Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 53764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
She slashed her hand through the air in frustrated anger. "Don't bullshit me, Marco. You were trying to protect your twenty-thousand dollar investment--"
His muscles tightened and he took a step toward her. "Bullshit. I've never given a fuck about the money. You know that by now. It's been about you the whole goddamn time."
"That's even worse! If it's been about me that means you don't trust me. You think I'm going to what? Steal your silver? Make off with your American Express card?"
He let out a long low sigh as if he wanted to be anywhere else but having this conversation. "No."
"Then what? What for God's sake?" she demanded to know.
His shoulders stiffened and his eyes glared and when he spoke, Natalie knew he was telling her his exact thoughts. "I thought you might--cheat on me."
Her brow wrinkled in confusion as her mind ran over the recent past. "Cheat on you? I wasn't even yours when you gave me that phone."
His eyes ran over her, top to bottom and landed back on her eyes. He studied her unwaveringly, his feet planted in a solid stance. "You've been mine since the day you slammed into me from behind, Natalie. You just didn't know it."
Natalie sucked in a breath and studied him from her vantage point a few feet away. There was a flame in his eyes as he watched her in return and a subtle tension in his limbs that he couldn't hide.
Her mind raced. He obviously had issues--cheating issues--sharing issues. She knew at once that she didn't want to lose him, but she couldn't be too easy on him. She couldn't let him get away with what he'd done without him knowing damn good and well he couldn't do it again.
When she continued to watch him in mute silence, his nostrils flared and he said, "What do you want?"
Natalie knew he was asking her what she wanted from him to make this all go away, but she had another issue that needed to be resolved as well. "Did you tamper with my laptop?"
"Hell, no." He stared at her without flinching and she knew he was telling the truth. He waited two heartbeats before continuing, "Again, what do you want?" he asked.
"You could start by apologizing, but then, you don't ever apologize, do you?"
The look he gave her was flinty. "I'm sorry."
"You're sorry you got caught," she retaliated at once.
"Yes," he had the nerve to admit.
"Damn you, Marco! You don't even know how to fight the right way."
A hint of a smile crossed his lips but just as quickly disappeared. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you. I'm sorry I tracked you." All humor left him as his expression became unyielding, unmerciful, obdurate. "Promise you're mine, Natalie. Give me that promise and let's put this behind us."
She let out a shaky breath. "I've promised before."
"No. I've demanded and you've given in."
"How's that different from now?" she questioned.
His muscles loosened beneath his suit and Natalie sensed it was because he was so close to his goal. His voice came firmly, his cadence steady as he laid out his points. "It's different because now I'm asking you to stay. To stay for the sole reason of being with me. You and me. Nobody else. I'm promising fidelity to you. That's something I've never promised before in my life and I want the same promise from you."
She didn't hesitate or think twice. "You have it. But you need to do better, Marco. You need to prove you trust me."
A frown came between his brows. "How?"
"I don't know. I'll leave that up to your analytical brain to figure out."
He crossed over to her, lifted her chin in his hand and kissed her on the forehead before encircling her tightly in his arms. "Thank you."
****
Marco walked in from work the next day and didn't say a word. He strode into the kitchen where Natalie was working, picked up her hand, and began pulling her in the direction of the elevators.
"What are you doing?" she asked as she stumbled and almost fell.
"Proving that I trust you," he answered quickly, as he pulled her into the elevator with him.
He released her hand and crossed his arms over his chest, and watched her intently with an expression she couldn't read. Leaning casually back against the wall, his eyes ran over her, from the top of her hair to her feet, stopping briefly to study her breasts. After the indolent appraisal, his gaze lifted to hers again and he spoke, dark humor and sarcasm lacing his voice. "Did you have a good day, dear?"
Natalie had no idea what he was up to; his manner and actions nothing she'd ever seen in him before. She answered hesitantly, "Yes."
He stared at her, his face impassive. "Would you like to fuck your lover in the elevator, darling?"