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  She pushed away, finally able to breathe once she put space between them. His scent was addictive, pulling her under his spell. Adora turned around once at a safe distance. “Maybe in your world. Not mine.”

  “Then prove me wrong. One date.”

  It took all her willpower to refuse him. “Sorry, I’m not interested.”

  Chapter Two

  In all of his forty-five years, Tobias couldn’t recall a moment a woman ever denied him. The Bennett name got him what he wanted, when he wanted it. He knew women wanted him, craved him. Like last night. He didn’t even remember the intern’s name, but she’d been ready to give him anything he wanted, and then something more.

  Adora was a beautiful young woman, and he knew for a fact he’d never seen her before. He wouldn’t have been able to forget her. She was nothing like the women he usually brought home. There was an innocent air about her—youth and lush curves. She wore no make-up, and it was refreshing to see what a woman was supposed to look like. There’s no way he’d ever let her go without at least knowing her name.

  She licked her lips, and glanced over his shoulder.

  The sudden smile transformed her face, a rare beauty, and he glanced to see Maria, her mother. They started talking, and he didn’t understand a word of Spanish.

  “Is it okay for me to take my mom home? She’s finished for the day,” Adora said.

  “Of course.”

  Maria said something else before she went to put her supplies away. The stern look on Adora’s face made him wonder exactly what her mother had told her. Maria had seen it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

  Leaning against the counter, he reached for one of the grapes in the fruit bowl.

  “What will it take?” he asked, popping it into his mouth.

  She shook her head. “Nothing.”

  “Every single woman has their price. What’s yours?”

  It was clearly the wrong thing to say as she folded her arms, and began to glare at him. “You’re used to clicking your fingers or signing a checkbook to get what you want. I’m not for sale.”

  “I didn’t realize I was insulting you.”

  She rubbed at her temple, and he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms, to take the troubles away from her. Of course, if he took her troubles away, it meant she’d be giving him all of her attention.

  Adora didn’t dispute that he’d insulted her. He stared down the length of her body, wishing she wasn’t wearing so many layers. Normally he dated women with fake tits, he’d even paid for some of them, but he knew Adora was all natural. Everything about her made his cock hard.

  She was young.

  “How old are you?” he asked.

  “Why?”

  “I’m curious.”

  She rolled her eyes, and with her arms folded, he saw how defensive she was. “I’m twenty.”

  He nodded. Picking up the fruit bowl, he held it out for her. “Want some?”

  She shook her head.

  “I’m not a bad man. I’m offering you some fruit.”

  “I’m sorry for invading your home. I just wanted to pick my mother up.”

  “Your English is impeccable,” he said. He’d tried to have conversations with Maria, who he believed was a little younger than he was.

  “I’ve known no different. My mom’s tried to take lessons, but it didn’t take.” She shrugged. “I don’t mind. I’m fluent in both.”

  She made conversation really difficult, and he found that she intrigued him. He usually didn’t even care about a woman’s name. She kept looking around his condo while waiting, and he saw the admiration of his décor, which he found interesting. She wasn’t looking at his stuff, but the structure. Every now and again, she’d tuck her hair behind her ear, but it wouldn’t stay there. She was nervous around him.

  As he took another grape, any thought of the women he kept in his little black book slipped his mind. He’d intended to call a woman from the long list. Now, his focus was on Adora. He had to have her, at any cost. If Tobias was anything, it was persistent.

  “Do you clean?” he asked.

  She turned her attention back to him. “Sorry?”

  “Your mother’s a cleaner. I was wondering if you clean as well.”

  “No, not unless I’m helping her get home. Should I wait outside?”

  He shook his head.

  “You’re a little … underdressed, and I really should wait outside before I say something I’ll regret.”

  “Again, you don’t have to.” He took a step toward her. “Unless I make you uncomfortable.”

  She tensed up, and she shot him a glare. “I’m not uncomfortable. I don’t like the way you jump to conclusions.” She lifted up her sleeve, and he saw a simple black watch, the screen cracked, and he didn’t like it on her wrist. Making a note to buy her another, he reached out, and tilted her head back to look at him.

  “I meant no offense. Seeing as I don’t know you, never seen you before, and you’re in my place, it was a natural assumption. Tell me now, what will it take?” he asked.

  “I’m not interested in going on a date with you, or anyone. I’m busy with college and getting my life on track.”

  “You’re in college?” He was surprised.

  “What? You think a cleaner’s daughter can’t want an education?”

  “Not at all. What are you studying?” he asked.

  She shook her head, and he admired that fire. He wasn’t used to reluctance in women. They were always ready and willing. It was somewhat refreshing having to do all of the leg work.

  Just looking at her aroused him.

  One day he’d own every single part of her.

  I need an heir. The nagging thought wouldn’t leave him the fuck alone.

  This woman with fire in her eyes and a real chip on her shoulders would be an amazing conquest. He couldn’t wait to get her underneath him, filling her tight, virgin pussy. He knew she was innocent to men the moment he touched her, and he liked the idea of being her only one. He couldn’t resist putting his hands on her stomach, imagining his kid growing inside her.

