page5 (1/2)

‘But as I’ve already explained, you can’t haveYou know, I don’t want to marry you either,’ Ella adain, I would do it for their sake’

‘I wouldn’t even consider it I will deal with your family,’ Nikolai said flatly

‘What on earth do you mean?’

What it really cao in his efforts to punish Cyrus, Nikolai reflected A fleeting iht to the surface by round, froze him in place There should be and there would be no liht up in the backlash, as that to him? He could not afford to have a conscience Ella was a pawn, nothing more

‘I will tell your fa each other and that noant to be together in London,’ Nikolai explained sle to settle debts that no longer exist He will not have the luxury of choice’

‘You think it’s a luxury for me to be able to choose to be yourup through her slight body like a hot spring at the prospect of that indignity ‘But I’ve already said no to that option!’

‘Which is wasting otiate the terms just because you don’t like thee either,’ he asserted in a harsh undertone, his lean, darkly handso eyes hard as black diamonds ‘Either you come to London to be with me or I walk away That’s the only choice you have!’

The raw tension straining the ath Ella Consternation brought her defensive barriers crashing down He had ruthlessly rejected her options Her head swi a little, she closed her hands over the back of a tall chair to force her body to stand steady She stared back at hihting to avoid since he’d first confronted her earlier that day The ‘grit your teeth and deal’ le Perspiration dampened her skin

‘Your sole source of interest here should be the pay-off,’ Nikolai re to do as you are told’

In the rushing silence, Ella wrinkled her nose ‘If I don’t agree with so what I’m told’

‘But you can learn,’ Nikolai sliced in, his tone as glacial as ice water ‘Don’t sign up for this if you can’t respect the rules’

‘Perhaps you could tell h I don’t want hie

‘Do you always lie in preference to telling the truth about yourself?’ Nikolai enquired dangerously softly as he strode closer

Ella found herself backed up against the door before she could grab the opportunity to —’

Nikolai rested the palazed down at her with hard dark eyes ‘The worst of it is that you know you’re lyingbut I don’t play that game’

‘I want to leave’

‘Not until I say you can,’ Nikolai fenced, so big he was like a wall blocking the rest of the rooht, so that for the first ti heels to cut the ridiculous height differential between them to a more reasonable level

Ella turned up her face, chin tilted at an obstinate angle, green eyes sparkling ‘I could use my knee to persuade you’

‘Why would you dae a part of me you hope to enjoy?’ Nikolai countered

‘It would take an avalanche to crush your ego, wouldn’t it?’