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paid it out of the company s accounts. When I joined the business the company was on the verge of
liquidation, in which case we would have lost everything. I ve pulled in enough business to keep us
afloat for a while. But one wrong decision and it s all over the media, and we ll end up losing major
deals and our good reputation. If anyone finds out, the company s done. You were right about
everything.
 I don t understand. Right about what? I had a hard time following him and the sudden change
in tone didn t exactly help. His gaze settled on me, imploring me to understand. His hand squeezed
mine again, silently asking me to relate, to feel his emotions, or maybe to believe him.
 Robert thought by buying the Lucazzone estate he could save the company. I first agreed it was
a good idea because the land is valued at much more than we initially offered and tourists flood in
every year. I thought, why not try to sell it as the next St. Tropez or Kitzbuhel? He began to massage
his temples.
 But you increased your offer. It was a huge gamble. You could have lost a lot of money, I
whispered, my head still spinning around the words  sex practices and  elite club. It sounded like a
bad Hollywood movie.
 I was against paying more because, like you, I know when the risk s too high but he wanted it
and in the end it s still his company. After meeting you, that wasn t what worried me. I was afraid that
once the people involved learned of your inheritance, they d come after you to make sure you
wouldn t find out their secret and talk.
His hands cupped my face, forcing me to look at him.  Do you understand what I m saying?
I nodded, but not because I understood. He was nervous. I could feel tension wafting from him
in strong waves. The glint in his eyes scared the hell out of me.
 You said  club,  I began slowly.  Are we talking about a few kinky preferences like a bit of
BDMS or 
He shook his head gravely and let go of my face but didn t break eye contact.
 All I know is that they ve been fanatic about keeping their identities protected, which leads me
to assume there was more to it than that.
 Wow. I bit my lip hard, barely feeling the pain.  Where did the meetings take place?
A grimace crossed his face and a silent look passed between us. He didn t have to tell me that it
was the Lucazzone estate.
 According to my father, many powerful people were involved, Jett said.  He made it clear
that many of them would stop at nothing to keep their preferences hidden from the public.
 But why would they think I d know anything about them?
 Because you re the heiress. You re expected to inherit Lucazzone s secrets and no one knows
the specifics. They re probably scared. I know I d be. His expression remained earnest, but the
sudden caginess in his voice didn t escape me.
 You were never involved? I tried to instill nonchalance into my voice, like his past didn t
matter. After all, we didn t know each other back then, so it wasn t really my concern. But it mattered.
I didn t want him to be some pervert.
Shooting me a dirty look, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The way his fingers began
to tap on the table told me he was having a hard time keeping his annoyance under control.
I raised my chin a notch and regarded him stubbornly.  Were you 
Jett cut me off.  I heard you the first time and I m fucking pissed you d ever think that of me.
 I didn t. I  My throat constricted at the angry glint in his eyes.
 What the fuck, Brooke? I thought you knew me. His voice came so low I had a hard time
understanding him, which was worse than yelling. It made me feel bad disappointed in myself
even though I had no reason to be.
 I don t know you because we ve barely scratched the surface of your life, I said warily. My
heart was beating a million miles an hour.  I m sorry. It was just an innocent question. Anyone would
ask the same thing, given the circumstances.
 Given the circumstances. His jaw set. He pulled his hand away and leaned back in his chair,
putting as much distance between us as our sitting arrangement allowed.
He was angry and I couldn t blame him.
 I didn t mean to be accusatory, I said.  It was just a question, Jett.
He laughed slowly, still avoiding my gaze. I scanned his beautiful face. His scowl didn t
distract from his beauty; it just made him look different, and I realized I really didn t know much
about him.
 I wish I knew you better, I said softly.  The real you not the mask you re putting on to hide
what s inside.
His cloud of anger lifted just a little bit.  I d love another date.
I laughed at his impudence.  This isn t a date.
 Whatever you call it, I d love another one of those. He cocked his head, giving me the kind of
smile I had been waiting for all day.
No, Stewart. Don t you dare!
 I m not asking you. The corners of lips curled upward.  If you say  no then you leave me no
choice than to do the next stupid thing, like kidnapping you because I want to earn your trust. I want to
make things right again. What do you say?
My heart skipped a beat and I had no idea whether it was because Jett s strong grip on me sent
naughty thoughts through my head. Or because his threat both scared and fascinated me.
 You don t mean it.
 Try me. No smile. No blinking. Just pure, raw determination to get his way.
I swallowed down the big lump in my throat. This was supposed to be a formal meeting.
Nothing too intense. Yet here I was, tempted to give him another chance, knowing I might be heading
down a self-destructive path.
 Your whole story sounds kind of far-fetched, Jett. You don t have any real proof. Everything s
based on assumptions. Give me one good reason why I should believe you.
 Because it s the truth. He didn t hesitate; didn t even blink.  I was never involved, Brooke.
That s not the kind of person I am, and I hope one day you ll know that deep in your heart.
Maybe, but that time hadn t come yet. Jett was a convincing person who might or might not tell
the truth. I needed proof before I was ready to trust him again.
I checked the time on my cellphone and brushed my hands over my skirt the way I always did
when I was about to leave.
 I have to go. It s getting late and Sylvie s expecting me in ten minutes. It wasn t a lie. Without
waiting for his reply, I grabbed my bag and stood, wondering why I wasn t as pleased with our
meeting as I initially thought I would be.
Maybe because he hasn t given you any real answers.
True. In fact I ended up with more questions than before, and I didn t like it one bit.
 You re amazing, you know that? Jett walked around the table and stopped in front of me, his [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]