  Something dark and possessive ignited inside him.

  She grabbed his wrist, and made to tug his hand away from her stomach.

  “I’m not some whore that you can buy. This is my body and my life.” She shoved him away, and before he could say or do anything more, Maria appeared.

  He’d unnerved Adora. He saw the arousal in her gaze even though she wanted to fight him.

  Maria said goodbye to him.

  On the way out the door, he stood, watching them.

  “Architecture,” she said. “That’s what I’m studying.”

  He should have known with the way she kept admiring his place. The elevator doors closed, and he walked back into his home, and went straight to his cell phone. Being the owner of the Bennett Corporation, he had a multitude of people and organizations at his fingertips.

  Tobias gave one of his best investigators, a former FBI agent, Adora’s name, age, and even what she was studying, and within the hour he had every detail of her life at his fingertips.

  Flicking through the files that were emailed to him, he stared at several pictures that had also been attached.

  He saw her birth certificate, which stated “father unknown”.

  Sitting back, he thought about Maria. She was a quiet woman, and stayed out of the way all the time, rarely making an appearance. Most of the time he imagined she was some kind of ghost.

  Staring at Adora’s finances though, he saw she was struggling, and she’d not been in college all that long either. The debt just kept rising, and even if she found a decent job, this would be hanging around her neck for a long time to come.

  He needed a child, and she needed money.

  Looking through some of the images, he saw she was a bright, intelligent woman. One of her graduation pictures had even made it onto the news. Her mother was there, and the two were hugging, a clear bond between them.<
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  This was the kind of bond his brother tried to find and failed.

  “There’s no way you want this life, or what they offer. They’re fucking liars, and they’re cold as ice!” Maximus had been on another high, spouting shit off that Tobias hadn’t been interested in listening to. He’d wanted to keep his head down, and just focus on making his parents proud. He hadn’t cared about anything else then. He wasn’t blinded by their smoke and mirrors anymore.

  When Maximus died, the guilt had nearly brought him down, but once again his parents had been there, telling him that he was the strong one, that it was now on his shoulders to carry the family name. Something had felt off to him, so he’d started to look into his family, and he knew things about his parents that were indeed quite shocking. Before he died, his brother had warned him to watch his back, so he did.

  Tobias wasn’t getting any younger. His parents had thrown prospective wife after wife at him, and he’d denied them at every single turn. He hated having this responsibility thrust on him.

  Now his head was in the game. He wanted Adora in his bed, to fill her with his seed. Once she’d done her duty, she could do whatever the hell she wanted with her life. She’d be the perfect woman to be his child’s mother.

  It would piss his parents off that he hadn’t picked their ideal woman. They’d never approve of his choice—her father unknown, her mother a mere cleaner.

  His days of doing as he was told were starting to wear thin.

  It was time to carve out his own life, and not one dominated by parents who didn’t give a shit.

  ****

  Sitting underneath a tree, Adora stared down at her course book, filled with descriptions of modern architecture, and all the while, her mind wasn’t even on her studies. She rested her head against the hard bark, closing her eyes.

  One of their neighbors had given birth to a new baby, and all Adora had heard for the past six nights was the baby screaming. The mother was doing everything she could, but the walls were so thin.

  She’d never been able to sleep with noise around her.

  A couple of times growing up, her mother hadn’t made rent in time, and they’d been tossed out onto the street. Shelters, buses, public toilets had been her bedroom for the night, and with it a whole set of nightmares she didn’t even want to think about. As a child, she’d been scared, but like most kids, she’d dealt with it, holding her mother as she cried. She’d never understood why her mother cried, but then one day she’d found the diary that contained her secrets and her greatest pain.

  Adora’s father had been the love of Maria’s life. At least, Maria had thought so. He’d been kind, gentle, building her trust. The affair had lasted a few months, and when she’d fallen pregnant, she’d been so excited. Of course, that excitement had turned to fear as he’d broken every one of her dreams, calling her a slut, a whore, and telling her if she even tried to pin the baby on him, he’d kill her.

  Her mother had left, raised Adora all alone, and never once made her feel anything but love. It was part of the reason she wanted to really succeed in school. She had a plan. Get her degree, intern at one of the top five firms for young architecture designers, and build her career up. One day she hoped to have enough money that her mother wouldn’t have to clean another house or office again.

  There was one problem in her plan—the biggest firm was run by her real father. She wouldn’t even think his name. She couldn’t do it. The man meant nothing to her. He didn’t want anything to do with her, and she never wanted to see his disgusting face in person.

  “You’re a hard woman to track down.”

  She opened her eyes, and saw Tobias Bennett in front of her. Glancing around the campus grounds, she saw that he’d gotten several curious looks. He was well recognized, and she didn’t want this kind of attention. He took a seat, crossing his legs.

