The stranger looked her and raised an eyebrow. Emma figured he thought she was a sex worker. And that factored into her plan. Maybe this rich man could provide her the money she needed.
At least he’s hot, she thought. If she was going to be sold, it may as well be under her own terms.“Okay. I see where this is going. Fine.” He didn’t speak after that. Emma reveled in the warmth inside the car, but also cringed at the mess she was making in it. The dirty rain water would stain the glossy leather seats. But he didn’t seem to notice.They pulled up to a fancy five-star hotel. The lobby was glamorous. Her wet shoes sloshed on the polished marble floors. Mirrored ceilings assaulted her with own reflection. Emma realized her suspicion was right. He thought she was a sex worker, and there were expectations with that. She followed him to the front desk. A classy worker at the desk greeted him with familiar enthusiasm.“Good evening, Mr. Stewart. Housekeeping has been to your room. You’ll find that all the linens have been replaced with fresh ones,” she gushed. Emma saw the worker’s name tag read, Gina. Well, Gina seemed to be very concerned with the satisfaction of her guest. Emma internally rolled her eyes at the way Gina fawned over him. But then, she was in no position to judge.“Thanks, Gina,” he answered. “And call me Will,” he winked. What a playboy.“Yes, sir. I mean, Will,” Gina cooed. Emma kept her head down as Will led her towards the elevators.Her heart jumped in her throat. What am I doing? All of her problems would be resolved if this plan worked. But it could bring on a whole set of new problems. How much was she willing to risk? The decision had been made. Now all she had to do was follow through. He led her to a beautiful suite. She’d never seen a more opulent space. It was all plush whites and creams accented with gold. She clutched her bag to her chest in an effort to conceal how much of a mess she was. He saw her action and laughed.“No one is going to take your junk.” He walked further into the room, and sat on one the posh couches. Emma stared at him. He was indeed very handsome and a much better option than some old pervert who made deals to buy people. She stood in the doorway and watched as he loosened his tie and stripped off his suit jacket. This was no different than a man picking up a sex worker for the night. She was going to proposition this man to pay her for sex. This was pure desperation. But she had no choice. The money would solve her problems. She knew it would.“Come in. Don’t just stand there.”Emma shuffled in the door, and cringed as she dripped water onto the lavish carpet. He groaned and tossed a dry towel at her. “Go take a shower and dry off.” Will pointed towards the bathroom.Emma seized the towel and basked in how soft, warm and dry it was. She shuffled into the en-suite and was awestruck. More marble and gold. A huge tub dominated the room. There were so many knobs and dials. Dozens of scented candles, bottles of luxury products, and fluffy towels and bathrobes were scattered about in a purposeful haphazard design. Perhaps for one night, she could be the girl that lived this way. But as she stared at the intimidating room, she felt smaller and smaller.“I don’t hear any water running in there,” he called from beyond the bathroom door. He opened it and was surprised to find that she was just standing there. “What are you doing?”“I… I don’t know how to work the tub,” Emma squeaked. Will rolled his eyes, and walked right up to her. He stood so close to her that she said had to look straight up to look him in the eyes.“So, none of your other clients have provided such generous accommodations?” He walked into her. She was forced to walk backwards until they reached the tub. He leaned over her and turned on the water. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes and trouble in his smile. “Enjoy your shower.”He left her there and waited. He shook his head. Some men may like that innocent act, but not him. He wished she would drop it. He was going to pay for this after all.Emma relished her bath. She washed the events of the day away. As she detangled her hair, she tried to detangle her thoughts. There was no going back from this. She would have to make peace with that she was no better than Jane or Anna. Or even Vivian. She was going to use this man for money. There was a feeling of disgust with herself she had to shake off. This was it. Her wet clothes were left discarded on the floor and she donned a fluffy bathrobe. The mirror showed a different person than one who had walked in. Before, a girl whose soul had been drowned by the storm of the day stared back at her. Now there was a woman who had taken charge of her own destiny.