Heir Untamed - By Danielle Bourdon Page 0,79
I get it, that changes nothing. Why, you ask? Why does it change nothing? Because you're playing with my heart. It's not like we met, had a one night stand, and never saw each other again. You knew I would be here for the next four months and yet you engaged me anyway. We both know that nothing can ever come of this except a few good nights in bed. And while that might have been all right at some point in my life, it's not all right now. It's not all right for you to assume that's all it would be to me.” She never raised her voice, but the words started coming faster halfway through. At one point, that was exactly what Chey thought Sander would be to her. A winter fling to be forgotten once she went home. Funny how things changed.
He regarded her with an unreadable expression. Finally, he looked away to the window, dropping his arms to bring a hand to his jaw. He rubbed his fingers along the defined edge. Thoughtful.
“No, it probably wasn't right to withhold my status from you. But I did, and I still stand by my reasons,” Sander said. He paced toward the window and away, making a slow circuit in front of her. “You have to understand that this doesn't happen every other day. It hasn't happened once in my lifetime until you. Every meeting, every date, every idea of romance is arranged. I know in advance who I'll be taking to dinner, who I'll be escorting to a party, who I'll be expected to kiss goodnight. Then along comes your haughty self, with your face slaps and your indignation. You didn't treat me different because you didn't know—and I enjoyed it. I liked goading you and pushing your buttons. You're not like the women I'm expected to court. And I'll freely admit—I wasn't looking further than a one time shot with you. Not at first. But you have this way about you. It grows on a person who appreciates a little rebellion along with beauty.” Sander glanced at her.
Expecting a diatribe something along these lines and hearing it outright were two different things. Enraptured by the stalking half circles he made, by the way his clothes fit and the sheer command of his presence, Chey could only stare and swallow down the sensation of sawdust in her throat. A full minute went by in silence. She sorted through how she felt compared to what he said. At the end of all things, however, the outcome never changed.
“All right. So you wanted to flirt and be flirted with outside the usual parameters. I can't blame you for that, not after what I've seen and heard. Mattias told me what it was like for you and at the time, it seemed so loveless. So...futile. I don't envy your titles, money and position when you can't even choose to be with someone you love. Or even like. Despite all this, Sander, it doesn't change the outcome. Sure, we can flirt and go canoeing and have our fling—but what then? Why risk heartache when we both know it's going nowhere?”
“You didn't strike me as the type of woman who gave up easily, or allowed someone else to run roughshod over you without a fight, that's why.”
“What does that mean?” She narrowed her eyes.
Sander swerved out of his languid cycle of figure eights and walked right up to her. He stared down, searching her eyes.
Chey had to crane her chin up another notch because he was so tall. Being this close to him made her heart pick up speed. It shortened the breath in her throat. She waited him out, almost afraid of what he might say.
“It means I want you to stay and fight. Stay and risk it. Throw caution to the wind because you think I might be worth the time and effort to get to know me better. It means, Chey, that I'm willing to take the system on if you're willing to honor your agreement to finish the four month contract my family signed you to. We need time to figure out if we're right, if this is right, and we have a perfect shot to do it if you'll change your mind about leaving.” He didn't touch her, just stared into her eyes like he might discern her answers before they left her mouth.
She knew what he was asking her to do. Sander thought they might have a