In less than two minutes she’d hate him. When he told her he was here to buy her salon, she’d be furious. And even then… Even with that possibility, his body still throbbed and tingled. His mind might catch up with reality, but the most honest part of his hadn’t. Screwing her hadn’t sated his hunger; it only worked as an appetizer for the exquisite banquet he planned to feast on. That he would feast on.

“What?” she asked, sensing his hesitation. She walked to the door and returned to the shop’s interior. “Why did you come here? You don’t need a haircut, do you?” she said, tossing him a glance over her shoulder.

He followed her out of the bathroom. After what they’d shared, she deserved nothing but the truth. “No.” He stalked toward her as she turned around and faced him. “I’ll start with my name. I’m Marco Giordano.”

She tilted her head to the side. “I’m Lily Jenkins. Should I know who you are?”

“Frank Stewart has been in touch with you,” he said, grateful his trusted employee had kept their identity undercover for the time being. He and Nico didn’t like revealing themselves until it was strictly necessary. People could use his family’s wealth as leverage for asking for more money, just because they had it. Using a third party made more sense.

In slow motion, Lily stepped back, the contours of her face hardening. The soft, warm, willing woman he’d just screwed disappeared. Disappointment flickered in her eyes. Marco’s spine locked into place, tension brewing in his gut. “You want me out of the shop?” she asked.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but yeah… Everyone else in the strip mall has agreed to sell their suite.”

She folded her arms over her chest. “Well, I haven’t.”

“I understand, but you’re behind on paying your bills. Even if we didn’t insist on doing this, you’d have maybe, what? One, two months? Three, tops, until you file for bankruptcy.”

She flattened her lips with a slow shake of her head. “I can’t believe this. You walk in here, hit me with your good looks and devil dick, and expect me to hand you the key to my suite? A place that was passed on to me from my parents?”

“Lily, when I came in here, I didn’t have an evil plan to sleep with you,” he said, for the sake of being proper, even though they technicality hadn’t slept. “I wanted to talk to you about your situation and help you see you’re better off selling your suite to us. We’re offering you well over the market value, and I’m willing to increase the offer.”

“No. I don’t need your charity. You used me,” she said, then erased the distance between them and slapped her palm on his cheek.

Merda.His skin stung a little, but the fact she slapped him awakened a reaction other than pain. His body roared, recognizing her touch even if in a much different way than minutes earlier. Renewed desire charged through him. Lily was passionate, vibrant, downright sexy—and she belonged in his bed.

“I didn’t come in here with the intention of seducing you. I apologize for not making it clear who I was, but who cares? Once we laid eyes on each other, nothing else mattered,” he said, holding her gaze. “If I have a devil dick, you have a heavenly pussy.”

An adorable wave of red spread across her cheeks and neck, a telling fact that she at least agreed with him on their strong pull. “Well, it happened. We’ll have to get over it and move forward.”

“I don’t want to get over it. I want to relive it. To do it again and again.”

She shrugged. “Tough luck.”

Maybe Elizabeth was right. His life would be easier if he didn’t need a contract for everything. The teenage boy in him, the one who took his father to a rehab clinic, disagreed. Contracts, for everything, made his life less complicated. He knew what to expect and what to give—without that structure, he’d be vulnerable to a give-and-take dynamic, and he’d lose. “I have a proposition for you. You have a debt that’s going to suck you dry. Let me take care of it. I’ll pay all your debts and find you another place nearby.”

She stood, hands perched at her waist. “It won’t be my mother’s. I used to come to this same place as a little girl. I once broke my arm running on that sidewalk,” she said, pointing to the window. “I won’t ever have the connection I have to this place somewhere else.”

He curled his fingers into a ball then uncurled them quickly. The sad look on her face made him want to rush to comfort her, but he had to be strong. Sentimentalism had no place in the business world. Another lesson his father had taught him early in life. “No, but it’ll be a more modern setup, in a better neighborhood, in a place that’ll give you more chances to succeed.”

She unfolded her arms and let them fall to her sides. “Why can’t I succeed right here?”

He perched his hands at his waist. A pang of frustration stabbed at him, but he breathed in and out quickly and continued. “Because I need the space to make a garage for the restaurants, shops, and the entertainment area we’re creating. This exact location is perfect. Think about all the jobs we’ll offer to those who need to work.”

“All the jobs? Like you care about the common man? You must be joking. Besides, even if I sell it to you, I won’t be able to afford a place like one of those you mentioned.”

“Yes, you will. I’ll…give you money,” he said, the words escaping his mouth without his permission. Shit. Moments with her and he was already making bad business decisions.

She threw him a skeptical look. “Why would you do that?”

Wheels began to turn rapidly in his brain. If he helped her financially, what could he possibly ask for? He cleared his throat. “Because I want something in return.”

“Ah. Of course. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. What can I possibly offer you?” she asked, unruffled.

What indeed?His lip curled into a smile. She’d be shocked in a second or two, but he needed to finish his proposal. Contracts dictated his life, so why not make a dirty one? “I want your body in my bed. One month. Then I’ll move you to a place where clients will appreciate your talent.” And I’ll never bother you again. Certainly, four weeks would be enough to water down the fire between them.

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