On His Terms (6 page)

She
stood, gritted her teeth, and refused to acknowledge what he was saying. But
the truth was he was right. There was a strong part of her that was curious as
to what it would be like to be his, for no other reason than for the fact he
wanted her. Maybe this was all just
a bullshit
, but
elaborate, scheme for him to fuck her. He had the money to drop like this, but
he didn’t need to, that was for sure.

“I
won’t ever be yours, Mr. Hartford.” She gripped her purse in her hand and
turned to leave the office. She most likely wouldn’t have a job come Monday,
but if this was the shit she had to work with, screw it. She’d waitress at the
coffee shop if she had to, but she wouldn’t do what he wanted. She reached for
the handle, but his deep voice stopped her once again. He had this uncanny
ability to do that, and she hated it, but secretly wanted more.

“Even
if you decide not to sign the contract, you have a job.”

She
closed her eyes, hated that although he had just offered up a dick proposal, he
still had a little bit of decency in him. Or maybe this was still part of the
game? She didn’t respond, but before she knew what was happening he was right
behind her. Sorcha felt his body heat slam into her, felt his warm, humid
breath brush along the nape of her neck, and felt
herself
actually tremble. The feelings that bombarded her were so damn intense she
couldn’t control her breathing. She went from pissed off to
aroused
in seconds flat.

Then
the asshole pressed his erection into her lower back, dug the fucking thing
into her, and she felt like she might pass out. This was so going against
company policy. Hell, this totally put sexual harassment in the workplace to a
whole different level.

“Just
think about it, Sorcha.”

Her
breath became shallow, and her desire for this man heightened. The feeling of
his dick on her lower back, so hard and big, had her panties wet. And then he
reached out, gripped the handle, right over her hand, and turned it to open the
door. She stumbled out, glanced over her shoulder to see him leaning against
the frame smirking, and faced forward again. Once inside the elevator she
closed her eyes and rested her head on the wall behind her. This had to be a
dream, or a nightmare. Heck, she had to pinch herself to make sure this was
actually happening. She knew she had no intentions of signing any contract,
because no matter how much money he offered, she was no man’s property. But
even thinking that had her mind faltering slightly, because the thought of
being
Rian’s
for a week, did have a very dark,
tempting quality to it.

Chapter
Five

Rian
sat on the back porch of his
apartment and stared at Central Park that was right across from him. It was
Saturday evening, and all he had thought about since he spoke with Sorcha earlier
today was … her. She was a take no shit girl, but underneath that hard veneer
he saw the woman she really was. She may say she would never submit to a man,
but there was a definite part of her that was curious. He wasn’t even thinking
about BDSM for what he liked in the sexual sense, but he could assume why she
would think he was into really kinky shit. Although he on occasion enjoyed
restraining his sexual partners, it wasn’t something he practiced constantly.
The few women that came forward and spilled about what a bastard he had been
for not wanting more, were usually the ones that thought they could change him.
He just wanted her in any way she’d let him have her, and because of that he
felt a little out of control.
Rian
was always in
control.
Always.
But with her he felt different, felt
like there was this pull. In reality he didn’t know if he liked that feeling,
or hated her for making him feel less than in control.

“Mr.
Hartford, a Miss Marshall is here requesting you presence.”

Rian
glanced over his shoulder at
Theodore, a man that had worked for his father back in the day, and now worked
for him.
Rian
scrubbed a hand over his face, feeling
annoyed at knowing Beatrice had shown up. He contemplated having Theodore tell
her he wasn’t seeing anyone tonight, but he knew how persistent she was.

“Would
you like me to send her away?” Theodore asked, his wrinkled face showing no
emotions. He was old, but he didn’t take shit from anyone, least of all a woman
like Beatrice Marshall.

“No,
I better deal with her.”
Rian
stood. “You’ve let her
into the building?”

“Yes, sir.
She was already making a fuss,
so I thought instead of making a scene I’d let her up given the hour, and
because I think she is a bit intoxicated.”

“Smart on your part.
She can be … dramatic, and I’m
sure she’s drunk.” He made his way back inside and to the front door. He’d
planned on meeting her in the foyer right outside of his door, because he
didn’t want her in the house, but as soon as he opened the door she nearly fell
into him.

“
Rian
.”
She dragged out his name in a
slurred voice and started running her hands over his chest. “I’ve missed you.”

“Beatrice,
you’re
drunk,
and not welcome here.” He gently pushed
her away, and she stumbled back against the door, shutting it.

She
frowned in a dramatic and false way, and then straightened. Her light pink
Chanel business skirt suit was wrinkled, and out of place, and he wrinkled his
nose at her.

“You
smell like a bar, Beatrice.” He smoothed his hands over his shirt, and then
took a step back and then crossed his arms over his chest. “I told you that
there isn’t anything more between us aside from what we shared.”

And
this was why the contract, if Sorcha agreed, was a brilliant idea. Sorcha may
act like she was totally against it, but he’d bet his empire that she was lying
in bed right now thinking about it, contemplating actually going through with
it, and that was the doubt he needed her to feel. If she signed the contract
legally she’d be his for that time, and after the term of the contract she
would have no legal standings to converse with him in more than a professional
manner, not unless she wanted legal ramifications.

