Cal’s eyes dropped to his cuffs, which he adjusted with sharp movements. “Done.”
Damn it. I’d gone too low. My heart fluttered, and I didn’t know why. Was it the thrill of knowing I’d be making enough money to finally have stability and a nest egg?
Orwas it the thrill of knowing I’d be working with Callum Frost for the next six months?
I narrowed my eyes, wanting to make one final effort to push him away. “Half paid up front, nonrefundable. Even if I quit at the end of my first day.”
His eyes snapped up to meet mine. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Sounds like Mr. ‘name any condition you want written into the contract’ was full of shit, after all. What a surprise.”
His gaze had lost all its warmth, and I knew I was dealing with the director of a successful venture capital firm now. Not the man who thought I was beautiful and perfect, who’d kissed me and called me love. He squared his shoulders and drilled his gaze into mine. “You want me to hand over a hundred and fifty grand when I might get nothing out of it.”
“You’ll get to know you convinced me to do something that every fiber of my being is telling me is a bad idea. And you’d get at least one day. That’s gotta be worth a hundred and fifty, no?” I smiled. There was a wall between us now, and that was good. It made me feel like I was dying inside, but it was good.
He blinked slowly, arched a brow, and tilted his head to concede the point. Then he smiled, sharklike and dangerous. “Can you start Monday?”
“I can start when my lawyer’s reviewed the contract and I’m happy you’re not going to screw me over.” I didn’t have a lawyer, but that was neither here nor there.
His smile widened. “I like you, Deena.”
He’d said all manner of things to me, over the phone and in this room. He’d ripped me apart and put me back together. But that one sentence… that was the one that felt truly dangerous. Something was shifting between us, and I had the distinct impression I’d played my cards all wrong.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “The feeling is most definitely not mutual.”
He laughed again, the sound of it making a shiver tremble through my body. Then he extended a hand toward me to shake on it. I looked at it for a second, certain that I was making the biggest mistake of my life.
I’d failed in pushing him away, and I had a feeling the boundaries I was trying to erect between us were as solid as cobwebs to him. But I had to dosomething. I couldn’t leave this room feeling like I wasfallingfor him, for God’s sake.
Besides, with a hundred and fifty thousand dollars, I could pay off my loans. I wouldn’t have much more than that, but I’d be able to afford a new laptop. All I had to give him was one single day.
I could do one day. Couldn’t I?
Inhaling sharply, I slid my palm against his. Despite everything, the touch was electric. I felt it like lightning in the veins of my arm, forking through my body as warmth settled between my thighs. His eyes were the color of winter, but they were alive with triumph. That, combined with the feel of his broad, hot palm against mine—and the stickiness of our mutual pleasure still coating my thighs—made me feel like I’d just agreed to snuggle up with a very hungry lion.
“Pleasure doing business with you, Deena.”
“My lawyer will be in touch,” I replied, pulling my hand away.
“And until then?” he asked.
I frowned at him, not understanding.
Cal tipped his head toward the door. “How do you propose we handle the rest of this evening?”
A breath whistled out of me. Somehow, I’d forgotten where I was. I bit my lip and blinked at the door, remembering everything—and everyone—who waited beyond it. “Oh, crap,” I muttered.
In my peripheral vision, I caught the curve of Callum’s smile.
FOURTEEN
DEENA
The underskirtof my dress was crinkled beyond recognition, but the crystal-encrusted tulle hid some of the damage. The nearest bathroom was at the far end of the hall, which meant I’d have to pass the big double doors leading to the party room and probably run into half a dozen of my mother’s closest frenemies on the way there.
Yeah, no. That wasn’t happening. I pulled out a tiny compact mirror from my purse and checked my face. I was flushed, and my concealer had creased under my eyes. I patted it out and reapplied my lip gloss, then tried my best to finger-comb my hair. Cal leaned against the billiards table, watching me.
His gaze was a hot brand. I glanced over my shoulder to arch my brows at him, and he blinked lazily. “You look perfect, Deena,” he rumbled.
