Conquered: She Who Dares Book Two (8 page)

When I reach Circus House on Monday morning, it’s not without a good dose of apprehension. I’m led to a large conference room by a receptionist. She leaves me standing outside the door. I don’t know how I’m going to play this with her, but I know she’ll push me to crazy behaviour either way. I take a deep breath, push the door open and step inside. Lilly is sat on the enormous conference table. Her back is to me and she’s facing the windows. Her shoulders are rigid tense, her legs crossed elegantly.

“Lilly.” I breathe her name as if it’s my salvation. Truth be told, it may well be.

She sighs before standing and turning toward me. Her hair is pinned up, but a few loose tendrils fall around her face. Her eyes are a dulled version of their usual vibrant green, but are still captivating in a way that makes it hard to look away from them, and considering what the rest of her looks like that’s quite a statement. She’s wearing a navy blue dress that I vaguely recall stripping her out of once before. The v neckline exposes a subtle hint of her cleavage. The three quarter length sleeves almost lend it to being demure, but nothing looks demure on that body. Lilly is sin and seduction, just waiting to lure me into hell. She has the kind of curves that could corrupt a monk. Legs, that men would sell their soul for, just to have wrapped around them, and lips that were just made to suck cock. I squeeze my eyes shut and drop my head as though eradicating her from my vision will magically eliminate the monster boner currently trying to fight its way out of my trousers. This woman sends my brain screaming out the door, and my dick into a fucking frenzy. I see every kiss, every touch and every screaming orgasm play out across my vision. She kills me. I can’t help my reaction to her. She owns me without even knowing it.

I lift my eyes and watch her carefully. Her entire body is rigid tense. She looks uncomfortable, her eyes looking anywhere but at me.

“Mr Ellis.” She says coolly.

I smirk. “Really? We’re back to that?” I narrow my eyes at her.

“You wanted to meet with me in my place of work.” She glares at me. “
Professionally
. So we’ll keep it
professional
.”

I take slow steps around the table towards her. “I’d like to think we’re beyond professional. I certainly think we’re on a first name basis, seeing as I’ve had you on your back screaming it. That’s hardly what I would call professional.” Okay, I’ll admit that was a low blow, and the look she throws my way says she knows it. She drives me crazy though.

“If you aren’t here in a professional capacity, then we have nothing further to discuss.” She picks up the file on the desk.

“Actually I am here in a professional capacity.” I know better than to bait her at her work. I’m going to buy a company, not because I want or need it, but because it means she will be forced to spend time with me. I just need her to remember what we have.

“Fine.” She huffs. “Sit.” She gestures to the seat nearest to me. I sit and cross my ankle over my knee. “What is it you want?” She asks.

“Well isn’t that a loaded question.” I smirk.

She sighs and rolls her eyes. “I don’t have time…”

“I want to buy a company. I’ve been eyeing it up for a while.” I cut her off. “Hostile takeover more than likely. The old bastard won’t sell, even though the ship is sinking faster than the Titanic.”

She narrows her eyes and tilts her head thoughtfully. “Which company?”

“Wyatt Industries. It’s…”

She shakes her head and stands up. “I know what it is. I have a conflict of interest. I can’t talk any further about this.”

I freeze. “What do you mean you have a conflict of interest?”

She moves away to the window. “Exactly that.” She’s not going to tell me.

“You representing Wyatt? You’re a little green to be handling the big dogs don’t you think Lilly?”

I watch her expression, the anger bubbling. I know I’ve got her, hook, line and sinker. “Fuck you. I have a client who wants the same thing as you, and yes he’s a big dog, same as you.” She glares at me. “Don’t worry though Theo, you’ll always be the biggest dog of them all.” She smiles, but it’s really more of a grimace.

I can’t fight the grin that forces its way onto my lips. I lean back in my chair casually and fold my hands behind my head. “You really should learn to control that temper of yours.”

“Don’t think you can manipulate me Theo.”

“There’s no
think
about it.”

She takes a deep breath and places her index finger against her bottom lip. My eyes latch onto the movement. “You need to leave. I need to talk to Simmons about this. When I’ve spoken to him, I’ll call you.”

