Bartered (The Encounter #1)(27)

Dammit. I was at a loss for words because it felt like he was making a declaration to a lover, not to a woman he barely knew.

“Hugo—” I tried to argue, but he immediately placed a finger on my lips to stop me.

“Two weeks.” He was reminding me of what I had promised him earlier this afternoon. “You have two weeks to think about it.”

I was at a war with myself. Mind and body fighting at both ends. I was beyond conflicted, staggering between the one I lusted after and the one I loved.

“Do you trust me?”

I didn’t require thinking about my answer. “Yes.” I nodded, whispering, “I trust you.”

“Then spend the night with me.”

Okay, I needed to slow down—to think for a second. Besides, I hadn’t come here alone.

“What about Elena? She’s probably wondering where I am.”

My excuses went unnoticed. “She’s with her friends. She’ll be fine,” he persisted, unwilling to allow anything to stop him from accomplishing his goal.

“Okay.” I nodded, hating myself for allowing this route to progress, though I somehow felt compelled to.

He was breaking the rules, but how far would he go to get what he wanted?





Chapter 16


Isobel


During the drive back to his villa, we both kept to ourselves. From time to time, I’d see him through my peripheral vision, giving me lingering glances.

My mind ran amuck.

Because, if the encounter we’d had earlier was simply part of the deal we’d agreed upon, it would’ve been fine. However, it sure as hell didn’t feel like it was. The business arrangement was no more and where we were at the moment was at a standstill. We had reached a stalemate.

I’m done fighting it. His words dug deep into my heart, but I wasn’t done fighting this—whatever this thing was we had. His admission should be enough to tell me how complicated this was going to get. Moreover, as much as I wanted to deny him, there was a piece of me yearning to know him. We were always at odds, and apart from the physical attraction, we had nothing else going on. Yet here we were, pondering. Contemplating.

I had never been in this situation where I despised someone while my heart would thump ever so loudly when he was near. Was this what they called love-hate? Craving someone you didn’t even like? Or was that lunacy?

The thought of what might happen tonight terrified me, although I couldn’t seem to stop myself. There was simply something about him. Maybe it was the air of mystery he had around him, or the way he looked at me. I mean, really looked at me like I was the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen. Or maybe because he’d been teasing me from the start, building this need, this palpable tension from the ground up until I was pouring out desperation and curiosity.

What did I really know? Hugo was the kind of man who always got what he wished for, and he had admitted he wanted me.

All of me.

When he had declared that earlier, whatever decisions I hadn’t been sure about before had all gone down the drain. The answer had dawned on me, causing me to feel helpless from not being able to stop this wild ride I was embarking on with Hugo Xavier, playboy extraordinaire. This was it. After tonight, I would have to own up to my mistakes.

Taking a peek at his profile, I knew there was no way out of this without getting hurt, one way or the other. Undeterred, I rested my head against the headrest and continued watching him as he drove… breathed… lived.

“Why can’t I resist you?” I finally whispered, breaking his concentration.

He made an arresting smile. “Think, long and hard,” he said, giving me a quick glance. “Three years ago. London, winter of 2011.”

I frowned, confused about what he’d just said. London? In 2011?

“What are you talking about?”

“The first time we met.”

“I’ve never met you until I went into that office in The Riviera.” It couldn’t be. I had perpetually been busy with Damen. I had wondered if there was something truly familiar about Hugo, but I hadn’t been able to come up with anything.

“If you say so,” he easily dismissed his claim, making me a little mad.

I made a strangled, groaning sound. “Dammit, Hugo. Now’s not the time to mess with my mind.”

Releasing a breath, he concentrated on the road before he responded to me. “I didn’t remember, actually, until a few days ago. There was something familiar about you, yet I couldn’t seem to grasp where and how it came about.”

2011… I pondered as the villa came into view. I continued trying to recall, but nothing came to light. Frustrated, I didn’t ask him again until we were parked and out of the car.

“You know I won’t stop asking until you tell me the truth,” I said as I watched him close my door.

He leaned me against the Bugatti, trapping me with his body as both of his hands situated against the top of the car, giving me only a small amount of breathing space. “If you don’t remember, then I don’t see the point of it.”

“You aren’t being fair.”

The back of his knuckles softly brushed against my jaw as he stared at my lips. “With you, I am being more than fair. My appetites are ravenous, but I’ve sacrificed my pleasures to pursue you.”