Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Rex frowns. “You don’t eat enough.”
“Who cares?”
“I care. Sit and eat, and I’ll answer a few of your questions. I do owe you answers after our scene together. That was our deal, after all.”
I flush, remembering the exact details of our deal.
He pulls out a chair for me.
“You knew I was coming.” I sit, resign but ignore the quiet happiness that he was expecting me and was prepared for me.
“I had a guess. I hoped you would.”
To hide the warmth that spreads through me, I bend over my plate. I saw off a hunk of steak and study it.
“Afraid it’s poisoned?” He leans over the table toward me, mouth open, and the hit I get of his scent makes my eyelids flutter. My body is primed to melt when I’m in proximity to him. He gave me the pain I craved, the pleasure I didn’t think was possible, and now I’m trained like Pavlov’s dog.
He lets me feed him the bite. His eyes remain fixed on me the whole time. Even his gaze is potent. I can feel my face heat.
“There.” He sits back in satisfaction. “Now you know.”
“You wouldn’t use poison,” I say. It should be easy to remain immune to him. I just have to remind myself of the bodies he’s left in his wake. “You use knives to make the kill up close and personal.”
He leans back. His face is half in shadow, but I can hear the smirk in his voice. “Allegedly.”
I push back from the table. “This is stupid. Coming here was a mistake.”
“Inara.” He covers my hand with his. “Stay. I’ll behave.”
“No, you won’t.” But my resolve is crumbling. His hand swallows mine, his touch too distracting.
“Just eat something. Please.”
It’s the please that does it. Breaks my will. He looks like it pains him to watch me, and when I take a bite, he doesn’t smirk or gloat. He lets out a sigh.
The filet melts on my tongue, and my eyelids flutter. I am hungry.
Rex stays quiet, drinking in the sight of me savoring my food. Once again, he has me right where he wants me. So much for taking control of the conversation.
“We should go out sometime,” he says when my mouth is full. “I own two of the top-rated restaurants in New Rome.”
I swallow quickly. “Only two?”
“Do you want me to buy more?”
I nearly choke on my food. We’re sitting on the top two floors of the Roy high-rise that has a 360-degree view of the entire city. From this vantage, I could point to a random building, and there’s a fifty percent chance he already owns it. He’s not bluffing.
“I’m not going on a date with you. It’s completely inappropriate.” I realize I’m waving the steak knife around to make my point and set it down. “I’m investigating you for murder.”
He shrugs. “I have teams of people who can handle the optics. If you prefer, I can fly us to Paris. Tokyo. There’s a lovely B&B in southern Tuscany with only ten rooms and a wood-fired stone oven. Best bread of your life. My private jet is on standby. We can be there by dawn.”
I grab my water glass and take a gulp, washing down the delicious meal. “No. Where were you the night of the sixteenth? And the eighteenth?”
“Don’t you remember?” His voice drops to a purr. “I was at Club Empire with you.”
I steel myself to stay upright. My body wants to melt, remembering those scenes with him. “I mean after I left the club.”
“Monday night, I took a car back to this office and worked for a few hours. Then I went to my penthouse to sleep. I have security footage and employees who will swear to it.”
Footage can be doctored. Employees can be coerced.
“Wednesday, I was at a broadcast for the Miss Olympus Beauty Pageant. Then, I returned to Roy Manor. My house manager, Hamish Hitcock, can corroborate.”
He has an answer for everything. “How long did the broadcast take?”
“Filming wrapped up around midnight.” But midnight was when he was with me. I just caught him in a lie, but I’m the only witness.
I stare at him. “And you were there the whole time?”
“According to the footage.”
“You could’ve recorded your portions earlier.” That’s what he did so he could leave early and be at Club Empire to tie me up and hold me. I have gloves.
“I could’ve. But I have an entire television crew who will swear I was there.” He smiles the smile of a rich man who can buy all the alibis he needs.
I’m helpless to stop this from unfolding exactly how he wishes. He won’t even have to admit he was at Club Empire. He owns the television studio. He could easily sneak out a back door, take a car to Club Empire, and then go home. Somewhere in there, he killed someone and left the body on my stoop.