by E. M. Gayle
"I don't think so, babe," he said with a low timbre added to his voice. "I don't trust you not to run away again and I can't have that. Not this time."
I scoffed. "I didn't run away so much as I walked away from a nightmare as quickly as I could. Two totally different things. Besides, where am I going to go? I have to finish this stupid job of catering your ridiculous party so I can get back to the real work of opening my restaurant."
He smiled, but I doubted it was meant with even the slightest amount of humor. As I glanced around the empty room with no obvious escape but the door he stood firmly in front of, I finally realized how far over my head I'd gotten.
Still...
I had no plan to take this treatment lying down.
"Since this is my party as you so eloquently stated, that means I get a say in what you need to do and right now I need answers from you more than I need food."
I blew out an exasperated breath. I could see that arguing with him was going to get me exactly nowhere. It seemed I had two choices here. Indulge his demands and answer all of his questions or I was going to have to make a scene here in the hotel to get my way.
Both options sucked.
"I still have a reputation to curate here in Vegas. If you have important people out there in your suite then I NEED to do my job."
Something dark flashed in Vincent's eyes the minute the words came out of my mouth, but I didn't have time to react before he jerked the chain still tethering me to him and pulled me into his arms.
"Stop stalling. If this dinner is that important to you then I suggest that instead of arguing with me you start cooperating. I have all the time in the world and am willing to do anything to get what I want from you, Zia. Can you say the same?"
I swallowed thickly as my pulse raced and my throat thickened with my visceral reaction to this man. I didn't want to admit it, but there was still something between us that made me hesitate when with anyone else I would have flayed him open with my vicious use of the English language by now.
I mean I had a reputation. In my kitchen, I could take down men like him with ease. The arrogant ones who always thought they knew better than I did. And I wasn't going to take this from him either.
"Fuck you." Sure it was meant to be vulgar and direct. Unfortunately it came out breathless and a little weak.
"Oh, don't worry. I intend to. And with great pleasure just as soon as you beg me to."
I rolled my eyes. "Men. You are all the same. You're arrogance is ridiculous."
He tightened his hold against me and canted his hips so that his massive erection pressed between my legs and caused me to gasp. I know my face flamed red as well. And I wasn't even going to think about what else sparked hot.
"We are not all the same, but you already know that, don't you?"
This was the part where I was supposed to push him away and put my foot down. Yet, I didn't. Not because I couldn't, but because I didn't want to. A part of me hated him for what had happened because of our affair in Italy, but a stronger part of me longed for how he made me feel.
His need for me to acquiesce to his demands was a heady sensation that filled my mind and pushed everything else to the side.
I was losing ground and fast. Changing direction became imperative or I was going to give into something so primal I really didn't want to think about it.
"Is this really what you want? How you wanted this to go?" I asked, attempting to turn the tables on him. "We both know the chemistry that exists between us, but forcing my body to react to yours doesn't mean I've given you consent."
He didn't immediately respond, but I noticed the slight tightening of his jaw and the slow intake of breath that let me know I'd hit him right where I'd expected. Vincent had a dark streak a mile wide, but he'd seemed hell bent in Italy to make sure I understood I had a choice in everything and only when I gave him what he wanted of my own free will could he proceed.
"Under normal circumstances you'd be right. I don't desire to take you against your will. But these are no longer normal circumstances. That ended when you disappeared in Italy without so much as a word." He leaned his head down and moved his mouth close to my ear. Close enough that his warm breath fluttered across my skin as he spoke the next words. "Don't make the mistake of underestimating how determined I am to get what I want. I haven't gotten to where I'm at in my life without crossing a few lines that normal civilians won't touch. I will get my hands dirty if the ends justify the means."
My heart rate quickened at the steely tone of his determination. I had a feeling no amount of reason would break the hold he had on me.
Still. I couldn't—wouldn't give up. Ever.
That's not what I was made of. My grandmother had taught me a lot about adversity and how to overcome it. And if not, then I would fake it until I was back on course.
"I NEED this restaurant opening to go well, Vincent. Please. After what happened in Italy, can't you let me have this? I deserve this chance and that means I need to get my ass in your kitchen and finish the last of the preparations for your party." When he still said nothing, I continued. "You owe me at least this."
At my last words something changed. I could feel it in the rigidity of his posture and the look in his eyes. However, his hold did not change and I didn't know how I would do this if I couldn't appeal to the man I knew him to be. At least on the inside.
To the world, he presented something different. A strong but violent facade. I was sure it was necessary to his success as a fighter. But there was more to him than what he showed the world. There had to be. Otherwise I was an even bigger fool than I imagined.
As quickly as he'd entrapped me, he let me go. Although he still maintained the cuffs around my wrists as if to prove a point. If and when he let me go, it would be because it was what he wanted. That seemed clear.
"After the party we will finish this. You will explain everything. Agreed?"
