Page 24 of Ruthless Commander

He just chuckled and shook his head. “I know who you are, Ms. Davies.”

“Right.” I dropped his hand, my stomach sinking. “Back to that.”

“Unless you prefer Xael,” he added. “Out of the Commander’s hearing, of course.”

Just the mention of his name made me recoil. “Fuck the Commander.”

Damien stilled for a second before his smile widened. “Fuck the Commander, indeed.” He took a step closer. “I like a woman who’s not intimidated by someone like him.”

“Intimidated?”

“You know, by what he does.”

What he does…oh, this guy has noideawhat Mateo Ristani does. But I did. I knewvery well indeed.

“You’re not like the others,” he said, wrenching me out of the spell of Mateo and took another step closer. The slow bite of his lip was seductive. “You’re not like the others at all.”

Holy shit, this guy was coming on to me.

I just gave a throaty laugh. “You’re about to lose your job, Damien.”

“I won’t tell if you don’t.” The husky murmur was full of need. He lowered his gaze, taking in the ripped-up black wifebeater and torn jeans under the heavy leather jacket. He was right, I wasn’t like the others. I didn’t wrap myself in Armani, didn’t dip myself in Chanel No. 5.

No, I didn’t like to flash my shit around all over the place. I liked luxury comfort, expensive cars and jets, and unlimited credit when I needed it. But most of the time, I was just a nobody. Outside the Commission, that was.

I took a step backwards as he crowded closer again. “How about it, Xael?” he asked as he lowered his gaze to my breasts.

“How about what?” I snapped, even as the thought excited me.

“You gotta fuck, right?” He lifted his hand and braced it on the wall beside me. “Unless you have someone else in mind?”

I flinched as Mateo filled my head. “What?”

He dipped his head and stepped closer, pressing that strong body against mine. “One of the other rich assholes on the island…like Lazarus, for instance.”

“Lazarus Rossi?” I let out a chuckle.

But the guy wasn’t laughing. No, he was all business, thrusting his hips until he gently pressed my spine against the wall. “Yeah, or Bernardi. He’s got a rep, I bet he’d be all over someone like you in a heartbeat.”

Anger flared for a second. “Someone like me?”

“Yeah,” he scowled. “You’re hot as fuck.”

“Oh…” Excitement made me smile.

He leaned down. “You gotta know that, right?”

His mouth moved close to mine. One turn of my head and he’d kiss me. “No. I don’t know that.”

“You, Xael Davies, are the hottest woman on this damn island.” His voice turned deep and husky. “Just one chance to fuck you good. I promise you won’t be disappointed.” He thrust his hips against me a little harder.

I could almost mistake this heady rush for desire.

Almost turn it into something else.

Maybe he was the one who’d get me wet?

I bit my lip and sucked in a hard breath. Mateo was mere meters away, sitting behind his desk, his stone-cold heart caged by loyalty…just not to me. “Why the fuck not,” I murmured, drawing away from the thought of him.