He still held her arm, and although his touch had been a bit rough when he grabbed her, it was gentler now, and Susan could feel his thumb moving so softly against her skin. It was weird how his touch could go from fierce to tender in seconds, just as it had when they kissed. Firm, yet not unkind. With the kind of man he was, she'd have expected him to be… Well, rough.
"Why did you regret your response?" he asked again, his dark eyes trained on Susan's face. "Why regret something you clearly enjoyed?"
She felt the heat radiating from him, an intensity that sent a rush of conflicting emotions through her—fear, frustration, and something far more dangerous she couldn't name.
"I regret that night because," she began, her voice low but steady, trying to meet his gaze without faltering.
A flicker of something unreadable passed over Leo's face when she paused again. "Why?" he pressed, his tone deceptively casual. "It was just a kiss. Why does it bother you so much?"
Susan's breath caught. The fact that he was asking that question was the reason why she was so bothered. To him, it was just a kiss, but to her it was more. She just wasn't sure what yet, but she felt like she was losing herself. Walking down a path she'd never be able to come back from. She could see he was waiting for her answer, maybe more intently than he wanted her to notice. Why did he care? Wasn't he just using her, keeping her close to keep her under his thumb? Yet the question hung between them, stirring a tension even she wasn't ready to face.
He could've focused on the money. Instead, he was here, in her home, staring down at her with a hunger in his eyes that went beyond business. For some reason, that frightened her more than any debt.
Susan drew in a breath, focusing. "Isn't it obvious? Look at how we met. What kind of woman would I be to get involved with someone like you?" Her voice was sharp, the words laced with defiance, though even she felt the strain of saying them.
She expected him to get pissed at her insinuation. Then maybe he'd leave, but to her dismay, Leo's lips curled into a grin, his eyes sparking with something wicked and knowing. "I guess it would make you the kind of woman who unapologetically goes after what she wants. What kind of man do you think I am, Suzy?" His voice was a low, dangerous drawl. "A bad guy? Keep in mind that you offered this all by yourself in the beginning. You sought me out at my club…. Not the other way round. What were you thinking?… I suppose by then you already knew 'the sort of man' I was, but yet you came. If you'd been so scared and skeptical of me, you wouldn't have shown up the way you did. You tell yourself you were just trying to help your brother, but that doesn't explain everything, does it?"
Her heart skipped a beat. Does he see right through me? She hated the pull he had over her, how he seemed to know exactly what buttons to press, leaving her vulnerable. She looked down, feeling her own uncertainty press against her chest. She couldn't deny that he could be right. Maybe her brother's debt was just an excuse. Maybe she'd sought him out and offered to work for him because she was drawn to him. Attracted to him… Maybe she'd simply wanted to see him again. Maybe she was just like him…
Whatever it was, she had to put an end to it.
"I told you," she said, forcing the words out. "I came to you because my brother needed my help, but now I want out." The last sentence was a plea wrapped in defiance, yet her voice wavered, exposing more than she intended.
Leo's eyes narrowed, studying her. He didn't look convinced. Instead, something dark settled over his face, a determination she knew she wouldn't be able to shake. He leaned in close, his voice dropping, carrying a quiet intensity that pinned her in place. "The money doesn't matter to me anymore, Barbie." His words fell heavy between them, and her breath hitched. "You can let your brother know he and I are done. I don't want the money." He paused, his eyes raking over her, almost daring her to look away. "I want you."
The air thickened as his words settled over her. Susan felt a chill skitter down her spine, but she couldn't move, couldn't speak. He wanted her? What the hell did that even mean?
His voice, low and menacing, only fueled the tension. "You don't want to piss me off, Suzy. You have no idea what I'm capable of."
Susan's pulse raced as his hand slid from her arm to her chin, tilting her face up so she couldn't avoid his gaze. His grip was possessive, claiming, as his thumb brushed her jaw. The touch sent a wave of heat and fear coursing through her veins.
"Leo…" she whispered, the defiance slipping as her voice wavered under his stare.
He didn't relent. "You will be at my beck and call until I say you're done. Not a moment sooner," he declared, his voice like steel, unyielding. There was no room for argument, no opening for escape. "I won't repeat myself again on this matter,"
She stared back at him, helpless, feeling the full weight of his command pressing down on her. The electricity between them crackled, a dangerous game neither was willing to back away from. She was in too deep, and they both knew it.
He let his thumb brush softly, yet deliberately against her bottom lip before he let his hand drop. Still standing in front of her, he watched as part of her tongue slid out and she bit the part he'd touched. It was such a small, normal gesture, and Leo knew she wasn't even aware that she'd done it, but he found it so incredibly sexy, that he had to stop himself from reaching out to touch her again.
He had bluffed earlier, as he really had no plans of hurting her, but she didn't have to know that. This would keep her in his life for now, at least until he understood exactly what was going on with him.
He took a step backwards, and the spell was broken…. Partially. He could tell that she was more angry than scared, judging by the way she was staring daggers at him, and Leo was delighted to realize that he didn't mind. For what he had in mind, the last thing he wanted was for her to be afraid of him.
She could be angry now, but he could think of several methods they could use to put that angry emotion to good use… And what fun those methods would be!
"I'll let you know when and where to meet up," he told her, and then he was gone.