  This was not the kind of thing she imagined from a wealthy businessman. He looked out of place in his impeccable designer suit as he sat on the grass in front of her.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Well, I figured that dinner may be a little too soon, so I thought you’d be more comfortable with lunch or coffee. I’m inclined to have both, but it depends on you.” She closed up her notebooks and began shoving them in her large bag, getting to her feet.

  “I would really appreciate it if you didn’t keep stalking me.” She went to move past him, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

  “I have a proposition for you. One I think you’re going to really want to hear.”

  She pulled her arm out of his hold, and glanced around to see if anyone saw that.

  “I don’t think there’s anything I want to hear you say. We don’t know each other, not really.”

  He folded his arms, and, satisfied that she’d shut him up, she went to move away. “How would your mother feel if her job was given to someone else?”

  She froze on the spot, and slowly turned to look at him. “No.”

  Tobias shrugged. “There are a lot of people who need a job. Probably more qualified.”

  “She’s good at what she does.”

  “So are a lot of people.”

  “What do you want?” she asked.

  “A coffee.”

  “You’re blackmailing me for a coffee?”

  “I tried to be nice, and you wouldn’t buy it, so I’m stepping up my game.”

  She held her bag tightly on her shoulder, and took a deep breath before returning her gaze to his. “Fine.”

  “Excellent. My car is waiting.”

  “There’s a perfectly good coffee shop there,” she said, pointing toward the one near the campus.

  “Not going to happen. I like good coffee. Come on, let’s go.”

  He moved up behind her, and placed a hand on her back as he moved her toward his waiting limousine. She felt special in a twisted kind of way.

  His touch affected her, and she tried to step away from his hand, but he wouldn’t let her. His control, his ultimatum, his touch—it opened up that rift within her, that dark place she wished didn’t exist. He opened the door for her, and she climbed inside. When he began to follow her in, she quickly moved over so she wasn’t too close to him. She needed to be strong to resist him. He only wanted her in his bed.

  Holding her bag in her lap, he told the driver where to go before putting up the private partition that separated them from his driver. They were completely alone, and she didn’t have a clue what to say.

  She couldn’t believe that he’d just blackmailed her by using her mother.

  “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  “I’d have preferred it if you’d not brought my mother into this. You know she’s good at her job.”

  “I know she is. What do you have against spending some time with me?” he asked.

  She took a deep breath. “We’re in completely different leagues.”

  “How are we so different?” he asked.

  “You’re a Bennett. You run a successful corporation, worth millions, if not billions, of dollars. My mom’s a cleaner who earns less than the cost of most of your clothes.” She’d never been afraid to speak her mind. Her mother didn’t earn a lot from cleaning even though she worked for some of the wealthiest clients.

  “And?”

  Shaking her head, she gave up the fight and stared out of the window.

  Tobias was friends with her father. She’d even seen pictures online, and in some of those glossy magazines that showed them laughing together. Until she’d seen Tobias in person, she hadn’t realized it was him.

  “What proposition do you have?” she asked.

  “I’m in need of a certain type of person, and I have some … needs that have to be met. I think you’d be perfect for them.”

  “That’s not vague at all,” she said, not even trying to hide the sarcasm from her voice.

  “Let’s be clear, Adora. You’ve got debt. I’ve got money. I can help you out.”

  Just li
ke that, she knew without a doubt what he wanted, and she just didn’t want to know.

  “No!” She turned toward him. “Sex. That’s what you want, right?” She shook her head. “I want out of the car.” She pulled on the door handle, and she started to get really angry. Her mother had been pulled in by a rich man and his false promises. This wasn’t going to happen to her.

  “Calm down.”

  “No. I won’t calm down. Open the damn door now. I want out. I need out!”

  She felt the anxiety attack begin to build. It had been years since she’d felt that clogging panic when she couldn’t breathe.

  Calm down.

  He’s not hurting you.

  The limousine stopped, and the door finally opened when she pulled it. Bursting out of the limousine, she saw they’d stopped near an alleyway. Collapsing to the ground, she pressed her palms to the floor, not caring if it was dirty as her mind started to go fuzzy. Her stomach rolled, and she couldn’t quite get her head together.

  Tobias knelt beside her, and ran a hand down her back. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Don’t … touch … me.”

  She didn’t expect him to listen to her, but he stopped touching her. He didn’t leave her alone, staying close.

  Minutes passed, and slowly, she got her breathing under control, and finally, she was able to stand up, and face him. Embarrassment overwhelmed her, and she quickly averted her gaze.

  “Please, don’t ruin my mother’s job. She’s really good and loves working for you.” She didn’t like how hard it was for her to not burst into tears.

  “I’m not going to leave you here on the sidewalk, Adora. I won’t hurt you, and your mother’s safe. Just listen to me.”

  “I don’t want to have sex with you, or to be with you in any way.”

  She held onto her bag like a lifeline. Tobias was a sexy, good-looking man, and even though he’d blackmailed her, she actually liked his cheeky smile.

  From the moment she read her mother’s diary, she’d promised herself she’d have a different life from her. It was why even at twenty years old, she was a virgin. Boys and men held no appeal.

  Her studies mattered to her.