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Madison

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

In the hours I have available before arriving at the nightclub, I research everything I can about what I'm about to propose, and even though I'm embarrassed, I refuse to feel guilty.

Where is it written that he's the one who gets to dictate the rules? Zeus made me a proposition as if we were sitting at a negotiating table, and I'm just going to adjust some terms to my benefit.

I spend the hours leading up to our meeting repeating this to myself, while at the same time desperately wanting to call and say that I made a mistake and changed my mind.

But it's not about my pride anymore; it's about my niece and nephew's lives. Giving up is not an option.

I check my appearance in the mirror because now more than ever I need to feel, just like this morning, that everything is in its proper place so I can stand on an equal footing with him.

I leave the VIP area and walk through the nightclub, ignoring the glances from the patrons. After almost a week, I feel secure enough to ignore them without fearing being kicked out.

As I walk towards the exit, I wonder if I could negotiate with any of these men the way I will with Zeus.

I scrunch up my face in a disgusted grimace.

Never. I know perfectly well that the deal with Zeus only seems so easy to swallow because of the wild attraction he ignites in me. I would never let any man touch me if he couldn't make me feel something for him. And in that regard, the arrogant Greek is the absolute champion.

Drew, the security guard who always stands watch in the back of the nightclub, greets me with a smile. I'm slowly making friends with them, and even though it's in an awkward way, the staff is becoming a kind of family to me.

I step out into the stifling night air and am surprised when I find the first man who's ever made my heart race waiting for me, leaning against his car. I notice that, just like the day he drove me home, there are bodyguards nearby.

He's all in black: jeans and a button-down shirt rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms. I can't help but give him a once-over, letting my eyes slide over the jeans that outline his strong thighs, the taut abdomen that I can sense even under the fabric, and finally that perfect, cynical face that drives me crazy.

He doesn't move, because he knows I'm at a disadvantage, since I'm the one who sought him out.

Even with no experience beyond what I've gained from being the daughter of my father—the worst kind of hustler—I somehow know, in a way I can't explain, that Zeus and I are very similar at our core. Both suspicious and goal-oriented when we want something.

I walk up to him, our eyes locked, and when I stop in front of him, I don't touch him. Still, it's like a magnetic field surrounds us. The attraction between us is almost palpable.

"Madison."

"Zeus."

"You're late."

"So what are you going to do about it? Punish me?"

Jesus, where did that come from? I'm not in any position to be sassy today.

His hand reaches for my hair, but to my disappointment, he only tucks a strand behind my ear. He leans in, and I shiver as he whispers into my ear, "You can bet on it."

The force with which he draws me in is so strong that I steady myself against his biceps, holding tight. He pulls back just a little to look at me, and what I see in those stormy blue depths makes me take a step closer.

His hand moves to my coccyx. "Let's get out of here, Madison," he says, repeating almost exactly what he said on the first day. This time, though, I let myself be led.

We get into the car, and to my surprise, he checks whether I've fastened my seatbelt.

I'm used to being independent, and I don't want him to be careful with me. That's not what our relationship will be about.

"You weren't going to call me. What made you change your mind?"

I try to hide my shock. "How do you know I wasn't?"

"Because I think I offended you in some way."

God, he's so straightforward.

I was na?ve to think I had the upper hand in this game.

He's right, of course. I was very offended by being treated like a temporary plaything he would discard after a month. At this moment, however, all my wounded pride seems like hypocrisy, because what I'm going to ask of him is much worse.

"As I told you on the phone, I have a counterproposal to make."

"Why did you change your mind, Madison?" he insists, as if I hadn't said anything.

I could lie, but I know it's pointless. "Because I had to."

"Larry, take Miss Foster home." His voice is as icy as it gets, showing for the first time the man the whole world must know, not the seductive lover.

"What? No!" I say, anxious. "Why? I thought?—”

"I won't take advantage of someone in a state of desperation, Madison. You know my terms. I'm cold and ruthless when I want something, but my desire doesn't outweigh my sense of honor. You won't go to bed with me just because you need something from me."

I feel my face burning, certain that the driver has heard everything.

Nothing is going as I expected, and now I have to think quickly before all my plans disappear into thin air. "I don't want to talk in front of him. Can we talk somewhere else?"

He turns in his seat to face me, and he stares at me for so long that I'm sure he's going to say no, so I nearly collapse with relief when I hear him order the driver, "Let's go to my apartment, Larry."

After that, he looks out the window and doesn't speak to me again until Mr. West parks at a very famous building, facing Central Park.

This time, I don't even try to get out of the car before Zeus does, and as expected, he walks around to open my door and offers me his hand to help me out.

I'm dressed simply, but I pretend that entering the building where I know celebrities live is no big deal. I lift my head, as I always do when I feel insecure, and as I feel his huge hand touching the small of my back, I immediately calm down.

We step into the elevator, and as the doors close, he moves towards me, catching me off-guard. He pins me against the wall with his body and kisses me.

It’s not the kind of kiss he gave me in the car on the night we met, which, despite being delicious, wasn't lascivious. This one is brazen. His tongue moves in my mouth, making me accept it, demanding surrender.

I pull him by his hair and give in to his demand, forgetting that I came to propose a deal. Right now, the only thing I know is that I want more of him.

Once again, Zeus is the one who breaks the kiss. He holds my chin. "Open your eyes, Madison."

I feel vulnerable and don't want to obey, but I do as he says.

"Whatever you're going to propose, don't lie. I want you, and I'm open to negotiation, but don't pretend you don't want me to try to protect yourself. I don't give second chances."