Page 92 of Judgment
“I don’t need your advice.” I manage a smile. “And I won’t be doing either of those things.” It’s easy to reject his offer.
Nothing in this world would make me go anywhere with this guy or listen to anything he has to say.
He’s bad. Very bad. It’s there in his eyes. In the way his smile doesn’t quite reach them.
Andre keeps telling me he’s not a good guy, but right now he’s looking an awful lot like a saint comparatively speaking.
“I’ll give you half a million dollars.” His gaze moves over my face. “Tonight.”
I tip back the flute, swallowing down the rest of its contents before setting it on the tray of a waiter passing by.
I turn to the man attempting to lure me away from Andre, doing my best impersonation of Vi as I look at him, hoping to convey the same detached politeness she exudes. “I’m not interested.”
His expression immediately turns hard. “Don’t make a decision you will regret.”
“Sound advice that I’m happy I’ve already taken.” I tip my head at him. “Have the night you deserve.” My whole body is shaking as I turn away, fighting the urge to run as fast as I can from him.
But I can’t run, even if I wanted to, because there’s a wall of tall, dark, handsome, and dangerous in my way.
Andre grabs me, lips a flat line as he drags me through the room, past the tables filled with people gambling away piles of chips.
I stay silent as he leads me through the halls, pausing only to collect his weapon before loading me into his waiting car for the wordless ride to his home.
By the time we step off the elevator I can’t stay quiet any longer.
“Who is that guy?”
Andre doesn’t answer me, just walks through the entry and into the den, forcing me to follow him.
“Andre.” There’s something going on. I felt it when that asshole was talking to me and I feel it now.
There’s something big I don’t know.
I stay right on Andre’s heels as he walks past his office and down the hall. “Who is that man?”
He fights off his jacket, movements jerky with anger when he throws it to the chair as he walks into his bedroom.
But he’s not the only one who’s angry.
I close the door to make sure no one else can hear me because I’m a little worried I might start to yell if he doesn’t answer me soon. “How am I supposed to do what you need me to do if I don’t know what in the hell’s going on?”
Suddenly Andre spins my way, hand coming to my neck in that way I know I shouldn’t like.
His big body crowds mine as he shoves me back against the closed door, the tip of his nose coming to run down the side of mine as his eyes move over my face.
I struggle to remember how to breathe as I realize it’s not anger Andre’s fighting right now.
His thumb strokes over the skin of my neck as his lips whisper across mine.
“You turned down five hundred thousand dollars for me, Duchess.”