“Yes, but that makes me a whore.”
“Is that any worse than a common criminal who steals a million bucks from her employer?”
“Maybe not.”
Despite her confession, he figured there were still things he didn’t understand about why she’d stolen the money, and a nagging doubt remained. Mac guessed she didn’t have it anymore. Perhaps she had used it to buy jewelry, or maybe she had paid off bad debts. Whatever the reasons, he still wanted his fill of this beautiful woman. Besides, he was overdue a vacation, so maybe if he took her to his private island, he’d learn more. Keeping her contained could work to his advantage, too, as his private investigator Frank Carrell followed the money trail.
“And if I refuse your proposal?”
He picked up the telephone and tapped in 9-1-1, his finger hovering over the call button as he stared directly into her beautiful china-blue eyes. “Then you leave me no alternative.”
Chapter Five
How the hell did her day go from being summoned to Mac Buchanan’s office, to suddenly becoming his personal sex slave? Kendall felt as though she should be close to tears, but the absurdity of it all meant she couldn’t help but laugh out loud instead.
“Something amusing you?”
She shook her head. “No. More of a tragic comedy really.”
Well, what alternatives did she have? None of them were great. If she told him the truth, that she was being blackmailed by the meanest and most godless sack of shit ever to walk the earth, her confession would undoubtedly lead to a police inquiry. Mac was the type of go-get guy who’d stop at nothing to track down Karl Graves and take back what was rightfully his. Of course, should Karl realize Mac and the cops were after him, he’d probably kill her best friend without a second thought. No. She’d be wise to keep that scenario to herself for now. On balance, playing the common thief was probably the best compromise. This way, she hoped and prayed to buy enough time to save Ashley.
Karl Graves had ruthlessly instructed her that he needed seven days to get himself a new passport along with a new identity, and he needed money to do it—Mac Buchanan’s money. When she’d asked him what he was going to do with Ashley once he’d received the ransom, he’d simply said, “Guess, bitch. But I’ll tell you this for free. Call the cops before the seven days are up, and the lady dies.” After setting up a myriad of false accounts to cover her tracks, she’d had to take the chance that once the million dollars reached him, the psycho wouldn’t kill her lifelong friend. Kendall shivered at the unpalatable thought. Unless she was forced to, she wouldn’t allow her mind to dwell on that unpleasant scenario further.
With her sitting on his lap, and his hard-on thrusting impatiently against her ass, Mac angled her face to his. Jesus, fucking Christ, those searching silver gray eyes held an intent that both frightened and sexually excited her. The finger that hovered over the call button now started to twitch.
“Well, honey, your time’s up. The choice is yours? Jail or…”
If she saw things his way, she’d be selling her body, something she certainly didn’t do lightly, but prison, oh no, she just couldn’t stand the thought of that. Spending the next five years sharing her shower time with other women didn’t figure highly on her things to do before you die list. Kendall wasn’t a physically dominating woman, and she dreaded the idea of ending up as the sexual plaything of some hardened tattooed and pierced lifer who had nothing to lose. She shuddered at the thought. Prison would be unbearable.
The unsavory imagery playing in Kendall’s head helped to make up her mind, and she took the telephone from him and placed it back in its cradle. “Okay, you win.”
The bastard looked smug as hell, as though he’d never been in any doubt over the outcome. “Of course I win. I always do.” He glanced at his watch, an expensive gold Brietlinger. “4:11 in the afternoon. Your ten days as my personal property start”—he raised his index finger high above his head as he stared at his watch, theatrically waiting for the second hand to reach twelve—“now.” He brought his finger down with a flourish.
Kendall shook her head. “Surely you don’t mean—”
“You’re on my time now, honey.”
Fully aware that he wanted to fuck her right here in his sumptuous office, she hesitantly countered with, “But…but…what if someone comes in?”
Mac smiled and then tapped the end of her nose with his index finger. “Clever girl, but I’m way ahead of you. He pressed the intercom button on his desk. “Marcy?”