For a moment she only stared at him then her hazel eyes flashed and she snatched her hand from his grasp. “No,” she said, her voice vehement and hard. “Never in a million years.”
What the hell? Taken aback, Dare remained on his knees. Then, never taking his eyes off her flushed face he rose to his feet. Only then did he speak. “What the blazes was that all about?”
She lifted her face and gave him a look of defiance. “I said I’d never marry you.”
“Then why did you make me ask you?” He could feel the anger rise in him. Did she think she was playing with a damn puppy?
“I wanted you to ask me so I could give you my answer,” she said, her tone smug. “And the answer is no.”
“Why?”
She gave a toss of her head and one of her brown curls fell across her face. She lifted a delicate hand and brushed it away. “You rejected me so now it’s my turn to reject you.”
“Oh, being petty are we? So you would reject my offer knowing that you can’t support yourself and the child. You would do this just to prove a point.”
“I can support my baby and me.” She had the audacity to look offended. “We don’t need you.”
He folded his arms across his chest and glared down at her. “If you think I’m going to let you raise my child in this dump you’re out of your mind.”
“Dump? You’re calling my home a dump?”
“Forgive me. Your humble abode.” His voice dripped with sarcasm. “My child will not be living here nor growing up here. My child will be with me in Santa Marta.”
She gave a harsh laugh. “I want to see how you’re going to accomplish that when I’m not going anywhere.”
“You are.”
“I’m not.”
Dare could feel his nostrils flare in annoyance. Not a good sign. Erin was intent on pushing him to breaking point. He was going to end this before things went too far.
“Now you listen to me. You will come back to Santa Marta with me and you will marry me. If you don’t then be prepared to be cut off from the child altogether.”
“What do you mean, cut off from the child? You can’t do that.” Her voice had risen and he heard the fear registered there.
He pressed home his advantage. “Oh, can’t I? There’s something to be said about having money, Erin. With money comes power. I have a lot of it and you don’t.”
Erin stared up at him, eyes wide and uncertain. He could see that she was vulnerable now.
“I can hire the best lawyers to present a case that it would be in the best interest of the child to be with me. I can provide everything that he or she would need unlike you who can barely manage to sustain yourself.”
She was pale now, and silent. His words were having the impact he’d intended. He decided to drive another nail into the coffin. “There’s a good chance you’ll lose custody, Erin. Do you want to take that risk?”
“You…wouldn’t.” Her voice was a broken whisper.
“I would.” He would not yield. Not now. He was too close to victory. “Marry me, Erin, and all your problems will be solved. You won’t have to worry about money, the care of the baby, anything. But if you choose the other path, know that I will do everything in my power to claim my heir.”
For a long time Erin did not respond. Then her lower lip began to tremble and she turned her face away. “You’re such a bastard,” she said with a sob and covered her face with her hands.
Dare said nothing. He might be a bastard but he was a bastard determined to get what he wanted. He’d come all this way to get Erin Samuels and he was not going home without her.
He could see she was defeated. He softened his stance and went over to take her in his arms, comfort her and let her see she was in good hands.
As soon as his hand touched her shoulder she wrenched away and when she looked up at him her eyes spat fire. “Don’t touch me,” she said through clenched teeth. “I may have to marry you but I will never be your wife.”
Dare sucked in his breath and scowled. So that was the way it was, was it? A marriage in name only.
Well, he’d already won the first battle. She would marry him. Once he got her back to the island he would take on this second hurdle. He was looking forward to the challenge. He smiled to himself. There were ways to make a woman yield and he was an expert at every one of them.
“Get some rest,” he said calmly. “I’ll be back in the morning to work out the details. Let your boss know you won’t be coming back.”
He didn’t bother to wait for a reply. He knew she was numb from shock and exhaustion. He let himself out of the apartment and headed for the elevator where he gave a satisfied sigh. Erin Samuels was his at last.