Maximo.
What other explanation is there? My bank didn’t just freeze on its own. My writing didn’t disappear because of some computer glitch. It’s too much of a coincidence, all of this happening, right after returning here. Yesterday, everything was fine.
Fingers balled into fists, I make my way to the door and surprisingly find it's unlocked. The fact that he’s so convinced he has me trapped that he doesn’t have to lock me in my room only adds to my rage.
I twist the door handle and march upstairs to his office. This time, I won’t hold back. The gloves are off, you bastard!
CHAPTER 14
Maximo
My office door smacks against the wall with so much force that I reach for my gun. Only to realize the threat stomping toward me is Elena. Her pink cheeks and flaring gaze tells me that she’s discovered what I’ve done. I expected some reaction from her, but not this. She actually looks like she has every intention of murdering me, right here, right now.
She walks right up to my desk and plants her hands against the glass surface. “You did this, didn’t you?”
“Did what exactly?” I drawl, slipping my gun back into the top drawer. As soon as I clipped her wings, my anger faded to a dull roar. I’m usually in better control of myself, but Elena manages to push me over the edge more often than I care to admit. I had three whole days once I caught up with her to simmer in it. “I can’t admit to something unless I know what it is.”
She seethes, leaning forward. Our relative positions give me a peek down the front of her shirt. She’s wearing a simple white lace bra, her chest heaving. My memory immediately recalls the way she looked as she orgasmed. Flushed, delicious, andmine.If she thinks she’s getting away from me after that, she’s so very wrong.
She glares daggers at me. “I don’t know how you did it, but you froze my bank account. You took down the website where I sell my stories.”
I’m half tempted to deny her accusations, just to see what she’ll do. But if I want this relationship to work, then it needs a firm foundation, and that includes being truthful with each other no matter how much it may hurt.
My father’s a hard man, but he’s always been honest. He taught me that in the long run honesty really is the best policy. Maybe I should start taking his advice.
Leaning casually back in my chair, I say, “Yes. I did that.”
“Why—?” she wails.
“Iwarnedyou there’d be consequences if you acted out. These are those consequences.” I fold my hands on the desk. “Now you have a very important question to answer. Will you marry me, Elena?”
She stares at me, teeth clenched. A beat goes by before she responds. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
She never curses, at least not aloud. She must be furious.
“I’m not. In fact, I’ve never been more serious.” Outside I’m calm as a deep lake, but internally my emotions batter around in a storm. This is not how I wanted to propose to Elena, but I told her she’d have to answer this question sooner rather than later, never mind her trip to California. So… here we are. Right where we left off before she decided to run away.
Further narrowing her eyes, she says, “I’m going to make this clear enough that it might get through your thick skull. Maximo, I willnevermarry you. Never. You can take your proposal, and your ring, and go to hell.”
Hurt curls around my chest and squeezes tight. She doesn’t mean that, not really. I know she finds me attractive. She kissedme back. I’m her inspiration for the love interest in her story. She wants me, she just won’t admit it because she’s too goddamn stubborn.
Besides, Elena has to agree to marry me. How am I supposed to successfully lead this family if I can’t get this one woman to obey me? If the other dons saw me right now, they’d laugh. They’d think I’m weak. Is it really too much to ask to be wanted back by the woman I love?
It doesn’t matter. Those powerful men don’t let love rule their lives and neither should I. I love her with all my heart, she’s my obsession, but that doesn’t mean I’ve gone soft. I’ll do what has to be done—no matter what.
With that in mind, I slowly rise to my feet, towering over Elena. Rounding the desk, I stalk toward her. She straightens, her angry gaze cooled by uncertainty and a hint of fear. Her body rotates to face mine as I trap her between me and the desk.
“W-what are you doing?” Her pupils blow wide as I close the distance between us. Not a sliver of air exists between our bodies. I drink in her heady scent and the sight of the flush in her cheeks. She can deny it all she wants, but I turn her on. She can’t hide that.
“I wanted to give you at least the illusion of a choice—as a courtesy.” I angle my head down to speak against her ear. “But the cold, hard truth is that choice is an illusion. We belong together. Our fates are aligned. You can’t run from that, at least not forever. The sooner you give in to this—to us—the happier we will be.”
Standing tall, I gaze into her eyes. I take her hand in mine and she lets me, though I note how her fingers tremble. From my pocket, I retrieve the pink diamond ring I had created especially for her, and slowly, with intention, slide it onto her ring finger.
“You’re mine, Elena Pontrelli. You’re my fiancée now, and soon you’ll be my wife.”
Her breath hitches. “But I don’t want this.”
I scowl as I mentally push away her rejection. If only she knew how long I’ve craved to be this close to her, to hold her in my arms, to be the man to give her the world.
