LITMIR.BIZ

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pressed his hand against the cold glass. Catching his own reflection in the window, he was startled by the cold rage in his eyes.

      Disaster. He hadn’t done anything like he’d planned. He’d actually slept with Letty. And now…it might be so much worse. His hand tightened against the window. He looked back, and his jaw tightened.

      Her fault, he thought. All hers.

      “Are you up?” Letty murmured. “Come back to bed.”

      She was beneath the blankets now, looking sleepy and adorable with her dark hair tumbling over his pillows. She’d covered herself with the comforter. As if he hadn’t seen everything, touched everything, tasted everything already.

      His body hardened against his will, already desiring her again. He’d just had her, and he already wanted more. He wanted to take her on the bed. Against the wall. Against the window. Again and again. He stared at her in bewildered fury. Truly she was poison.

      But did he really imagine after everything that had gone wrong tonight, the gold digger couldn’t achieve her ultimate goal—marriage and total command, not just of his fortune, but of his body and soul?

      He clawed a hand through his hair.

      “Darius, what’s wrong?”

      He repeated flatly, “You love me?”

      “It’s true,” she whispered.

      He took a step toward the bed.

      “What is it, Letty?” he said in a low voice. “Did you plan all along to renegotiate the deal? One night isn’t enough, is that it? You don’t want to be a rental, but a permanent sale?”

      She frowned. “What are you talking about?”

      Darius’s jaw felt so tight it ached. Grabbing gray sweatpants from a sleek built-in drawer, he pulled them up over his naked body. He forced his shoulders to relax, forced himself to face her. When he spoke, his voice was like ice.

      “You don’t love me. You don’t even know what the word means. When I think of how I once adored you, it sickens me. Especially now—now we both know what you really are.”

      Her forehead creased. “What are you talking about?”

      “This night. This whole night. Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

      “I don’t!”

      “Don’t play the outraged innocent. You sold your virginity to me for the price of a hundred thousand dollars.”

      For a moment, his hard words echoed in the shadowy bedroom. The two of them stared at each other in silence.

      “What are you talking about?”

      “Your email,” he said impatiently. “Claiming you needed to pay off some mobster who’d broken your father’s arm and threatened to break his whole body if he didn’t come up with a hundred thousand dollars within the week.” He tilted his head curiously. “Is it true? Or just a convenient excuse?”

      Her eyes were wide. “My father’s broken arm…” She seemed to shudder as she pulled the blankets up higher against her neck. “I never sent any message.”

      His lips curved sardonically. “So who did?”

      Letty’s cheeks were bright red. “I…” Running her hand over her eyes, she said, “So that’s why you came for me? You were buying a night in bed?”

      “What did you think?”

      “I thought…” She faltered. “I thought you’d forgiven me for what I did…”

      He snorted. “Ten years ago? You did me a favor. I’ve been better off without you. Your other fiancé must have realized that fast, since he didn’t bother to stick around, either.” His jaw set. “What I’ll never forgive is what you and your father did to my dad. He died an early death because of you. Lost his job, his life savings. He lost everything, had a heart attack and died.” He bared his teeth in a sharklike smile. “Because of you.”

      “Darius, it’s not what you think,” she blurted out. “I…”

      “Oh, is this the part where you come up with an explanation that makes you look like an innocent saint?” he drawled. “Go on, Letty. Tell me how your betrayal was actually a favor. Explain how you destroyed my family at great personal sacrifice, because you loved me so much.” His voice dripped contempt. “Tell me all about your love.”

      She opened her mouth.

      Then snapped it closed.

      Darius’s lip twisted coldly. “That’s what I thought.”

      She blinked fast, her beautiful eyes anguished. She took a deep breath and spoke one small word. “Please…”

      But mercy had been burned from his soul. He shrugged. “I thought it would be amusing to see you again. I didn’t actually intend to sleep with you, but you were so willing, I finally thought, why not?” He sighed as if bored. “But though I paid for the whole night, I find I’ve already lost interest.” Leaning forward, he confided, “And just as one entrepreneur to another, you sold yourself too cheaply. You could have bartered for a higher price with your virginity. Just a suggestion as you go forward with your new career. What is it called now? Paid mistress? Professional girlfriend?”

      “How can you be so cruel?” She shook her head. “When you came to the diner tonight, I saw the same boy I loved…”

      “Really?” He tilted his head, quirking a dark eyebrow. “Oh. Right. Since you’d kept your virginity in reserve all these years, you thought if you tossed in a little romance, I’d fall for you like a stone, just like I did back then. ‘I love you, Darius. I never stopped loving you,’” he mimicked mockingly.

      “Stop!” she cried, covering her ears with her hands. “Please stop!”

      Some of her blanket had slipped where she sat on his bed, revealing a curvy breast. He could see the faint pink tip of her nipple, and he could still taste the sweetness of her, still remember how it had felt to be deep inside her.

      His breath came hard. Sleeping with her hadn’t satiated his desire. To the contrary. He only wanted her more.

      The fact she still had such power over him was infuriating.

      Turning sharply, he went to his desk. He pulled a cashier’s check from a leather binder. Returning to the bed, he tossed it toward her.

      “There. I believe this concludes our business.”

      Letty’s lovely face looked dazed as she picked up the cashier’s check from the bed. She looked at it.

      “If you have another client tonight, don’t let me keep you,” he drawled.

      She briefly closed her eyes and whispered, “You’re a monster.”

      “I’m a monster.” He barked a low, cruel laugh. “Me?”

      Turning away, she rose naked from the bed. He waited, wondering for a split second if she’d toss the check in his face and prove him wrong. If she did…

      But she didn’t. She just picked up her panties from the floor and walked to the door. He sneered at himself for being naive enough to even imagine the possibility she’d give up her hard-earned money for the sake of honor, or even pride!

      She left the bedroom, going out into the great room of the penthouse. He followed, watching as she collected her bra and shoes, then scooped her white dress from the floor. Putting it on after slipping on her panties, she buttoned the dress quickly, leaving gaps where he’d ripped off buttons in his haste to get it off her. She wouldn’t meet his eyes.

      Darius wanted to force her to look at him. He wanted her humiliated. He wanted her heartbroken. His pride demanded something he couldn’t name. More.

      She stuffed her bra in her handbag and put her

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