She smiled. “This is cozy.”
“It’s the vault. It’s fireproof. This is where I keep the most precious books.”
She looked at the skylight. “Even with that?”
“It’s fitted with a metal shutter that closes automatically in case of a fire.”
Her eyes flittered to the bed. “You sleep here?”
“No, I don’t sleep here. Sometimes I read here, until late, but that’s what the sofa is for. The bed is for making love.”
Her insides scrambled. Her body flushed. He’d stepped up to her, standing very close to her now. If she took a deep breath, her breasts would brush against his chest.
She shook her head, making her curls tumble over her shoulders. “Why are you showing me this?”
“Why do you think?” he asked softly.
She stood very still, the silence stretching between them. Lifting a hand, he traced the curve of her breast with a finger.
Desire and fear knotted together, making a confusing mass of both her body and mind. She stepped back, escaping the touch. “I have to go.”
He tilted his head. “Maybe, but do you want to?”
“Yes,” she said, putting assertiveness into her tone.
“I don’t think you do.”
“How would you know?”
“Your breathing is shallower.” He took her hand in his, tracing the lines of her palm with a thumb. “Your palms are sweaty.” His eyes lowered to her breasts. “And there are other signs.”
She gasped in horror, because he was right. “It’s nothing but shock at your boldness.”
“Whether it’s shock or need, the pleasure I’d give you would be no less intense.”
He was dangerous, much more than the media gave him credit for. A man like Lann would chew her up and spit her out. She was no match for him. Turning on her heel, she hurried down the stairs to the exit, eager to escape into the dark, cool night. She ran into the garden until she stood face to face with the statue of Saint Teresa.
Lann followed her outside, but he did so in his own sweet time, leaving her alone for at least a minute to calm down, or maybe to sweat it out. When he stopped short of her, she took a step back.
He frowned at her. “I never force, Katherine.”
His proximity was disturbing. “I’m going home, Lann.”
He seemed to consider it for a while. “Give me one good reason why you won’t stay.”
“For starters, I’m serious about my studies. I’ve worked hard to get where I am. I don’t have time for relationships or casual flings.”
He nodded. “We can work around that.”
“No,” she said firmly, “we won’t work around anything. Thank you for dinner. I’m leaving now.”
“Alright,” he said, “I’ll tell my driver to take you home.”
The fact that he gave in so easily should have had her sighing with relief. Instead it scared her.
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Afterword
Dear Reader,
Thank you very much for joining me on Joss and Clelia’s adventure. If you enjoyed the story, please consider leaving a short review on your favorite review or vendor site to help other readers discover the book. Every review makes a huge difference.
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Charmaine
Also by Charmaine Pauls
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(Enemies-to-Lovers Dark Romance)
Darker Than Love
(Second Chance Romance)
Catch Me Twice
Diamond Magnate Novels
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Standalone Novel
(Dark Forced Marriage Romance)
Beauty in the Broken
Diamonds are Forever Trilogy
(Dark Mafia Romance)
Diamonds in the Dust
Diamonds in the Rough
Diamonds are Forever
The Loan Shark Duet
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Consent
Box Set
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(Older Woman Younger Man Romance)
Old Enough
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Krinar World Novels
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The Krinar Experiment
The Krinar’s Informant
Seven Forbidden Arts Series
(Dark Paranormal Romance)
Pyromancist (Fire)
Aeromancist, The Beginning (Air)
Audiobooks
Standalone Novels
(Enemies-to-Lovers Dark Romance)
Darker Than Love
Diamonds are Forever Trilogy
(Dark Mafia Romance)
Diamonds in the Dust
Diamonds in the Rough
Diamonds are Forever
The Loan Shark Duet
(Dark Mafia Romance)
Dubious
Consent
Krinar World Novels
(Futuristic Romance)
The Krinar’s Informant
Book Blurbs
Diamond Magnate Novels
(Dark Mafia & Forced Marriage / Revenge Romance)
Standalone Novel
Beauty in the Broken
Six years ago, Harold Dalton framed me for theft and sent me to jail to steal my diamond discovery. He gave his daughter to Jack Clarke in exchange for the excavation rights. Today I’m walking free, and I’m coming for him with a vengeance. Six years of cruelty make beasts out of men. I’m going to take back what he stole from me, and more. I’m not interested in his properties or shares. I don’t want his small change. I want his biggest asset. Beautiful, mentally unstable, Angelina Dalton-Clarke.
Worth billions, she’s the wealthiest widow in the country, and also the craziest. Her self-harming tendencies had Jack declare her incompetent before he put a gun to his head and blew out his brains. Lina isn’t allowed to touch a cent of her riches. Her father manages her finances. He has all the signing power. As her husband, that chore will fall to me. But if she thinks I only want her for her money, she’s sadly mistaken.
Diamonds are Forever Trilogy
Diamonds in the Dust (Book 1)
Men like us, we see things.
We do things, things that make us unfeeling.
That’s the price of power and money, of living la belle
