He was a son of a bitch.
And you’re stupid if you lie to yourself. You’re here because you knew damn well he wouldn’t leave you alone. You’re here because you can’t handle him the way you do everyone else.
He wouldn’t back down. He wouldn’t compromise. If she didn’t want to end up at Ian and Charlotte’s, giving the entire investigation over to Ian, she better move.
She stood up, leaving her computer behind because apparently it wasn’t welcome at Simon’s civilized dinner table. She very quietly sat down in front of the plate Simon had made for her. Naturally his small dining area was immaculately kept and the presentation even of take-out Chinese food was lovely. She microwaved things or ate her take-out straight from the bag. She had the place Charlotte had bought, but her sister had selected everything in it. She rarely used the dishes and wasn’t sure just how long it had been since she sat down for dinner. Chelsea pointedly picked up a spoon and started in on the wonton soup.
“I need a few days. Yes, something’s come up with my cousins. No. I don’t think we need to bring the team in. I’ll take Jesse with me and we’ll see if my cousin is being paranoid.” He stared at her as he spoke, never taking his eyes off her. “Yes, once I get out there, my aunt won’t let me leave for a day or two. Excellent. Thank you. Yes, I’ll check in.”
He put the phone down.
“You’re a son of a bitch.”
He shrugged a little and picked up his own plate. “My mother is actually quite lovely. My cousins, on the other hand, can be a bit rough around the edges. Did they frighten you? I know you don’t like to be around men you don’t know.”
Because even the men she’d known as a teen had been violent and aggressive. Because her own father had beaten her so badly she still couldn’t walk straight. “I wasn’t afraid of them.”
“Why? They can be aggressive around a woman.”
“I wasn’t afraid because you were here.” The words were out of her mouth before she could think to call them back.
In a graceful move, he seated himself and pulled a napkin over his lap. His blue eyes looked infinitely warm as he glanced her way. “They would never hurt you. My cousins are good men. They’re solid. But you should know I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you. Anyone.”
Except himself. He wouldn’t mean to hurt her, but there was no way a man as beautiful and blessed as Simon Weston stayed with someone as cursed as Chelsea for long. He liked to play the white knight. Once he realized she wasn’t worth saving, he would move on to the next wounded girl he found. She couldn’t live in his world. He was the second son of a duke. She was still wanted by several governments and numerous criminal organizations.
It was better to keep focused on work. “Let’s talk about how you can help me. You bought me a couple of days. I appreciate that. I just need to keep a low profile.”
He shook his head shortly. “No. We don’t have anything to talk about until we agree upon your contract. We can discuss it after dinner. You’re a bit shaky. I won’t go into it until you’ve got your strength back.”
She didn’t need her strength to find out how much he was going to charge her. “Don’t you mean your contract? Let’s have it. How much do you charge by the hour?” It couldn’t be too much more than what Ian charged. After all, she was only getting Simon and Ian would bring an entire team with him. He would also bring his own personality, which included assholiness and more sarcasm than she could handle in a single day. And Charlotte. Ian would bring Charlotte. A few months into standing on her own two feet for the first time and Chelsea was in serious trouble. If she wasn’t careful she would find herself living with Ian and Charlotte, and both she and Satan wanted to avoid that at all costs.
“No, I was talking about the BDSM contract we’re going to sign.” Simon dropped the words casually, and for the second time that day, Chelsea felt like she had a bomb in her lap just waiting to go off.
She nearly lost her spoon. “What?”
He was perfectly calm. “That’s my requirement for protecting you. I don’t want money. You’ll sign a contract making me your Master or I can call your brother-in-law back. How is the broccoli beef? I’ve never tried it before. Would you like some wine?”
She nodded numbly. She was going to need it.
Chapter Two
Simon looked down at the contract and wished he’d had a bit more time. He’d been forced to start with a standard contract and write in just some of his own language. He didn’t like using a standard with her. Chelsea was different, but if he gave her any time at all she would find a way to wiggle off the hook he’d caught her on. He could still hear his Uncle David teaching him to fish.
When you catch the right one, you reel that sucker in and fast, son.
His uncle would likely have preached caution and patience. His uncle was a good man, but he’d never had to deal with Chelsea Dennis.
He’d written in their personal portions of the documents after they’d eaten dinner and then given it to her to read. He’d tried giving her some privacy, but when he’d come out of the bedroom, she’d been staring at her computer screen instead of the contract.
“Should we go over hard and soft limits?”
She rolled those beautiful eyes of hers. She was the very picture of petulance, sitting on his sofa, her arms crossed over her chest and a sulky frown turning her lips down. What would it take to get her to smile? When he ate her pussy until she screamed, would she smile afterward? “My hard limits are everything. Simon, this is stupid. Why are we doing this? I’m looking for a bodyguard, not a play partner. Besides, didn’t you learn anything in London? I’m not submissive. I just use it for pain management.”
Yes, he knew that was what she told herself. “I learned that you’re incredibly stubborn and you like to lie even to yourself. As to why we’re doing this, it’s because I always have a plan B.”
“How is this plan B?”
She was incredibly smart when it came to computers, but she wasn’t much of a forward thinker. “From the moment you walked in and announced your problem, I’ve been running possible scenarios through my head. I think I’ve come up with the way this is most likely to end and I’m planning around it.”