Not for the first time since those days, she heaved an inner sigh of regret. Hurting Jason had been one of the things she’d been ashamed of. And she had never been given the chance to explain…
“Well,” she said at last, forcing a smile unto her stiff lips, “You can be sure I won’t be making the same mistakes again. That’s why I came here today, to see if I could be given a chance to recover and rebuild. With more time, I could…”
He was shaking his head. “The firm isn’t happy with the turn of events, Bella. I’ll be frank with you – you’ve lost nearly everything. Coupled with the fact that you’re already behind on payments, it doesn’t look good. Despite wanting to help, I’ve been asked to handle this with the strictest of procedure.”
Bella felt her heart sink even further at his cool, impersonal tone. “I understand, Jason, trust me. And I don’t blame you if you intend to follow your instructions to the letter. I mean…even if there were a way you could be of assistance – I would be the last person you’d wish to help.”
He rose to his feet, a surprised expression on his face as he moved from behind his desk. “Why would you say that, Bella? You think me so...unforgiving? We weren’t kids then, and we certainly aren’t now. You made your choice, and I had to live with that. Seems like now, so will you.”
She nodded slightly, a look of understanding crossing her face as she gathered up the dignity to stand. “I should have known there’d be nothing you could do,” she told him with a tone that had more than a trace of bitterness.
“Ahh, not so fast. I didn’t say that,” he drawled, making her pause as, despite herself, wings of hope rose in her heart once again. “Yours is a very promising business, Bella. We are aware that you’ve shown great potential from the start. Your lapses have indeed put a strain on our confidence in you having a head for business…”
Bella sat forward earnestly, telling herself not to smart at his formal tone. “Jason, I can do this; I just need your firm to give me another chance. I’ll hire a professional accountant this time, and take more care with my affairs. In a few months I’ll be back on track and it’ll be like all this never happened at all.”
He nodded, looking thoughtful. “You’re asking us to…erase the past. Hmm, I’m sure that’s a sentiment we both share – in more ways than one.” His eyes met hers in a mocking glance. “I’ll admit, that when I saw your name come up, I was interested. I never thought in a million years that our paths would ever cross again – and certainly not in circumstances where you’d need my help. And I assure you, Bella, that I can help. A simple good word from me, and you’ll have all the time you need to get your business back on its feet. I could even secure another small loan to help you pay off other debts. However, I have to wonder – since I’ll be willing to do all this for you, for old times’ sake, of course…what exactly would you be willing to do for me?”
Bella stared at him, not sure of what to say. Her hope had swelled as he’d fed her hope only to pull it away from her once again.
“I don’t really understand what you mean, Jason,” she replied slowly, standing still as he began to pace, circling her in silence as his gaze ran over her intently. She tried not to squirm beneath his fathomless eyes. “I would be more than grateful, of course, if you could do anything to help me. I guess…I guess if there was a way I could show how much I appreciate your efforts, then I wouldn’t hesitate to do so.”
“That’s good to know,” he murmured, and she could feel him stop behind her. She didn’t know what to think as she became aware of his light, warm breath on the back of her neck. His closeness caused the strangest reaction in her – alarm, yes, and a certain stirring of feminine awareness. The danger, the dark heat, emanating from his body was unexpected, and it brought to mind all those years ago when for a few weeks, they had been so, so close…
“Though, from experience,” he continued in the same casual tone, “I remember that you were never really the type to return someone’s kindness. If anything, you felt entitled to everything that a man had to offer.”
Bella sighed shallowly, turning her head slightly, about to face him, only to be stopped when he gripped her arms, keeping her in place. “I used to fantasize about a time just like this,” Jason growled and Bella felt his breath wash across her neck, his lips almost touching her delicate lobe. This time, she could not repress a quick shudder.
“You…in trouble, needing my help. And I…holding the power to make you suffer just as you made me suffer all those years ago. Such sweet revenge for being used and abused by the beautiful, yet ruthless Bella Adler.”
“I…I thought you said that you’d keep this…strictly business,” she heard herself say in panic, not sure why her heart was pounding so hard to feel his body so close behind her.
“Oh, trust me, this is nothing but business Bella,” he assured her smoothly. “I have a simple proposal, which I am sure will get you exactly what you need…while providing me with what I want, as well.”
Bella swallowed. “I…what do you want Jason?”
“Bella,” he whispered, and she felt him lower his face to her neck, inhaling deeply. “It’s been years…but you still smell the same. Sweet, hot…tempting. I never stopped wanting you, Bella. Even when I know you’re nothing but a shallow, heartless woman, you still have such a hold on me. How pathetic is that?” He tore away from her, and she felt her chest inhale quickly. She hadn’t realized that she had been holding her breath.
