Covet - Eve Vaughn Page 0,14

closed the gap between us. “Depends on how desperate you are. You see Francesca, there’s nothing more I want than for you to disappear out of my life and be done with you, but you’ve become quite the inconvenience. You see, I’ve realized that I still want you, and maybe I’ll be damned to hell for feeling this way about my brother’s widow,, but there it is. Even though I know you’re a greedy, selfish cunt, I can’t stop thinking about throwing you on my desk and fucking that little pussy raw.”

I took three steps back, but Nick was quicker, reaching out for me so quickly our bodies collided.

“Let go of me!” I attempted to pull myself out of his hold, but he was stronger than me. I knew what those corded muscles beneath his suit looked like. If he chose to overpower me, there wasn’t much I could do about it.

“Don’t panic. I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to. But you’re going to have to earn every bit of that money.”

The blood was pounding in my ears, and my heart was beating so fast it felt as if it would explode from my chest. “So, you’re saying I have to sleep with you?”

A smirk curved one side of his sensual lips. “Oh, you’re going to have to do more than that. But first I want to see how desperate you really are.” And with that, he let me go and lean against his desk.

“What does that even mean?”

“You want something from me, and I’m willing to give it to you if you earn it. But first I want to see how badly you want this money.”

“What…what do I have to do?” As I uttered the words, a little part of me died on the inside.

“On your knees. Now.”

Chapter Four

Frankie

I was sure I’d heard him wrong. Nick had expressed his contempt for me in many ways, but this…this was a low I didn’t think even he would stoop to. “I beg your pardon?”

The sinister chuckle he suddenly released reminded me of a horror movie villain and every bit as frightening. “Oh, you’ll beg alright. Now get on your goddamn knees and beg me like the greedy little whore you are.”

I flared my nostrils and balled my fists, and before I realized my feet were moving, I was so close to him there wasn’t even an inch between us. I reared my arm back and aimed my fist straight for his jaw. I’m generally not a violent person but the rage boiling inside of me would not be denied. The sweet satisfaction I expected to feel by doing him bodily harm was not to be because he caught my fist in muscular hand, and he then twisted my arm behind my back. He lowered his head until our noses nearly touched.

He applied just enough pressure to not hurt but the right amount to let me know that if he applied more he could break my arm. “If you’ve finished having your tantrum, just remember you’re the one who came to me. I’m not obligated to give you shit. In fact, I’m pretty sure I told you the offer was off the table before you showed up. Clearly you don’t need the money as badly as you claim, and frankly, you’re wasting my time. In fact, the 90 days I gave you to vacate the house were way more generous than you deserve. All I’m required by law is to give you 30 days, so I want you out by the end of the month. I don’t give a fuck where you go. I just want you to be gone. And don’t test me. I will throw you out on the street myself if you’re not gone.”

He pushed me away then, so abruptly that I stumbled backward and nearly landed on my ass. I wanted to charge and get at least one good hit, but the man apparently had the reflexes of a jungle cat. I quickly weighed my options. Even if I wiped out my bank accounts and took out cash advances on the remaining balances on my credit cards, it wouldn’t be enough to pay the debt Adam owed. Anything of value I had at one point was long gone. I could have just said fuck it and let Adam work out his own problems, but that also meant his certain death. A death I couldn’t bear. No matter how many times he’d let me