Cole made a considering sound in the back of his throat and looked to the side."You know what, Sunny...?"
I braced myself for more negotiations. Another round of having to tell him no while my aching body was screaming yes.
But when he returned his green gaze to me, his eyes were as cold as gravestones."You should be afraid."
He drew himself up even taller. I could tell he was purposefully trying to intimidate me with his height. It worked.
I gulped, and he slipped a finger underneath my chin, tipping my face up so I was forced to look at him as he informed me,"The longer you resist, the harder I'm going to take you when you finally give in."
The sick thrill charged through me again, liquid and electric. But this time, I stayed in control of my vocal cords.
"Then I won't give in!"I answered, lacing my voice with steely resolve.
Cole just smirked, icy amusement twisting his lips.
"Everyone knows The House always wins. And guess what, Sunny...."He leaned slightly forward to inform me,"I’m The House."
I stared at him with no idea how to come up with a good response to that.
But he didn't seem to need a response.
"I'll be expecting your terms by the end of the night."His no-longer-burning eyes scanned my naked body."And I'll have Agnes send up another dress. See you downstairs in the lobby. At seven pm."
With that, he stepped back and left me alone in the room—just as I'd wanted.
But it didn't feel like I'd won.
My body, which had been so unbearably hot just a few minutes ago, became incredibly cold. The floor was a mess of lost small combs and bobby pins. And one glance in the mirror revealed I looked a disaster, too. My front half was completely exposed in the destroyed dress, and my hair was now a cloud of curls underneath a lopsided beehive.
With ragged breaths, I picked up the phone to text Agnes an apology for having to replace the dress she’d arranged for me—only to have my heart nearly give out when I saw the time on the screen. 6:29 pm.
Less than ten minutes had passed since Cole barged into my hotel room.
Shame and embarrassment rushed through me, like they’d just been waiting on the sidelines for me to get done demeaning myself before they started asking me all sorts of judgmental questions.
Questions like:If it took him less than ten minutes to strip you out of your dress and emotions, what will he be able to do—convince you to do—when he gets some real time alone with you?
None of the answers I came up with ended with my pride and heart intact, which made the real answer to that question clear.
Okay, new resolution. No matter what transpired over the coming evening, I would not—could not—allow myself to go home with Cole Benton.
CHAPTER14
Sunny
I’ll be expectingyour terms by the end of the night.
Cole's words echoed in my head as I rode the regular-people elevator down to meet him in the lobby fifteen minutes after the appointed hour.
Listen, it took time and elbow grease to get redressed, fix up my makeup and hair, and stand in front of the mirror repeating to myself that I absolutely would not go home with Cole Benton tonight until I believed it. Well, believed it enough to look calm and collected as I crossed a sea of red carpet to where my fake fiancée was waiting for me in the middle of the hotel's lux lobby.
He'd changed into a tux that looked like it had been custom-made to hang just right on his long, lean frame. He'd alsoshaven since I saw him last and slicked his blond-and-ash hair back with a classic side part.
A sudden memory of how his stubbled chin felt against the skin of my sensitive neck flashed across my mind, nearly making me stumble over my feet.
But, of course, Cole appeared not even an iota as flustered as I felt.The nerve of him.
I had a sudden and violent urge to punch him for daring to look so unconscionably unbothered after what had transpired in my hotel room.
