His mouth twisted. This was one of the many reasons he wanted neither a wife nor children. Hell, it was why his rigorously controlled policy of seven days of dinner, sex—if both parties were willing—and a fond, tasteful, gift-strewn farewell was so successful. A policy he’dneveronce strayed from, long before he’d made his first million. It was why he’d even contemplated having a vasectomy, to remove the last risk of ever parenting a child and passing on the monstrous strain of crueltyApostolis and Agnes might have bequeathed to him. Nelios wasn’t entirely sure why he’d allowed Andreas to talk him out of that decision. But, no matter, with his system firmly in place, there would be no risk anyway.
Apparently, though, Vayle’s treatment from her father had driven her into his parents’ arms, them readily providing the saviour status they’d needed to trap her into a long, lucrative arrangement. No other explanation made sense.
So why are you digging any further?
He ignored the voice and watched her sip the drink his pleased butler had made her. Shifting in his seat when another wave of disgruntlement attacked his spine, he prodded the scab he was sure hid no festering wound. It couldn’t. It’d calcified a long time ago. As he’d told himself before, this was merely a matter of him learning his enemies’ ways.
‘How old are you, Vayle?’
Luminous blue eyes landed on his and blinked, searched. ‘Why?’
‘You earned a scholarship and have a degree in hospitality and marketing from a respectable university.’ His gaze moved over her, attempting not to recall how smooth her warm skin had felt beneath his fingers when he’d helped her with her zip. How her repeated breath-catching had threatened the edges of his control.How much he wanted to touch her again.‘You seem old enough to have taken over the helm of the hotel which bears your name. Why haven’t you?’
‘First of all, I’m twenty-six. And why don’t you ask me what you really mean—why haven’t I tossed Agnes out onto the streets like you claim they did to you?’ She shook her head and, while his gut clenched hard with each utterance of his mother’s name, heat pooled lower when his attention was drawn to the mouth pursing then twisting with displeasure at his questions.
Maybe this was truly a fool’s errand. Maybe he should just leave her blind and naively trusting, waiting for the buy-out to reach its final and acceptable outcome. Let her see how quickly she would be dropped by the woman she believed had her back. How devastatingly alone and cold the world would turn when Agnes walked away as callously from her as she’d walked away from him.
Feeling the bitter and cold fingers of desolation reach for him, he slammed those emotions back where they belonged—in the vault clearly markednever, ever again.He’d risen above those first shocking days and weeks of realising he was nothing but a pay cheque to those who should’ve cared that a twelve-year-old boy had two perfectly healthy parents who still walked the earth but had actively chosen to offload him like a piece of lost luggage just so they could pursue a greater ambition in life.
Hell, he’d even dug deep enough to kill the tears that had threatened after his third or fourth slap across the face when he’d spoken out for himself and other mistreated children under his foster parents’ roof. And the scales had long fallen off his eyes when he’d decided he’d be better off alone on the streets than remain in foster care any longer.
Nelios reminded himself how far he’d come. How those tricky few weeks had been the test he’d needed to reforge himself into something unbreakable, untouchable.
These days he surrounded himself with men and women who’d been through similar challenges. Such as Andreas; such as Capaldi. Every single person who held a position of note in his empire knew what it was like to suffer hardship. To go hungry for days. To fight in the darkest pits of hell. To know how to suffer bruise on top of bruise on top of inhumane humiliation and still keep going. They valued life, embraced the comforts of wealth and luxury but never forgot how easily it could all be stripped away, and they worked hard to ensure it never could be.
An apt tenet to live by if there was one.
So why are you revisiting the past?
‘Indeed.’ He realised he’d said it as much to himself as in response to her. ‘You’re right. That was what I was thinking. But I’m realising there’s no point. You won’t be convinced. And this subject has grown boring. You will be put on an aeroplane as soon as a flight is confirmed. I hope, for your sake, we never meet again.’
He knocked back the rest of his drink. This futile endeavour should’ve ended in Ascension when they’d stopped to refuel. Hell, it should never have started in London in the first place. He’d lowered his guard and allowed intrigue and, yes, his rare fascination with her, overrule his common sense. No more.
He uncrossed his leg and started to rise.
‘Wait.’
Nelios wasn’t sure why his gut tightened on hearing that husky imploration. Then he remembered when he’d heard it from her last; what she’d said immediately after that:I’ll do anything.He hadn’t yet tested that offer. He had dismissed it out of his mind because, as Andreas had scoffed, it was indeed a rookie mistake to offer such a thing to street-hardened predators such as them.
And yet… Nelios found himself doing as she’d asked: waiting; his senses on full alert and that pool of heat in his groin building, simmering.
She set down her glass and licked a drop of liquid from her bottom lip. ‘How do I get you to reconsider what…what you plan to do?’
‘It’s very simple. You can’t. Our association, such as it was, is over. Your hotel will be assessed for its viability and either subsumed as an annex to mine or disposed of.’
She shook her head so emphatically, silk strands slid against her nape. He wanted to touch that too.Theos. Was he so hardup? Frowning inwardly, he tried to remember the last time he’d had sex and was taken aback when he couldn’t remember. Seriously, had it been that long?
‘I refuse to accept that,’ she said firmly.
Against his will, amusement trickled through him. Nelios abstractedly noted that she seemed to command varying sensations within him. He wanted to throw her into prison one moment, then wanted to crack a smile in the next. A ping from the phone in his pocket drew yet another emotion: irritation. Three feelings within three minutes. Most likely a record.
Drawing out his phone, he read the message:
Guests list confirmed and attached for the pre-launch party.
Even before he’d returned the phone to his pocket he’d made up his mind. ‘You wish to attempt the futile?’ he taunted.
Her plump lips pursed. ‘I wish to keep talking. You said I had forty-eight hours. You not wanting to hear what I have to say shouldn’t change that. I have things to say to you, regardless.’
