I gasp for air, quickly pulling my skirt down and smoothing back my hair. Holy crap. I wanted to arrive calm and collected, ready to face the challenge ahead.
Instead, I can feel the imprint of his fingers deep inside me, the ache of my body still wanting more.
But you’re not nervous anymore, a mischievous voice points out. You’re too turned on to care.
Taking a deep breath, I slide across the seat and climb out of the car. Outside, the house is even bigger than before, looming up in front of me in an intimidating shadow.
Vaughn is waiting, so I grab his hand and make my way up the front steps. “Should we knock?” I whisper, looking around. They knew I was coming, but the place is like a fortress: still and quiet.
Before he replies, there’s the sound of a bolt being drawn back. The huge doors swing open.
“Keely.” It’s Brent, Ashcroft’s oldest adopted son. He’s dressed in a designer suit, his hair slicked back, and a smarmy smile on his face. “You made it. How was the trip?”
“Fine, thanks.”
Vaughn has gone totally still beside me, so I untangle our fingers and reach to shake Brent’s outstretched hand. “Thanks for having me,” I tell him awkwardly. “I know this must be weird for you, but I hope we can find a way to get along.”
“Of course.” Brent narrows his eyes, glaring. He turns.
“I’m sorry,” I say quickly. “I didn’t introduce you. This is my... friend--”
“I know.” Brent stops me with a smug grin. “Vaughn, my man, good to see you again.”
What?
I turn to Vaughn in confusion. How do they know each other?
2
VAUGHN
What the fuck?
It’s him. The smug son of a bitch who hired me to seduce Keely. Standing in the doorway with a shit-eating grin on that face of his. Brent Ashcroft.
Keely’s rival for the Ashcroft millions. Her biggest enemy.
My greatest threat.
“How’ve you been?” Brent smirks at me. I have to clench my fists not to smash his fucking face in.
Keely looks back and forth between us, her eyes wide with confusion. “I don’t understand...” she whispers.
“We met at some charity function, right?” I pretend like I’m just recognizing him. “Sorry, man, so many faces at those things.”
“Right.” Brent gives me a look, like he’s got my number. “It was a while back.”
“Oh.” I feel Keely relax beside me. “What a strange coincidence!”
“Small world,” I growl.
No fucking way is this a coincidence.
Brent stands aside, and Keely steps inside. “Wow,” she whispers, looking up at the vaulted ceilings of the grand lobby. It’s all black and white tiled floors and fuck-off oil paintings, with a huge staircase leading up to the first floor.
“Albert will show you to your suite.” Brent snaps his fingers sharply, and an old white-haired guy in a suit hurries over. He reaches for the cases, but I stop him. The dude has to be pushing eighty.
“I’ve got it.” I easily hoist them over my shoulder.
“You get settled in,” Brent tells us, still looking smug as hell. “Dinner is at eight thirty. Nothing special, just family. Wear whatever.”
“See you later.” Keely gives him a nervous smile. I can tell she’s overwhelmed, and that look on her face only gets more awestruck as Albert takes us up to the first floor and down a long corridor lined with Persian rugs. Finally, he pushes open the double doors at the end of the hall.
“The Cerulean suite,” he announces.
I dump our bags on the thick carpet. The room is massive, filled with antique furniture and an epic four-poster bed. Carved wood, a classic canopy... I run a hand over the posts and test their resistant.
Yeah, they’ll take her thrashing, tied up and blindfolded while I fuck that sweet ass into submission.
“Is this to your liking?” Albert asks politely.
“Yes, thank you.” Keely smiles.
He nods, and backs out of the room, closing the doors behind him.
“Can you believe this place?” Keely exclaims. She goes to the window, looking out at the view of lawns and fountains and -- yup, a goddamn lake. “It feels like a fairytale. This can’t be mine.”
“But it is.” I pause. “I left my wallet in the car,” I lie. “I’ll be right back.”
She nods, and starts to unpack. I walk back downstairs, my mind racing.
Brent fucking Ashcroft. Was this his plan all along? Keely said something about a morality clause in the will. She would get disinherited completely with any evidence she’s done something wrong.
Am I Brent’s secret weapon? Is that why he hired me to fuck her?
And why should I care?
You’re here to ruin her too, remember?
As if I could forget. Ashcroft destroyed my family. Drove my father to suicide. I swore I’d have my revenge, but the bastard died before I could make him suffer. Now, I’m going to tear his legacy down, brick by fucking brick, if it’s the last thing I do.
Keely is his daughter. His sole heir. The key to my darkest revenge. But only if she doesn’t learn the truth about who I am.
“I have to say, I’m surprised to see you here.”
I spin around. Brent’s leaning against the wall in the lobby. He’s dropped the phony smile. Now he’s glaring at me with angry suspicion.
“I figured when you cancelled our arrangement, it meant that you’d failed.”
“I never fail,” I shoot back. “I just don’t want to be in business with scum like you.”
Brent narrows his eyes. “I wonder what Keely thinks about our deal.”
I close the distance between us in a few strides. “You don’t say a fucking word to her.”
“Or what?” Brent smirks, and this time I don’t hold back. I grab the lapels of his over-priced suit and slam him up against the wall.
Visit: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/439407 to purchase this book to continue reading. Show the author you appreciate their work!