Nicole sat at the table and began eating as if it were a race. Unfortunately her stomach had shrunk over the months and she wasn’t even able to finish a quarter of the food she’d placed on her plate. His housekeeper came and tried to clear her plate and she almost growled at her. The woman looked up startled.

“I’m not done yet,” she said and could feel the awful red flushing her cheeks again.

“Let Maria take the plate and if you get hungry again, then you can grab some fresh food,” Ryan said to her with a little chuckle. Nicole glared at him, snagged the muffin off the plate and reluctantly let his housekeeper take the rest away.

“Okay, I think it’s time to have our chat now,” Ryan told her. Nicole took a deep breath and got ready to beg. There was no one, other than her sister, who she’d lower herself for. Since she was more of a mother to Patsy than a sibling, she’d do whatever it took to make sure she’d be okay.

“Patsy has a rare heart disease requiring surgery but her insurance doesn’t cover it. They say it’s an elective surgery and yet if she doesn’t get it, she won’t survive to her seventeenth birthday,” Nicole said in a rush. She was fighting tears, even speaking of the thought of losing Patsy. She loved her so much and she was supposed to take care of her. She was supposed to be the one who made sure she didn’t get sick and now Patsy was barely hanging on. The thought of it nearly destroyed Nicole.

“So you need to borrow money?” he asked her. He leaned back in his chair and was looking at her like she was a piece of meat he was about to devour. She had to fight not to glare at him.

“It’s killing me to borrow money from you. I just need someone to pay her surgery costs. I’ll get a new job right away and pay every dime of it back,” she said stubbornly. She couldn’t tell from his expression if he was going to do it or not. The waiting was killing her a bit more inside.

Ryan felt an immense satisfaction to have her sitting before him. It made up slightly for those years of pain he’d gone through. No other girl had ever come close to holding his attention like she had.

“What are you willing to do for me if I do this?” he asked her coldly.

“I…I don’t understand,” she stuttered.

“Come on Nicole, you’re so much smarter than this, or at least you used to be. Money means nothing to me. I can pay the bill without it even placing a dent in my wallet so I don’t need, nor want you to pay me back,” he told her in a smug tone of voice.

“What do you want?” she asked him, far too afraid of the answer he may give. He smiled at her and her stomach clenched. She was terrified of what was going to come out of his mouth next. What if the thing he wanted wasn’t possible for her to give? If it was within her power, then of course she would do it but she couldn’t figure out what he could possibly want from her - she had absolutely nothing.

Ryan knew he was going straight to hell but he didn’t care. He wanted her and now he had the chance to get what he wanted. He would get from her what he wanted and when he was finished he’d walk away. Then maybe he wouldn’t feel the ache. She would never know he’d already arranged the surgery and had Patsy moved the night before.

She didn’t know that even if she walked right out the door and told him to go to hell he’d still help Patsy. He’d loved the little girl when she was only a couple years old and toddling at his feet. He’d help her without requiring anything. But on the other hand why not get something out of Nicole if he could. He looked straight into her eyes so there would be no chance of a misunderstanding.

“I want you in my house, in my bed, at my beck and call. You’ll be here for me night and day for whatever I need until I’m bored with you. Then I’ll set both you and Patsy up in a decent place since apparently you’re homeless at the moment and have nowhere for her to recover,” he told her. He added the last part to drive home her desperate need of his help.

He watched her expression as his words registered. Her eyes widened in comprehension and if he would’ve seen only horror in her expression he would’ve backed off but it wasn’t the only thing he saw. He saw passion in her eyes and a quickening of her breath at his words. She wanted him, he was sure of it. He would bet his entire fortune on it. He also knew the moment he won. He saw the slump of her shoulders and she lowered her eyes in defeat.

“I require an answer, now,” he commanded. He didn’t want to give her any time to change her mind.

“What choice are you giving me?” she yelled at him, as a tear slipped down her cheek. She’d never hated the man more than she did at that moment. How could she not do whatever it took to keep her sister safe? It appeared the man knew everything and if the people at the hospital found out they were currently homeless, they would take Patsy away for sure and she would be placed in foster care. Nicole had managed to do just fine keeping them both safe until Patsy had come down with heart disease.

They were both survivors and she knew they would get back on their feet again. She only had to guard her heart from falling in love with Ryan all over again. She didn’t know how that was possible if she’d be sleeping with him. Since Ryan, she’d been unable to give her heart or body to any other man.

Ryan refused to be swayed by her tears. For all he knew, she was letting the water works fall, as all women did, to get her own way. He turned from her and poured himself a shot of bourbon. He knew it was much too early in the day for a drink but it was either that or pull her into his arms and he wanted to save that for later.

