Chapter Three
The moment Lila stepped into her adversary’s office, all the courage she’d summoned for this confrontation flew out the window. Staring at her with the greenest eyes she’d ever seen was the legend himself. Hunter Jamison.
Her feet wouldn’t carry her forward, and she couldn’t tear her gaze away from the man sitting behind the large oak desk in the corner of the office.
“Mr. Jamison, I tried to keep her out, but she assaulted me. I’ve called the police and security is on their way upstairs.” The woman who’d tried to restrain her entered the office. She sounded out of breath. Probably from chasing Lila, who’d run past her.
Lila didn’t set out to give the woman a hard time, someone who was after all just doing her job but she was determined to have this meeting come hell or high water. Turning around to face her accuser, Lila pasted a smile on her face, and delivered her next line in a saccharine sweet tone. “I didn’t assault you. If I hurt you because I was forced to use a self-defense maneuver when you suddenly grabbed me then the blame falls at your feet. You’re the one who initiated physical contact. Maybe when the police get here, I should file assault charges on you.”
The woman gasped, her mouth opening and then shutting as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “B-but you’re trespassing. No one would believe you.”
“Well, I guess we’ll let the police decide when they get here.” Lila twirled back around and noticed a stocky dark-haired man with glasses standing by the boss man. Had he been there already? He must have, but Lila only had eyes for Mr. Jamison at first. Among other things she’d missed when she entered the room, papers and other office supplies scattered the floor along with a computer monitor. This place looked as a tornado had been through it.
Refocusing her attention on the still figure behind the desk, she noticed a thick mane of wavy blond hair resting in a cascade around his shoulders, obscuring most of his face. The only features she could really make out were those arresting eyes, a long blade of a nose, and sensuously full lips, which were now pulled down into a ferocious frown.
“Miss, whoever the hell you are, you’re going to have to leave,” the dark-haired man spoke.
Lila spared him a brief glance, before returning her attention to her target. “I’m not going anywhere until he agrees to cease and desist!” She jerked her thumb in Jamison’s direction and advanced toward the desk. “Don’t you understand what you’re doing? Do you get your kicks from destroying people’s lives?”
The unknown man walked toward her, but she backed away when it looked as if he’d grab her. “If you touch me, I’m going to kick you in the balls.”
That warning seemed to be enough to make him stand down. He held his hands up defensively. “Ma’am, I’m not sure what the problem is, but perhaps if you come to my office, we can work something out to your satisfaction. My name is Thomas Ruby and I’m just as capable to see to your problem as anyone in this organization.”
It was a tactic to get her to leave if she’d ever heard one. Lila wasn’t stupid. He’d have her ass hauled out the building the minute she stepped out of this room.
“No! The only person I want to talk to is Hunter Jamison, and if that’s not your name, we have nothing to discuss.”
Why wasn’t the big blond saying anything? His head was bowed now, but she sensed his anger simmering just below the surface. Good. That made two of them.
“Look, Miss…” Mr. Ruby trailed off in an attempt to get her name.
“Saunders. Lila Saunders,” she bit out through gritted teeth.
Mr. Ruby stepped away from her, mouth agape. “Miss Saunders, I—” His words were cut off when two uniformed security guards burst into the office and ran over to her.
Each of them grabbed one of her arms. Lila refused to let this crusade end at the hands of a couple of rent-a-cops. “Let go of me!” She wiggled and struggled against their grasps, trying to pull free even though the more she moved, the tighter their hold became. They were too strong for her. Please don’t let it end this way, she silently prayed.
“The police are on their way, sir,” a pimple-faced guard said as his nails dug into her skin. “We’ll keep her downstairs until they arrive. We’re not sure how she got up here, but it won’t happen again.”
Lila continued to fight, trying to yank free. “Get off of me!”
“Let her go.” The deep booming voice that resonated throughout the entire office came from the man himself, shocking her so much she froze.
“But, Mr. Jamison, we—”
“Let her go. I’ll deal with this matter myself.” Hunter Jamison pushed away from his desk and stood up to reveal his magnificent height. He had to be at least six feet six and he was very broad.
“But the police are on the way!” the woman whined.
“Then tell them you’ve wasted their time. I’ll talk to Miss Saunders.”
“But—” The woman didn’t seem ready to give in so easily.
“This discussion isn’t up for debate, Anita,” Mr. Jamison said the words softly enough, but the underlying message was there: do as I say or else.
The security guards released Lila’s arms with obvious reluctance. She rubbed her aching limbs to increase the blood flow to the areas they’d squeezed as she shot each guard a glare.
“Thomas, please leave us,” Jamison ordered.
Mr. Ruby remained where he stood for a moment, but one look from the boss had his shoulders sagging in defeat. “Fine, but if you need me, I’ll be in my office.” He gave Lila a shaky smile before following the other three out. He closed the door behind him with a decisive click.
