dn't b

idn't want to call by name. I told myself it was frustration, anger,

knew b

ed on my fingertips. His deep, tau

ticipating in a game you d

d forced myself to focus. This

three months. The

me and took notes, even though I di

k at the desk, calm and unboth

e had crawled 

d all the power, a

the pen tightening. "Ar

en glance up

. Arrogant.

ze drifted towards my face, a glimmer o

he said

That wasn't

"But I don't want compliments, Elena. I need r

n tightened. "You

ll speaking inst

essing the impulse to

papers before me. I didn't care whether

can almost hear you grittin

glare at him. "You en

ense

ness took me

amelessly cold-blooded, unapologetically pompous, an

ssed them on my chest. "Why d

ened slightly

u could have just had me blow out the cash for

answer r

imply looked at me, his

said, 'Because

w me off.

gainst the top of the desk. "It's not so easy, Elena, to be chall

ach tig

ng a very precarious line, one that I wa

dispel the sense of dread creeping int

facade di

e dropped lo

play game

ran down

since I'd known h

wasn't some ric

hing much mo

t blundered i

w long we looke

t look away. There was something about Damien's eyes, someth

should

ad down, swallow my

I di

are. You say you don't play games, but you're

smirk. "Toying with you? Elena, y

ingers under the table

the answer

could've gone your own way, bought another suit, and

r, his pale blue eyes unwav

es

voice had gone. "You were an inconvenien

ut I didn't know why. What had I e

 in my throat. "So t

lightly. "It's al

harply. "Yo

you're s

argue, but...

stil

 said no to coming. But I hadn't. An

cause I ha

as something mu

much else before t

even turn to i

ked. "

ow. "You're my a

the phone, pressing it into my e

le

fr

t v

A voice I hadn't

art d

d the man on the other end, who chuck

ran th

o, no

one tighter. "Wh

ward me, his expression

phone. So tell me, Elena, what's a gi

. My chest felt tight.

steady, but his eyes were kn

rched, I swa

up, my fin

le

gradually, he got up and ambled around the

s lower now, more su

away. "

ticked. "Don'

ned in knots a

ver that was found out-

t let tha

what I

nd looked him right in the eye.

ze dar

hat mome

n't be