Three and a Half Weeks by Lulu Astor

lost the game. His sweet, innocent little Ariel had become a force to be reckoned with and getting her back wasn’t going to be easy—perhaps not even possible. He might have to tell her how much she had come to mean to him in their brief time together, how he actually cares. Tell her even before he is sure of her feelings for him.
    He shakes his head. Never . He’ll never give someone—a woman—that much power over him. If she knew how she could use it to destroy him…
    After he’d had time to consider the evening, he realized that his plan never stood a chance, not a ghost of one. Out of the two of them, an open court battle would hurt him far worse th an her—he had the most to lose, and surely any two-bit attorney would recognize that truth immediately. He would tarnish his sterling reputation, his business credibility, the respect of the corporate community… What would Ella lose? Right now, her public name was built on a sexy book. If anything, it could only help cement her reputation as an author of risqué prose.
    If Ian could recognize it even from such a subjective position, certainly she and her high-priced lawyer could , too. That meant they would call his bluff and when he thought about it, he really had no other hand to play: he might be the dominant personality, but she held all the strong cards.
    He has to smile. When he first set eyes on her, she appeared so shy, so easily flustered. When she handed him his purchase at Archipelago that day they met and called him sir, it set all his instincts as an aggressive male and a sexual dominant on fire. But one small, uttered word did not a submissive make.
    Still, he’s certain sh e has submissive inclinations—it’s in the way she responds to a sharp command—but perhaps she is willing to give up control only in a sexual context and only sometimes. He knows that is often the case with strong women who wield a lot of power in their careers, their lives in general. He’d probably asked her for too much control and she was only willing to give up some. And the pain? No, she won’t accept it, at least not the kind delivered from a whip.
    Pity. The crack of a whip is so sexy, and seeing it dance and flicker across the silky skin of a squirming girl excites him beyond belief.
    But surely he can live withou t it.
    He could live with or without just about anything if he could get her back. He just doesn’t know how exactly to go about it. So far, he’d only managed to alienate her further… and in the process cost her money and royally piss her off. Gone is the shy, innocent girl of last year, and in her place stands a kick-ass, confident young woman with a fat bank account and a pricey attorney. Perhaps the best thing to do right now is retreat. By doing so, he’ll run the risk of never seeing her again. But right now he holds a purely sucky hand and it is time to fold. The thought depresses the hell out of him.
    He wakes up before dawn the next day and immediately the preceding night infiltrates his brain, depressing him again. He’ll call Jackson today and tell him to withdraw the lawsuit. He won’t sign a waiver relinquishing his right to sue but he will let it go… let Ella go. If she doesn’t come back to him, well, that is that. He’ll manage to forget her and find someone else eventually. After a year of celibacy, it is high time.

    “What? Why are you cutting and running, Ian? Are you actually letting this little girl win so easily?”
    He laughs lightly, no heart in the forced humor. “Jackson, I know when to call the game. She was playing me for a fool last night, allowing me to think she’d acquiesce to my demands when she had no such intention. Let’s face it: I can’t let this get to court and she knows it. Just drop the suit and advise her attorney. I have no plan to speak directly with her any further.”
    “Okay, Mr. Blackmon. You’re the boss. I’ll give Mr. Buch anan the good news right now. I guess I’ll see you this