Chapter 88
Georgia met Larkin’s gaze with no trace of embarrassment, her voice steady and unapologetic as she spoke. “Mr. Larkin, 1 never claimed the food I cook is worth a hundred thousand dollars. You gave me that sum because you thought it was. I was short on cash, so I accepted it. But why did I accept it, even knowing it wasn’t a fair trade? Maybe you forgot–I’m a woman who will do anything for money. I’m not some socialite with luxuries handed to me; I’m a call girl. I need the money. I need a million dollars. It means everything to me. If I don’t come up with that by the deadline, I’ll lose something I can never get back.”
Larkin’s expression remained cold, unreadable. He didn’t care. Not for her. Not for anyone. His eyes flicked to his watch, sharp and impatient. “That has nothing to do with me. I’ve already wasted too much time. Miss Cooper, I think I’ve disturbed you long enough. We don’t need to meet again.”
Georgia considered his words for a moment, then nodded slowly. “I thought the same,” she said, surprising herself with the calm finality in her tone. “That’s why I walked you downstairs. Besides, you’re wrong about one thing–we’re strangers. There’s no point in talking about a future between us.”
The future was a luxury reserved for people who mattered. Not for her.
A cold wind swept through the corridor just then, tugging at her clothes, and she wrapped them tighter around herself. Without another word, she turned and stepped back inside, her footsteps slow and deliberate.
But Larkin wasn’t done. His hand shot out, grabbing her arm, pulling her back toward him. “What do you mean by that? What do you mean, you thought the same? Is that why you sent me downstairs?”
His question hung heavy in the air, thick with suspicion. The more he thought about it, the more unsettled he became. Something about her words didn’t sit right. Was this the same woman who had just asked him for a million dollars, her voice so raw and desperate?
“Let go of my hand, Sir,” Georgia said, steady despite the tension twisting in her chest. “We’ve both made the same decision. What’s the point in talking about it Chapter Unlocked, Enjoy Reading!
She thought bitterly, “Does it even matter what I mean? I don’t want to see him again. He’s not interested in me anymore. Now that we’re on the same page, why does he care?’
Larkin’s grip tightened, eyes narrowing with a fierce intensity. “No,” he said firmly. “Tell me exactly what you mean. Or forget about going upstairs tonight.”
Georgia’s fury flared. “Doesn’t he realize how overbearing he sounds?‘ she thought, lips pressed tight.
“Fine. Don’t tell me.” His voice dropped, low and dangerous. “I’ve got plenty of time anyway. We’ll stay right here until tomorrow, until you have to go to work. If you still refuse to talk, then maybe you don’t deserve to go to work.”
A wave of revulsion roiled in Georgia’s chest, but she remained silent, the weight of his words sinking in. He was serious.
“I already told you,” she said at last, voice slow and deliberate, “a million dollars means more to me than my life. But, Mr. Nash, even if you’re willing to give me that sum–something more precious than my very existence–I still don’t want you touching my wound again. It’s nothing personal. I just don’t want anyone to touch it. So, Mr. Nash, I don’t think we’ll meet again. I walked you downstairs only to say goodbye.”
Without waiting for a response, she wrenched his hand free of her arm. Her back was hunched against the cold corridor wall as she gripped the railing and climbed the stairs with hurried steps.
Larkin lingered, shadows flickering across his face, his expression a labyrinth of conflicting emotions. “Is that what she meant when she said she needed a million dollars? Did I misunderstand everything?‘ If anyone else had said it, he would have dismissed it as empty talk, but Georgia was different. She confounded him, unsettled him in a way no one else ever
had
Before she could disappear further up the stairs, Larkin moved quickly. He caught up to her, planting himself one step below, his long, powerful arm wrapping around her neck from behind in a tight, possessive hold.
Despite being a step lower, his height and reach made him loom over her. Georgia’s shoulders sagged under his grip. He leaned close to her ear, his voice a dangerous whisper, thick with dark amusement. “Loose lips sink ships. You shouldn’t
have answered me after all. Now I’m even more interested.”
36
But despite her struggles, her hands remained bound behind her. Larkin’s voice slid from teasing to magnetic, “Stop
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