Chapter Four

That night natalie had nightmare after nightmare but surprising they didnt even contain John mcbain, no it was about her parents, about those damn vamps. She woke up in a cold sweat before the sun even came up and then the reality of the day came to light and she was going to make sure she would be ready for anything that came her way, anything at all..

The drive to John's place brought back feelings of dejavu as she stared at the large gated driveway, last time she had showed up there she was asking for help but this time the ball was in her court and it would stay that way... The gate opened slowly as she drove her sports car through, she kept wondering what the hell Bo had on that flash drive and she hoped to god that if they did indeed need to use it that it was as valuable as Bo said..

John hadnt spared any expense in his overly outrageous mansion of a home, the front of the massive manor had huge white pillars lined up in front and old gothic gargoyles on the high roof that overlooked the enormous and manecured front lawn that could literally be a soccer field..

She sucked in a deep breath as she got out of the car and she walked to the large iron doors in front, before she could even knock the door opened revealing the same older man from a year ago, he smiled softly.."Miss Buchanan, the master of the laire has been awaiting your arrival, please come in" he said as he moved from the door and it took everything in her not to roll her eyes, master of the laire, seriously the man had a huge ego..

The place was like a damn museum inside, artfully crafted with priceless works of art on the walls, she followed the butler down the foyer.."Master Mcbain should be down shortly, would you like a drink?" he asked as he directed her back into the damned room, the same one she had stood naked in for thirty minutes, she swallowed hard as she followed him.."is Cristal ok?" he asked as natalie made her way through the room...

"sure" she said nonchalantly as her eyes landed on that damn Mona Lisa..

"beautiful isnt it?" his words were seductive as he spoke sending a chill down her spine..

She was snapped from her thoughts as the man handed her the glass of champange.."Please have a seat, i'll be right back" the man smiled as he left the room and Natalie slowly sipped the drink, well she had to hand it to him, he definitely had good yet expensive taste in alcohol. She walked over to another painting and stared at it, another rare and priceless artifact of course..

"well to each his own, now please sit, im sure your legs are tired" he said as he made his way back to the couch and she huffed loudly, she wanted to just leave but she couldnt bear to let rex down like this and so she sucked everything up and walked to the couch, sitting at the far end away from him..He smiled amusingly.."so.." he turned himself so that he was facing her, his drink still In hand.."everything has a price tag"

"and I already paid up" she said quickly, her tone cold and clipped..

"Oh no Natalie, that was just what I would like to call the appetizer before the main course" he grinned. She hated how ridicoulsy handsome and sexy he was, even when he was being a manipulating bastard, she looked away from him, she wouldnt let him get to her..

"so tell me then, what exactlly do you want from me John" she said through tight lips..

"to sweeten the deal of course, you had mentioned before that we could both get what we want" he began as he shifted in his seat some.."now if I was some petty school boy then seeing you radiantly beautifully naked before me would be payment enough but" he smiled.."well im not a school boy and my wants far surpass you giving me a sample as you would like to say"

"Just cut to the chase" she said with annoyance..

"havent you ever heard patience is a virtue?" he grinned as he sipped his drink, she rolled her eyes as she looked away.."i want something more precious"

"is this the part where you ask me to sign my soul away" she laughed sarcastically, but it was more of a nervous kind of laugh cause she had no idea where he was going with this..

"Oh I have no use for souls" he grinned.."but I like your sense of humor, actually what I want is a bit more complicated then that and much more rewarding" he slowly sipped his drink again as his eyes bore into hers..She refused to back down as she kept staring right at him, this was definitely a game of will and of power and she wasnt about to lose, she ate guys up like him for breakfast!"give me one night" he finally said as she tried not to seem shocked.."i mean considering what your asking of me, one night of taking that sweet body to places it has never been before isnt much to ask" he smiled as his eyes trailed over her body..

Natalie inhaled deep as she stood there and then she felt him before she even saw him, his hot male, sexual heat filling the room in an instant, she turned to face him as he stood in the doorway..He smiled smugly as if he knew he had her right where he wanted her, she rolled her eyes at him..

"looking as radiant as ever natalie" he said as he looked her up and down and she wanted to laugh, this time she wasnt dolled up for him, this time she was down to business in her hip hugging jeans and tight fitting vintage tshirt, this was her slaying attire..She tried to not stare at him too much cause he looked different today, he wasnt in his usual suit and tie, no apparently he was thinking the same way as her, which was odd. He wore a tight black tshirt that clung to every rippling muscle underneath and a pair of blue jeans that hugged him dangerously, she quickly looked back at the painting..

"You take more time then a girl to get ready" she said sarcastically, she could do this..

"well its nice to see you too" he smiled as he walked past her..

"trust me there is nothing nice about this meeting" she said bitterly as she sipped the drink, suddenly her mouth and throat were incredibly dry..

"Your still angry with me for the last time we were in this room" he said matter of factly as he poured himself a drink and she looked at him now and rolled her eyes..