She started to turn towards him, wanting to tell him how sorry she was but before she could reply he was pressed up against her once more, his eyes blazing with such passionate intensity she could feel the fire dripping from every word that spilled from his beautiful mouth.
“But I’m not the man that you used to know, Bella. Not anymore. This time I’m not interested in any romantic idea of us being together. I don’t need it nor do I want it. Jason’s hands flew up to her shoulders and he gripped them tightly, pulling Bella tightly against his chest. “This time I just want you…in my bed. Give me that and you’ll get all of the help you need.”
Bella could barely breath with Jason’s broad chest pressed against her back. She opened her mouth struggling to force the words out from her trembling lips. “You want…you want me to sleep with you?”
He chuckled softly, his lips trailing softly along her neck. “I want to do a lot of things with you, Bella…but I promise you, sleeping will not be one of those things.”
“How dare you!” she snapped, twisting round and wresting herself from his hold. She met his sardonic expression with fury and distaste. “You’re right about not being the same man,” she fumed with disgust. “The Jason I used to know would never take advantage of an innocent woman this way.”
“Innocent woman?” he echoed, tilting one eyebrow mockingly. “Hardly a word I’d use to ever describe you. And I told you; I’m not the Jason you knew, Bella. That Jason was a fool.” He turned around quickly, his expression darkening as his eyes settled on his flushed cheeks.
“What could possibly be holding you back from accepting my offer, Bella? It’s not like I’m asking for anything that you haven’t given away freely before. God knows, you certainly spread it around back in college.”
Bella felt her cheeks sting at his words. “I don’t know what you mean about college, Jason. If you’re trying to say I was some kind of …”
“Bella, I know all about your escapades. With Roy, and probably half the football team…you had quite a reputation. I always wondered why I never got to see past your golden curls and baby blue eyes to know you were really nothing but a slut.”
Bella’s hand flashed across his face before she could stop herself. And then she stumbled back in shock at her own violent reaction, seeing the tracks of her fingers spread across his jaw before they disappeared.
He hardly seemed moved by the unexpected blow, though his lips thinned somewhat.
“I can’t see why you’re so flustered. You were hardly an angel, Bella.”
“I certainly wasn’t the whore that you seem to recall, either,” she choked, her fists clenched at her sides as she tried to contain her emotions. “I can’t believe you’d actually think me capable of that. I don’t know what rumors Roy may have circulated about me, but…”
“Bella, there’s no need to explain,” he said, raising his hands. “You never cared what anyone thought of you back then. You did what you pleased – I don’t think you should worry now. It’s all in the past anyway. All I’m really interested in now is whether you’ll accept my offer.”
Her lips curled in aversion. “You may think I’m cheap and lacking in morals…but then what does that say of you, huh? Bribing me into becoming your whore – the very thing you so harshly accuse me of being back in college.”
She quickly took up her bag that had slipped from her shoulders earlier, and forced herself to meet his silent gaze with a raised chin. “No thank you, Jason. I’ll find a way out of this mess without your help – and certainly without having to spend any amount of time in your bed!”
Bella turned sharply and was already at the door before his next words hit her.
“If you walk out that door, Bella, then you can kiss your business goodbye,” he told her coolly. “I’ll call in all the loans and within days, your whole shop will be closed down. Add that to you losing every other thing of worth you have as we move in to recover our losses.”
She turned sharply once more to face him, eyes widened with a sudden panic she could not conceal. “You wouldn’t dare…”
He smiled, and it was in no way reassuring. “Bella, apart from the fact that it’s my job…I’m actually going to relish doing it. It’s about time you realized that things aren’t going to keep falling into your lap. Now, if only you’d agree to fall into mine…” His grin widened with mirth, the blaze in his eyes unmistakable.
“I could take you right now, right there on that desk,” he said softly; coming forward to stand in front of her, close enough for her to see every tiny pore on his face. Her eyes were drawn to his mouth with its generous bottom lip as he formed those husky words. His hand lifted to trace his fingers over the slope of her cheek, before wrapping round her neck. “All I’d need do is push up that sinfully short skirt of yours, rip aside your panties…and shove my c*ck hard into you…again and again till I’m done. I can’t think of a better way to spend the next fifteen minutes.”
Bella could hardly breathe, immobilized by his words and his touch, which felt like they’d put her under a spell of lust, mixed in with anger and rage. Damn him, his words went coursing through her body like quicksilver, making her p**sy twitch in incredible response. How could she actually even be considering what he was saying! She berated her treacherous body, as it trembled in anticipation.