I pressed my lips into a grim line, but nodded my head nonetheless. He wasn't the only one who would cross lines to get what he wanted. I had a goal and I could see the finish line. If I could just get through my to do list in the next twenty-seven days without screwing anything up.
Again.
Vincent pulled me close again and whispered at my ear, the rough rumble of his voice sending a shiver down my spine. "Don't think you can get away again. If you try, you won't like what I do. I promise you that."
With that he pulled free and like magic the cuffs were off my wrists and resting in his hands.
Absently, I rubbed at my wrists, the memories of another time he'd restrained me filling my mind. For the first time in weeks, I let the feeling of that night wash over me.
The subtle, but unyielding control he'd used on me that night... I gulped for air just thinking about it. Yes, it had been pleasurable and sexual, but God help me it had been so much more. He'd cracked open a part of me that I thought untouchable. A vulnerable spot that now scared me spitless and wouldn't go away.
"Go to the kitchen and do what you have to do. I have no doubt you will wow us all with your amazing talent. But remember, I will be waiting for you after and one way or another I will get what I want."
With his final warning I found I couldn't speak. But I didn't have to. He'd already disappeared into an adjoining room to do whatever famous heavy weight fighters did before their parties.
Thinking about the considerable erection he'd been sporting, I decided I didn't want to know what he did. I shook my head to clear those runaway thoughts and with a final rub to my wrist and the straightening of my spine, I exited the private lair of "The Destroyer" and considered myself lucky.
I had bought myself some extra time. The way I figured it, I had about three hours to come up with a new plan of escape or I was doomed.
Chapter Eight
VINCENT
I stalked through the living area of my suite for at least the twentieth time since she had disappeared into my kitchen. Her food had been delivered one cours
e at a time by her competent wait staff, but the elusive chef herself had yet to make an appearance.
However, the energy I'd experienced earlier hadn't dissipated. In fact, it seemed to grow stronger the longer I paced like a caged wild animal waiting for the right moment to go after its prey.
In some ways this party had been a mistake. It had gotten her where I wanted, but the infinite wait for this farce to end so I could finally have her to myself left me on edge as the blood rushed in my head and the building adrenaline reached dangerous levels.
I should have gone with my gut and taken her earlier when I had the chance. Because now I couldn't stop thinking about someone hurting her and that image threatened to drive me insane. She'd suffered because of her time with me and the desire to spill blood nearly overwhelmed me.
Time was up.
I signaled to my security team that I was done, knowing they would take care of gently clearing the room and I moved towards the kitchen while yanking the tie from around my neck. A monkey suit worked fine for many events and business that needed to be taken care of, but this wasn't one of them. I dropped the offending piece of clothing like it was a dirty rag and not a thousand-dollar accessory as I yanked the top two buttons free as well.
Her time was up. Her amazing food had been consumed and many of the guests would soon begin to slip away.
I'm not sure what I expected to find, but her hunched over the free standing island with a spoon of gelato poised at her lips, her shoes thrown to the side and her curvy ass staring me in the face wasn't it.
My body clenched as my gaze raked over every luscious inch of her.
Jesus fucking christ all I could think about was how it felt to be inside her warm body and how pitifully long it had been since our last night together.
Suddenly the raging need for answers gave way to an entirely different desire. A surge of blood rushed south as I entered the room without her knowledge and stalked close.
I needed her against me skin to skin. If I didn't get a taste now, there would be no holding the beast back this time.
"Zia." Her name in my broken voice was the only warning she got before I pressed against her, cock to ass. It didn't matter that there were two layers of clothes between us. We might as well have been naked as the heat sizzled across my nerves.
My head nearly exploded from the sensation of our bodies pressed together. Hard and soft. Sweet and not.
"Vincent!" Her breathless cry fueled the fever raging inside of me as I slid my hands around her waist and held onto her as if my life depended on it.
Maybe it did.
She'd come into my world on a whirlwind and left it just as suddenly, but she'd left a mark. A nagging, annoying almost desperate need to be with her again kind of mark. The kind that refused to go away no matter what I did.
I was beginning to think I should have taken her earlier when I had the chance. We needed some time away from our lives for just the two of us.
"I haven't stopped thinking about you since you left me." The growled words came out rough and I didn't care. I'd let her see the kind of man I could be in Italy and for that one night she'd embraced it. That had to mean something.
"We can't—"
"We can. And if you'd given me a chance to finish what we started, you'd already know that. One time wasn't enough."
I slid my right hand up her side and cupped her breast through the thin material of her dress. Her nipple was already hard before I pinched it tight between my fingers as I leaned over her and pressed my mouth to the back of her neck.
"We aren't done, beautiful. Not even close. In fact, we were just getting started."
Before she could respond, I released my grip on her nipple and listened to the sweet sound of her gasp as the blood rushed back to her tip. A low rumble formed in my chest as I bucked my hips against her backside.
"You always respond so beautifully to me, my Zia," I said, emotion beginning to fill my voice. She wasn't the only one affected in this situation.
