Bartered (9 page)

Chapter 15

Isobel

“Uh-oh. I think someone’s in big trouble,” Elena whispered into my ear, teasing.

The music was so loud I couldn’t grasp what she was saying
, but when she pointed behind me and I turned around to check what she was mumbling about, I was surprised to find Hugo looking like he was Death’s messenger.

Frowning, I stared at him, hoping he
hadn’t come here to break up our party. Because if he had, well, I wouldn’t like that very much.

Touching Elena’s shoulder to get her attention, I mouthed and pointed my thumb t
owards her cousin’s direction, expecting she’d get the hint that I was going over to say hi. She shooed me away, grinning teasingly before she focused her attention to her other friends—all of whom consisted of men, by the way; a tidbit she had forgotten to mention.

Weaving my way towards Hugo
, past the white curtains and a few private parties, I exhaled an exasperated sigh when the man didn’t even move a muscle to meet me halfway. He simply waited, brooding sexily while those hypnotizing eyes of his didn’t miss a beat in following me. Then, once I reached him, he kept on his mask of cool indifference without saying a word.

Hell, is everything okay?

“Is there an emergency?” I asked
, almost yelling at him.

When he kept ignoring me, my patience immediately deteriorated. “All right. Well it was odd seeing you here…
but I have to get back to my party. Hope you have a blast playing mannequin.” I was being sarcastic, however I couldn’t help it. He was being insufferable.

“Outside,” he bit out. “We need to talk.”

“Good to know your tongue is still intact.” I folded my arms underneath my breasts, readying to fight back. As far as I was concerned, I hadn’t done anything wrong. Thus, for him to come here acting like a complete arse was completely unjustified.

Strutting away
, he didn’t look back to see if I was trailing behind him. He merely kept on striding ahead. The more he acted like a pompous dick, the more colorful my anger became—from warm to dark, to all shades of red.

Passing
the entrance, I wasn’t really surprised the people who worked here knew him, and they all chimed respectively as he passed them by, bidding him well for the night. He probably was a patron, notorious for his lavish lifestyle and bountiful supply of temporary girlfriends.

The fresh air hitting my warm skin did nothing to soothe my mood. Apparently, he
had parked his car a few doors down, and when his Bugatti Veyron came into view, he immediately unlocked it, showing no mercy.

“Get in the car
,” he commanded in a tone I shouldn’t question. Well, he was out of luck tonight because I wasn’t in the mood to be bossed around like a brainless bimbo.

“No.”

Oooh, the “no” truly got to him.

“Merde! Get in the bloody car, Isobel!”
He looked murderous yet sexy with his five o’clock shadow and dark, mysterious eyes.

Although,
as gorgeous as I found him, it wasn’t enough incentive for him to order me about.

“Which part of no, don’t you understand?” I was tipsy—buzzed—not an idiot.
I wanted to infuriate him more, for some odd reason. Maybe it was the way he was reacting—or overreacting—which was just so unusual. Call it curiosity or whatever, but I yearned to see more fire in him. I wanted to stoke his temper until he cracked and burst into flames. “What’s the problem, Hugo Xavier?” I mocked him further. “Are you the man or the mannequin?”

“My problem is
you
, Isobel,” he finally said after a full minute.

Of all the things I
had expected to hear him say, that was something I hadn’t seen coming.

He rounded the car
, bearing the same expression on his face, before he stood before me, looking far and beyond disappointed.

“I expected more from you
. And seeing how you loved the attention of the men ogling what was underneath your skirt…” he paused, nose flaring as he gave me a cutting look, “I didn’t see you as a flirty devil may care kind of slut.”

My rose tinted lips hung ajar
, shocked from his verbal accusations. “I beg your pardon?” I shook my head in disbelief, uncertain if I should strangle him or kick him to the curb. “How dare you! How. Bloody. Dare. You!”

“I fucking
dare
because you’re mine!” he growled loudly, uncaring if there was an audience about, willing to eavesdrop. “For the next twenty three weeks, you are solely mine and mine alone! And I don’t appreciate you flaunting and flirting what is rightfully mine.” He punctuated each word as if it was the law.

Hold on,
I thought as I blinked rapidly, hoping I was hallucinating his word vomit.

“Tell me that you’re drunk and needed a good laugh
. Because the rubbish that’s coming out of your twisted mouth is rather nauseating.”

A dry laugh came out of him, looking less amused. “How about
you
tell me that you’re drunk, which is why you danced on the table like you worked for a strip club.”

If I could produce steam
, it would’ve come out of my ears already. The bastard had just crossed the proverbial line. So I slapped him.
Hard.
The stinging hot impact of my palm smacking against his cheek wasn’t satisfying enough, though.

