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Ari stood frozen. The one thing that had been eating her alive as her mom talked about returning home and getting back to work, was what he held against her. She’d underestimated his desire to win.
Rage filled her as she looked into Rafe’s burning eyes. He wasn’t even human. How dare he put her in this position! How could he live with himself? Would it kill her mother to find out that she had nothing left after surviving a car crash that should’ve taken her life, and then beating all odds and surviving the cancer that had tried to finish her off?
“It looks like you have a choice to make, Ari? Do you choose love or pity?”
“You’re a bastard, Rafe. Do you care of nothing other than yourself?”
“Ah, I hope you choose love, because it will be a great pleasure for me to break your spirit – and leave no doubt about it, Ari – I will break you. ”
Her stomach heaved as she looked into the eyes of a stranger. This wasn’t the same man who’d rescued her, laughed with her, and adored his family. This was a monster – one who wanted nothing less than everything.
“If you choose pity, you’re free to go with no one to worry about but yourself. You can feel sorry for yourself about the situation you’re in and try to put back the pieces of your shattered life, or you can choose love – love for the mother who raised you. I don’t want nor need your love, so don’t ever get the idea that this will lead to more than what it is. You will be my mistress and nothing more. I tried love once, and got nothing but a hell of a lot of damage for my efforts. Make your decision quickly because I have a long flight ahead of me and work to do. ”
“I need time…”
“Your time is up. You can either exit the way you came in. Or you can take yourself back to my bedroom and strip. Your training will begin immediately. ”
Ari held back the tears of anger as she turned away from him. She was faced with an impossible choice. She couldn’t sign her life over to him – but she couldn’t leave her mother to die.
Maybe he was bluffing. She could walk out the door and find out. She retreated a step while still looking into his eyes. He showed zero emotion as she made the hardest decision she’d ever had to make. He really didn’t seem to care one way or the other of her decision.
With a firm resolve, Ari turned from him and took a step toward the aircraft’s open door. . .
THE END