Her Dark Dragon by Lillith Payne Page B

love back then? Because it was you who always stopped us, I wanted more from you and you always stopped first."
    "You were young, Danni. Anything else, especially with our age difference, wouldn't have been right." She hated that he sounded rational. She wanted to spit tacks. "You still have options. Make sure you make the right choice."
    "I am," she whispered, more to herself than to him. "Just to clarify, what do you have in mind?"
    "For each statue, we spend the day together, and ultimately, sometime during the day or night, we reenact the statue position."
    "You truly are the dark dragon, Nico." He laughed, and she hated him more. "A full day is too much. There's no reason to waste eight days. A few hours should be sufficient."
    "But I don't just want sufficient. I want complete surrender!" And there it was. His perspective.
    If she did this with him, he wanted complete control. Danni wasn't sure she was capable of giving it to him, or any other man. He smiled a smile she'd never seen before, his eyes half-lidded and his lips tilted slightly.
    Danni had spent the morning with the outside accountant she'd hired. From the records on Robert's two computers, the outlook was downright bleak. That didn't include what else she didn't know about. The house was like a tomb. Carmen stayed in the kitchen as much as possible. Felice and Robert left each morning earlier than they'd ever gotten out of bed before and were gone until midafternoon. It was as if they were trying to punish her, eating supper at home, staring across the table. She wouldn't rescind the security team or the eviction orders. Everyone was wound tight, and Danni knew there would be hell to pay for all of their sins, now considered hers.
    "You're not eating, Danni?" Nico said, bringing her back from the dead stare she'd fallen into. His large hand closed over hers in an attempt to settle her. She glanced at him and quickly drew her hand back. He'd have sex with her, but she'd always wanted him to make love with her. It was a subtle difference, but it would end their friendship.
    "No attachments, Nico," she finally said. "This is just about sex and statues."
    "If you believe that, bella, you haven't thought this through." Pushing his plate to the side, he leaned forward, his voice all but a whisper when he said, "You're not the first woman to use sex as a means of bargaining, and you wouldn't be the last." He grabbed her hand under his and made small circles on her palm with his thumb, which sent a heated chill directly to her core. "The bigger question is, Why do it at all? You'll never own Cirillo again, Danielle, it's over. Robert and Felice will be long gone before the audit. You know they won't stay. They're only here still to be a burr under your saddle and to see what else they can rob from the house and accounts. What happens to you when this is all over? What about your future, your own self-worth and pride?"
    "Do you think if there was any other option, I'd be doing this?" she snapped.
    "Let it all go. Let your mother fend for herself. Take back your bank statement and start fresh. You could go anywhere, Danni. While I'd rather you took my alternate, it seems you won't. So, what will be left of Danielle Cirillo?"
    It was a question she'd been asking herself for days. The images of them lying together wouldn't leave her mind. She pictured them in each statue position, and her lower lips grew moist again. She sighed aloud and Nico simply sat and watched her. She was horny for him, always had been. This way, at least she'd be able to experience him before she left the valley. He'd make a wonderful lover. He'd be considerate and knowledgeable. Danni knew he had a reputation long before she understood what it meant. Now she wanted to feel it for herself. This one last gift she'd give herself before starting a new life. She'd be experienced and wiser, she argued within. While she always thought to wait for the man she loved, Danni realized Nico was that man. And