Something about the way she knows me so fucking well makes my skin tight and my pulse ring in my ears. I want to tell her that she's wrong, but…she isn't.
Goddammit.
"You want me to suffer for kissing you and causing that accident?" she snaps. "Fine. I'll play your little game. But you don't get to enjoy it unless you play by my rules. And we both know you'll agree to play by my rules. That's how fucking desperate you are."
"Let's hear these rules, then." I lean back, crossing my arms. "But keep in mind, I don't negotiate with anyone, especially not with you."
It's a lie, and we both know it. If there's anyone in the world that I'm willing to negotiate with, it's her. I'll do whatever the fuck I have to do to get her in my bed, to own her the same way she's always owned me. Because it's exactly like she said: I'm fucking desperate.
I should hate her for that. I don't. I never have.
Her lips curl into a savage smile. "You will with me." She takes a breath, steadying herself. "I'll be your little plaything for a month. But you're going to teach me everything you know."
She's serious. I can see it in her eyes.
"Business?" I ask. "Or something else?"
She holds my stare. "Everything, Asher. You don't get to buy me and then act like a gentleman."
"A gentleman?" A laugh slips out before I can stop it. "And here I thought you'd ask for something impossible."
"Oh, I'm not finished." She places her hands flat on the desk, her fingers spread wide. "Five million. That's the price. You get thirty days, and at the end, I walk away with five million dollars. No more blacklists. No more sabotage. No more of your fucking games. I never have to see you again."
She spits the words like they're poison.
For a second, I'm stunned she didn't ask for blood. But I shouldn't be. She's always been practical beneath the dramatics, and she never does what I expect.
"Five million," I say it flat, as if it's chump change. Frankly, I'd pay ten times that to get her on her knees. I am curious why she's asking for it, though. Brielle has her own money. Maybe not as much as me, but enough to live comfortably for the rest of her life if that's what she wants. If she's after mine, it's because she's up to something. "Is that all?"
She snorts. "Of course you'd think selling myself to you for five million is no big deal."
It is a big deal. And I'll pay it because I want her that badly. Even more, I want her to know exactly what she's worth to me, in real numbers, in bruises, and in broken pride. But I don't tell her that.
Instead, I let her stew, let her think I'm still considering it.
She breaks first. Again.
"When do I start?" she demands.
"Tonight," I say, not missing a beat. "I'll be there at seven to pick you up. Don't keep me waiting."
She blinks. I can see her recalibrating, trying to get ahead of me. "That's not much notice," she protests.
I stand, rounding the desk. She stiffens, like she expects me to come at her again, but I stop just short of her. "I don't require notice, Brielle. You do what I say when I say it. That's the deal. You want the money and your freedom, you play by my rules. No renegotiations, no hesitation." I pause. "And no safewords."
"You don't get to beat me, Asher," she snaps.
"Beat you? Oh, princess," I smirk at her. "Wrong kink. I won't have to lay a hand on you to break you and make you beg." I pause. "But just so we're clear, you told me not to be a gentleman, and I don't plan to be. Iwon'tbe gentle with you. If you expect any part of this to be soft and sweet, prepare to be mistaken. I intend to fuck you until you collapse."
She'll fight me. She'll hate me. And she'll love every fucking thing I do to her. Because whether she wants to admit it or not, she's just as fucked-up and filthy as I am. And I intend to teach her precisely how good filthy feels.
She needs to learn to submit, not because she belongs on her knees, but because she needs to learn she doesn't have to control every goddamn thing. She doesn't have to wear that fucking armor every minute of the day.
"As if you're man enough," she practically snarls at me. "I'll be ready at seven."
"Good." I tap her chin with a single finger. She recoils, but I see a tiny shiver work its way through her. She may hate me, but she still wants me. It's enough. For now. "I'll send you what you need for tonight."
She doesn't like the sound of that at all. "What is it?"
