7- Conditions

The sliding window slid down reluctantly. "Dim not that at all in the dark tomb, and you already have another man in your bed!"

Naked anger turned those bright black eyes into boiling gold.

Mira's hand flew up and pressed down Jacob's hard cheekbones with such force that her fingers were numb.

Stunned by the blow, Jacob looked down at her with obvious disbelief on his face. The thunderous silence chilled her to the bone.

"I've had enough of you insulting me," she whispered, chattering teeth, almost as stunned by her violent reaction as he was. "If you touch me, Sheldon will crush you!"

"He didn't crush Dim—did he?"

Even ashamed of using Sheldon as a threat to hide behind, Mira noticed Jacob's cloth has a strange rough quality. Deep, sullen drawls and indescribable changes in tension.

The tall man looked down at her thoughtfully, his eyes as black as smoke, golden glitz eyes filled with astonishing concentration. She involuntarily met those fiery eyes, her heart beat faster, her throat tightened, and her stomach was burning with scalding heat. She suddenly felt fatally uneasy and pressed her thighs together. "That—that's different," she stammered, completely powerless under those mesmerizing gazes, which somehow made her feel something she'd never felt before.

Sexual things and sexual sensations not only amazed her but confused her in the most vulgar way. Why, how, she didn't understand, because she couldn't think normally anymore.

Jacob took a fluid step back, an electric tension emanating from his lanky, muscular frame. Dark lashes drooped, closing her in again, cutting her off from the source of power that made every pulse beat in her dangerous body, leaving her disoriented and trembling.

"I don't have time for games, naive young lady. I'll give you twelve hours to consider your position and then I'll put pressure where it hurts the most." Jacob warned in a drawn-out voice that sent shivers down her stiff spine.

"With a little help from me, life could be extremely difficult. The property is leased. If the lease is not renewed, the junkyard business What will happen?"

Mira's shocked eyes were full of light. "You're not serious."

The corners of his hard mouth curled briefly into an indifferent smile. "If I were free to follow my natural inclinations, you'd be begging in the street for your next meal. I'll call back tomorrow morning."

"How do you know we rented this place?" Mira asked helplessly as he walked away from her.

Jacob turned back gracefully. "May I make a special request?" he whispered softly, ignoring the question. "You strike me as a woman who knows how to please a man. So take a shower before I show up again."

Mira's breasts swelled as she inhaled a puff of intoxicating air. "Why, you. Damn!"

The door of the limousine closed with a soft and expensive clang. Mira, dazed, strode into the cabin and flung herself down at the kitchen table.

Frustrated anger churned inside her. For a split second, she really thought she might explode. How dare he threaten her! But then the stakes he's playing sound pretty high—

How much is Dim worth in terms of cold cash? She trembled with disgust. Dim owns a shipyard, a hotel, and a chain of restaurants. His business dealings in Córdova were connected to various speculative real estate investments. That meaningless will! But how like her brother— impulsive and overprotective like him. Her eyes were stinging with stinging tears, and she swallowed.

Dim talks a lot about Jacob, and always with pride, affection, and more than a hint of awe. Wealthy families want a healthy say in the family's choice of life partner—he told her too. "As long as you're traditional!" she quipped. Heaven, but she despises Jacob Delrama! Her little hands clenched into fists on the table. Tramps, whores, trash, mistress.

And, most inexcusable of all, he blamed her for putting Dim into such anxiety that it cut his life short. Her stomach heaved violently. Well, he could make the worst threats, but he'd find her unshakable. Mira smiled to herself, her smile slowly turning into a determined smirk. After all, their landlord was Sheld's aunt.

There's no way she's going through some disgusting marriage games just to help Jacob circumvent her brother's wishes and profit off of it!

"That's the foster brother from hell—am I right?" Sheldon sat down across from her, looking sadly at her flushed face and overly bright eyes. "Who else, as far as we know, has enough money to travel around in a stretch limousine? Not just your brother's replacement sibling, but big enough and verbal enough to make you so angry that you spit on it—

"Yes, he's Dim's favorite, isn't he? But I only have a few months, not twenty years, to impress!" Mira scolded bitterly, and then she covered her quivering mouth with a dangling hand, she was ashamed of the bitter jealousy she could hear in the words.

"Did you tell him who you are this time?" Sheldon asked softly.

"Why would I do that? Why should I tell that nasty monster anything? If Dim can't trust him to break the news to me, I certainly can't either!"

Sheldon sighed. "Perhaps Delrama is here to sort out this legacy of yours."

Mira forced out a choked laugh. "I inherited nothing! Dim left me with Jacob!"

Shelton frowned. "S—sorry?"

"In fact, my brother tried to force me to be close to him as if I were some brainless little coward who needed care and protection!" Mira lifted her chin, noticing Sheldon's still blank scrutiny, words of explanation overflowed from her.

"My goodness," Sheldon gasped suddenly, but that was the only time he interrupted. From then on, he listened attentively.

"Can you imagine that ignorant, arrogant louse even thinking I might agree?" Mira demanded, angrily pleading for sympathy.

Sheldon leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. "Your brother got him in trouble."

"Excuse me?"

Sheldon shook his head slowly. "You know how quickly a business can go under when its cash flow is cut off? No money goes in, no money goes out."

"I know next to nothing about Dim's business ventures, and I don't care too much," Mira huffed.

"Get your brains to work, Mira. Jacob's in trouble. No wonder the guy is mad—

"Which side are you on?"

"As always, on the side of common sense and interest," Sheldon told her unapologetically. "Would you like your brother's business to go bankrupt due to legal issues? Of course, Delrama doesn't want to drag this whole regrettable thing into open court."

Mira blushed uncomfortably, she didn't see it from both angles Consider the current situation.

"Delrama came here to bargain with the enemy because he had no other choice. The quickest and easiest solution is to satisfy the conditions of your brother's will," Sheldon added.

"I can't believe I heard this!"