As suddenly as she responded to me, her body stiffened and I stilled in response. I didn't know exactly what was going through her head, but I had a pretty good idea.
I'd sent her thoughts back to Italy and instead of finding her way back to the pleasure, she'd been reminded of what she still considered my betrayal. A fresh wave of anger surged through me and I had to bite back the harsh words threatening to come out.
"You aren't going to let this go." It wasn't a question, but it might as well have been a bomb if the look she gave me over her shoulder was any indication. Hurt filled her eyes for a moment before I saw them shutter closed.
"This is my life we're talking about," she said, her voice growing stronger with each uttered word. "Those pictures threaten everything. It's probably only a matter of time."
"And I told you I had nothing to do with them. You know that and I shouldn't have to keep repeating myself."
Before she opened her mouth to respond I saw the momentary flash of disbelief. It was enough to sober me as I stepped away from her on shaky legs. Not an easy task when a solid part of me insisted I take what I wanted no matter the consequences.
In fact, that instinct was so strong I couldn't promise it wouldn't happen the longer we stood here. When she slowly turned to face me, the need only got worse. Her face was flush with desire, her hard nipples poked at the flimsy fabric of her dress and her breaths seemed more labored than usual.
She wanted me as much as I wanted her. Our chemistry simply couldn't be denied.
"I'm not sure what it is you want from me, but I probably can't give it to you. That night ripped my life apart and I can't just forget that. At this point fault doesn't really matter. So whatever you were hoping to accomplish with this party isn't going to work. I don't trust you. Hell, I don't trust anyone right now." The huff of breath that accompanied her last statement made me want to turn her over my knee and spank the truth into her.
"I never wanted to hurt you. Not in the way you are thinking. But how many times will I have to say that to make you believe it?"
She dropped her head for a moment before she lifted it again and met my eyes.
"It doesn't matter what I believe. I screwed up. I went to Italy looking for some kind of escape and instead I made everything worse. Those are the consequences that I have to live with. Now I need you to let me put them behind me."
"No."
"Excuse me?" Her eyebrows climbed and her eyes widened.
I removed my suit jacket and smoothed the front of my trousers before I took a step toward her.
"What are you doing? She tried to take a step back, but had nowhere to go. She'd already backed herself into a corner so to say before I came in. She was mine and I wasn't going to let her forget it.
"I'm doing what I should have done months ago instead of letting you walk away."
Chapter Nine
ZIA
I stood staring dumbfounded at Vincent as he laid his jacket over the back of the stool standing next to me and began unfastening the buttons at his cuffs.
Why the hell was I still here?
After the last of the prepared dishes had left my makeshift kitchen In Vincent's suite, I'd heaved a sigh of relief that I'd finally made it through this event. Not that it hadn't gone well. The new dishes had been well received by the guests, with several sending compliments in to the chef. And the staff I'd brought with me had handled everything flawlessly. Actually, it had gone better than even I could have expected. All things considered.
The problem was me—and him.
If I'd been smart I would have left with the last of the staff. I could have slipped from the suite unseen while he was busy with his guests and avoided this confrontation all together. But my feet had ached almost as much as my head and—my heart. So I'd decided a moment of rest and reflection wouldn't kill me.
I might have been able to avoid Vincent for a while, but I'd known instinctively that nothing about our situation would be that easy. I still fel
t an energy between us that pulled me toward him that I'd never felt before or since our time together.
His energy.
It was addictive and corruptive all at the same time and I wasn't sure I could resist it for much longer. Not when he stalked the suite like a wild animal that would not be contained and not now with the hunger clearly etched on his face and lasered in on me.
"You said it yourself. We were in your villa. Someone you know had to have taken those pictures. Either way, the whole thing was a huge mistake."
"We were both set up and I have every intention of finding out who did it. And when I do, you can rest assured they will suffer for it. You don't really believe I had anything to do with that, do you?"
I didn't answer right away. Not because I didn't believe him, but because I kind of did. Not that I was ready to concede to him on that point yet. The pain that had robbed my breath and struck fear into my heart at the first blackmail note still lingered. My life had nearly been destroyed in a matter of seconds and I couldn't let that go.
I didn't know how to let that go.
"Because if you did, I don't believe your heart would be ready to beat out of your chest right now. Nor would the addictive scent of your arousal perfume this room as it does right now."
My mouth dropped open as he rolled the sleeves of his shirt and revealed the thick, corded muscles of his forearms and the tattoos that covered them. Immediately my fingers itched to touch them again. It had been months since I'd discovered he was nearly covered in them. And like then, I wanted to trace my way across every curve, valley and scar that made up the map of his carved from perfection body.
But my head wasn't quite ready to give in... And he hadn't answered my question.
"This is my life, Vincent. Not some game for you to play. Nor am I some toy you must have. Proving that we have chemistry means nothing if I can't trust you. You know that, right?"