The next day, it was back to business as usual since Valerie was back. That meant egg whites and a banana for breakfast. After a pointless lesson on seducing men and nutrition from her, I went into the backyard where Charlotte and Alice were working. It was a nice day outside—not too hot, but the sun was still shining down on us. For a moment, I took in the lovely grounds. It wasn’t lost on me that the manor was disguised to look like heaven when we were really in hell. Charlotte and Alice were talking to a gorgeous older woman who I’d never spoken to before. Her name was Layla. They were working in the garden, watering the plants, picking weeds, and pruning dead leaves. I grabbed a pair of gloves and an apron from the shed and went over to help them. I’d been trying to talk to more escorts, subtly interviewing them. I was disguising it as simple gossip. Since I hadn’t had a chance to talk with Layla yet, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. I wanted my co
“Good evening, Gabrielle,” Dante said, standing from the couch to greet me as I entered. He, of course, looked amazing. Dante was more dressed up than the last time. He had on tight black pants and a white polo. I noticed that we matched and I found myself wondering if we’d been on the same wavelength when getting dressed. Then, I grew annoyed with myself because there were much more important things to be worrying about right now. A small table with a white tablecloth was set up with two fancy silver dish covers. There were water glasses and two glasses of red wine. Two long, skinny candles and the room's lighting were lit. I even saw notecards with our names on them to indicate where we should sit. It was the perfect setting for a romantic date. Great. I was trying to keep things professional and Valerie was trying her best to set the mood. I understood her twisted reasoning even though I thought it was sick and wrong. “Hello, Dante,” I replied, closing
Alice was sitting on the bed with Charlotte with her arm around her. Charlotte looked up at me and wiped her eyes as I crossed the doorway. “What happened?” I asked, slowly closing the bedroom door behind me. I walked over to the two girls and stood in front of them. If Valerie or one of the men hurt Charlotte in some way, I was going to do something. I already felt very protective over the young girl and it broke my heart to see her cry. I turned to Alice for an explanation, hoping she could tell me more, but she looked just as confused as me. “I’m not sure what’s wrong with her,” Alice replied, patting Charlotte’s arm. “She said she wasn’t hungry for dinner, so I went down without her, and when I came back, I found her like this. She hasn’t told me what happened." Charlotte put her head in her hands and sobbed. Her cries broke my heart. “Alright, Alice, you stay with her. I’m going to go get some food for her and some tea,” I instructed. “Once you’
It was the next weekend and I had another visit with Dante planned. After I told him about how to contact my team, he said that he would get a hold of them straight away. I was so excited to be able to talk with Bridgette again via Dante and was looking forward to our next meeting all week. I told myself that it was because I was anxious to know what he had learned through our collective teams, but I knew it was something more. As much as I tried to ignore my attraction to Dante, it felt like it was impossible. I felt so silly as I got ready for our meeting. There were butterflies in my stomach, like I was back in high school and preparing for my first date with a cute boy. It was so stupid, not to mention dangerous, to feel this way. I was undercover in an escort system. I couldn’t allow anything to distract me. Valerie told me she wanted to personally inspect my outfit before I met Dante tonight. So, I chose a dark green dress and painted my lips red. I spent more t
The next day, I went down to breakfast still thinking about Dante. Which was completely stupid because I had promised myself that I was going to forget about what happened between us last night. The only relationship that could happen was professional. That’s just how things had to be. When I got to breakfast, most of the girls were already there. The energy in the room was exciting and some of them were whispering to each other with their heads close together. For an awful moment, I thought that everyone had found out what happened between Dante and I. But then I realized that wouldn’t be that big of a scandal. We were all escorts after all. I collected my breakfast – half a grapefruit and egg whites – and sat next to Alice and Charlotte. “Why is everyone so eager?” I asked them curiously as I took a sip of my black coffee.“Well, visits from sponsors were canceled today,” Charlotte explained with a shrug. Immediately, I felt my hopes fall. I scolded mysel
“I think I should go back to my room before people begin to question where I am,” I told Dante, yawning and taking my head off his shoulder. “I’ll walk you back,” he noted, sliding his arm through mine. We walked to the mansion and I tried not to think about how good it felt to touch him, even though the touch was so innocent. I found myself wishing that I had met Dante under different circumstances. Maybe in a bar or a coffee shop. Hell, even online. Then, we could have pursued this undeniable connection between us. But, fate, God, or whatever being that was controlling the universe, hated me and I met Dante while I was undercover. It was not only stupid for us to form any sort of emotional or physical relationship, but it was also dangerous. If Dante and I allowed our emotions to get in the mix, we could blow the whole mission right when we were starting to make progress. These thoughts circled around my mind like water circling the drain. Dante said goo
It was the next weekend, and I was floating on a cloud of happiness. Well, not literally. I had a date with Dante today and I was extremely excited…to continue the investigation. Yeah, that was what I would keep telling myself. I wasn’t excited to see him because I missed his smile or his dry sense of humor. Who was I kidding? I couldn’t even fool myself at this point. I had spent an embarrassing amount of time on my hair this morning. I had on a white mini-skirt and a bright green top that perfectly matched Dante’s eyes. God, even I was annoying myself. I walked to our meeting room and pushed open the door without knocking. He had his back to me and he was talking on the phone. I shut the door and waited on the couch until he was done. I couldn’t help but eavesdrop; it sounded like he was talking to someone from his work. It seemed like there was a small emergency. With a sigh, Dante hung up his phone and ran a hand through his curly hair. “Everything oka
Dante’s pants and my dress needed to go. But I didn’t want to stop kissing him to undress further. It was an interesting dilemma to be in. “Gabrielle,” Dante whispered against my neck while he placed hungry kisses in it. Fuck, his warm breath felt so good against my skin. “Hm?” I managed to mumble since I couldn't think straight with his hands all over me. “I wanted you to know that I’ve been tested recently and everything came back negative.” Fuck. A man who cared about sexual health. I liked him even more now. “I’ve been tested recently too. And everything was good. Also, I’m on the pill,” I replied. He sighed in relief. “Good, 'cause I didn’t bring a condom,” he said, causing me to laugh at his grateful expression. Then, a look crossed his face and I knew that something was bothering him. “What is it?” I asked him, knowing that he had a hard time expressing his true feelings. “I just don't want you to feel pressured to do