And every single evidence of her amoral brutality made me horny as hell.
“What is your game, Silas?” she spat out. “Why are you so stubbornly clinging onto a marriage that was based on a lie? I married you for your goddamn money, why can’t you get that through your thick skull!”
I couldn’t fuck this up.
“I know you did.I don’t care.” I gripped her wrist before she could pull away and kissed her fingers, rubbing them across my stubbly chin. “I have a lot of money, beautiful. Take it.”
She hesitated, and I pressed my advantage.
“You don’t have to love me right away. Just stay married to me. Let me make it worth your while. You could get $5 million with the divorce settlement, but I’ll make alotmore than $5 million dollars before 50. Especially now that I’m not the Governor anymore. If you stay, you can live in complete and utter luxury. You’ll have access to my pockets and they are deep as hell, sweetheart. Spend my money, dollface.Use me.”
She looked tempted for a moment, then shook her head.
“Yeah, but you’re such a greedy bastard, you’d want to keep all that to yourself. When I came to interview you for the animalrescue magazine, you said if the zoo wanted more funding, they should invest in real estate!”
“Oh?” I asked, finally realizing what I could do to convince her to give me another chance. “Stay with me, and I promise I’ll make Father Christmas look like a tight-fisted miser.”
CHAPTER 8
Paloma
Some time later. . .
My husband and I applauded enthusiastically at the Greenhill Rescue Society Benefit Fashion Show as Rowan walked by, the rich plummy purple of their cape showing off their long, elegant body to perfection.
“Stunning!” Silas called out, and I saw Rowan beam with pride.
“Manipulative bastard,” I hissed at him, adjusting the hem of my diamond-encrusted gown. “You think I don’t know what you’re doing? Resigning as Governor, paying for all my friends to get their dream jobs, donating money to all the causes I care about? You’re just doing it to manipulate me into fucking you.”
“Is it working?” he murmured, his rough fingers sliding up my back to sink his hands into my hair. “I didn’t want you to be bothered with all that Governor’s Wife shit. Life as the wife of a billionaire is more relaxing, isn’t it? All this luscious money. Think of how you’ve expanded the rescue society. Renovated quarters, new land. . . And a husband willing to do anything to please you. . .”
I shivered at his touch, at the way I could feel his breath sweep over my shoulder, the tiny little nip as his teeth sunk, just for a second, into my skin.
“No, it’s not working.”
“Little liar,” he chuckled.
If I turned I would see his head of thick dark hair falling over my shoulder, just a bit of silver on the sides, the strong masculine jawline.
“I cheated and you married me for my money. Let’s call it even, sweetheart.”
“Who says we’re even?” I countered. “You’re still manipulative as fuck.”
This man was dangerous. Something about the way he had looked up at me from that cuck chair had rearranged my brain chemistry.
Like he was never going to give up trying to win me over.
“What about you?” Silas countered. “Sitting there with your beautiful breasts and body in my face, because you know it’ll make me break and offer youeverythingfor the chance to get stepped on. $25,000 additional donation to this zoo for the chance to do something new tonight. Something you haven’t tried before.”
“At least,” he amended, grinning that devil’s smile at me. “I don’tthinkyou’ve tried this before.”
“$50,000,” I said.
“Done.”
He took my hand and put it to his lips.
“$60,000 and you kiss me right now.”
