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Leo arched an eyebrow. “Fucking wasn’t the problem, Deacon. The problem was that you became emotionally attached to a woman you paid to be your good girl. She was happy to pretend she was just as attached to you until you wanted a real relationship. As soon as you wanted it to be more than a monetary transaction, she stomped on your fucking heart and left it in the gutter.”
I tried to keep my face neutral but obviously failed miserably because guilt crossed Leo’s face, and he joined me at the counter to give me a sympathetic squeeze on the shoulder. “Sorry, I’m being an asshole.”
“You’re not. You’re just being blunt.”
“You aren’t still in love with Eloise, are you?” Leo asked.
“No,” I said.
He gave me a skeptical look, and I said, “I’m not, Leo. I swear. But what I went through with her is still painful.”
“Okay,” Leo said. “I gotta go. I have an early yoga class in the morning. What time is the new girl coming over?”
Shit! I’d lost all track of time. I glanced at my watch. “She was supposed to be here five minutes ago.”
“Uh oh,” Leo said. “Looks like your newbie got cold feet.”
Disappointment washed over me. “Looks like it.”
* * *
Riley
“C’mon, Marvin. Come on, buddy, you can do it.” I gave my car an encouraging pat on the dashboard as he shuddered and groaned his way up yet another steep hill.
I peered through the windshield, my hands clenching the steering wheel tight as Marvin crested the hill. I eased off on the gas and could almost feel Marvin’s relief as we coasted down the other side.
“Fuck,” I muttered, glancing at the dashboard clock. I was fifteen minutes late. I’d miscalculated how far out of the city this Mr. Steele lived and how steep and twisty the road would be to get to his place. Marvin wasn’t built for speed on hills.
“The Twisted Sisters are definitely gonna fire me,” I said to the empty car. My stomach clenched, and I sucked in a deep breath. I couldn’t lose my contract at the agency. My mother’s life depended on it. She had another chemo treatment coming up in less than a week, and my savings were finally completely drained. My only hope of helping them pay for it was the money I’d get from this contract. I would have to make Mr. Steele understand this isolated incident would never happen again. I would get down on my knees and beg if I had to.
Oh, you’ll be on your knees, girl.
A weird shiver of anticipation and trepidation went through me. I’d spent most of the day suppressing any and all thoughts of what I’d be doing tonight, but it wasn’t like I could keep pretending it wasn’t about to happen.
Do you want to anyway? You’re about to live out your biggest fantasy with the hottest man you’ve ever seen.
Maybe he wouldn’t be as hot in real life. Some people were just super photogenic, right? Maybe I’d get there, and he’d be average looking, and I wouldn’t feel so out of my league with him.
My phone’s GPS instructed me to take my next left, and I flicked my indicator on, turning left and squinting at the road ahead of me. About forty feet down the road, I could see the shape of a house and a light shining in the darkness to my right.
The GPS informed me my destination was ahead on the right, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I stepped on the gas, patting Marvin’s dashboard again when he protested with a low grinding noise.
I pulled into the circular driveway and parked in front of the house, pretending not to notice how Marvin sputtered when I shut him off.
“Good boy, Marv. I knew you could do it,” I said, patting his dashboard one final time.
I climbed out of the car and hurried across the driveway to the front door, shivering in my thin winter coat. Warm light spilled from the windows, and I rang the doorbell, glancing around as I waited.
The house was large and isolated, and apprehension gnawed at me. What if the guy really was a serial killer or something? I hadn’t seen another house in almost ten minutes. It wasn’t like neighbours would hear me screaming as the guy chopped me up into little bits.
Relax, drama queen. The guy isn’t a killer, just kinky.
Right. Just kinky. Like me.
The door opened, and the blast of warm air was a welcome relief against the cold. My hope that maybe Mr. Steele wasn’t as good looking as his picture suggested died a quick death. He looked even better in person, and my knees started to shake as I stared into his espresso coloured eyes.
He raised one thick eyebrow. “Can I help you?”
