THE CONTRACT

Anesha's POV

I head to the office Deimos' secretary directed me to. It's a tall building with a giant E on top of it. Weird, I think to myself as I walk in. I go to the receptionist, give my best smile and hand over his card like his secretary had told me to. She takes the card, places a call and after a few minutes, scrowls at me. She gives me a once over and deciding I'm not worth the effort, points me to elevator and tells me to go to the highest level.

I'm too nervous to call her out. I trudge up to the elevator and it drags me up. With each number, my anxiety spikes. I get there in a minute and take deep breaths to calm myself. There's no one at the table so I knock at the door.

"Come in." he says. I try to prep talk myself one last time before I go in.

The office is huge. Rows of bookshelves line the walls. The office looks rustic and dark. A traditional wooden table that looks like it was custom made sits at the back of the space with a clear view of the entire city. He looks up at me and asks his secretary to leave. I swallow my nerves and what's left of my pride.

He gives me a once over, eyes hot on my cleavage. I try not to squirm under his gaze. He stares at me silently. For a minute, I don't think he'll say anything but he surprises me. "I have a meeting in 20 minutes so let's get down to business, shall we? You called."

"Yes," I square my shoulders and try to appear as confidently as I can, "I will be your wife."

He regards me coolly before turning back to the documents on his table. "Unfortunately, I no longer have any need for a wife." What?! There's no way. We just talked about this last night. "Is that all? I'm sure you can show yourself out." he goes back to his computer like I'm not there.

Is this the end? No, I won't accept it. It can't be. "You're lying."

He looks up at me, uninterested. "And why would I feel the need to lie to you? We barely know each other."

The way things were going, I wouldn't be getting that contract and I can't walk out like that. Time to spruce things up. "I know that but you are lying. If you weren't, you wouldn't have asked me to come. You don't look like the kind of man who likes to waste his time. You struck me as someone who was meticulous, strict." I drop my bag on the chair and walk slowly over to him, his eyes watching my every movement. My heart does a deep dive to my stomach. "Someone disciplined. Someone who could discipline... me."

He catches my hand before I can run it down his chest. "You don't know anything about me and for your sake, it's best we keep it that way."

Oh no, he was shutting me out.

I shake my head at him and sigh. "And here I thought I'd found a man who could be my match. I didn't think you'd be just like my ex but I guess I thought too highly of you." I move to leave but his grip on my wrist tightens.

"Your ex?"

"Yes. I thought you'd be different but I guess all men lie. And you're right I don't know you. Perhaps you'd be a sniveling cheat as well." I gasp as he pulls me sharply into his lap.

"Don't think for a second that I'd tolerate those words from you. I am nothing like that welp." he growls.

Something about seeing him this way sets my heart racing and my body on fire. The air feels just as hot and heavy as it was at the bar. I don't know what this is but it feels so good. "You certainly lie like he does so who knows?"

"We'll have to do something about the way you speak to me after we get married. This attitude won't do."

My heart flips. Did he say what I thought he did? I scoff at him. "Who says I want to marry you anymore?"

"You're awfully comfortable in my arms for someone who doesn't. Or is there another offer you came here to make?" I flush at his implications and try to squirm away. He holds me tight, clearly amused. "You came here to sign the contract? Then sign it."

"I need to go back to my seat." I look away, embarrassed. He pulls out the document and a pen and places them on the table.

"You already have a seat, right here. What? Have you lost your spine? Where did all that bravado go?"

I glare at him. Two can play this game. I arch forward, pressing into him as I flip through the papers. My smirk growing as he stiffens behind me. Thick hands falling to my waist. He strokes my sides slowly. I can barely focus on the word on the pages. There's that heat again, pooling inside me. I can feel his excitement beneath me and it sends shivers down my spine.

What's wrong with me? Why am I acting this way with a man I barely know? The plan to seduce him is going a little too well. Not that I'm complaining. I find the page and quickly scribble my signature. I see his name beside mine and I read it out, entranced with the magic of his hands. "Deimos... Escarrá..."

"Say it again, little lamb."

"Deimos..." ESCARRA?!!!

What the hell did I just say?!

I turn sharply to him. "You're an Escarrá?"

He cocks a brow at me, small smile on his lips. "Yes, that isn't a problem, is it?"

"No, of course not." of course yes! I look at the document and back at him. My memories coming back to me. His face in the news. The tabloids. The gossip columns. The Forbes list. Deimos Escarrá, Billionaire Mogul and former big shot Lawyer.

And, Max's uncle.

I just signed a contract with my ex's uncle.