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“Blaire,” he says my name gravely, giving me his hardest stare, “I'm only gonna warn you this once; if you ever pull that gun on me again,” he points a finger in my face, “I'll put you down. Is that clear?”
I nod, unbothered. I don't plan on using my gun on him. I only used the fantasy of it last night to scare him, which failed immensely.
Closing his eyes, he lets out a deep breath. He's uneasy about me having a weapon.Good.
“Let's go,” he says. “We have to be in West Sussex by two.”
The black Range Rover flashes to signal it's open, so I head for it, my feet crumpling against the driveway.
“Do you want me to drive?” I tuck my gun away in my inside jacket pocket and zip myself up again.
Charlie throws me the keys without question and I catch them in steady hands.
“I suppose this mutual respect has to start somewhere.” He winks at me—actually winks at me. It makes my cheeks warm up.
What is it with him and that dark alluring thing he's got going on? Even Maksim doesn't affect me on this level.
I jump into the driver's seat and press the button to fire up the vibrating engine, and for a moment, just a quick moment, I wonder if Charlie has spoken to Maksim; if he's told him that I pulled a gun on him.
I'm petrified that he has. Maksim will beat me half to death for provoking Charlie—the man he clearly fears.
“Blaire?” Charlie says from beside me. I haven't even noticed him getting into the car. “What's wrong?”
I realize I'm frozen, squeezing the wheel of the car so hard that my knuckles are white.
“Have you spoken to Maksim today?”
He shakes his head, pulling on his seatbelt. “I'll be seeing him next weekend. And don't worry, I won't tell him you tried to shoot me.”
The relief of hearing him say that is comforting. I sag in my seat, letting out a breath.
“Is that what you're worried about?” he asks, touching my arm to attain my attention.
I shrug. It's obvious I was worried.
“Blaire, listen...” he gives my arm a gentle squeeze, “I know this isn't exactly conventional, the way I've taken you from Maksim, and I know you're having a hard time, but soon you'll see that you can trust me. Whatever happens between us is our business. Not Maksim's.”
“I'll have to tell him when I see him, you know?” I twist at the waist to face him, holding the steering wheel in one hand. “He'll ask what we've been up to.”
“That's on you.” Turning up his lips, he shrugs. “As far as I'm concerned, this is our private business.”
“It's not that private when Maksim gave you permission to drug and abuse me.” I sound bitter, but I am. He's twisting my mind... making me take pleasure in things I shouldn't... kissing me like he's in love with me or something...
I don't even know why I'm talking to him like this—as if I know him on a personal level. It pisses me off royally.
“Blaire, oh, Blaire,” reaching over, Charlie grabs the back of my seat, giving me his full attention, “whether Maksim gave me permission to take you or not, I'd have taken you, because I wanted you-”
I frown at him, fighting not to react to that consuming look in his eyes.
“-He isn't the boss of me, as I'm sure you've noticed.”
I huff at him, glancing away.
“Anyway,” he says, lightly tugging on a strand of my hair, making me look back at him, “regardless of all that, as far as my intimacy with you goes, it's our business.”
I don't reply to that.
In silence, we gaze at each other, Charlie's blue eyes pacing back and forth between mine, and I don't know what happens inside me, I feel a sense of privacy between us. I actually believe he won't tell anyone about what he's doing to me. It isn't like Maksim can force information out of him—it's Charlie who has all the power.