“You
said you were done, but I could see in those eyes of yours that you wanted
more.” She moved closer, shuffled really, on those ridiculously high stilettos
of hers, and rested a hand on the center of his chest. “I know we had one hell
of a time,
Rian
.” She looked at his face, and he
could see that although she was drunk her make-up was still impeccably perfect.
Most likely she had touched it up before coming here unannounced. “Did we have
a good time, a wild time?” She smiled, tying to be seductively, but it made him
slightly nauseated. “I was open to whatever you wanted to do, Ran.” She started
moving her hand lower down his chest. “And even after you kicked me out of your
life only a couple of weeks later, I didn’t run to the press about the type of
things you were into.” Right before she reached his belt he grabbed her wrist
and moved away from her.

“You
wouldn’t go to the press because your precious reputation, as well as your
family’s
, would have been tarnished.” He was tired and bored
of this conversation. “I think it’s time for you to leave. Do you need a ride
home?”

She
grinned again. “Why yes, Mr. Hartford, I do need a ride.”

“Theodore?”
Rian
called out.

“Yes, sir?”

“Please
have the car send Miss Marshall home.”

“Yes, sir.”

“
Rian
, why you insist on playing these games is beyond me.
If we were to be together our families’ fortunes combined could very well
control the real estate and overseas exportation business in the United
States.” She had to brace a hand on the wall to steady
herself
.

“Go
home, sleep it off, and please don’t call or come over here again, Beatrice.”

She
pouted. “You play hard to get, but you’re a smart man, and I know you’ll come
around.”

“Miss
Marshall, I’ll escort you out to the car waiting below,” Theodore said and
moved toward the door.

“I
don’t need a car. I have my limo waiting for me,” she said to Theodore in a
snappy, snarky voice, as if she were better than he was.

Rian
might have wealth, might be a
bastard, and was known as such by anyone that met him, but when it came to
people he considered family—Theodore being one of them—he was no better than
they were, and wouldn’t let anyone talk down to them.

“Goodbye,
Beatrice.” He took her arm in his hand, turned her around, and opened the front
door. He all but pushed her out, but gently enough that she wouldn’t fall on
her stuck-up face. “And I meant it when I said we’re done. I have no interest
in your family’s money, getting into business with them, or going any further
with you.”

This
dark snarl covered her face, and he knew the alcohol was wearing off, and the
bitch that
lay
beneath the sophisticated and primped
up veneer she displayed was coming out.

“I
might not be available when you finally get your head out of your ass and see
that being with me is the right thing for both of us.” She turned and left, but
he didn’t bother watching her leave.

The
thing with Beatrice was that she wasn’t interested in being with him, but was
somehow thinking that combining their two families by being
together,
they would somehow become this powerhouse of wealth and control. She had these
delusions, and because she wasn’t the type of women to be denied anything, being
with her was probably the worst choice he had made. But with a couple of
cocktails, and a willing woman that was all but rubbing her pussy and tits on
him in front of everyone,
Rian
had never been one to
deny himself. Maybe he was the same as Beatrice, but because of that having
anything more to do with her was toxic, and he was smart enough to steer clear.
Besides, he had more important things to concentrate on, like one that had to
do with Sorcha Case and her agreeing to be his.

****

Sundays
should have been relaxing, comforting, and spent not worrying about anything.
At least that was how Sorcha saw those days. Instead, she was sitting at her
two-seater kitchen table staring at the spread of bills. She had gotten three
just yesterday, and the ones that she had already pushed to the side because
she hadn’t been able to pay them now loomed like this massive elephant in the
room.

“What
are you going to do?” Cora asked from across the table.

Sorcha
shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I will have to try to pay off a little bit of
the older ones, but no way can I get them all.” She scrubbed her hands over her
face, and then grabbed the heavy fall of her hair, took the hair tie wrapped
around her wrist, and tied it in a loose, messy ponytail. She then glanced down
at the bills again.

“I’ll
get us something to drink, because we need to figure out how to dig you out of
this hole.” Cora reached across the table, patted her on the hand, and then
stood to go into the kitchen.

Sorcha
didn’t respond, just nodded and continued to stare at the mountain of bills she
was drowning in. After her mother died Sorcha was swamped with the medical
bills from the hospital and hospice. It was a never-ending cycle, especially
when she got behind on her own bills and obligations. She’d lost everything,
her childhood home, her car … everything. So she had moved to this rundown and
shitty apartment, gotten the job with Hartford in hopes she could get out of
this mess, but in the end she couldn’t, and probably wouldn’t ever, get out of
this mess. Not only did she have no one in her life that mattered anymore,
aside from Cora, but she had lost her mother, too, and six months later still
couldn’t move forward. Every day she was reminded of her loss by these bills.

Cora
came back and set a glass of red wine in front of her. She took a seat, stared
at Sorcha, and she already knew what Cora would say.

“No,
Cora.”

“Why?”
Cora pushed the glass of wine her
way,
and Sorcha
grabbed it and took a long drink.

“Because I am not a whore.”

“No,
you’re not, but I don’t believe in things just happening. I believe everything
happens for a reason, and I know you do, too.”

She
was silent for a moment, thinking about what Cora had said.

“So,
you have to just do what he says when he says it?” Cora asked.

She
nodded. “Yeah, it’s pretty basic, but blanketed so I guess he could do whatever
the hell he wanted.”

“That
sounds dangerous and kind of scary,” Cora said, but didn’t seem the least bit
worried.
“And kind of kinky.”

Sorcha
rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair, breathing out roughly. “I am sure
he’s just as big an ass in the bedroom as he is at the office.”