Chapter 62

He could at least acknowledge that we work together. There’s chemistry. ‘’Coming here? Don’t you normally take your serious day to day work to your office in the city?’’ I know he has one; he has a whole building apparently and spends the time he’s not here wherever that is. I will let this go and act like I don’t give a shit either. Maybe pretend the sex was mediocre. He clearly must have thought so.

‘’This one is a more casual arrangement; People I don’t want to be seen with publicly, make yourself scarce. Don’t come back till after three.’’ Alexi slides his hand into his pocket and pulls out his wallet, sliding out his black plastic and pushing it across the granite surface toward me. I just blink at the credit card and then at him with a questioning expression. He still carries on with his papers and doesn’t look my way.

‘’Go pick a new wardrobe. I want you dressing a little sexier in the evenings, and get a few formal dresses for events I have coming up that I’d like you to attend with me. I need a date that knows how to mingle socially and hold up intelligent conversations.’’ Commanding and emotionless, telling me what to do even if it is with his money.

‘’Another Demagio type arrangement?’’ I snap, even though I am trying not to let him get to me but his arrogant attitude and whole non-reaction to me coming down has me feeling like I want to kick him in the shins with pointed shoes.

‘’No. I told you, that won’t ever happen again. The only man who gets to touch you is me.’’ He drops his papers and pulls his food towards him, sliding his mug aside as I watch him silently. Simmering inside with weird hateful vibes that I cannot quite pinpoint. He just makes me so angry.

‘’So, we’re still on that? Sex didn’t cure you of that then.’’ I roll my eyes and glare at him, bringing it up myself because, to be honest, it’s pissing me off that he’s acting like we didn’t have sex, and damn good sex half the fucking night. It WAS good sex and that’s rare.

‘’I didn’t think it would, I just wanted to fuck you and show you who was boss. All last night did was secure the fact that I own you; you are disappointingly easy to manipulate for someone I had high hopes for. Your reputation is more than your skill London, and I was expecting fireworks and bedroom acrobatics, not tears and having to play nice.’’ And there’s that sadistic smug smirk as he focuses on his food. Every reason in his words that remind me why I despise this prick so much. I know that is not a joke. He’s not being arrogant or funny, he’s being dickhead Carrero.

‘’This is getting old. You need therapy. I don’t find anything attractive in this childish ownership bullshit you have going on and maybe you should find a new hobby or a fucking shrink.’’ I get up angrily, bubbling inside with hot lava and rage, not caring if I have food coming. He just crushed me by implying sex was dull and treating me like shit. I am not staying for this bull crap, tears burning in the back of my eyes, but he catches my wrist and yanks me back to him, so I plonk back down on the stool. He’s harsh and aggressive and sometimes makes me want to gauge his eyes out.

‘’You’re my new hobby. Get used to the attention, last night wasn’t a one-off and next time you will learn your place. You present a challenge, a little wildcat I want to tame and discipline and show how to behave in a way which befits something belonging to me.’’ This time it’s a sardonic smile, a confident tone that wreaks seriousness and I glare hatefully because I know he means every stupid word coming out of that idiotic mouth of his. This just went to a whole new level of war.

‘’Fuck off! Honest to God I cannot stand you and last night will never happen again. You were a mistake and a lame one at that, I have had better sex with my little finger.’’ I spit it at him, and he just grins at me like it’s the funniest thing he’s heard all day and rattles my temper some more. ‘’Getting under your skin, London? You’re losing your cool way more than you used to. You’re not that great an actress and I know for a fact if I dragged you upstairs right now, you would be as willing as you were last night. I can almost see your panties dropping at the thought.’’ Sarcasm is thick, and he drops my wrists and goes back to his plate, casually picking up his sandwich and taking a bite nonchalantly. He just looks cocky and self-assured that he’s ‘da man’ and the urge to knock his latte over his nice trousers is overwhelming. I toss his credit card back at him with rage in my veins and I aim it for his face but it misses and whizzes past his shoulder instead. Not that he seems to care or even acknowledge it, he’s too busy acting like I am an annoying mosquito that he is great at ignoring.

‘’I don’t need you adding more debt to my tab and drawing out this agony for longer. I’ll pay for my own clothes and you should know … I’m going apartment hunting, so I’ll be back when I am back.’’ I toss my hair over my shoulder bitchily and slide off my chair defiantly, walking off towards the inner door, so I can go retrieve my bag from upstairs, moving swiftly so I am out of reach quickly, but he stays put.