Being associated with a life of crime had only ripped her family apart. Now she lived on her own and hadn’t spoken to her family in many years.
“So, you aren’t my type, Cato.”
I hadn’t touched my wine since I walked inside. I was far more interested in drinking her in than letting the alcohol touch my lips. Bates’s paranoia seemed like overkill now that I’d heard her confession. This woman didn’t have a trick up her sleeve at all. She really just wanted a job from me—and that was all. If anything, she was a lesser threat than anyone else I dealt with. “You aren’t wrong. But you aren’t right either.”
She placed her hand under her chin as she examined me. Her thick lashes made her eyes even more beautiful, hypnotic. They shone with ecstasy when I was deep inside her, and the effect was absolutely stunning.
“With great power comes great responsibility. If you’re a man worthy of that power, you will rule without consequence. I’m the biggest shark in the ocean, the top of the hierarchy. I control this world, down to every last detail. Men look over my shoulder for me, but my power is untouchable. I’m the most powerful man in this world—and no one can ever take that away from me. Perhaps my station makes me a target, but it also makes me untouchable. If a woman were ever by my side, she would never have to be afraid of anything—because the world serves me.” Her father had a respectable empire with plenty of men, but he was still no match for me. She thought she understood wealth and privilege, but the others were penniless compared to me. She had no idea what real luxury was like. “I can make all problems go away.”
She hung on every word without blinking, but she still didn’t seem impressed by what I said. “You can make problems go away, but I prefer not to have problems to begin with.” She grabbed the bottle and refilled her glass. “I inherited this house from my grandmother. It’s small and quaint, but it’s perfect for me. I don’t owe anything on it, and the money I make from the gallery is enough for a comfortable life. There’s nothing else I need or want.”
I wasn’t envious of her attitude, but I respected her for it. It gave her the ultimate level of power. If there was nothing else she needed, then she didn’t need to bend over backward for anything or anyone. She was in control of her life, and she wasn’t looking for a man to make her life easier. She didn’t need anyone for anything.
She drank her wine, licking her lips in between tastes.
It was the first time in my life when I’d wanted a woman who was borderline indifferent toward me. She wanted to sleep with me, but not enough to blow up my phone with texts or to show up at one of my favorite clubs. She didn’t have an ulterior motive, a fantasy that she could become the richest woman in this country. She didn’t need anything from me—so I meant nothing to her. It was pretty sexy.
She met my gaze and didn’t blink for several heartbeats. “What?”
“You’re sexy.”
“Me?” She tilted her head sideways slightly.
“Yes. You.”
A smile formed on her lips, and this time, it was genuine. “You like an independent woman?”
“I don’t have a type.” As long as she was beautiful and subservient, I didn’t care. Her personality, religion, and beliefs were irrelevant. I’d never paid enough attention to a woman to learn anything about her. “But I was raised by a single mother. She worked as many hours as she could to provide for Bates and me. Not once did she complain or seem weak. So I do have a soft spot for a woman who takes care of herself.”
Her eyes slowly softened, and the smile on her lips faded away. Her fingers rested against the rim of her glass, and the playfulness she’d shown just seconds ago was gone. “I didn’t know that.”
“You’re not a very good stalker.”
“I guess I didn’t think your childhood mattered.”
“Every boy becomes a man. But the man never forgets who that boy was.” It didn’t matter how rich I was now. I could never forget what it meant to struggle. I could never forget the winter nights we couldn’t afford heat and the summers we couldn’t afford air conditioning. I could never forget picking up food at the homeless center