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“You forget about Mikey forever Whatever he said or did to you, or failed to do, it stays in the past”

“You want et him?”

“He doesn’t deserve the time he spends inside your head You’re better than that, Belle We both know it If he was a decent guy, he wouldn’t have taken money to use an innocent woman Nor would he have let Ava, his own flesh and blood, be taken He had a price I don’t,” he said “You’re ive you that What do you say? Do we have a deal?”

Chapter Eight

Belle wasn’t sure what to ed to -ups keeping her froo, was her own stupid insecurity He was handsome, hard, and drooled on by wo his ti off his arm—so he had a lot to compare her with

She didn’t want to eret his words What did she have to lose though? The bet offered her a chance to save face before forcing theret

It was i and use her fists to achieve victory Matters of the heart were so much harder

“This seeet women into bed,” she teased

“It’s a legit bet” He winked

She paused for dra sex with a o “We have a deal”

Drago tried to hide his s about their arrangement made her both excited and terrified She decided to treat it like a fight, but instead of three, eight, or twelve rounds, there was only one shot Belle had to turn on Drago enough to make him come Her only experience had been with that asshole Mikey, so she hadn’t exactly acquired the skills for the job They’d been together a few tione without a trace

And the whole bet was based on Drago wanting them to be a couple It was surreal All the years she’d stared at his body in silence, ad his skills, she never once dreaether If she could win this crazy bet and stifle her nagging insecurities,special This could change her entire life—hers and Ava’s

When their dinner was done, Drago drove them back to his condo The mood felt different now, tense and inti as she shifted in her seat in a poor attempt to relieve the ache

“You okay?”

She nodded “I’m fine”