Once she and Mr. Jamison were alone, Lila squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. His large frame would have intimidated anyone, but she refused to be cowed by him. She raised her chin in a gesture of defiance and met his gaze.
“Miss Saunders, please have a seat,” he offered. The way he stared at her made Lila feel self-conscious. She couldn’t quite read his expression, especially with all that hair in his face, but she felt like a very juicy mouse beneath the hungry gaze of a cat.
Placing her hands on her hips, she shook her head. “No, thank you. I’d prefer to stand. What I have to say won’t take long.”
He shrugged one massive shoulder. “Suit yourself. I’ll sit, if you don’t mind.”
The office was huge, but he seemed to dominate every square inch of it, though she did wonder about the mess. Lila didn’t like the way she was so aware of his larger than life presence. She licked her suddenly dry lips. “N-no I don’t mind.”
“Good, Miss… May I call you Lila?”
“Yes.”
“Lila,” he said her name slowly, as though testing it on his tongue. “Did you know your name means dark-haired beauty? I took a little Arabic in college.”
She did, actually. Her father had mentioned it to her once, and how it was the only name he and her mother had agreed on. “I didn’t come here to talk about the meaning of my name.”
He inclined his head slightly forward, making his hair cover up even more of his face. Was he really as badly scarred as the newspapers suggested? “Fair enough. Then tell me why you’ve come to see ‘the Beast’”
Lila knew he was toying with her, but she didn’t come here to play games. She’d be damned if she let him frighten her. “I’m sure you already know.”
“You’re the one who burst into my office. If you have the guts to do that, I’m certain you can follow through by sharing your grievance.”
Bastard. Did he want her to beg? On the verge of telling him to go to hell, she remembered how sick and weak her father had seemed this morning. If Hunter Jamison wanted his pound of flesh, she’d give it to him. She would do whatever it took to save Saunders.
“I’m asking you to reconsider your offer on my father’s property.”
“Our plans have been finalized. The shopping center will go up as planned.”
“But you can build around Saunders, can’t you? I’ve seen the blueprints. My father’s building will be just on the outskirts of it.”
“The shopping complex could use the space for parking,” he countered. “Anyway, it’s in your best interest to sell out, don’t you think? Wouldn’t your father’s little business suffer from the competition?”
Lila gritted her teeth at his condescending tone. Her fingers itched to slap him. “We’ll make it work somehow.”
His lips tilted into a small brief smile. “You sound like you actually believe that, but I’m afraid you’re wasting your time. I’m sure you’re already aware the city council has taken an interest in your father’s property. Once they’re involved, there’s little I can do about it.”
Lila bit back the expletive hovering on her tongue, silently counting to ten before speaking. “If you wanted to, you could.”
He grinned. “You’re right. I could, but I don’t feel so inclined.
. “What you’re doing is illegal.”
“Funny thing about the law. If you can afford to hire the best attorneys, they always find a way to work around it.”
Her chest felt tight as Lila felt herself losing a handle of the situation. “Then I’ll hire my own lawyer and fight you every step of the way. I’ll make sure your plans are thwarted and tie you up in court for years.”
A smirk twisted his lips, mocking her. “A lawyer? I have several at my disposal at the top of their field. How long do you think you can last against them?”
“As long as it take.”
“The last I checked attorneys don’t work for free. Do you have the disposable income to see a case like this through when in the end, you’ll lose anyway?”
Lila clenched her hands at her sides wanting to smack that taunting grin from his face but she couldn’t afford to antagonize him, at least not yet. “You’ve already destroyed my childhood. Most of the businesses that I loved so much growing up have already gone. You’ve left the neighborhood a virtual ghost town. And now you not only want to effectively shut down my father’s shop, you want to kick us out of our home.” By telling him this, she hoped that it would appeal to any bit of humanity he had within him.
Again, he shrugged. “Tell that to someone who’s interested, sweetheart.”
Lila wasn’t prepared to let things end like this. There had to be something she could do. As much as she loathed to do so, she was willing to beg. “Please, Mr. Jamison, there must be some other way. I’m pleading with you. Don’t do this. If my father loses his business, it would kill him.”
“Don’t you think you’re being a tad dramatic, Lila?”
She began to shake as she willed herself to remain where she stood. “I’m telling the truth. Saunders is his life. The stress of your company’s constant harassment has taken a toll on his health.”
Jamison stifled a yawn, not looking the least bit impressed. “If keeping his business is so important, why isn’t your father here pleading his own case? What kind of man would allow his daughter to fight his battles for him? This doesn’t sound like the kind of person I’d do a favor for.”
Lila realized he was trying to bait her, but she wouldn’t let him. No matter how much she wanted to tell the smug son of a bitch where to go, she’d have to keep her cool.
