“Just take it,” grated Sean. I could hear the rising anger in his voice.
Murray sat back in his chair, still grinning. “I could offer you a much better rate—” he started.
Sean leaned across the desk towards him. “You shut your mouth right now,” he said in a low, dangerous tone.
Murray smirked at him. “You want me to call the boys in here?”
“She’ll take the four hundred percent!” Sean snapped.
“Don’t you think she should at least hear her options? It’shername on the loan.”
“What?” I asked. “What are my options?”
“There are no other options!” snapped Sean. “Let me handle this!” I could see the muscles of his back standing out through his tank top: he was a heartbeat away from taking a swing.
Murray threw his head back and laughed. He didn’t look scared at all. I realized that this was fun to him. He was baiting Sean—he wanted him to lose it and hit him, just so he could have the fun of watching his heavies beat him up. It was going to happen unless I did something. “Sean’s right,” I said quickly. “Four hundred percent is fine. I’ll take it. Where do I sign?”
Murray laughter died away. He shook his head, a man denied his ultimate prize, but he didn’t stop grinning. Sean sat down, still glaring at him.
Murray printed off a document and slapped it down in front of me. While he took copies of my driver’s license, I read it thoroughly.Twice. With Sean looking over my shoulder. But it was just a standard loan agreement, save for the ridiculous interest rate. I signed, my hand shaking, and Murray pushed the cash across the desk to me. I scooped it into my purse.
“See you in six months,” said Murray cheerfully. “Or before.”
Sean glared at him, pulled me to my feet and swept me out of theroom, then out past the two heavies and into his car. Then he just sat there clutching the wheel, knuckles white.
“Sorry,” I said quietly. “I should have just agreed as soon as you said.” It was hitting me now how close we’d come to disaster. Another few seconds and Sean would have been in a fight with Murray’s two heavies. Even if he’d won, we sure as hell wouldn’t have gotten the loan.
Sean nodded silently. “It’s okay,” he muttered at last. “You didn’t know.”
“What...was it?” I asked tentatively. “What was my other option?” I thought I had a pretty good idea. “Did he want to have sex with me, or have me give him a blowjob or—”
Sean spun around to face me. There was more anger in his eyes than I’d ever seen and his hand crushed the steering wheel so hard I thought he was going to break it. It was intimidating...but not frightening, because it didn’t feel as if he was angryat me.“No,” he said in a strained voice. He turned away and started the engine.
“Worse than that?” I asked hesitantly.
He put the car in gear, but didn’t drive off straightaway. “Promise me something,” he said. He looked round at me again and this time he didn’t look angry: he looked scared. I’d never seen anything scare him before. “Promise me you’ll never go back there.”
I nodded slowly. “I promise.”
We moved off. It took several minutes for the mood to ease, which gave me plenty of time to think about what had just happened. He obviously hated Murray, had hated introducing me to him. But that alone didn’t explain how angry he’d gotten at the thought of me being ensnared by the creep. But I knew what would.
I didn’t know exactly what Murray had been trying to bargain me into, but it was obviously sexual. What if Sean was protective because he wanted me for his own? Was he expecting to bed me...did he think that was his right, in return for helping me?
What was really scary was...I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I knew I should be outraged but the idea of him fucking me had been scalding my brain since the first time I’d met him. And the darkeridea of him fucking meand me not having a choice about itwas, if I was totally honest with myself, also pretty hot.I need him,a little voice inside me murmured.I’d have to do anything he wanted….
God, I’m disgusting.
Was that it? God, thatwasit, wasn’t it? That totally explained why a bad boy like him would help me. I was going to be his sex slave for the next six months. I turned and stared at him, making it obvious, so that he couldn’t help but notice. I wanted to get it over with. I wanted him to know that I knew. I wanted him to just turn around and lay it out for me, and then pull over by the side of the road, order me into the back seat and tell me to take my clothes off and—
He turned around to look at me.
I forgot how to breathe.
“What?”he said. “You’ve been staring at me for five bloody miles.”
My heart was hammering away and my face was scalding hot. “I—” I swallowed. “I just—”
“What?”
