Chapter Three

He gestured towards the seat behind her. "Have a seat, Lara," he told her. "Please," he added.She did.Taking a seat as well, he said, "I apologize for the trouble I caused you the other day. I'm sorry." "You don't have to be," she told him.

 He had saved her from an eternity of misery with George, but he also implicated her, as she had to source out a whopping sum of two million dollars plus within a week to avoid being sold off to Japan as a sex slave.

 A shudder coursed through her as she remembered George's threat and the consequence of her inability to meet the stipulated deadline, a fact both she and George knew was very close to nil.

 "Are you okay?" Shane asked, pulling her focus back to the present."I am." She swallowed. "I'm sorry, you were saying?" "I said I was sorry and..." "Apology accepted.

 Could you please excuse me?" She needed time to plan her next course of action. There wasn't any time to dilly-dally with a delectable young man with her life hanging by a thread.Shane was offended at her rudeness.

 However, he let it slide. "If you would just hear out my offer before rudely dismissing me," he said with as much calm as he could muster.She shifted impatiently in her seat. "Alright.""As I was saying, to express how deeply sorry I am, I am willing to strike a one-in-a-million deal with you.

 I will absolve your debts with George." She paled at the information and got off her seat in the blink

 of an eye. "Am I a joke to you or what?" Shane raised his hands lightly in the air. 

 "I mean no offense, Lara. I only want to help." She rolled her eyes. "Indeed." She nodded, her tone inflected with sarcasm.

 "After what you said about your life being ruined because of what George said about whatever the deal there is between you being over, I made inquiries, and I knew I had to help because, partly, I was the reason your life could have been ruined, and as a matter of fact, I doubted you were really in support of your relationship with that man as your fiance.

 " He knew what the deal was about, and that was more of the reason why his desire to help her out of George's clutches was spiked."But why?" She looked disbelievingly at him.

 His offer sounded just too good to be true."Do you know how much it is we are talking about?" "Two point five million dollars," he replied smoothly.Lara shook her head. "You are crazy. 

 Don't tell me you are just trying to prank me. I'm not in the mood to be played for a fool right now." He looked serious."I'm sane, Lara.

 I told you I kept bringing up scenarios that kept her having second thoughts and contemplating saying yes to his offer.Her mind was warped with fear, indecision, and impatience. 

 There was no time for her to raise that colossal amount by herself. It had taken her mom and her years to pay up to that extent."So, what do you say?" She looked at him, holding his gaze. She knew he wanted something from her.

 He wanted her body. It had been all over his face at the bar."No," she said abruptly.Shane arched an eyebrow. "What?" "Look, Shane. Although I appreciate the offer, it's just too good to be true. There's no way you are offering to pay that much money just to express an apology. 

 It's incredible." She bit down on her lower lip. "Who the hell does that, really?" She chuckled dryly.He tried as hard as he could to still the reaction her biting down on her rosy lips set in his body.

 It was definitely not the right time for that."I doubt any man will pay that much money just for an apology without expecting something in return, and with the recipient being a lady, we both know how it goes, Shane. 

 I'm no fool." Shane nodded thoughtfully. "You are right; my offer is not just about an apology, and it's not free either." "I'm not having sex with you," she hissed heatedly, stamping her palms flat on the table.

 He chuckled at the look in her eyes. Fierce and unwelcoming. He suspected she would be standing up again.She made it."Who said I wanted to?" She stopped, falling back into her seat.

 "You don't want sex?" The hell he did!"Just how lowly you think of men!" "I'm not joking, Shane. Don't toy with me." "I am not joking either, Lara.

 I'm interested in helping you. I am loaning it to you, Lara." Lara scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, you expect me to take up a loan to pay off a loan? Funny." "A job goes as well with the package." "My answer is still no.

 " She shook her head, rising from her seat. She knew she was being foolish by rejecting his offer, but she couldn't bring herself to trust him completely."If you would excuse me, I have to go to work." "I will pay you $100,000 annually.

 " She hesitated to move at first."Still no," she said over her shoulders, desperate to move out of there as fast as her legs could take her and get down to working her bones off to hit her expected target for the week.She would try.

 Although the probability of the outcome being a success was bleak, she would remain optimistic nonetheless and wouldn't give up.

 He crossed his arms over his chest and watched her turn her back to leave. "Wouldn't you rather take a loan from me than be stuck with George, who is only willing to waive off the loan on the basis of your marriage to him, and trust me when I say you will regret every second of your life with him?" She turned to face him, crossing her arms over her chest. "And on what basis are you giving the loan?" "Philanthropy." 

 He swept a hand in her direction.She rolled her eyes. "You don't expect me to believe that sh*t, do you?" "You don't have to believe it," he said, leaning up. "Accept it. It will be a lifesaver."