Twisted Hate: An Enemies with Benefits Romance

You’ve got to be kidding me. I’d meant that as a joke.
“One favor from you in exchange for a favor from me,” he said. “To be
decided upon on a future date of my choosing.” 
Wariness crawled into my stomach. It sounded suspiciously like what
Max had asked of me, minus the whole creep factor. “What kind of favor?” 
I swear to God, if Christian asked me to sleep with him—
“Nothing sexual or illegal.” His reassurance didn’t ease my anxiety. I had
a shitty history with the F word. “That’s my offer. Take it or leave it.” 
Agreeing to an open-ended favor was a dumb idea, but I didn’t have the
luxury 
of 
long-term 
planning 
when 
faced 
with 
a 
short-term
emergency. Besides, Christian was the CEO of a reputable organization, not
some low-life criminal like Max.
I hope I don’t regret this.
“I’ll take it.”
A satisfied gleam entered Christian’s eyes.
I couldn’t shake the eerie sense I’d just struck a deal with the devil. But
whatever favor he wanted in the future would be worth dispelling the black
cloud of the sex tapes once and for all.
Right? 
“Excellent.” He opened the door wider. “My next meeting isn’t until
eight-thirty. You have eleven minutes.”
I followed him through his penthouse and explained my situation—the
tapes, Max’s blackmail threats, my desire to erase the recordings once and for
all. I omitted the part where I used to steal for money; Christian didn’t need
to know, and I didn’t have time to get into it anyway. 
“I see.” He sounded almost bored by my dilemma. 
I was half annoyed that he didn’t appreciate the gravity of the situation

---

and half hopeful that his calm response meant he had a solution. 
Christian didn’t speak again until we reached his private library. Colorful
books filled two walls of floor-to-ceiling shelves, and windows carved
massive nooks on the remaining walls and bathed the room in piercing
morning light. 
A man stood in the middle of the room, dressed in a suit as expensive-
looking as Christian’s. Annoyance etched deep lines in his face as he spoke
rapid-fire Italian into his phone, but he hung up abruptly when he saw us.
“Dante, I trust everything is all right,” Christian said, like the other man
hadn’t sounded like he was ready to murder someone in broad daylight.
Dante flashed a tight smile. “Yes, of course.” He slid his eyes toward me,
his curiosity a warm weight against my skin.
He looked a little older than Christian, maybe mid to late thirties, but that
only added to his physical appeal. He wasn’t as classically good-looking as
Christian, but he exuded a rugged masculinity that would make most women
swoon. The thick dark hair and muscled frame didn’t hurt, either.
“I didn’t realize you had company,” I said to Christian. It seemed too
early for a business meeting, but what did I know? I wasn’t a CEO.
“I was just leaving.” Dante held out his hand. Silver cufflinks engraved
with tiny V’s glinted on his shirtsleeves. “Dante Russo.”
“Jules Ambrose.”
He gave me a curt nod and slid an indecipherable look at Christian.
“We’ll finish our conversation later. My grandfather just died.” He delivered
the news like he was announcing a trip to the grocery store.
My eyes rounded with shock, but Christian didn’t even blink. “Of
course.”
After Dante left, Christian walked to the computer in the corner and typed
something. A minute later, the printer spit out a sheet of paper, which he
handed to me along with a pen.
His cufflinks flashed in the light, and I realized they were engraved with
the same V’s as the ones Dante wore.
“Sign this, and I’ll take care of the tape.”
I scanned the text. “You have a contract for favors?” It was a standard
agreement listing the terms of our deal, but if I reneged on it, I would be held
liable for...I blinked to make sure I read it correctly. “Two million dollars?
You’ve got to be joking.” 
“I don’t joke about business, and anything that involves my time and

---

skills is business.” Christian nodded at the paper. “As I’m sure you’re aware,
Ms. Ambrose, contracts protect both parties. If I’m unable to fulfill my end of
the agreement, the contract is void. If I renege on the deal, I am also liable for
two million dollars. It’s only fair.”
Yeah, except two mil was a drop in the bucket for him whereas it was an
impossibility for me.
“Those are my terms. We haven’t signed anything yet, so you can still
walk away.” He gave an elegant shrug. “Your choice.” 
A favor of his choosing or I would owe him two million dollars…
My head pounded with indecision.
What were the chances he would ask me to do something really awful?
He said anything sexual or illegal was off the table.
There was a fifty-fifty percent chance I would regret this, but my desire to
get rid of Max overrode everything else.
I scribbled my signature on the designated line and handed it back to him.
Christian signed after me, and that was that.
We were officially in business.
“It’s quite difficult to erase something forever once it’s in the digital
realm, but it’s not impossible,” Christian said.