I switch on my business face, the intimidating arsehole that is Theodore Ellis. Sometimes I think she forgets that the person she sees is not what everyone else sees, and it’s certainly not who her boss sees. “Oh, there’s no need. I’ll tell you what he’ll say.” I meet those stunning eyes, her frame outlined by the London skyline. She presses her lips together but says nothing. “He’ll say that you need to represent me. I’m his best client. My businesses are worth nearly a billion pounds combined.” I slowly stand up. “You back the guaranteed winner Lilly, it’s just good business.”

“You don’t even know who the client is.” She says quietly. I move around the table.

“It doesn’t matter.” I shrug. “Haven’t you heard sugar, I’m Theodore Ellis. Nobody says no to me.” I walk slowly toward her, a restrained smile on my face. I’m only a few feet away from her now. Our eyes locked, and that static electricity that always seems to radiate from her crackles in the air.

“I did.” She gasps out. I take a slow step closer, she takes a step back. I smile wider.

“At first.” I watch her as she watches me. “You seem nervous sugar.” I say quietly.

“Call it cautious, or wise.” Her face is serious and unmoving.

Another step forward from me, another back for her. “I’ve never taken you for the cautious type.”

“When in the presence of danger, caution is generally advisable.”

“Are you in danger?” I raise an eyebrow at her.

“When it comes to you I’m always in danger.” She mumbles.

“Only of losing that tight grip of yours.”

She narrows her eyes. “If you recall rightly I lost that tight grip a long time ago. Turns out I should have held on tighter.” She cocks a perfectly arched eyebrow.

I take another step forward, she steps back again, only to back into the wall of windows. She flinches slightly as the glass touches her back. Her eyes flash to mine and she looks like a cornered animal.

“There’s nowhere left to run sugar. I know you like running.” I whisper.

“I’m not running, merely avoiding a fruitless and quite frankly time wasting conversation.” She says through gritted teeth. I can see her anger bubbling just below the surface.

“Really? I have to go through your boss just to get you in the same room as me. I’d call that running. I thought we were past all this shit Lilly.”

“You’re right.” She stares at the ground. “I don’t want to be in the same room as you. I told you, I’m done.” Her eyes meet mine, hard and unrelenting.

I step forward and place my hands against the glass either side of her head. She takes a deep breath, her eyes fixed on my chest, avoiding eye contact. I lean in until my lips are barely an inch from her ear. “We will never be done.” I whisper.

I pull back and trace my fingers down her cheek. She closes her eyes as a small frown appears on her face. “Please don’t.” Her voice trembles slightly.

I want her so fucking badly. She pulls me in like a magnet. She’s like a drug I can’t deny because the high is so worth the come down, and there
will
be a come down because I will have to walk away from her. Fuck, I want her so badly. I lean in purely on instinct. My lips brush hers and she shivers.

I wind my fingers through her hair as I press my mouth to hers. She gasps and her lips part slightly. She kisses me back. She kisses me like it’s her last breath and her final goodbye. I kiss her harder, dominating her, eradicating her goodbyes. Her tongue skims gently across my bottom lip and her hands cling to my shoulders. I hold her close, one hand in her hair, the other at the small of her back. Every inch of her body is pressed to mine. The kiss becomes almost desperate. Her hands move to work under my shirt, tracing over my stomach. She bites my lip and I growl, pulling her tighter against me. I push my thigh between her legs and she moans, her nails scraping over my skin. I’m this close to snapping. I break the kiss before I lose all control and fuck her against this window. She pulls back, her hands dropping to her sides. My skin tingles at the loss of her touch. Our lips are still barely millimetres apart. Her breathing is ragged, her heaving chest is pressed against my stomach. Regret and pain flit across her features as her face crumples. She closes her eyes and pushes me away from her.

She covers her mouth with her hand and turns away from me. “I think you should go.” She whispers.

“Lilly, I love you.” It’s all I have to give. I need her to know how much she means, but this is all I have.

“Don’t.” She spits.

“Why not, because you want to pretend that there’s nothing between us?” She drives me fucking nuts. “
That
was not nothing. What we have is not nothing. Does pretending make it easier to walk away without a backward glance?” I snap. She’s so deluded.

“What we
had
is over, Theo. You need to accept it!”