“Stop kidding yourself,” Emma said to the mirror. “You’re going sleep with a stranger for money. I somehow have to convince him to give me $50,000. What have you gotten yourself into?” She asked herself. She knew what he thought she was. She knew what he wanted from her. And she knew what she wanted from him. Hopefully, they both left the night satisfied.When Emma emerged from the bathroom, the man sat at the edge of the bed. His shirt was off and Emma got a good look at him. Wow... He’s really handsome. “Come closer,” he said to her. She staggered over to him, her body shaking with the reality of her situation. The blood rushed to her face, and she could feel the heat radiate from her skin.He sneered at her, and grabbed her hand and pulled her into him. He flipped them over so that she was lying on her back on the bed. There wasn’t enough time to process what happened because he was hovering over her. Emma’s breaths came in ragged pants as she prepared herself. This is it. Her eyes traveled the length of his body. The sexy stranger laughed.“Are you really going to keep this innocent act up? Some guys may like that, but it’s not really my thing. It’s clear you like what you see,” he breathed as his face closed in on hers. Emma felt she would pass out.“I…” she tried to say.“I won’t kiss you,” he continued. “This is just a business deal after all.” He nipped at her ear, and Emma thought she’d explode right there. Maybe it was the fact that she’d just had the worst day of her life, or that she put herself in such a crazy situation. But she couldn’t help think how incredibly sexy this all was.“Right,” Emma quivered. “Just a business deal.”I don’t care about him. He doesn’t care about me, she repeated to herself. Emma pulled her back, a nervous habit of hers. She looked over at her companion and saw the danger in his eyes melt away, and suddenly, someone else was there. He seemed truly shocked, like he’d seen a ghost.“Grace,” he whispered. Emma felt a twinge of fear. Just a second ago, he was cold and callous. Now he was being sweet and tender. Was he okay? His lips descended on hers and caught them in a fiery passionate kiss. Every part of her responded to the kiss, but before she allowed herself to get lost completely, she remembered his words. I won’t kiss you, he said. She broke away from him. He looked at her with longing. Whoever Grace was, she had taken Emma’s place in his mind.Emma longed to submit herself to the throes of passion, to let this man erase the memories of the worst day of her life. “I’m not Grace,” she whispered with what little power she had left. The spell was broken. Something inside him shattered as he pushed himself off this imposter. This common whore. Not his Grace.“No. You aren’t.” Emma thought he would be angry, but she was surprised to see a tragic sadness in his eyes. He was in pain. Just as she was. “But I can be her. I can be Grace for you, if that’s what you’d like,” Emma said. She tried not to feel any sympathy for him. This is a business deal, she thought. Just a business deal. Will scoffed and sat up, trying to put as much distance between them without getting off the bed. How could he mistake this hooker for his Grace? Now that she was cleaned up, it was clear she was beautiful. And under other circumstances, he’d had every intention of finishing what they started. But not like this.“Of course, you could. I’m sure you’
Will’s eyes went wide. His eyebrows shot into his hairline. They stared at each other for a few seconds. Emma knew exactly that it was a steep price for just one night. But she had no choice.“Why not? This night has been strange enough,” Will said. He got up from the bed, still very naked. He laughed as Emma looked away.Emma felt her face flush. Rough fingers gripped her chin, and Will pulled her face so that she was looking up at him. The danger is his eyes was back. A violent storm raged in them, and Emma found herself wishing she’d been caught in that storm rather than the one she ran through yesterday. “So, Emma,” he inched closer to her face. “Did you enjoy yourself last night?” he smirked, hot breath hitting her ear.Emma wanted to slap the smug smile off of his face.“I don’t understand why that matters,” she managed to whisper. As much as she hated it, her body responded to his in a way she couldn’t control. “Did you enjoy yourself last night?” He ignored her question.“Y.
