Chapter 9

‘‘Miss Walters? ’’ He eyes me sideways with more of a smirk than a smile and shakes his head lightly, almost a little cutely for someone like him. I hold my breath as he leans achingly close to me, shoulder to shoulder, dipping that huge height to meet my smaller frame a little. I have always had a thing for big men who make me feel delicate, and Alexi does exactly that; a perfect specimen.

I inhale that heady spicy aftershave and again have to calm the fire going on in my nether regions at his close proximity. I swear he gives me the walking horn.

‘’Yes, Mr Carrero?’’ I breathe sexily and angle my hip closer in a bid to reach him. Playing coy, lip biting and lifting my chin so he gets the kiss me vibes thrown his way shamelessly. Nothing to stop him going in for the kill, and he looks me dead in the eye, those almost colourless portals to a wicked mind that stir up all my crazy hormones, and yet they lose all warmth in that expression.

His smooth, relaxed look, hits on cold and hard in a blink.

‘’If I wanted to fuck you, I would have done it by now.’’ He says it dryly, all hints of charming gone and nothing but a cold tone and icy glare in its place.

My jaw drops at the sudden change in him and his assumption he could have laid me at any time of his choosing before now. Even if it might be true from this side of things, it’s the assumption that I’m an easy lay before he even got to know anything about me.

‘’I didn’t pay fifty grand for a common whore who tries to seduce me in my own elevator! Drop the act, get it into your head that I have an actual use for you and if you could keep your panties on and your eyes on the goal, we will get along just fine. There’s nothing less of a turn on than a woman who throws herself at you so obviously.’’ He pushes me away harshly with a fingertip on my shoulder, winding me slightly with such unchivalrous force and steps away, straightening his jacket and flexes his shoulders as the doors slide open. Leaving me completely gobsmacked and standing gawping like a complete moron.

He knows how to push my buttons alright; anger buttons, and I am fuming as horny heat is replaced with fiery anger. I just blink at him, my heart pounding, pride wounded and a tiny tremor of rage simmering inside of me like a dull ember trying to catch alight. Breathing hard and just locked on that gaze in a silent war of ‘who the fuck do you think you are?’

Carrero is an utter fucking arsehole of epic proportions. He is no gentleman at all!!!

‘‘After you …’’ He motions out the open door and I push myself up to storm past him with my chin in the air and a defiant frown plastered on my very annoyed face; shaking my head in disbelief that he just blew me off in an extremely unclassy and undignified way. I had him pegged completely wrong.

He must be gay; no man has ever turned me down when I am on the charm offensive.

Wanker!

It’s not that I haven’t met challenges before, but I have never been given a straight-out rebuff in such a wanker-esque way.

‘’Sit.’’ He commands and catches me by the upper arm as we walk into Luciano’s office. Tight enough to annoy me. I glower at him as he almost tosses me into a nearby chair, all chivalrous behaviour has gone south it seems; manhandling me like a piece of meat, and he continues walking to old farts desk in the corner.

I notice Lucie pie is up on his feet and sweating like a pig as he stammers out Alexi’s name, but I am too busy grumbling over what a prick he actually is.

Squirm oinklet … I hope he treats you as shittily as he just did me.

Might be the only fun I get out of Carrero starchy pants today. I still can’t believe he just humiliated me like that in his goddamn lift.

Complete and utter wanker.

‘‘Alexi … I, Mr Carrero … I wasn’t expecting you back for a few weeks.’’ Luciano looks like he might actually pop that vein on his own and I settle myself comfily into my chair for the show, resigned to sulk a little while he deals with the bane of my life and I unruffle some of my feathers.

Alexi walks past him and motions him out of the way with a thumb jerk and then pulls open the desk drawer as Lucie looks ready to pass out. Paling and repelling water profusely, instant panic and sweat hitting full force, the guilt is practically dripping off him in neon flashing waves.

‘’Where are the books?’’ Alexi’s tone is harsh, not so much of a snap but not amused as he slams the drawer and pulls the next one out. I am assuming this is him moving into pissed mode, and Luciano knows it. Carrero is on a mission to find them whether Lucie helps or not.

‘’I moved them … ummm, my accountant …’’—piggy is huffing and puffing, and I cross my legs as I start to swing my foot in sheer enjoyment. So much so that I have to curb the satisfied smile aching to overtake my face as I enjoy the show.

Nice to see him on the side of being beaten down by someone bigger and more aggressive after bullying me senseless for the past eight weeks—just desserts.