Chapter 10
I expect him to barge in, not knock. What the hell do I say?
But instead, he asks through the door, “May I come in?”
I want to tell him something tacky like, “It’s your dime,” but instead, my heart lodges in my throat, and I can’t get anything out for a breath. What the fuck am I doing with my life? I’m naked and trembling and about to see a strange man in the dark who paid a ridiculous amount of money to sleep with me. It feels like the last chance to get off this crazy train.
But I need that money.
And some naughty part of me is way more into this than I want to admit.
I clear my throat. “Yes, come in.”
The door opens and the faint light from the hall frames him so I can’t see his face. All I can make out are the outlines of a black tuxedo and short hair. At least he has hair. Probably not a thousand years old. Thank God. He’s quite tall, with narrow hips and broad shoulders, but that’s all I can tell about him. He closes the door behind himself, and I’m alone in the room with a complete stranger.
Security is just outside. Relax.
He doesn’t march to the bed to have his filthy way with me. Instead, he stays near the door, like he might run out of the room. He liked me well enough to bid. Now that he has me, what does he want to do with me?
His voice is deep. “Before things progress, I have some questions.”
“Okay.”
“You are a beautiful woman. You could have any man you wanted. Why resort to such an arrangement?”
I could tell him it’s the money, but that seems cheap and I doubt that’s a turn-on for him. It’s also a little embarrassing. Here’s this man with all the money in the world. He wouldn’t understand the reasons people would sell themselves. He’s never struggled in his life, I’m sure of it. How could he understand the truth?
Besides, it’s not the only reason. Not really. Just sitting here, waiting for him to make his move, I’m on edge, and I kind of like it. But it’s embarrassing to admit that to myself and makes my stomach flip when I think about it.
So, I pull my shoulders back to let the sheet hang on my tits. Covered, but revealing at the same time. Let him think I’m into this. Because a part of me is. I try for a seductive register in my voice and hope the words don’t squeak out of me. “It sounded like something fun to do. Life is short. Might as well enjoy it while we can, right?”
“I suppose that’s true.” He strolls to the desk and leans on the edge with his arms folded over his chest. “But is that the only reason? Life is short?”
What is he driving at? “Do I need another?”
“No.”
“Why did you agree to this arrangement?” Maybe I shouldn’t ask that question, but I’m curious and he brought it up.
He takes a beat, and I’m not sure he’ll answer me. “You strike me as the kind of woman who enjoys a mystery. Perhaps I should keep that detail to myself.”
Not answering. Great. I’ll die of curiosity. “Generally, I prefer answers.”
“Have you always?”
Odd question. “Well, yes.”
“Hmm.” He shifts his stance, arms at his sides. “I recognize this is a peculiar situation. But for me to fully enjoy myself, I’d like to know some things about you, if you’ll permit it.”
“That depends on the questions.”
“Favorite movie genre?”
“Horror.”
Favorite color?
“Green.”
“Green like mint or green like a prep school uniform?”
That question stops me in my tracks. My prep school uniform was green plaid. There’s no way he could know that, but the question gives me pause. “Mint.”
He nods once. “Did you have a cat or a dog as a child?”
A cat. “A dog.”
“Is that mattress as firm as it looks?”
Now we’re getting somewhere. Maybe. Do I want this to get somewhere? “Yes.”
“Are you a cop?”
I laugh. “After all the hoops you’ve gone through to get me here, that’s your question?”
“Answer it, please.”
“No. I’m not. But speaking as someone with an extensive legal background, even if I were a cop, I could lie to you about it, so that question wouldn’t save you from legalities.”
“I’m aware. Mostly, I wanted to know if you’d tell me.” His voice has a taunting tone to it, and for some reason, that triggers a memory.
I can’t sort it out, though. Is it the teasing that’s jogging my memory, or is it something else? I used to get bullied a lot when I was younger, so it’s probably just the teasing aspect of his voice. Hard to be the poor kid in a pricy prep school. Those mental scars don’t ever really go away. Thankfully, they fade with years and distance, and all my bullies were too fabulously wealthy to stay in Boston for long after graduation.
“Can I ask you a question?”
He shrugs, and even though he’s in the dark and in a tux, I can tell his shoulders are huge. “Go ahead.”
“Your favorite movie genre.”
“I like mysteries.”
“Favorite color?”
He lets out a slight chuckle. “I hesitate to say it.”
“Your favorite color is too personal or something?”
By his tone, I’d swear he’s smirking. “My favorite color is the faint pink from when a woman blushes. It tells you the color of certain other parts of her when she’s excited. If you can get her to blush, you can see her everywhere, all at once.”
And with that, my cheeks flush. Dammit. Well, it’s not like he wasn’t going to see me everywhere, anyway. “You’re quite the pervert.”
He laughs, and it triggers something else in my mind. I’d swear I know that laugh. He says, “I prefer to think of myself as an aficionado of women. But that is also why I hesitated to answer the question. Some take offense.”
“Given the circumstances surrounding our meeting, I’d say it’s hard to offend me.”
His voice slips even deeper. Almost ominous when he says, “I hope that’s true.”
“What’s that mean?” What kinky shit is this guy into? Somehow, my champagne buzz vanishes completely with the worry of what he may want from me.
“A trifle, nothing more,” he says as he stands straight. “I have two more questions and then we can decide how to proceed.”
“Um, okay.”
“What would you like me to call you for the evening?”
I swallow and try to think of a name. But my brain is utterly blank at the moment. It goes alongside the waves of numbness, though they’ve slowed down. Right now, most of what I feel is trepidation. The only thought that comes to mind is, “Six.”
“Why did you lie to me about having a dog?”
How in the fuck does he know I lied? “What makes you think I lied about that? I have no reason to lie to you.”
“You have a tell, Six. You said horror movies with no hesitation. Same for green. But when you said you’d had a dog, you sat up straighter, like you were trying to convince me with your confidence. You’ve never done this before, have you?”
“Does it matter?”
He pauses. His voice is tight when he says, “It matters to me.”
Whatever else he’s said tonight, that I believe. “So what if I haven’t? Does that ruin it for you? I’m not as experienced in this realm as you’d hoped?”
He shakes his head. “Not at all.”
“So, you’re more into it if I haven’t done this before? Some kind of conquest thing for you?”
He laughs. “No. Far from it.”
“Then why do you care if I’ve done this before?”
He steps out of the shadows, and I know why he cares. He’s here to torture me.