Page 73 of Fallen Hero

Jesus, the motherfucker had fewer manners than a drunken sailor at the Dirty Plank.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fallon doing his walk-through.

“You look calmer.” As soon as Fallon’s voice came at me, Amir reached over and dragged his fingers down Calli’s arm. “Spoke too soon.”

I watched Calli stiffen, took a step toward the table, but halted when Calista’s ice-cold response came.

“This is going to go one way, Amir.” She dropped the respect bullshit and used his given name. Bold. “And one way only. I am not on offer. I’m here on business. That business being purchasing what I need through you. Respectfully, I hope we can do business. But make no mistake, this dinner is as much me vetting if I want to accept your invitation as it is you extending one.”

Fucking hell, she was glorious.

“Your woman’s got it going on,” Fallon said, having heard her speech through the open mic.

“There’s no reason we can’t mix business with pleasure,” Amir purred.

Having learned Calista didn’t need me to intervene, I stayed where I was and waited for her to eviscerate the fucker.

“Your offer is noted. However, I did not get where I am by fucking my way to the top. My pussy’s not for sale, nor is it on offer. Tell me, Amir, if I was one of your male clients, would you be offering him use of your cock? Or is your disrespect singular?”

Christ.

As superb as her comeback was, the disrespect was such that I was worried he’d lash out. I’d bet my left nut women did not speak to him that way. The kind of piece of shit he was would literally smack a woman down who dared insult him.

Never would I have guessed Amir’s response would be to throw his head back and laugh.

When he regained control, he looked at Calista with something worse than lust. There was no missing his admiration.

“No. You are not at all what I was expecting.”

“Never in my life will I forget your girl asking Amir Bakir if he offered up his cock to men,” Fallon chuckled.

That was twice he’d called Calli mine.

Twice the area around my heart suspiciously tightened.

The knot just kept tangling.

Dinner was served without either of them ordering. My beautiful, brilliant girl made a show of picking at the lobster and pushing around the grilled broccolini. Nor did she touch the caviar. If Amir didn’t get her show of dominance, he was an idiot on top of being a motherfucker. Calista had the upper hand, and at no point would she concede to him.

Fucking brilliant.

That brilliance continued when she declined dessert and ended the evening when it was clear Amir was enjoying sitting next to a gorgeous woman, with no intention of leaving anytime soon.

Hell, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she didn’t unman the asshole and pick up the check.

She opted for the power play.

“Thank you for dinner and the company,” she started, as she placed her napkin on the plate, covering her half-eaten meal. “I’m looking forward to doing business with you, Amir. I’ve been told you put on an impressive show, and after meeting you, I have no doubt that hasn’t been exaggerated. I have the funds available and ready to be transferred into your holding account. At your convenience, please have your secretary send me that information, and I’ll see the transfer happens immediately.”

Amir used his last moments with her to stare at her. Admiration had slid into adoration.

Fuck me.

“The pleasure was mine, Zara. Though, I must say, I now wish I’d met you under different circumstances that had nothing to do with business. I can think of a great many ways I’d like to possess the beauty that is you, dear.”

Slimy, cocksucking motherfucker.

“I’ll take that as a compliment, dear.”