Once the words leave my mouth, her expression morphs into pure outrage. A red trail splices up her neck, matching the fire in her hair. “Fuck you, Landon. I refuse to be a pawn in your game.”
Her fury feeds my own. I widen my stance, preparing for this battle to get bloody. “You’d rather have me never call again? Fuck and dump?”
Vannah shakes her head. “Real classy. Here come your true colors. I wondered when the shine would wash off.”
“Excuse me for trying to be decent.” I feel my pulse spiking, getting high off this fight.
“What is that supposed to mean?” She pauses to suck in a deep breath. “Have you been grooming me for this fucked-up role? I won’t portray a happily wedded wife for you. Find someone else. There are probably dozens waiting on your doorstep.”
I ignore her barb, letting it roll off my shoulders with the rest. “There are specific qualities I deem necessary. You meet them.”
A hand flutters to her chest in a dramatic flair. “Oh, it’s like winning the lottery.”
The pounding against my skull intensifies. I need to get this sorted before my head explodes. “I’d compensate you more than generously. Think about it, sugar. You’d never want for anything.”
“Yes, I certainly would. Nothing would stop me from wanting a real marriage.” She punctuates each word with a stab in the air. Like daggers flinging right through me.
“You’d be so rich, none of that emotional bullshit would matter anymore.” I’ve been immune my entire existence until she came along.
“It’s always about money, huh? How shallow. No amount is worth selling my happiness.”
“We’d only be married on paper.” But the thought of her fucking other men makes my vision go dark. One problem at a time. “Our union wouldn’t be anything more than a title.”
“It means something to me, asshole. I want to find love. Settling for less is cheap. I’d rather be single than shackle myself to a scam.”
“It wouldn’t be a total farce.” I would grow to care about her. Parts of me already do.
“No? You’d love me? Be faithful? Take me on a damn boat cruise if I ask?”
“You’re overreacting,” I deadpan.
Vannah buries her face behind a palm and muffles a scream. “Me? You just proposed a fake marriage while your cock was still inside me.”
“You don’t need to keep repeating that.”
“I think I do. You’re not understanding how fucked-up this is.”
“It’s a better solution than the alternative.”
“Oh, this should be a treat.” She rolls her neck, pinning me with another glare. “What might that entail? Perhaps I’ll find it more practical.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“Spit it out.” She spins her wrist.
If I were the retreating type, now would be the moment for a white flag. I prefer charging into conflict with my sword drawn regardless of the odds. Surrendering more dignity to her isn’t an option. If she won’t accept my proposal, pushing her away is the next best thing. Breaking her spirit was always top priority. “I wanted to sleep with you, then break our contracts.”
She’s too quiet, her posture too rigid. This woman lives for bickering with me. “Do you realize how horrible that sounds? You’re not a monster. Tell me you’re kidding.”
Regret sinks its piercing teeth into my flesh, warning me to quit, but the damage is done. “I would if this were a laughing matter.”
A shimmer passes through her gaze, but it’s gone too fast. “This was all a ploy?”
The hurt in her voice stabs me in the chest with a rusty blade. I look down to hide a wince. “You’re smart enough to answer that yourself. Although, to be honest, I’m not sure I could’ve gone through with it.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
I shrug. “Probably not.”
Her eyes narrow to feral slits. “I want to hear you admit it.”
A drumming stampede pounds into my ears. It’s just sex. There’s no rule stating I have to be kind afterward. People are manipulated to do far worse than share their bodies. The excuse does little to ease my conscience. Why do I care? Guilt slithers in, but I don’t grovel.
My gaze is unwavering as I deliver the blow she demands. “Yes, sugar. I played nice so you’d let me fuck you. If it’s any consolation, you’re a damn good lay. The first woman I’ve slept with more than once.”
“You disgust me.” Her blistering tone further punctuates the clear message.
I don’t blame her. Hearing the words aloud fills me with loathing, pulling me under until I’m gagging. My agenda now seems disturbing. A vision of my father comes to mind. He’s towering over an unsuspecting woman, spatting lewd comments and propositions. Is that who I’m becoming? The similarities have acidic bile churning in my gut.
I might be conniving, but this is too far. Remorse doesn’t trickle in on a slow drip. No, that inky sensation floods into my system with enough weight to make me stagger.
What was I thinking?
Making her hate me after she willingly let her guard down was the entire idea. That is, until I asked her to take a permanent place beside me and she rejected my proposal. I steel my reckless resolve, pushing forward through the nausea. “Don’t pretend you haven’t been plotting against me.”
“I won’t.” She admits that far easier than I had predicted. “Did I want to teach you a lesson? Yes. Was part of that getting you to fall in love with me? Sure. Would I have broken your heart and walked away? Highly doubtful, because I’ve caught a feeling or two for you. Nothing I planned involved fucking you, only to shame you for it in the end. That’s diabolical.”
Icy tendrils weave around my black heart. “You wanted this just as much as me.”
“Are you trying to convince yourself? Or maybe absolve your guilt?”
Well, this isn’t going according to plan. Not at all. “I didn’t take advantage of you.”
Vannah’s stance sags, as if the energy is leeching from her system. “No, you’re right. I spread my legs willingly. If that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t be standing here. You made me believe you were decent, that my initial judgment was rash. The joke is on me. I’ll own that. You have to live with being deceitful. Enjoy that weight on your shoulders.”
Self-preservation kicks in. Years of conditioning swarm me with a rabid snarl. “You’re out of line.”
“And you’re blinded by this sadistic scheme to trap me.”
“You’re a hypocrite.” The familiarity in our bickering releases a clamp from my windpipe.
“We’re not falling into old habits.” Her laugh is bitter, stinging my tongue with a foul taste. “What you did is worse. I never acted on my spite for you other than a few harmless pranks.”
I should be relieved to finally wipe my hands clean of this infernal pest. All that fills me is sticky sludge. “Okay, let’s calm down. We’re both at fault—”
Vannah throws up her hands. “No, don’t even go there. I’m leaving.”
Her interruption snaps a string that had been keeping me tethered. If I had something to throw, it would be shattered against the door. A parting blow will have to do. “I was beginning to wonder when your pride would show up.”