“No, you need to accept this: You are mine. You know it and I know it. The sooner you stop fighting it the better. The situation may be fucked up, but it doesn’t change the facts. Some things just are sugar. You and me are one of those things.”

“You can’t hold onto something that doesn’t want to stay.” She says quietly. “Let go, for both our sake’s.” She pushes past me without a word and picks up the file on the desk before moving to the door.

She keeps her back to me as she speaks. “I’ll call you when I’ve spoken to Simmons.”

“Know this sugar. I’m done letting you run from me. I’m coming for you.”

She glances back at me over her shoulder, her face set in a stony mask. “If anything like this happens again, then I will request that you be assigned to another solicitor.” Then she’s gone. Damn, the woman is like a fucking fortress, and her heart is locked up tighter than the crown jewels.

I go home and pour a big glass of scotch. I stand and look out the glass doors over the now fading light of London. Lights start to come on like fireflies glowing in the darkness. I take a gulp of the scotch. For once, it does little to calm my racing mind.

That woman is driving me insane. I want her to the point of madness, and I’m starting to think that maybe I physically can’t live without her. Damn it, why does she have to make things so difficult? Does she not miss me at all? Miss us? I tell her I love her and she just shuts me down. She’s never been an open book, but she’s like a fucking ice queen. She said she loved me once, but now she acts like I’m nothing to her. Her anger I can take, but this distant coldness she’s giving me, it’s killing me.

I need to get out of this house before I do something crazy. Attempting to drink the place dry is looking appealing right now. I need her out of my head.

I pick up my phone and dial. “Hugo.”

“Hey. Where are you?” He sounds drunk. Standard.

“Home.” I say shortly. “I need to get out of here.”

“I’m at Scarlett’s. Pop in.” Scarlett’s is a strip bar that Hugo owns. Technically I own a quarter of it, but I have very little to do with it. I’m not sure I really want company, but you can’t get much more self-destructive than drinking alone. I do however need a bloody drink. Hugo is a good distraction from my own crap anyway. He’s always up to some crazy shit.

“Are you likely to be fucking strippers all night?”

He laughs. “Well yes, but I’ll wait until you leave this time.”

“You’re a prick.” I grumble. The last time I agreed to go to Scarlett’s we were having lap dances, when Hugo’s turned into a naked penetrative lap dance. I swear to god, I’ve seen that twat’s cock almost as much as I’ve seen my own. It is not something I care to witness again, and I’m definitely not in the mood for that shit tonight. I’m not in the mood for a titty bar, but needs must.

The club is busy as usual. There are three podiums with poles that are dotted around the centre of the main club. People sit at tables, watching the half-naked dancers slide up and down the metal poles. Equally half-naked waitresses bring drinks to the tables. Although I don’t have much to do with the place, I know it makes a shit tonne of money, which is why I’m happy to remain a silent partner. I like businesses that make me money without me lifting a finger. In fact, those are the only type of businesses I’m really interested in.

I move through the club toward the private section at the back. This is reserved for private parties, or when Hugo decides he wants his own private party. He apparently has no concerns over looking like some sleazy, corrupt strip club owner who fucks his girls. Mind you, they don’t seem to be unwilling.

The back is divided into three private rooms. Each one has its own bar, pole and of course strippers. The best girls are reserved for these rooms. The front of the club acts as a normal run of the mill strip bar, but a night in these private rooms costs thousands. These rooms are what make this club so profitable.

One of the girls from the bar catches my eye and hurries over. “Mr. Ellis.” She greets me before turning on her heel and guiding me to the back rooms. She pulls a key card from…well, I’m not quite sure where she was stashing it in that scrap of an outfit. Resourceful is the word that springs to mind.

She holds the door open for me and I step into the dark room. The sounds of rock music being played fairly quietly fills the room. The room is intimate. Dark walls and furniture are lit by small uplighters on the walls. The bar is sat to the extreme right, with a girl standing behind it, ready to serve anything the patrons should desire, quite literally. In the middle of the room is a pole, surrounded by leather sofas. Hugo is currently sat on one of them. His arms are stretched along the back of the sofa, his legs casually splayed as a brunette straddles him, writhing on his lap. So this is how tonight is going to go.