“First off
, this
is
temporary. I signed to be your plaything, but under no circumstances did it state that I’m to be your property,” I grated out with my finger pressing against his chest. “I have my own mind; it’s
my
right to do whatever I want to do. I don’t care about what you think. In fact, go ahead and think of me as a slut. I don’t bloody care! To hell with your barbaric mentally—”

I was in the middle of my overture when the bastard kissed me like I was his posse
ssion.

I was royally mad
yet wickedly aroused. Dear God, the bastard could kiss. He kissed me in a way that felt like all my thoughts and all the mechanics of my brain had melted away, and all I could fathom was his lips and how he made me feel.

Then
, out of nowhere, I felt something vibrate.

It was his phone.

Snapping out of my entranced funk, I yanked my lips away from him before I gasped for air, finding it hard to believe what had just occurred between us. “What the—
you fucking kissed me!
” I hissed at him accusingly, beyond mortified.

“What?
It’s not in the
contract,
too?”

My heart was galloping mad
ly against my chest, and as much as I wanted to hate him, I couldn’t deny the fact I had responded to his kiss. However, I couldn’t let it happen again.

Breathing raggedly, I felt the shame and horror of what
had happened. The situation between us was getting out of hand. We were supposed to be indifferent to each other. This odd, zinging connection shouldn’t be toyed with; it was too dangerous. Besides, too much was at risk, and I couldn’t lose the only person that had kept me going all this time. Fancying Hugo wasn’t part of the equation.

“You—you shouldn’t do that.”

He seemed unperturbed as he cupped my face and stared into me. “I don’t care,” he fiercely murmured. “So sue me.”

I nervously panted, feeling out of my depth. Words of protest formed into mind
, but he managed to hijack my thoughts for the second time the moment he connected his lips with mine once more. This time, he devoured me like a meal, consuming me whole.

His kiss was rough
, yet it held sweetness. It was as hard as it was passionate. It was as much fire as it was ice. It drowned me as it floated me into thin air. The world spun, and in that instant, I felt everything. He made me feel everything, vibrating it through my veins, all over my body.

He paused with our lips pressing against each other
. “Isobel…” he groaned out, sounding pained.

With my eyes closed, I felt at the tip of surrender
, but there was still a little fight in me. “What are you doing?”

“I’ve tried to stop
, but I’m done fighting it,” he confessed with ferocity, with passion. “I want you,” he vehemently promised. “
All of you
.”

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.”

Sacrificed? What did he mean by that?

“You could take me, but you always seem hesitant.”

“I could,” he breezily said without hesitation. “But I don’t want to steal that
, ma belle. I want you to give it to me,
willingly
. No contract or obligations, but free will.”

This truly made sense
, and at the same time, it was troubling because he wanted so much more from me.

“What if you’re
unable to make me give it to you,
willingly
? What then?”

“I’m man enough to know when to admit defeat,” he murmured before teasing his lip against my ear.
“But you must know I won’t give up until I know there’s no hope for me.”

“You seem very determined
,” I quietly observed, admiring his perseverance a little.

No man had made it a mission to pursue me like this. I wo
uldn’t lie, either; I felt special. Though I should know better than to feel that, especially since the man was known for being a playboy. Yet here I was, letting his words affect me.

“Meet me
on the shore, at the bottom of the stairs in five minutes.” His kiss on my nose made me blush like I was on my first date. “Stay there and don’t even think of going anywhere else.”

Oh my, what did he have planned?

“Okay.” I felt shy and virginal all of a sudden, which was truly ridiculous because I was far from one.

His eyes glimmered before striding into the villa, while I
, on the other hand, took the route towards the garden where the stairs going to the beach were located.

I didn’t take off my shoes until I reached the stairs. One by one, I pulled off my strappy heels and sighed with pleasurable relief when
my soles were greeted by the cold cement. Before descending, I stared ahead at the dark sea with the moon appearing to be big and yellow on the horizon. Stars usually littered above, but tonight, the moon was the sole provider of light.

I took my time going all the way to the bottom, smiling when my feet touched the sand. The waves rolled with a soft hush and the air
was still.

“You’re smiling.”

Swiftly spinning around to face him, I felt my cheeks burn at the sight of him. Except for the trousers, he was gloriously and deliciously bare. My eyes devoured him, itching to trace his wonderfully chiseled chest.

“I didn’t hear you come.”

“It’s one of my many gifts,” he teased.

I wonder what other gifts he has,
I thought cheekily. He was playful and charming and quite irresistible. No sane woman could go unaffected, myself included.

“Come sit with me and help me enjoy this vintage champagne.” He lifted his left hand that held the bottle in a silver wine cooler before he chose a spot to sit.

Strolling towards him, I tried to sit with my small dress as graciously as it allowed, showing more thigh as it rode up almost to my butt.

“That dress is criminal on you.” His eyes scrutinized
every inch of my body.

It was merely a piece of cloth; however, the power it exuded was limitless.

