Mistress By Blackmail(16)
“I’m not having sex with you.”
“I do not appreciate screaming women,” he observed with exasperation. “In fact, I don’t allow them in my presence if I can help it. Also, no one said anything about sex.”
“I’m not getting into that bed with you.” A well of nausea slid in her throat.
“Let’s get something clear.” The silver sword of the glare he gave her sliced into her words, her emotions. “For the next several weeks, you have agreed to be my willing mistress.”
“In public only.”
“No.” He cut her another icy look. “The only thing I agreed to was not making the first move as far as our sexual relationship goes.”
“We have no sexual relationship and we never will.”
“You can say whatever you like, but we both know what’s going to eventually happen between us.” He lifted his hand to silence her next words. “My goal is to make sure everyone knows you are my woman.”
“For God’s sake—”
“This means you will be on my arm in public, smiling at me, allowing me to touch you—”
“I never agreed—”
“There will be numerous parties we will attend. All of them will have paparazzi who will take pictures. Those photos will land in the tabloids.”
Another bolt of horror shot through her. She didn’t want her name in the papers. This could draw attention. Unwanted attention. Sure, it was unlikely he’d be reading the New York tabloids. Still, she didn’t want to take the chance. “I didn't think of that.”
“You can think about it now. I usually avoid tabloid coverage, yet in this case it is necessary.”
“Why?”
“My mother loves the tabloids. She will see the pictures of us and will most certainly share them with my brother.”
This whole situation was insane. She’d played her hand wrong from the very start and now look where she was. Dealing with threats she couldn’t ward off. Quarreling with a man who tied her in knots. Facing a situation she couldn’t face. All because of a misunderstanding she’d first thought would help her. Instead of destroy her.
She had to stop this now. She had to make this man understand. “You n-n-need to know Matt and I are not together.”
“I do know this. I’m the one who made sure of it.”
“N-no. You don’t understand.” She tried to keep her tone level, but her breathing kept hitching in her throat. The stuttering only made her agitation worse. “We’ve n-n-never been together. Ever.”
He swung around to frown at her, a curl of disgust on his lips. “Don’t take me for a fool.”
“It’s true.” Her voice wobbled as she forced the words out and she cursed at herself internally. It was imperative she made him believe her. “It’s n-never been like that with your brother and me.”
A snort of disbelief came from the man sitting before her. “What happened to the grand passion you confessed to me only yesterday? The great love of your life which you tried to use to manipulate me into releasing Matteo from his obligations?”
“Well.” She stumbled through her head for the correct words. “I d-d-do love Matt. Just not in that way.”
“Right.” The word dripped with contempt, as he turned back to his all-consuming work. “It is of no consequence to me what your feelings are about my brother.”
“You have to see this makes all the difference in the world.” Her hands flew in the air, panic making them flutter in a furious dance. “You can let me go home to London.”
“Not a chance.” His words landed between them like stone pellets.
“Matt won’t believe we’re together if he sees a dozen, a thousand photos of us.”
Glancing over his shoulder, he gave her a grim smile. “Si, he will believe we are together. I’ll make sure of it.”
“This is so unnecessary—”
“You will also make sure to leave the impression to everyone we meet that we are lovers.”
A shiver of tremulous fear mixed with excitement slipped through her. “I can’t—”
“Listen.” He pinned her with another of his steely glares. “The bottom line is I don’t believe anything you say. I only believe in one thing.”
“What’s that?” She stamped down on the pain his words caused her.
“My plan,” he replied. “The plan you agreed to in order to get care for your father.”
“I don’t think if M-matt sees us together—”
“This is the purpose of our current relationship. I want to let Matteo know you are now with me.”