“My father doesn’t know I’m here. He’s…he hasn’t been well lately, but the only thing that makes him better is working at the store. He lives for that place. If you take it away from him, he’d have nothing to live for.”
“Do you mean you’re not reason enough for him to live?”
“You’re twisting my words around. That isn’t what I meant at all. To be honest, he plans on giving up and just taking the money.”
Jamison’s brows knitted, his bewilderment evident. “Then why are you here?”
“Because I know he doesn’t want to. He’s doing it for me. He thinks if he sells, I can move on with my life. My father believes he’s a burden to me.”
“Perhaps there’s some wisdom in his decision. You’re young, beautiful…and desirable. Why would you want to throw your life away taking care of an old man?”
Lila tightened her fists. I will stay calm. I will stay calm, she chanted in her mind. “My father could never be a burden to me because I love him very much, but then again, I wouldn’t expect a cold bastard like you to understand.”
Jamison leaned back in his chair, raising a dark blond brow. “Strong words for someone who wants my help.”
Lila turned her head unable to meet his taunting green gaze. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said it.”
“Don’t be. It’s what you meant. I can respect that.”
She forced herself to look at him again. “Look, Mr. Jamison, I know if you’ll just let us be, he’ll get better and won’t worry so much. Due to pressure your company is placing on him, I fear this stress is taking a toll on his health.”
His lips twitched into a mockery of a smile. “Beautiful and compassionate. A rare combination. You’re to be commended on your concern for your father, but you’ve made a miscalculation.”
“What do you mean?” she whispered, almost afraid to hear the answer.
“You bet all your hopes on the fact I’d give a damn. Unfortunately for you, I don’t.”
Lila’s breath caught in her throat as she blinked hard. She vowed not to cry in front of this jerk. It took several moments before she could compose herself enough to reply. “I’ll do anything if you would reconsider.”
He stiffened and his eyes narrowed. “Anything?”
Lila closed her eyes tightly to block the sight of his hateful presence. Did those words actually leave her mouth? “Anything.”
“I’m not sure you know what you’re saying. When you make a provocative statement like that, you’re asking for trouble.” His gaze blatantly roamed her body, leaving no doubt in her mind what he was thinking. “Now tell me, Lila, are you willing to back up that statement? Because I have no time for little girls playing adult games.”
Was she really propositioning him? Her father had taught her to have respect for herself and her body, yet here she was offering to act the whore for someone she despised more than anything. Could she go through with this? She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue nervously. Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded.
“Would you sleep with me?” he asked softly.
Even though she’d known this was the direction the conversation was headed when she’d made her bold declaration, his words still came as a shock. To actually hear them said aloud made her feel sleazy, but now that it was all on the table, there was no turning back.
Lila felt like a character in a bad B movie. Did things like this really happen? Her stomach twisted in knots and her hands shook. If she pinched herself, would she wake up from the horrible nightmare? “I was actually hoping you had some ounce of decency inside of you but apparently I was mistaken.”
“It’s a simple yes or no question, Miss Saunders. You said you’d do anything to save your father’s property and I’m simply putting that claim to the test.”
“But why me? We don’t know each other.”
“Does one need to know their partner in order to fuck?”
She flinched at the crudeness of his statement. “You’re disgusting.”
“What I am is honest. And to answer your previous question, why not you? You’re certainly beautiful, but I’m sure you’re well aware of that. Women like you usually are. And let’s just say, I admire your spirit. So what do you say Miss Saunders? Are you willing to go above and beyond for your father? You have approximately three seconds to give me your answer before I remove the offer from the table and call the guards again to escort you out.”
What choice did she have? “Yes,” she finally answered after nearly losing her nerve.
His expression didn’t change and he didn’t respond immediately. It was almost as if her answer didn’t matter to him one way or the other and he was just trying to push Lila to violence.
“Well?” she demanded some kind of reaction from him.
He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands together. “What I want is a mistress. I find myself without one at the moment, and I think you’ll do quite nicely. Would you be willing to stay with me for three months at my house, at my beck and call—seeing to my every need?”
“You only mentioned one time. I thought—”
“No, I asked if you were willing to sleep with me. I never gave you the terms. For those three months, I indeed to have you as many times as I please.”
She should have been disgusted but founded herself mesmerized by that green gaze. Something had to be seriously wrong with her that she found this man anything other than reprehensible. Still, what choice did she have? “But my father—”
“Would be taken care of.”
“I don’t want to be away from him for that long.”
“Then you obviously don’t care as much about saving his business as you’ve let on. Good day, Miss Saunders.”
The tears that had threatened to spill earlier sprang to her eyes once again. “Wait! The answer is yes, but only if you arrange for a nurse to stop by every day to see my dad takes his medication and for someone to help him around the store.”
“While it’s pretty bold of you to make demands considering you’re the one who wants a favor of me, that can easily be arranged.”
She let her head fall, as shame washed over her. What had she done? “Okay, then it’s a deal.”