“Is that why you acted like a complete arse earlier?”

He shrugged
, looking away as he took a bottle opener that had been stabbed in the ice from the bucket.

Peeling off the top seal of the bottle, he gave me a knowing look. “I desire you
,” he professed for the second time tonight. “I don’t share, nor do I want other men to see what’s intended for my eyes only.”

My throat ran dry. If the possessiveness in his tone didn’t bother me a little, I would’ve appreciated the poetic
tone of his words.

“You’re quite a possessive man
. How do women tolerate you?”

“You’ll know soon enough,” he murmured as I looked away.

The cork popped from the bottle before the white foam oozed out of it. He then handed me the bottle. “Ladies first.”

I smirked at his random show of being less chic and grand before
taking a swig.

“Drinking champagne from the bottle
,” I observed with a hint of teasing, handing him the bottle. “Are you sure you won’t be booted out of Monaco’s elite circle?”

“My lifestyle’s answer enough to tell you I don’t follow the rules. I bend
them however I see fit.” He toasted the bottle before me. “Cheers to you and your irresistible beauty. May you bless me with thee.”

I barked out a laugh. “You’re mad.”

“What can I say? A woman who’s beautiful, catty, sharp with eyes so blue they sometimes turn purple, who’s also unafraid to speak her mind and constantly likes to push my limits is a true weakness of mine.”

That was
me, summed into a paragraph.

Feeling as if the mood had shifted to something more, I opted to change the subject, delaying the inevitable. “Since you’re being honest tonight, mind telling me about Lo
ndon, 2011?”

“I’d rather you figure that mystery
out all by yourself.”

Well
, I wasn’t giving up just yet. I’d try again tomorrow.

“I’ll eventually drag it out of you.”

“We shall see.”

“We shall.” I took the bottle from him because it was my turn to drink. Staring at my toes digging into the cool sand, I took a sip, wondering loudly, “Where did Chantel and Sherry go? I mean
, I know you said they went to travel somewhere because of your aunt, but where is that
exactly
?”

“Sherry
actually ended up going to Bali. Chantel chose the Caribbean. The penthouse was too confiding for them.” Hugo shifted himself. Instead of facing the sea, he chose to face my profile. “When they arrive in two weeks time, I’m letting them both go.”

The pin dropped. Instantly, I snapped my neck to gaze at him, horrified. “What are you trying to say?” I asked, aghast, hoping he’d say something that made sense
because he’d been revealing far more than I was prepared for.

“I want you
,” he stated without hesitation. “So in my plan of pursuit, I’m going on abstinence until you’re ready for me.” He was absolutely cavalier about it.

Huh. Well
, he was in for a long haul. Kissing was one thing, sex was a whole other complicated matter entirely—one I wasn’t ready to share with anyone other than Damen. Hugo simply was stuck at believing he could attain whatever he wanted because women probably had the trouble of saying no to his wishes. His desire for me could also be used as a weapon; if I manipulated it right, it could be my leverage.

“Really? And when was the last time you went without sex?” There was no doubt the man didn’t go without. From what I
had seen in the library that one afternoon, he was as insatiable and hot blooded as they came.

He made a smirk, lighting his face up while his eyes danced with amusement. “Ne
ver.”

“You won’t survive it.” Exactly. He
wouldn’t last a day. “Why even put yourself in that predicament?”

“Because you’ll be worth it,” he said in a casual manner, as if it was already a given.

“Hmmm…
you shouldn’t be too confident about that because I’m going to crush that little hope you’re challenging yourself in attaining. Besides, even if you proved me wrong, I’m not really skilled in that department, so you’re going to be sorely disappointed.”

He was changing the game
—the agreement—and it was startling how quickly the tide was shifting between us. He was moving fast with no signs of slowing down.

“I’ve never been denied of anything until you came along. I’m more than willing to put a pause to my sexual endeavors to pursue a much
more satisfying one.” His finger caressed the base of my neck, trailing it along my shoulder blade, all the way down to my fingertips before hooking his forefinger with my own. “You’re trying to make me change my mind, and I’m telling you now, that’s very much unlikely.”

How did I counter that? Not only was I having an inner battle with myself
, but I was also getting less and less confident my mind and reason would be enough to fight against my body’s urges. Damen was in my heart; however, he also wasn’t here and wouldn’t be in my life for the next months to come.

“Fancy a quick swim?”
he broke into my thoughts, looking mighty wicked before adding, “Naked.” He then stood up before me, offering his hand.

His hand was strong, big and masculine
, and the thought of having those hands all over me didn’t help with my struggle. “You’re not subtle in your intentions, are you?”

“I have indecent motives, true, but I won’t touch you until you grant me the permi
ssion to,” he swore just as I raised my brow, doubting him, before he made a dashing, panty-dropping smile. “I give you my word.”