Chapter 12
“How did you meet him? Did he save your life? Did you save his Gratitude?-It had to be pity for you to sleep with him.” He teased her as he sipped his coffee.
“Elsie, Janka and 1,” she paused with the retelling, “they’re my best friends, went to dinner to celebrate Elsie getting into law school. We were twenty. She’s gifted and had her BA complete and had gotten accepted. We celebrated by going to this fancy–assed restaurant we couldn’t really afford. We didn’t know the soup spoon from the salad fork.” She laughed at the memory. “Merlin was at the next table, and he gave me instruction and by the end of the night, I had given him my phone number. He was a perfect gentleman and nothing like the guys in college. I hung out with artists and musicians, and he was refined and polished. He took me to gallery openings which were far fancier than anything I had ever seen and would tell me things such as how it would be me someday with my art on the fancy gallery walls. Eventually, I was putting my goals on hold. Once he made his dreams come true, we could focus on mine. He had an image to present, and he would buy my clothes and taught me manners far better than my mom ever did. He used to say we helped each other be the best versions of each other. The truth was, he was molding me into his perfect wife, and I was nothing more than arm candy. But” she admitted quietly, “I loved him. I would have done anything for him because that’s who I am as a person. When I love, I’m all in. I don’t only love the best parts of someone, I love all of them, the good, the bad, the ugly.”
“You’re very passionate,” he said, his dark eyes boring into hers. It’s not a bad trait but it can be dangerous because it can make you blind.”
“My dad.” She nodded. “I am very much like my dad. He died when I was young. He jumped into life with both feet. The family always said you knew you were loved by him from a glance. He could make you feel special with a carefully worded comment. I always wanted to be as loving as he was.” She felt her lips curl, “but if you pissed him off and crossed him, you did not want to suffer the consequences. He was an all–or–nothing man. If you crossed him, you were done. I also inherited this trait from him. I will not tolerate being made a fool. His family too is very much like this.”
“They must be thrilled with your sister then.”
“They’ve all shunned her. She and Merlin got married on Saturday. My mom was the only family member in attendance. Not one of my many aunts, uncles or cousins showed up. She blamed me but they know how my dad would have reacted.”
“Your mom went?”
“My mom feels bad for her because she’s all alone now, but she knew what she was doing. She cheated on her husband on her wedding day with my husband and got pregnant.”
“No! You didn’t tell me it was at her wedding!”
“It was,” she shook her head. “Morals of an alley cat.” She looked to his pocket meaningfully, “anyway, like my dad, I burn bridges. I’m done with him, but I want him to pay. He wants to make CEO by thirty–five. I hope you find a way to make it so he can’t make it to manager of a fast–food joint by sixty.”
He laughed, “Liesl, you and I are remarkably similar. I too am a highly passionate person. I love with ferocity. My lamily means everything to me. I would do anything for them. Cross me though, and I’ll rip your heart out and feed it to you while keeping you alive just for the fuck of it.”
“Yikes,” she made wide eyes at him. “I promise not to get on your bad side, Isaias. I only want to be friends not foes.”
“Oh, Liesl, I feel we will become much more than friends.”
She blushed as he maintained eye contact and smiled wolfishly at her. Her heart skipped a beat as she considered she too, wanted much, much more. Their subject turned to other mundane topics, but her mind was stuck on his comment and all the different possibilities. It was the best coffee date she’d ever had.
1/2
Bribing The Billionaire’s Revenge.
Chapter 13