“You’ll, of course, move in immediately as you have nowhere else to go and you’ll act as if you’re completely over the moon for me when we’re out in public. I think we’ll get along fine as long as you do as I say,” he told her with an expression that said he was completely serious.

A shudder ran through Nicole. She didn’t know what she was more afraid of, the fake relationship or that she wasn’t horrified to be with him. She should’ve been revolted at the thought of having to stay with him when he was treating her so callously, but she wasn’t. She was grateful Patsy was going to be okay.

“I need to see my sister,” was all she said to him.

“We can head over there now. Her surgery has already been arranged,” he told her. She snapped her head up at his statement. If he’d already arranged the surgery he must’ve been sure she would say yes. She’d never felt more like a high priced call girl in her life. She’d just sold her soul to the devil but she could live with herself because she’d done it for her sister.

“You were so sure of yourself?” she finally said to him, finding some of her backbone once again.

“I didn’t have any doubt you’d put your sister ahead of yourself. After all, you’ve always been willing to self-sacrifice,” he mocked her. She stood up, turned on her heels and left, not knowing where she was heading. She had to get away from him before she slapped the smug look off his face.

Before she made it more than a few steps, he was there whipping her around to face him. They glared at one another, neither willing to back down.

“I think the occasion needs to be sealed with a kiss,” he practically purred at her. Before she had any time to react to his statement, his lips pressed down onto hers and her world exploded.

She refused to open up to him at first but as his tongue flicked along the seam of her lips, she quickly lost her will-power. He pressed her lower back into his body, where she could feel his obvious arousal, causing a gasp to escape her lips, giving him access to her mouth. He dipped his tongue inside and all thoughts of resisting him dissipated.

His hands ran up and down her quivering body and he had her melting in a matter of seconds. No other man had ever kissed her like Ryan and she was grateful he was holding her up because her legs would’ve given way long ago. Before she knew what she was doing her arms wrapped around his neck to pull him closer and she fell into the kiss with a passion that shocked both of them.

He continued to love her mouth with his tongue, while his hands worked their own magic on her needy body. She wanted more and wiggled as close as she could possibly get to him. She cursed the clothes that kept them separated.

He finally pulled away from her and she whimpered her displeasure of him doing so. His glazed eyes came back into focus, as he looked down at her flushed cheeks and beaded nipples, which had been pressed so tightly against him moments before. She started to regain her composure, realizing how wanton she’d acted and he saw the shutters fly over her eyes. He lifted a mocking brow at her, which caused her temper to boil.

“I think this arrangement will work out just fine, as long as you continue to be such a tempting little thing,” he said to her with mockery in his tone. He was trying to cover up his own powerful reaction to her and he was doing a damn fine job of it.

“You really are despicable,” she lashed back at him. He laughed at her temper, all the more turned on by it. Her glare hardened. He released her suddenly and she almost crumbled to the floor. Only her shear will-power kept her standing straight.

“I may be despicable but you want me and this will be mutually pleasurable,” he drawled.

“Or, I’m just one fine actress,” she said, while smiling sweetly. She then made a very hasty exit when she saw the murderous expression enter his eyes. She locked herself into a bathroom, where she stayed until she had her breathing under control and her features blanked. She wouldn’t let him know how much he affected her. He already had too much power; she couldn’t give him her control too.

Ryan thought about chasing her down and proving to her there was no way in hell she’d been acting. He’d felt her coming apart in his arms from a simple kiss. When he finally took her to his bed and made her truly his, she would be screaming out his name.

He would’ve done just that if he was in control of himself. As it was, he could barely stand and was afraid the day ahead would be a painful one. She did things to his body no other woman had ever been able to accomplish. He wanted her and that night he would finally have her. He’d never wanted a day to end so badly.

When she finally returned to the den, they both looked at one another coolly. He would let her have some space, only because he needed it as well. She gathered her purse and they left for the hospital. He had all day to anticipate the night to come.

Chapter Three

“I missed you last night, Nik,” Patsy said when the two of them stepped into the room.

“I’m so sorry Hun, I got caught up at work but I came as early as I could this morning,” Nicole said to her sister. “You probably don’t remember Ryan,” she added.

“Ryan, is that you?” Patsy asked and a huge smile spread across her hollow features. Ryan couldn’t believe how weak and small she looked. She’d been full of life as a young toddler and though she was beautiful, she looked so ill it nearly brought him to his knees. He sat on the edge of the bed and she eagerly took his hand.

“I’m sorry you’ve been in so much pain,” Ryan told her with a suspicious tightness in his throat. He tried to clear it, uncomfortable with the feeling.