of cookies. They were so much in love. I always imagined my life being like theirs. Falling in love, only knowing the good in the world.”
“Life throws shit at you. You’ve got to learn to deal with it. There’s nothing else you can do.”
“Is this what you’re used to dealing with?” she asked.
“I know that life will hit you first, hardest if it can. I’ve always made sure that I can be the one to hit first.” He got to his feet and left the room.
She stood and rushed off after him. “Wait, you didn’t tell me about your sister.”
He stopped and turned toward her. The way he looked at her, she didn’t know what it was, but it sent a shiver up her spine.
He continued to stare at her and she waited.
“You’ll get to find out a lot more about me when you give me an answer. I don’t tell my soul to just anyone.”
She growled. “One day … you’re going to regret this. You’re going to be alone and miserable.”
“I’ll probably be miserable but the thing about money, darling, you’re never alone. Not for the right price.”
When he left this time, she let him go. There was no point in trying to stop him. He was an asshole, and she didn’t want to fight with him.
She went back to where James was. Still sound asleep.
Rather than disturb him, she went back to her own room, changed, and made her way downstairs to get his breakfast ready.
The moment she entered the kitchen, she came to a stop. The chef was cooking, and Caleb sat at the kitchen counter, reading a newspaper.
Without even looking up from his newspaper, he gave the chef the order to leave.
“What about your breakfast?” she asked.
“I’ve been hearing that you’re a good cook. You can cook it for me.”
“That’s very presumptuous of you,” she said, folding her arms.
“You’re too kind to not make me lunch.”
She stayed seated, but she smelled the food spoiling, and after helping so many helpless people in the past few years, she just couldn’t do it. Rushing over to the stove, she did all that she could to save his breakfast from being thrown into the trash. She served him his food, shocked by how unhealthy the breakfast was, but putting it in front of him, and placing the pots and pans into the sink. She went to the fridge to see her waffle batter had been used.
Grabbing the ingredients she needed to make some more, she hummed to herself, trying her hardest to ignore the man opposite her.
The first man in her life who actually wanted her. She shouldn’t care. He was a cruel man, but still, with each glance at him, she couldn’t help but think of how sexy he was.
Caleb was sexy. He was all muscle, and as he lifted his coffee cup to his lips, she caught sight of the ink decorating his arms. The level of aggression washed off him in waves, but it only added to his masculinity.
Shaking off her thoughts, she got back to her whisking. James would be down in no time, and any thoughts she had about this man would evaporate. The only reason she was considering his deal was that she wanted to be free.
She hoped that was all it was.
Being attracted to this man was wrong on every single kind of level.
****
Grace was a natural when it came to James.
Caleb sat back in the security room and watched as she took him out into the garden. With how cold it was, she’d wrapped him up in several sweaters, a coat, hat, gloves, and a scarf. The boy could barely walk, and he looked so cute.
He couldn’t help but think back to this morning. It wouldn’t have been a hardship to tell her about his sister, but he didn’t want to. She had yet to give him an answer, and until she did, he wouldn’t be forthcoming. He’d already made the decision to annoy her with anticipation.
Sure, he wanted to fuck her, to feel her tight pussy wrapped around his cock, but he was also a very patient man. When the time came to take her, he wanted her to be so completely desperate for his touch that she’d forget their circumstances for getting to this point.
He shouldn’t even care, and yet here he was, wanting her to like him. In this world, he’d made sure everyone feared him. With Grace, he wanted her to look at him with need and