“Twenty-eight.” I pivot, making my way back to him. “How did you become the owner of…” I wave a hand at the office. “All this?”
“All this?”
“The largest hotel and casino in the Midwest.”
“Wealthy parents.”
I’m not sure what surprises me more—his candidness or the icy chill in his tone.
“Trust fund?” I rest a shoulder against the glass beside him.
“Inheritance. They died a couple of years ago.”
Oh. My chest clenches. “I’m sorry.” I soften my voice. “How did they—?”
“You’ve wasted enough of my time tonight.” He tosses a pen on the desk behind him. “Sign the contract, Danni.”
I suck in a breath. “Don’t do that. If I cross the line with you, just tell me. You don’t have to be a dick about it.”
He bends down, putting his face in mine and forcing my back against the cold window. “You’re having a hard time understanding the roles here, so I’ll make it clear for you.” He brushes his nose through my hair. “You don’t know me, and you’re not going to know me. From this point forward, you’ll do what I say with a great deal more respect than you’ve shown me so far.”
“I don’t know about that last part, but I do know you.” I slide my fingers beneath the lapel of his suit jacket.
“Is that right?” He doesn’t push my hand away and instead rests his weight on an arm braced against the window above my head, his mouth inches from mine.
“Yep.” I tilt my chin up to meet his arctic eyes. “You don’t date or do relationships. You fuck. Then you send them home with a pat on the ass.”
He scowls in a way only he can make look indecent.
“You exude intimidation and upper-class superiority,” I say, “because you want everyone to think you’re aloof and untouchable. And maybe you are.” I push against the rigid wall of his chest. “But being aloof and untouchable is kind of like being an asshole, and that’s not a special trait. The world is overrun with assholes. You don’t have to be smart or wealthy or good-looking to join that club.”
His gaze narrows, cutting like blue lasers. “I know you, too, Danni Angelo.”
“Oh yeah?” I feather my fingers down the buttons of his shirt. “Do tell.”
His eyes follow the movement, one blond brow arrogantly arched. “The only thing you hate more than an asshole is a guy who isn’t an asshole.”
I flatten my spine against the window. “That’s not—”
“Sensitive guys bore you, and their flattery gets them nowhere. Assholes make your pulse race and your panties wet, especially when they tell you when, where, and how hard.”
Heat coalesces between my legs, and my molars crash together. Damn him.
“You’re the kind of dish that looks enticing, smells delicious, and tastes even better.” He gives me a chilly once-over bristling with judgment. “But after a few bites, it festers in the gut like a bad decision.”
An abrasive breath lodges in my throat, and my face tightens. “What’s the matter, Mr. Savoy? Too scared to sample something deep and stimulating for a change?”
He smirks, and I don’t like the satisfied glimmer in his eyes. I slip out of the confined space between him and window, seeking distance.
“You’re messy.” He glares at my hand where I twist the silver band on my right finger.
I drop my arms to my sides as outrage spikes through my blood. “I’m not—”
“I could fuck you right now, right here, and give you more pleasure than the son of a bitch who gave you that ring.” His arm snaps up, and his hand wraps around my throat.
How dare he insult Cole and manhandle me like this? I should rage at him, but as my heartbeat jumps against the fist shackling my neck, my entire body throbs erratically, excitedly, wantonly.
“Tease,” I choke out.
He uses his grip to force me backwards until the edge of his desk hits my legs. “Doesn’t matter how hard I make you come, you’ll go home and cry yourself to sleep over the man you’re still in love with.” He releases me and straightens. “You’re an emotional mess, and I don’t want any part of it.”
Anger flares, burning up my cheeks.
“I’m human.” I lurch toward him and shove at his chest. “A feeling, passionate, warm-blooded human, you callous prick.”
He allows me to push at him, his expression volcanic and breaths coming hot and fast, steeping the air between us.
If he doesn’t want any part of it, why did he demand I come here and take this job? His mixed signals are maddening.