“And would you be ready for me to fuck you whenever and however I want?”
She winced. “You don’t have to be so crude about it.”
“Sweetheart, I don’t have time to tiptoe around your ladylike sensibilities. Besides, I won’t insult either of us by calling it making love.”
“It could never be that,” she hissed.
“As I’ve already said, I like your spirit, Lila.” He stood up and then stalked over to her.
She took a step back. “Hold on. How do I know you’ll honor your end of the bargain and leave my father’s business alone?”
“I’ll have my attorney draft a contract and make it legal and binding. There will be no mention of sex in the actually document for legal reasons but when you see the term ‘companion’ then you’ll know exactly what that means. At the end of our agreement, you’ll receive a generous settlement in addition to services rendered.”
Lila shook her head. “I don’t want your money, just your promise to leave my father be.”
Jamison raised a brow. “Persistent, aren’t you? But before we reach a formal agreement, I think there’s something you should see…in case you want to change your mind.”
“I won’t.”
“We’ll see.” Slowly he raised his hands to his face and pulled his hair back, revealing what it had been hiding. On one side of his face was an angry jumble of deep, red scars running from his temple to his neck. They created such a contrast to the other side of his face which was virtually untouched, she gasped in horror. She’d heard that he was a recluse because of a near-fatal accident and now she understood why. He was clearly ashamed of his disfigurement. As a nurse, she’d seen much worse, but they took her by surprise nonetheless. Mainly, her shock had stemmed the fact that she hadn’t been expecting it. She
She hadn’t eaten since lunch the night before because she’d been too nervous about her upcoming confrontation with Hunter Ramsey. It seemed like it had finally caught up to her because she suddenly felt dizzy and the room began to spin, and everything went black. Her last conscious memory was the sensation of falling.
*
What the hell had he been thinking to throw that impulsive offer at Lila Saunders? Had he become that desperate? One thing he knew for certain, she was one of, if not the most stunning woman he’d laid eyes on.
Tall and voluptuous with curves that cried out to be caressed, she had the face of an angel. Hunter had memorized her every feature, from her rich dark brown skin that looked as soft as spun silk, full bow-shaped lips and tilt-tipped nose. Her hair had been pulled back in a crown of glorious curls, emphasizing high cheek bones. He wondered how her dark tresses would look flowing around her shoulders, or arranged around her head against a pillow—in his bed.
His cock grew hard at the mere thought. Lila’s most arresting feature he’d determined, were a pair of large dark gold eyes framed by long thick lashes. She was a real beauty.
Hunter took another swig of his scotch as he remembered the look of horror on her face when he’d revealed his scars. As he’d suspected, Lila was just like the others. She’d talked a good game, but she didn’t have the nerve to back it up. Despite this being a business transaction, he should have known a woman who looked like her couldn’t possibly be attracted to him. In most cases, he would have brushed off her reaction and written her off, but for some reason, he couldn’t.
He should have sent Lila on her way the second she’d come to, but in the moment he’d caught her from falling, holding her in his arms, Hunter had realized it was something he wanted to experience over and over again. But still, his pride wouldn’t allow him to demand she follow through with her offer. Instead, he’d handed her his card and informed her she had twenty-four hours to contact him before the offer was taken off the table.
He wouldn’t hear from her, he was sure.
She may have been able to give her delectable body to him if he kept the scars hidden, but as long as they were out in the open, she couldn’t handle it. It figured. Lila had made some excuse about passing out from lack of food but he was certain she was lying. Her reaction was no different from the countless women who had the misfortune to see his face. Even his assistant Ann, could barely bring herself to look him in the eyes.
Hunter couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted someone with the intensity that he felt for Lila, but he knew he’d have to get over it fast and get used to living a life of solitude. Maybe when the shopping center project was over, he’d resign from the company and sell his stocks. Going out in public was becoming more difficult each time.
“Mr. Jamison, you have a phone call,” his housekeeper, Mrs. Coates interrupted his thoughts.
He hadn’t heard it ring, not that it mattered. It was probably Thomas. “Tell Thomas I’ll call him later.”
“It’s not Mr. Ruby. It’s a Miss Saunders. Would you like to speak to her or should I tell her you’re unavailable?”
Lila? Was this a courtesy call to tell him she had changed her mind? He set the decanter and his glass aside. “I’ll take it in here. Thank you.”
Mrs. Coates nodded and left the room. Hunter picked up the receiver and waited for his housekeeper to hang up the other line before speaking. “Lila. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?” He silently congratulated himself for sounding calm.
“You know.” She spoke in a hushed whisper as if someone was there with her.
“So what’s your answer?”
She took so long to reply, he thought the line had disconnected.
“Hello?”
A sigh greeted his ears. “Yes. My answer is yes—that is, if you still want me.”
She had no idea how much.