"actually I dont even remember the last time I was here" she said sarcastically.."I do remember arrogance though"

"ah you are still mad" he smiled some as he sipped his drink.."your not use to being left hanging on by a thread, actually something tells me that you find all of your power by having men do whatever it is you want" he raised an eyebrow..

"well we all have our gifts dont we" she said sarcastically..

He slowly walked over to her and she hated to admit that the way his jeans clung to his hips and they way his legs moved when he walked was absolutely distracting not to mention it was raising her blood pressure ridicoulsy high.."but im not one of your groveling boy toys, am i" he smiled as he got in front of her..

"is every conversation going to be like this cause if so its getting old" she said quickly as she walked past him and across the room..

"you have a problem with men in power, ones who have control" he continued..

"actually I have a problem with arrogant bastards but whose counting" she smiled big at him..

"let me guess you look for the weak men, the ones you can mold to your liking, the ones you can tell what to do, the ones that let you be the one in control" he smiled..

"actually my life is none of your business but for your information, I do just fine, believe me" she grinned now, she wasnt about to let him rope her in again..

"Now who is being the arrogant one" he smiled at her.."admit it Natalie, you were furious with me for our last meeting here" he walked slowly over to her.."actually I think you expected me to drop to my knees before you but there is something you dont know about me darling" he stopped in front of her.."i never beg" he grinned..

"wow your ego is huge, for your information I havent even given you a second thought since that night" she smiled..

"so then you do remember?" he grinned..

"listen you seem to think that im here under different circumstances, I hate to break it to you Mcbain but your just not my type" she smiled and then walked away from him again.. She had a proud smile on her face, score one for Natalie, Mcbain nothing..

"trying to unman me?" he smirked.."thats cute, very amaturish but cute"

"listen is it so hard for your ego to grasp the idea that I dont want you, I didnt want you then and I surely dont want you now" she said firmly..

"and I think your a very poor liar" he raised an eyebrow..

"and this is coming from a saint like yourself, oh wait my bad" she laughed sarcastically now..

"why all the jokes, is it that you cant handle being in here alone with me again" he challenged her..

"and here we go with the ego, god doesnt that get tiring for you" she said with a roll of her eyes..

"you would be amazed at how untired I can be depending on the circumstances" he smiled as he walked back over to her..

"like I said before if all your going to do is strut around here and through your manhood around like some sort of hormonal teen" she said sarcastically..

"but you like my strut" he grinned..

"this is going no where" she huffed.."when are we leaving for this Mitch thing, I have a life you know"

"Ok business first, pleasure later" he smirked knowingly as if it was a fact and she contemplated saying something sarcastic back but instead she didnt, it would only fuel him on more..He moved across the room from her and pulled a file out from behind the bar and held it in his hands.."mitch has been a busy man, his stocks alone have doubled in the last week" he began as he took a seat on the couch and against her best interest she went and sat next to him to get a better look at the file.."tomorrow night he is holding a very private small gathering in his home in Milan" he began as her eyes got wide..

"wait a second, tomorrow? Milan?" she said completely in shock.."why did you have me come here today and how the hell do you expect us to get to Milan"

"do I not look like I have the means to get us there, come on natalie, lets not insult me" he smiled at her, those radiant blue eyes gazing into hers..

"you think im going to go across the country with you" she said completely stunned, was he crazy?

"i dont think, I know, now would you like me to continue or shall I remind you of a little deal we made" he raised an eyebrow..

"so this is about last year" she said as she stood now, she didnt know what to do, she was angry, upset and most off all completely scared out of her mind but why, men never scared her, never!

"and again your memory stirs you" he smiled.."i did say I would collect"

"wow so thats what this is all about, you really are a piece of work" she stormed across the room, she was damn near shaking..

"You seem surprised, did you really think I would let a deal like that go unnoticed" he stood now.."come on Natalie im not a stupid man"

"No your just an arrogant asshole and just for your information you cant force me" she began to get loud..

"whose said anything about forcing anyone" he said as he walked closer to her but she backed up.."Your scared"

"yeah right more like pissed, you know for once it would have been nice to see a human side of you but of course not, everything is always about you and what you can gain" she snapped at him.."do you not even care that this man is trying to destroy the world, the same one you live in"

"no one is twisting your arm here natalie, you agreed to this, albeit a year ago but you agreed" he said almost business like and she could help the bitter laugh that came out of her mouth..

"My brother could of died, I would of done anything" she snapped..

"and it seems you still will" he said somewhat dryly..

"so you will force me, I didnt know adding rape to list of things to do was" she began angrily but before she could finish he was in front of her, now he looked pissed as he grabbed her arm and pulled her close..

"I have never took an unwilling woman to bed and im not about to start" he looked absolutely pissed and for a second it took her off guard, she was use to his overtly sexual side but this, she wasnt ready for this..

"then you would not make me go along with this" she said as she yanked her arm back..

He rubbed at his mouth and then his chin, he honestly looked like he wanted to yell but he was holding it in...it made her nervous.."You agreed to come with me as a distraction for Mitch" he said tight lipped..

