When he pulled back, the angles in his face were sharp and foreboding, his expression unyielding. “You want it spelled out?”
Finally, she was getting somewhere. “Yes, I need to know before this goes any further.”
“I think you crossed that line in the lighthouse, sweetheart. And when you held my hand tonight. And how you’ve turned to me every time there’s a problem you can’t solve.” His odd tone sent a shiver of warning through her. “You need protection, and you want stay with the hotel as the manager.”
She nodded warily.
“And I want you in my bed. I want your body. I want your soul. When I buy this hotel, you will belong to me.”
Shocked, she felt a tide of indignation rush through her. “I’m not a thing you can possess.”
“That’s my offer, Ellie. Why I came back to El Dorado Island.” His gaze turned cool, calculating. “Did you think I planned to buy the hotel out of charity?”
“I knew you had ulterior motives. I saw signs, the way you looked at me, the way you seduced me—”
“Wait, whose idea was it to cross the line from rivals to lovers? Because everything that’s happened between us since I showed up tells me you want me. You need me.”
A horrible sense of betrayal crawled through her veins. “On terms you get to decide? Where does that leave me?”
“Think about.” Ruthlessness pinched the corners of his eyes, and she felt as if he’d suddenly become a complete stranger, a man bent on possession, and revenge. “I’ll keep you here, Ellie, under my protection. You’ll never have to worry about money again. You’ll never have to worry about your position here. You’ll never suffer the advances of other men. You are mine. In exchange, you agree to my demands.”
“You can’t command me! I will not be some sexual servant at your beck and call.”
He shrugged. “Take it or leave it.”
The enormity of what he suggested left her raw and bleeding inside. “Why?” she choked out.
“You and your family treated me like shit.”
Hurt, she shot back, “That’s not true—”
“I came from poverty, raised by a single mom who sacrificed everything so I could be here today.” His nostrils flared. “You had it all, the shiny name, the mansion, a rich daddy who gave you whatever you wanted.” Raising his voice, he continued fiercely, “I gave you everything I had to give, but it still wasn’t enough. I didn’t have the credentials your father demanded so I could ‘deserve’ you. Now I do.”
Tears stung her eyes. “I didn’t care about those things.”
“You dumped me and got engaged to a man your father chose for you.” His gaze burned with rage. “I was nothing to you.”
“That’s not the way it happened—”
He cut her off. “All I needed was the chance to prove myself. But you wouldn’t wait. I’ve come back to the island to claim what was denied me.”
“My father was looking out for my best interests,” she defended.
Carter’s arm shot out to indicate the deteriorating state of the hotel. “Great job he did, too.”
She smacked him across the face. “Don’t you dare disrespect him.”
Recovering from her slap, he slowly turned his head so they were face to face again. Animosity sizzled between them.
“I’m the only person who will save you from Frank’s mistakes. I suggest you take my offer,” he stated, his expression stone, his voice devoid of emotion. “You bowed to your father’s wishes. Now you will bow to mine.”
“That includes denying me a choice?”
He shrugged. “You have a choice. Take it or leave it.”
“That’s not a choice! It’s an ultimatum.”
“I don’t care what you call it. I can walk away right now and leave you to your own devices.”
At the thought, terror struck her heart. Without him as the buyer, she didn’t have many options. She didn’t have any options. The truth shriveled her pride, her future fading before her eyes.
“Or,” he continued, “I can take you to my bed and shelter you from the consequences of your family’s failings.”
“I can’t be bought.” The sentiment sounded hollow, even to herself. She’d known the potential consequences of becoming his lover, yet she’d hoped to regain his love and respect in the process. “How can you be so callous toward me?”
“Isn’t that what you’ve set up for yourself? You won’t leave the island. You’re not qualified for any other career. Am I wrong so far?”