“How—”much?My stomach drops. What the hell has Tod gotten me into? “How are his debts my problem?” I demand, forcing my chin higher as I turn to him.
“Because he said you’d honor them.” He pushes his hands into his pockets and takes a couple of ambling steps closer.
“Tod says a lot of things that don’t make any sense.”
“That sounds like it could be a problem.”
“Yes, a him andyouproblem.” I shake the skirt of my dress because I find I can’t look at him and be brave.
“If coming on my face wasn’t part payment, why exactly are you here?”
Because boys will be boys.And girls will be women, I almost say.
“Because Tod has obviously gotten himself into trouble.” I straighten and flick my hair over my shoulder as I put a couple of steps between us.Hopefully without doing a solid impersonation of a newborn foal.“And I came here to… to sort this out.”
She came. Then she went on wobbling legs. Her eyeballs still rolling in her head.
“But the thing is, you can’t get blood out of a stone.”
“I’m sure you’d be surprised what I can get blood out of.” His voice sounds as dark as a grave. “But that’s beside the point.”
“Then what is the point?” I pivot to face him, my post-orgasm high quickly dissipating.
“The debt is yours, beautiful. What are you going to do about it?”
“That’s ridiculous,” I retort, attempting to stare down my nose at him. It's no easy feat, given he’s at least six inches taller despite my heels. “I don’t have that kind of money.”
“When you own an art gallery?”
“A new gallery.”In a shipping container, I almost insert. “Like most new ventures, cash flow is a problem,” I add uneasily.
“You’re saying it would be difficult?”
“Yes.”
“But not impossible. Not for your family.”
“Is that what this is about?” My stomach sinks to my Manolo’s dupes. “Because if you think you’ll be able to extort my brother, you’re mistaken.”
“I wouldn’t be extorting him. You would.”
“No, I wouldn’t.” The words hit the air on the breath of a laugh because it would be impossible! It’s not like I could ask for a loan either, not without explaining what it’s for. Whit already thinks Tod is my pet project. He’d laugh me out of London if I asked him for a loan to bail him out.
“Given the right incentive, I’m sure you could.” Reaching out, he lightly curls a lock of my hair around his finger. Worse, my treacherous insides seem to like him doing it. “You wouldn’t like the tabloids to get a hold of this. Billionaire banker’s sister caught in an illegal gambling den? It would be terrible if someone had footage, wouldn’t it?”
My eyes fly wide before they flick around the room. “You have cameras—in here?”
“Relax,” he says, taking my face in his hands. “I kind of wish I had because that was…” His cat-like eyes are the color of dark chocolate and bitter coffee, yet they burn so bright.
“How do I know you’re not lying?”
“I guess you don’t.” His lips brush my cheek before he releases me. “I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a liar.”
“That’s exactly what a liar would say,” I murmur, trying to swallow back my panic.
“That’s probably also true.”
“People go to prison these days for revenge porn, you know.” Rather than a warning or a threat, I just sound worried. Really worried.
