Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74291 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74291 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“Business?” Her hand goes up to her throat. I don’t bother answering her; instead, I hold the coat for her to slide into. “What kind of business, Mr. Anthes?” she asks.
She looks like a small, frightened doe who’s just been discovered by the hunter, who has her in his sights and his gun loaded. My mouth twists in a wry smile. It’s an accurate analogy because she is my prey and I’m definitely loaded and ready to fire into her—or maybe on her.
“Now, Ana,” I order, and it could be my imagination, but I see a shiver of awareness run through her body.
“I can’t leave,” she protests, standing. “I have another set.”
“No, I don’t believe you do. Joe? Get one of the other girls to fill in for Ana.”
“Sure thing, boss. Libby can do it.”
“I can’t afford to take off.” I ignore her answer. “I need to put my clothes on,” she says, holding on tightly to the belt of her robe.
“I’d prefer you didn’t,” I tell her because I just plan on ripping them off of her soon. “Now put on your coat and let’s go. You’ve kept me waiting long enough.”
“Listen, Mr. Anthes, boss or not, I’m not leaving until I get dressed. Further, I don’t think I’m stepping foot outside of this club until you tell me where we’re going.”
I look at her then. She’s completely serious. It’s a glitch in my plan that I didn’t foresee. Usually, women know who I am and are only too thrilled to do what I order. The fact that Ana doesn’t, irritates and intrigues me all at once. It is… unexpected.
“Everyone out.” I order, and the room goes still. Within just a matter of moments, everyone that had been viewing my conversation with Ana is gone. The last to leave is Joe, and as the door shuts behind him, I can see reality sink in on Ana.
“What are you doing?”
“Waiting for you to get dressed so we can leave. You have two minutes.”
“I can’t get dressed with you in here!” I ignore her and lean against the closed door with my arms folded and wait. “You need to leave,” she insists again, the nerves coming through her voice loud and clear. It’s clear she’s not going to fall into my hands easily. I could use her brother as leverage, but I find myself reluctant to do that, even now. Interesting.
I don’t know what it is about Ana. Normally I wouldn’t touch one of the dancers, or hell, any of the women that work for me. I’m careful about the women I choose. I have no explanation other than I want her and I always get what I want. Time to make that clear.
“Take off the robe, Ana.”
She looks around the room helplessly.
“I—”
“Take. It. Off.”
“I will not. Why on earth would I?”
“Because I ordered you to,” I tell her, taking a step closer. This might be more fun than I anticipated.
Chapter Four
Ana
“Then I quit. I’ll get my things and leave,” I tell him, completely bluffing. I hear something in my voice. Something I don’t want to put a name to. He walks towards me … slowly, stealthily. He reminds me of a mountain lion on the prowl for its prey. The problem is, I’m the prey in the scenario and my legs seem to have become deadweights refusing to move. He stops when he gets right in front of me. He towers over me and I’m having trouble catching my breath.
“Take it off, Ana,” he orders again, but this order isn’t like the other. This order is soft and seductive. His voice is hoarse and needy like a lover’s, and when he says my name, small shivers of awareness run through my body.
“Why?”
“I want to see,” he says, which seems absurd because I was just naked onstage.
“What’s going on?” I ask, confused about why my body feels… excited. There are so many undercurrents between us, it seems surreal. Attracting Roman Anthes’s attention should be the last thing in the world I want, so why am I enjoying it?
“You caught my eye,” he says, as if that explains everything. Maybe it does.
It doesn’t explain my reaction to him, however.
He’s standing right in front of me. His large body overshadows me, making my five-foot-five frame feel small. His shoulders are so broad that even under his expensive suit you can tell he’s solid muscle. His dark hair is so black, the light in the room seems to absorb it so that it casts a glow around him. He’s that commanding. I instantly know he could color everything around him, take any room or situation over. Take me over. I should fear that, and on some level I do. It also excites me. The blood runs through my body and my pulse thrums as if I just ran fifty miles nonstop. His eyes are deep pools of blue, but not just any color of blue; these shine like the sky on a hot cloudless summer day. They warm you, and I do mean that literally. I feel the heat from him. My body feels hot and he’s most definitely the source. So hot that, without thinking, I come close to pulling the collar of my robe away from my body. At the last moment, I stop myself and lamely rub the side of my neck instead, unable to tear my eyes away from him.