of the doorway, closing the doors behind him.
Piper tightened her grip on her portfolio.
Eldon moved closer, taking a seat on the sofa with her. It placed him far too close
to her.
“Shall we talk terms then?” he asked, the ice blue of his gaze suddenly hardening.
“Of course.” She nodded.
She’d just as soon get this done and have it over with. Lifting the portfolio closer,
she was suddenly stopped by the touch of Eldon’s hand on her wrist.
Her stomach tightened as dread began to wash over her.
“I don’t need to see the designs. They’ll be accepted if you play the game properly.”
Ahh.
Her stomach pitched alarmingly.
“Excuse me?”
His smile was oily and far too sinister.
“I think you heard me perfectly, actually,” he said softly. “We’ll enjoy a nice cup
of tea; then we’ll retire to my suite. Be a nice little fuck until I grow tired of
you and we’ll see about that show you want so badly.”
This wasn’t happening.
This couldn’t be happening.
“Are you insane?” Had she really said that aloud?
Eldon sat back slowly, his expression tightening further, but thankfully his hand
lifted from her wrist.
“You don’t want to piss me off, Ms. Mackay,” he warned her, his tone low, echoing
with anger.
“I don’t?” She really didn’t, but the churning in her stomach assured her she was
going to end up doing just that.
“Do you want that runway show, darling?” He stared back at her with such a chilling
lack of emotion that a shudder raced down her spine.
Did she want that runway show?
She was shaking her head before she realized it and rising slowly to her feet.
“You
are
insane,” she decided, much calmer than she should have been while facing a madman.
“Business isn’t done like that anymore.”
A mocking laugh parted his lips as he rose slowly to his feet.
“Don’t be a fool, Piper,” he warned her, his hip jutting once again, as if he hoped
she’d glance at his sock-stuffed crotch.
She’d gone to high school; she knew what it looked like.
“Looks like I’m going to be a fool.” Clutching the portfolio tighter in her hands,
she backed away from him.
She’d not just gone to high school; she’d been raised in East Texas, and she damned
well knew better than to turn her back on a rattler.
Unfortunately, he was advancing on her.
“The opportunity of a lifetime?” he asked silkily. “You’re letting it ride right on
by you.” He gave a little waving motion with his hand. “Are you sure you want to do
that?”
Was she sure?
Gripping the doorknob, she turned it and pulled the door open quickly.
“Am I sure I want to tell you to shove your offer up that sock-stuffed ass of yours?”
she asked archly as she escaped into the foyer.
He paused, but only for a second.
Piper saw the blow coming and only barely managed to evade it as his fist came flying
out.
“Bitch!” he snarled.
“Bitch? Because I know the difference between a sock and a dick?” She sneered back
at him, quickening her pace as she walked backward.
“You’ll never get out of that backwoods town where you’re hawking that shit you sew
together,” he snarled, his face flushing a brilliant red as his eyes bulged to the
point that they threatened to pop out of their sockets.
“And you’ll never be anything but a fake dick,” she threw back at him as Broecun entered
the foyer from another room, leaned against the doorframe, and folded his arms over
his chest lazily as he watched.
Asshole—he could have at least appeared surprised rather than plain amused.
“Bitch!”
She watched Eldon’s muscles bunch, knew he was going to move, and she knew she would
never be able to evade the punch.
Jed was going to be pissed.
Dawg would go ballistic.
They would both travel to New York and start taking off heads if she came home with
just the faintest bruise that came from a male hand.
She tried to evade it.
She jumped, tried to
Piper tightened her grip on her portfolio.
Eldon moved closer, taking a seat on the sofa with her. It placed him far too close
to her.
“Shall we talk terms then?” he asked, the ice blue of his gaze suddenly hardening.
“Of course.” She nodded.
She’d just as soon get this done and have it over with. Lifting the portfolio closer,
she was suddenly stopped by the touch of Eldon’s hand on her wrist.
Her stomach tightened as dread began to wash over her.
“I don’t need to see the designs. They’ll be accepted if you play the game properly.”
Ahh.
Her stomach pitched alarmingly.
“Excuse me?”
His smile was oily and far too sinister.
“I think you heard me perfectly, actually,” he said softly. “We’ll enjoy a nice cup
of tea; then we’ll retire to my suite. Be a nice little fuck until I grow tired of
you and we’ll see about that show you want so badly.”
This wasn’t happening.
This couldn’t be happening.
“Are you insane?” Had she really said that aloud?
Eldon sat back slowly, his expression tightening further, but thankfully his hand
lifted from her wrist.
“You don’t want to piss me off, Ms. Mackay,” he warned her, his tone low, echoing
with anger.
“I don’t?” She really didn’t, but the churning in her stomach assured her she was
going to end up doing just that.
“Do you want that runway show, darling?” He stared back at her with such a chilling
lack of emotion that a shudder raced down her spine.
Did she want that runway show?
She was shaking her head before she realized it and rising slowly to her feet.
“You
are
insane,” she decided, much calmer than she should have been while facing a madman.
“Business isn’t done like that anymore.”
A mocking laugh parted his lips as he rose slowly to his feet.
“Don’t be a fool, Piper,” he warned her, his hip jutting once again, as if he hoped
she’d glance at his sock-stuffed crotch.
She’d gone to high school; she knew what it looked like.
“Looks like I’m going to be a fool.” Clutching the portfolio tighter in her hands,
she backed away from him.
She’d not just gone to high school; she’d been raised in East Texas, and she damned
well knew better than to turn her back on a rattler.
Unfortunately, he was advancing on her.
“The opportunity of a lifetime?” he asked silkily. “You’re letting it ride right on
by you.” He gave a little waving motion with his hand. “Are you sure you want to do
that?”
Was she sure?
Gripping the doorknob, she turned it and pulled the door open quickly.
“Am I sure I want to tell you to shove your offer up that sock-stuffed ass of yours?”
she asked archly as she escaped into the foyer.
He paused, but only for a second.
Piper saw the blow coming and only barely managed to evade it as his fist came flying
out.
“Bitch!” he snarled.
“Bitch? Because I know the difference between a sock and a dick?” She sneered back
at him, quickening her pace as she walked backward.
“You’ll never get out of that backwoods town where you’re hawking that shit you sew
together,” he snarled, his face flushing a brilliant red as his eyes bulged to the
point that they threatened to pop out of their sockets.
“And you’ll never be anything but a fake dick,” she threw back at him as Broecun entered
the foyer from another room, leaned against the doorframe, and folded his arms over
his chest lazily as he watched.
Asshole—he could have at least appeared surprised rather than plain amused.
“Bitch!”
She watched Eldon’s muscles bunch, knew he was going to move, and she knew she would
never be able to evade the punch.
Jed was going to be pissed.
Dawg would go ballistic.
They would both travel to New York and start taking off heads if she came home with
just the faintest bruise that came from a male hand.
She tried to evade it.
She jumped, tried to
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