“What could possibly be taking them so long?” Will asked. He paced back and forth in the salon. Jason had picked a striking Yves Saint Laurent suit. This is why Will came here. Jason was the absolute best stylist in the city, and he was discreet. He supposed he’s presented him with quite a task this time. Emma wasn’t ugly, he’d seen all of her last night. But she wasn’t his usual type at all. She didn’t stand out. *Probably because she doesn’t want to,* Will laughed to himself.“Ahem!” Jason announced with fanfare. “I present the Lady Emma Skye Wells!” He pulled back the curtain and revealed the new and approved Emma. Will stood up at the sight of her. Her once matted, disheveled hair was swept into a sophisticated low bun. Her ruined clothes were replaced with a chic skirt suit. The skirt hugged her curves. The emerald hue against the olive tones of her skin made her glow. Will was enchanted her with her. “She is dressed in an exquisite viridian Givenchy skirt suit that has been
Emma walked until she couldn’t see the hotel anymore. What had she done? The last 24 hours had been the most bizarre of her life. She slept with a man for money. How could she do something like that?“You’ve got to get over this,” she said to herself. “You’ve got to move on.”A reflection from a store window caught her attention. It was a beautiful, elegant woman dressed in luxury brand clothes. But she carried an old bag stuffed with old clothes. Emma decided she had to change out of those clothes. That elegant woman was someone else. Someone she didn’t want to be. She ran into a store and into their restroom. Emma ripped the clothes from her body. They were another reminder of what she’d done and she just wanted this day to go away. Jason had done her a favor and had her clothes washed. After she changed, Emma washed the makeup off and removed her jewelry. She released her hair from the tight bun, and threw it up in a messy ponytail. “There,” she said as she smiled at her reflecti
Matt and Vivian were viciously making out.“Of course, they’re here right now,” Sabrina said with disgust.“Come on, guys. Let’s get out of here,” Emma turned to leave, but Jess and Sabrina stopped her. “Excuse me,” Jess called. “You are in my booth. Get the fuck out. Unless you want to continue to give us a live show.”Matt and Vivian stopped and tried to gather themselves.“Excuse me,” Vivian mocked. “This is a private moment.”“Not in my reserved VIP booth, it’s not.”Their argument was started to gain the attention of the people around them. Emma wanted to hide, but Jess and Sabrina had no plans of backing down.“Get your cheating ass out of our booth,” Sabrina threatened. “We were here first,” Vivian taunted.“Oh, I’m sorry. Were you busy?” Sabrina ridiculed her. “Busy getting it on with my girl’s sloppy ass seconds? What does he taste like?”“Probably like last week’s nasty leftovers,” Jess answered. “Everyone knows Vivian is only interested in everyone’s trash. She’s not good
“An accident?” Emma’s lungs deflated and she felt her heart clunk to a stop. “Get to the hospital now!” Jane repeated, and hung up the phone. The next few moments were a blur. Emma almost dashed out the door, but realized she was still in her club clothes and slept in make-up. She shed off last night’s armor and threw on an old t-shirt and pair of sweatpants. She was a whirlwind of anxiety and panic as she tore through her room, and then out of the door. “Please go faster,” she urged the cab driver. Feverish hands wiped the make-up off her face with an old make-up wipe at the bottom of her purse. She may look like a mess, but at least she didn’t look like last night’s mess. The hospital seemed like it was light years away. No matter how fast she implored the driver to go, she never seemed to get close enough. After what seemed like an eternity, Emma leapt from the car and flew into the hospital’s ER. Jane and Anna were sitting in the waiting room. Before she could approach them, Ja
The scent of his cologne almost overpowered her. But her mind was suddenly sober. *No. She couldn’t do this.* “No…not that!” She pushed him away instantly. “I…I was thinking maybe I could work for you? Be a… a housekeeper in your home or something? I could work for free until I’ve paid the debt off.“Ugh,” Will scoffed. “There is a fleet of the best trained housekeepers and chefs in my home. I have no use for you in that capacity. There are…other ways in which you could serve me,” he suggested.“I thought you said I wasn’t good… at that,” she grumbled. He chuckled at her shyness.“Then learn,” he said, backing her into the wall again. He towered over her. She craned her head back as far as it would go to look him in the eye. Emma wanted to be defiant, but didn’t have the energy. “No one is great at it their first time. But I… did appreciate your eagerness.” He trailed his finger along her jawbone with a smirk. “With some proper training, I think you could be quite good.”“Get off
The en-suite was different from when she had first encountered it. Nothing about the room itself had changed. She wasn’t the same person she was when she been first acquainted with this space. The garden tub invited her in. After the last two days, she could certainly use it. Will wasn’t due for a while yet, so she figured she should take her time. The overwhelming number of knobs and dials weren’t going to intimidate her this time. She poured copious amounts of bath oils and bath salts to the tub, and opened the faucets.“Ha,” she chuckled to herself. “That wasn’t so hard.” Her body melted once she climbed in to her fragrant, heated sanctuary. Every time she thought she had overcome her problems, life threw more at her. First she needed $50,000 because her step mother had sold her. Now, it was more money than she ever dreamed of owing anyone. A pang of guilt sprang in her chest. Her father had gotten into the accident because he wanted to see her. Had she been a better daughte