Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,210

says my name with maple syrup coated sarcasm. “I won’t need to tie you down to keep you there. You’ll want it.”

I roll my eyes, letting the scotch burn my throat as I take a healthy sip of my drink.

“You’re pretty presumptuous. And if you want me as you say, you went about winning me over the wrong way. I’m not some young girl who’s going to fall on my knees for you.”

“Dare I say there’ll come a time when you will drop to your knees in front of me.” When I spear him with a disgusted look, he chuckles. “Why do you think you intrigue me?”

“You know everything about me. You know how much money sits in my bank accounts. How many properties I have. I’m simply an opportunity to you Mr. Baldwin. If you want me, it’s strictly because of what I can offer you financially and socially.”

He rests his weight on his arms, leaning over the table toward me. The scent of his expensive cologne permeates my senses and I have to will myself not to show him any weakness by leaning back in my seat.

“There you go again, making assumptions.” His finger slides out and runs over the top of my hand. “I’m not Todd. I don’t want a cent from you. When I told you it was you I wanted, that was it. Nothing else. But I would never force that on you either. The choice is yours.”

I push back the burning arousal from his confession. If he’s telling the truth, it sets him apart. No one has ever just wanted me. Including a lot of my friends. There was always some club or designer they wanted me to pull strings for. I have no doubt Roarke is playing me. You’re not raised with the Crowley last name and end up just skipping along the yellow brick road not thinking your next enemy couldn’t be someone you call a friend.

“Enough of this back and forth,” I snip. “What are you proposing?”

He leans back and I move my hands to my lap. His gaze follows and then floats up to my face after pausing briefly at my breasts.

His own hand disappears beneath the table and reappears with a manila folder.

Lawyers.

“What, are you going to make me sign a contract?”

“Look how well you already know me.” He grins.

“Seriously?” My gaze flies to the papers he pulls from the folder. “I can guarantee you my word is enough.”

“In my line of work, someone’s word is never enough. People forget. There are misunderstandings, miscommunications. This way our agreement is in black and white with no room for misinterpretation.”

I lean forward, my hands reaching for the contract but he retracts it. I slink back into the booth. “Let me guess if I don’t fulfill my end there’s a monetary fine for me to pay.”

“Tsk. Tsk. Ms. Crowley, stop making assumptions.” He reaches into his jacket, pulling out a pair of black-rimmed reading glasses, he positions them on his face and reaches in his pocket again for a pen.

I hate to admit it, but the few times I saw him wearing those glasses in court or during discovery, I couldn’t help noticing how much it upped his hotness factor. A pair of glasses should not make a man even sexier.

“Maybe we should have had this meeting at your office with it all being so by the book.” I give him a caustic smile across the table.

“I debated that,” he says flipping through the papers and not looking up at me. “But the desire to bend you over my desk would’ve been too strong.” He looks up from the papers and winks.

A sudden bolt of lightning electrifies me from head to toe and every hair on my body stands on end. Bastard.

“That’s never going to happen,” I say.

“Still making assumptions I see.” He sets the pen down, taking off his glasses and letting his gaze fall over me. “I rarely fail to get what I want.”

“Cut the Fifty Shades bullshit.” I seize the contract, the pen tumbling down off the papers and landing on the table. “My lawyers will have a look at this.”

“Your lawyers aren’t going to see this contract. I assure you, it’s favorable for both sides.” He sits back, giving me time to read it over.

“What are you going to sit here the entire time?” I ask.

“I’d like nothing better than to spend the night with you. I’d prefer other alternatives, but I’ll take what you’re offering.” I stare