Page 5 of Beautiful Disaster

“Have a good day. I’m sure we’ll get you taken care of.”

The two men talk some more, and I’m getting bored, so I’m back to scrolling. Then, someone slams right into me, which feels more like a brick wall.

When my phone falls face down on the concrete floor, a squeak slips out of me. I bend down to grab it and dust it off. A moan escapes me when I see the shattered screen. “Dammit!” I hiss. I turn on my phone, and while the screen works, I can’t swipe on it or open any apps. “Fuck!”

I glare up at the asshole and hold up my phone. “See what you did?”

“I truly apologize. I didn’t realize someone was standing right behind me.”

My hand drops, and I stare up at the hottest older man I’ve ever seen in my life. Ugh, no matter. He ruined my phone. I love this phone. I can easily buy a new one, but why should I? I didn’t break it. “You owe me a new phone, buddy.”

He raises a brow and stands taller. And he’s definitely tall with miles of long legs; he’s broad, too. He’s got to be well over six feet. Or I’m just short as fuck. I might be five-foot-six at best with shoes on.

“I owe you a new screen,” he retorts, digging his wallet out from inside his coat and handing me a business card. “Call that number to make arrangements with my assistant. She’ll handle the payment.”

“Ah, you’re one of those.”

His bright, hazel-green eyes narrow, and his thick brows sit low. “One of those?”

“Rich snobs who dump all their problems onto someone else and throw their money at it.” It’s not like I’ve met tons of rich people. Julien is obscenely wealthy, and he’s cool as shit. When dealing with ranchers, Julien handles that side of the business, not me. But there have been a few here and there that I’ve had the unpleasant experience of meeting.

Instead of arguing back, the man squares his shoulders, staring down at me with a deep frown. “Call my assistant. Good day.”

He walks away and out of the store, but I chase after him. “Hey! We’re not done here.” We burst into the cold afternoon, and I try to grab his arm. I’m still holding my coat, so I’m instantly chilled. “I need a phone. Now. I ain’t gonna wait until your PA gets around to it!”

The man abruptly stops, turns around, and I crash right into his solid body. He steadies me before I fall flat on my ass. Instead of letting me go, he grabs my shoulders and shoves me against the building. I’m enveloped in something spicy, peppery, and intoxicating, mingled with a hint of fear. My fear. Familiar fear. That fear you get when you’re so much smaller, and people use that against you.

“Then get it fixed and send me the bill,” he says through clenched teeth.

His gem-like eyes harden. Not gonna lie, he has the perfect amount of scruff on his tanned skin. Still, his hotness factor doesn’t give him the right to manhandle me. Too many men have done that throughout my entire life. I’m fucking over it. “Let me go, asshole!”

He instantly releases me, and I can breathe easy again.

“You’re being a brat,” he snaps.

“Brat?! Listen, bud, you broke my phone, not the other way around.”

“Jesus, someone needs to bend you over and punish you. Where are your parents?”

My nostrils flare, and I jut my chin out while I shove back the instinct to cower, but I’m shaking from both the cold and fear. “Dead, thank you very much.”

“I’m sor—”

“Besides, I’m a fucking adult.”

“Are you now? Because you sure don’t act like one.”

“Tsh, you’d be surprised.”

A smug grin tugs crookedly on his face. “I bet.”

“What the fuck do you mean by that?” I huff.

His hand gently grabs my throat and tilts my head back and forth as if inspecting me, but his eyes never leave mine. And I fucking let him. Part of it is the instinct to freeze when faced with danger. The other part… I can’t explain it. It’s like I’m back with the man who once dominated me when I was a kid. He paid for it, but he’d always been nice to me.

“Perhaps not a surprise. Maybe. You sure could use some discipline, though.”

I swallow under his palm, unmoving. He’s barely touching me, but I’m completely under his control. His eyes hold me captive, and his hand has me completely at his mercy. The only thing that keeps me from screaming is that he’s not hurting me at all.