Filthy Rich Revenge: A Filthy Rich Billionaires Book - Lynn Raye Harris Page 0,13
not do so.”
The questions rose to a fever pitch. Rebecca strained to hear a single one over the din, but Alejandro appeared at her side, his hand on her elbow.
“That’s all for now,” he said tightly, ushering her toward the sleek glass doors of the building.
She resisted the urge to smile when the doors closed behind them, leaving them in the quiet of a polished lobby. A pretty receptionist greeted them warmly. Alejandro nodded to the young woman and propelled Rebecca toward an elevator. Her shoes clicked across black marble inlaid with shiny gold squares. She briefly wondered if they were real gold, if Alejandro would dare to display his wealth so garishly. A uniformed man greeted them as they passed inside a private elevator, then pressed a button and exited, leaving them alone as the gleaming doors slid closed.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Rebecca leaned back against the brass rail and tried not to look like the cat that ate the canary. “What do you mean? I told them you did everything legally.” Legally, but not morally. She had no doubt he’d understood what she’d said out there.
His grey eyes flashed. “You know very well you’re jeopardizing our stock value with comments such as those.”
“I’m sure you’ll recover from the dip.”
“Yes, but will I need to shed a few assets to keep earnings on projection?”
Her heart thumped at the threat, but she remained unaffected on the outside. “Did you pay bribes in Dubai?”
“Do you think I would admit it to you if I had?”
She spoke before she could talk herself out of it. “You’ve grown fast over the years. I’d wondered how you did it, but perhaps the secret to your success has little to do with business acumen and everything to do with your willingness to play dirty.”
His gaze sharpened. “You’d like to think so, but I assure you everything I’ve gained has been earned through hard work. Unlike yourself, no?”
His reaction was not as harsh as she expected, but it sliced deep. It was a charge that stung, but not one she could deny. At least not in any way he would understand. She’d had to work hard to prove herself to her father, to prove that a daughter could be every bit as good as a son when it came to captaining the family business. She’d worked harder than anyone would ever know.
She would not share those struggles with Alejandro—or, indeed, with anyone. The memories of what she’d endured were too painful.
His look was telling. “How it must anger you to know your fate is in my hands. Perhaps you should be nicer to me, encourage me to be gracious. How is it you say in American? That you must use honey to get the flies, not vinegar?”
She stiffened. “Don’t you dare insult me by pretending I have a chance to convince you otherwise. You’ve already made up your mind, so why not just tell me what you want and be done with it? It’s clear you have a plan, regardless of what I say or do. Save us both the hassle.”
His grey gaze bored into hers. “What makes you think this is a—what was the word? Hassle—for me?”
She speared her hair away from her face, having forgotten the clip on the breakfast table. “I mean that since you already know what you want from me, let’s just get right to it and skip this other stuff.”
She sounded brave, though she was anything but. He could fire her here and now, put her on a plane and send her back to New York with nothing more than a bad case of jetlag and a rapidly dwindling bank account. She probably shouldn’t have baited him with her statement to the reporters, but she was tired of being at his mercy. She wanted this nightmare over, wanted her company back and her life free of this man.
“Get right to it?” he said softly, his gaze hot as his eyes slid over her. “Skip the foreplay? A good idea sometimes.”
Rebecca’s breath caught at the sensual undertone of his voice. Was she imagining the heat in his gaze? The elevator suddenly seemed too small to contain the two of them.
“But not always,” he continued, his voice caressing the words. “You may plead your case in front of my board.”
“They will vote as you want. What’s the point?” Her voice was far huskier than she would have liked.
“Maybe.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out his phone, frowning