"yeah well being a distraction and you dragging me to bed are two very different things" she snapped at him..

He folded his hands together.."we'll worry about that later, and like I said I like my women receptive and lusting, so if we could finish off this conversation and get down to the business at hand, as you always like to say time is ticking" he said with a somewhat forced smile and then he was walking back over to the bar as he poured himself another drink.

Natalie stood there somewhat confused, what the hell did any of that mean, was he not going to try and force her then, was he insulted by the idea? For right now she decided not to press the idea, atleast he said he never forced a woman into bed, which was good cause she definitely wasnt willing and that wasnt going to change..She decided to speak as he poured a drink.."so um how exactlly are you planning on getting me past Mitch, I dont think a wig will be full proof" she said as he slowly sipped his drink and then turned to her..

"Like I told your uncle, I have that covered" he said dryly as he continued to drink..

"well could you share with the class" she said a bit sarcastically.."Im really not in the mood to be dying anytime soon" she continued as he finished his drink and then walked over to her..

"come with me" he said still seemingly pissed as he walked past her and she sighed, great now he was just going to be an ass but she followed him still as he stepped out of the study and began heading up the large staircase..

The manor was absolutely massive as she followed him up the stairs and the banaster that wrapped the staircase looked hand crafted, the detail was amazing though she didnt say anything as she followed him to the second floor and he turned down a long corridor.."why all of this space, seems a bit much" she finally spoke as he got to a door and stopped..

"why not?" he said as he opened a door and stepped in and she followed but only to stop as she saw it wasnt just any room but his bedroom, it had his name all over it right down to the overpowering energy in there..

"subtle way of getting me to your room" she said a bit sarcastically as he finally smiled now and looked at her..

"is that an invitation?" he smirked, well atleast he was back to being his normal self..

"yeah right" she said as she walked past him, the room was really impressive and the bed had to be able to fit atleast five grown adults comfortably..

"do you like" he asked as she felt him come up behind her and she tried not to visibly stiffen at his heat that radiated into her..

"a little much for sleeping" she said with a laugh..

"who said anything about sleeping in it" his voice oozed sex and she swallowed hard and then quickly spun to face him but he was so much closer then she had thought, so much so that she bumped him..

"why did you bring me up here" she stood her ground and now he rolled his eyes and smiled..

"sorry to disappoint you darling but I didnt bring you here for that,..yet" he smiled and then stepped back from her as she sucked in a deep breath and he retrieved something from the dresser across the room..She tried not to stare at him as he stood with his back turned to her but my god his ass was amazing, it would be hard not to notice that.."have you ever heard of the eye of the beholder" he said as he turned and looked at her, he had that damn smirk on his face again as if he knew she had been checking him out..

"eye of the beholder as in, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the saying?" she said quickly as she tried not to seem affected..

"well sort of" he said as he held out a necklace in his hand, one with a very unigue charm on it.."do you know what this is?"

Natalie stepped closer to get a better look, the necklace was odd looking and very old, ancient she was sure of.."what is it" she said as she stopped in front of him..

He smiled and then slowly moved around her, she jumped now as he got behind her.."Just relax ok" he said softly but then she felt his hand moving her hair out of the way and it lingered way longer then needed sending an incredible feeling through her body..

"Its a necklace" she tried to focus..

"But not just any necklace Natalie" his face came next to hers as he brought the jewerly around her neck and she literally had to try and ignore his very close presence.."this is the eye of the beholder Natalie" he continued as he moved her hair back into place after he latched it.."this necklace has the power to let people see what they want, their deepest desires and wants" his voice was so damn seductive as he spoke and then he moved in front of her.."as long as you have this on the only thing Mitch will see is what he wants, the most desirable woman he had ever wanted"

"what? How?" she said in shock, she had heard of things like this, enchanted objects that could twist a persons mind but this, seeing the real deal, well it was a bit unbelievable..

"You know the saying about things working in mysterious ways and all that jazz" he smiled..

She walked up to the mirror in the room and looked at the necklace once more.."i dont see anything different"

"and you wouldnt, this one has been made especially for Mitch, to you and me you'll look like you but too Mitch, well thats a different story and from what I have heard you may just look like an asian supermodel to him" he smirked..

"how do you know all of this" she said seriously..

He smiled big.."oh I couldnt give away all my secrets now could i" he walked past her.."but with that he will see what he wants" he made his way across the room and then began taking off his shirt and she stiffened..

"what are you doing" she said with quickly as he turned and faced her, bare chest and god help her he was gorgeous..

"not enjoying the view?" he smirked as he crossed his arms over his broad chest and she rolled her eyes and turned from him.."are you always this nervous" he laughed now..

"Im not nervous ok" she said quickly and walked to the door.."You do whatever it is your going to do" she said as she stepped out of the room and then inhaled deep before heading back down the hallway..

"Oh come on Natalie, its not like you havent seen a shirtless guy before" he called with a laugh but she kept walking, she had to, she had to keep walking..