“And end that way?”
Iain smiled at his ever-hopeful secretary. In spite of the man’s background and years working for Iain, Ned still had a way of looking for the good in people and situations. That urge had been beaten out of Iain long ago and he preferred to have a cold eye when looking at business dealings in particular and people in general. Never expect the best and the worst will not surprise you. And many times, it had kept him alive, too.
“One can hope.” His sarcasm was not missed by either of his employees. “We have four days left until Lady Clare arrives at the office, so—”
“You did not invite her here?” Ben asked.
“Nay, I want her to see what’s at stake for me. Why those blocks of Leith properties are the ones I need. Why no others in the area will work. Why she must sell them to me.” He shrugged. “All nice and honest. All in plain sight. And I am certain that the lady will see it my way.”
Neither asked the obvious question, so Iain let it lie.
He got what he wanted. Now, his position and recognition by the king forced him to work a bit differently than in his past, but it mattered not. The end result was the same—he got what he wanted. The strange thing in this matter was that he did find himself hoping—hoping that the lady gave in quickly.
For once in his life—in either life he’d lived—he hoped that his target would see the futility in resisting his efforts and give up swiftly. Lady Clare was dangerous for so many reasons and he’d rather be done with her and on to other endeavors quickly and cleanly. Every dealing he had with nobles endangered his reputation for success and created a desire within him for... something else.
For he’d faced the truth a long time before—his would never be the life of a usual man. His past held too many secrets and his soul too many black marks for him to gain the life of a decent man at the end. And, Iain had few regrets over his past. He understood it though and understood what it meant to his future.
So, he would continue to increase his holdings to satisfy his need for... more. He would rid himself of those who resisted his plans. And he would continue to repeat those actions until he was satisfied.
“Four days, gentlemen. I need all the information, scraps and bits about the lady that you have missed so far. What will work to soften her opposition to selling to me? What would make up for the loss of those particular properties? Which of her employees will cooperate with us? How much and what will it take to ensure that the earl works to my advantage?”
Iain needed a bath and a shave badly. His clothes were now thoroughly rumpled, and he needed to change before he left for the evening.
“All that and more, gentlemen. All that and more.”
Iain strode out into the hallway and up the stairs to his private chambers. Exhaustion rode him hard now and he was ready to give in to it. His valet appeared behind him and followed him into the bedchamber. About to order a bath, a meal and whisky, Iain smiled as Paul handed him the crystal goblet filled with an indecent amount of his best whisky.
“Your bath is nearly ready, sir. I will have a small meal ready for you when you finish.”
Iain swallowed a large amount of the smooth, smoky liquor before his valet refilled it. He must look much worse if the servant did not argue or raise a brow at how much he consumed. Two mouthfuls more emptied the glass. Paul silently took the glass from Iain and then opened the door to the bathing chamber. His body surrendered as the escaping steam swirled across the room in welcome.
If Paul or his other servants thought the frequency of his bathing was unusual, they did not mention it. And he paid them enough to keep their mouths shut so his habit went unremarked upon. He did not need the advice of some physician of the body or counselor of the mind to understand his need to wash often. Too long in the filth and dirt made his skin itch if he did not bathe daily.
Though his body found relief as he sank into the specially-designed large tub, his mind began racing to the meeting coming four days in the future. He considered each offer he would make, the expected response and his counteroffer. By the time he rose from the cooling water and accepted the drying cloth held out to him, he had his plan in place.
Four days and he would have what he wanted.
And, in four days, you will see her again.
The traitorous temptation whispered inside his thoughts, followed by another one.
In four days, you begin to take what’s hers now.
Iain rubbed the cloth down his body, encountering his hardened cock. His flesh understood his base needs. He did not just want the acres or buildings, he wanted the woman who owned them. After refusing him, he wanted her capitulation. He wanted her mouth where his hand now touched. He wanted to...
The cough at the door behind him brought him back to himself. Using the cloth to cover his aroused flesh, he walked into the bedchamber and climbed into the freshly-made bed, dropping the linen on the floor next to it.
Once alone, it took little effort or time to bring about satisfaction, but that did not quiet his thoughts or the growing hunger within him.
Four days. For better or worse, just four days.
Chapter Six
The thing shemissed most about Jonathan, if there was only one, was his friendship.
He had opened up the world to her, nay he’d created a new one for her. One in which she was his partner. One in which her worth was measured by love, not the marriage settlement she brought. One in which they shared a vision of their future together—in business, in life, in love.
And they talked for hours, planning and plotting their expansion.
