After his hasty departure this morning he’d realised that he’d let those marks on her arms sway him into going easy on her. Because he hadn’t wanted her to think he was a monster like her father?
The man who hadn’t so much as asked after his daughter when Theo had attended his office to sign the agreement papers?
The man whose eyes had shone with greed and triumph even before the ink had dried on the documents?
No, he was nothing like Benedicto da Costa. He wasn’t about to lose any already precious sleep wondering about that little statement.
What he had to be careful of was that his enemy’s daughter didn’t guess his intentions. He was so very close to having Benedicto right where he wanted him. He couldn’t afford to be swayed by a heart-shaped face or the most sinfully sexy pair of shorts he’d ever seen in his life, no matter how acute the ache in his groin.
‘Will you please tell me why you’re after my father?’ she implored softly. The concern on her face appeared genuine and he suddenly realised that, despite Benedicto’s treatment of her, Inez cared for her father.
His nostrils flared as bitterness rocked through him. He’d once been in that same position, foolishly believing that the father he’d idolised and loved beyond reason cared just as deeply for him. That he wasn’t the fraudster and philanderer the press were making him out to be.
Now, he wanted to rip the blindfold from her eyes, make her see the true monster in the man she called Pai. Make her see that her love was nothing but a manipulative tool that would be used against her eventually.
Except he had a strong feeling she already knew, and chose to overlook it. Which made his blood boil even more.
‘Why, do you plan to sacrifice yourself to save him?’ he taunted.
She gasped, dropping the sterling silver fork she’d been nervously toying with. ‘So, it is my father!’
He cursed under his breath. ‘If you so much as breathe a word in his direction about your suspicions, I’ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life.’
She paled. ‘You really expect me to sit back and watch you destroy him?’
‘I expect you to hold up your end of the bargain we struck. Live under my roof in exchange for me leaving the loophole in the contract alone. Are you prepared to do that or do I need to plot another plan of action?’ he asked, not bothering to hide the threat in his voice.
She stared back at him apprehensively. Her chin rose and her brown eyes burned holes in him but she nodded. ‘I’ll stick to our agreement.’
When their wine was served, he watched her take a big gulp and curbed the desire to follow suit. He was driving and needed to restrict his drinking. Nevertheless, a sip of the Chilean red went a way to restoring a little order to his floundering thoughts.
Thee mou, he hadn’t even fired the first salvo and things were getting out of hand. Why on earth had he shared the presence of his demons with her? And that comment about her being so much more than a girlfriend? He silently shook his head and sucked in a control-affirming breath.
Their dinner progressed in near silence. Theo reminded himself that his main reason for bringing her out hadn’t been for conversation. When she refused dessert, he settled the bill quickly and rose to help her out of her seat.
Fire shot through his groin, hard and fierce, as he was once again confronted with the risqué shorts. While they’d been seated, he’d managed to tamp down the effect of those shorts on his raging libido.
Now, as she walked in front of him, he was treated to a mouth-watering sight of her deliciously rounded bottom and stunning legs. With each sway of her hips, he grew harder until he wondered if he had any blood left in his upper extremities that hadn’t migrated south.
He was reconsidering his decision not to burn the shorts at the earliest opportunity when he caught a male diner staring in blatant appreciation at her legs.
His growl was low but unmistakable. The man hastily averted his gaze but Theo was still simmering in primitive emotions when they reached the car park.
He followed her to the passenger side but, instead of opening the door for her, he braced his hand on either side of her and leaned in close. With her front pressed against the door, her bottom was moulded into his groin in such a way that she couldn’t fail to notice his state of arousal.