I pull on my hoodie, hoping it would help reduce the bite of the chilly night air. At least it’s not a long walk from the bus stop to my apartment.

I can’t stop thinking about Caine Foster.

After our little encounter tonight, I couldn’t concentrate on my work. Every time I talked to another nurse, or a doctor, or even a patient, I wondered what they’d think of me if I were to disappear for one month.

Would they think I was going on a vacation?

I don’t hide the fact that I’m broke due to family problems from my co-workers, so that probably wouldn’t be their first guess. I don’t even have the money to join them for drinks after work, and suddenly I’m jet-setting to Paris? Yeah, unlikely.

Or would they think I was quitting?

Nurses in this city are paid well above the national average, so competition is stiff and vacancies are few and far between. Someone as broke as I am wouldn’t quit this job, which pays really well.

If I continue on this career path, I can almost be guaranteed a six-figure income in a few years. God, that would be nice. That day couldn’t come fast enough.

I wouldn’t quit. I never would. Unless… Unless, like a handful of nurses who have quit, I found a wealthy man to marry.

Suddenly, an image of Caine Foster, dressed in a three-piece suit, looking handsome at the end of a church aisle, pops into my head.

What the hell is wrong with me?

So my body does funny things when he’s around. That doesn’t mean we’re going to get married. Ugh, stop being such a virgin, Daisy.

I should hate him. I should hate him, but I don’t. Why don’t I?

He’s rude and condescending. He’s arrogant and domineering.

But I can’t deny there’s something between us. When he’s around, it’s like everything else within my field of vision blurs away until only he remains in focus. And when he touches me…

I’ve never been touched like that before.

To be fair, only Michael White has ever attempted to do that. It was after prom. His tongue was spreading slobber all over my face and his bony fingers were poking into my thighs and my stomach.

I guess I could’ve given him some directions, but it was just so painfully awkward. I pried him off my face and asked him to take me home.

That was a far cry from the way Caine Foster manipulated my body. With just his fingers on my face and his breath on my neck, he made me ache between my legs. Even before then, when he was just looking at me, the open hunger in his gaze made me weak in the knees.

Just thinking about him excites me. I can’t stop thinking about his lips kissing me, and his skillful fingers exploring my untouched body for the first time.

I thought he was going to kiss me in the hospital room, when he leaned in. I was more than a little disappointed, but what he said after that made my blood rush.

Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to let him take my virginity after all?

I’ll have a mature, experienced man who knows how to do the job the right way, the way I’ve always wanted it. He did promise me I’ll enjoy it.

The money would just be a perk, albeit a huge one. $100,000 is more than twice my annual take-home pay. It can solve all my problems at once, instead of me having to fight this drawn-out battle for years to come.

I’m tired of struggling, to be honest. I’m ready for life to get a little easier.

It would all be fine and dandy if all Caine wanted was sex. I don’t even know if I want a relationship anyway. It would just be like a regular hook-up, except longer and I get to come home with six figures, instead of only last night’s clothes and regret.

But he wants something even beyond that. What does being his “pet” mean anyway? What kind of sick kink is he into?

Besides, I have Jack. I can’t just leave him for a whole month.

Sure, there’s also Katie in the apartment. She’s a great friend, but I don’t think she can take care of my brother the way I can. I’m all he has. What if he needs me and I’m not around?

I hasten my pace as I near my apartment complex. It’s windy today, and I can hear the leaves of the trees around me tremble and crash noisily against one another. I want to get home and lie under the covers where it’s warm.

I walk past a black sedan and go up the stairs leading to the main door of the apartment building.

“It’s not safe to walk home alone at night,” says a familiar voice behind me

I turn around, but I already know who it is. I scowl when I see Chad Murray standing by the open back door of the black sedan. An older man inside quickly leans over and yanks the door closed when he notices me staring.

As usual, Chad is wearing a white tank top with yellow stains on it. The loan shark obviously has so much money there’s extra to lend out, but he can’t afford a clean shirt. How gross is that?

“I haven’t seen you in a while,” Chad says as he slowly climbs the stairs.

The way he stares at me with his beady eyes makes me wish I had more layers of clothes. He can clearly see every little curve of my legs under these skinny jeans.

“Yeah, I’ve been busy,” I say flatly. I know why he’s here, and I wish he’d leave soon. I can’t just tell him to leave, though. That could make him angry, and I don’t want that.

“Too busy working?” Chad stands one stair step below me and sneers. “That’s good. Maybe soon you’ll pay up.”

“I’ve given you everything I have. As soon as I get my next pay check, I’ll give you more.”

“It’s not enough, sweetheart.” He looks at me menacingly. “At this rate, you’ll never clear your $45,000 debt.”

“$45,000? Last time we talked, you said it was $40,000. And I’ve already made another payment after that.”

“Interest, sweetheart. It adds up.”

I frown. There’s nothing I can say. The interest is whatever he says it is. He’s never going to let this debt go. I’m going to be stuck with him for the rest of my life, giving up all the money I earn, with my hard work, to him.

“If you want to be sure the entire debt is satisfied, you’re welcome to make a lump sum payment for the entire balance,” he says. Stale cigarette smell hangs in the air.

“Of course, you don’t have to pay with money if you don’t have it. There are always alternatives, for girls as pretty as you.” Chad looks me up and down, his gaze lingering on my chest. I feel violated, although he hasn’t actually touched me.

“I’ll give you more money as soon as I have it.”

“Too bad.” He continues to gawk at me, ignoring my glare.

Hey, asshole, my eyes are up here, I want to say. But I keep quiet. Getting him all worked up isn’t going to do me any good.

“Next week. Or I can’t promise you I’ll keep this between us,” he says.

“What does that mean?”

“You have a pretty roommate, and a brother.” His casual tone makes his threat sound more potent. I’ve heard stories about what Chad has done. I don’t doubt that he’s capable of carrying out his threats.

Shit. I should’ve known better than to borrow money from Chad Murray, but I was desperate at the time. I didn’t know what else I could do, who else would have such a lot of money.

“Leave them out of this.” My voice sounds shaky despite my effort to appear stoic.

“Like I said, sweetheart. I want to keep this between the two of us. It’s more intimate this way, don’t you think? You don’t really want to share me with your roommate, do you?

“But if you keep failing to pay off your debt, there’s nothing I can do. My hands are tied. I can’t just let you off the hook. My other clients would start a riot. And then I’d be out of business. That wouldn’t be good, would it?”

I swallow, forcing my eyes open to gaze at some random tree in the distance, trying to quell my tears. I can’t cry in front of Chad. No way. I can’t show him any weakness, or he’ll use it against me.

“That’s all I wanted to say tonight, sweetheart.” Chad reaches up and touches my cheek with his fingers, and I flinch away instinctively. Gross.

“I’ll see you again soon.” Chad grins, exposing his uneven teeth, stained yellow from all the cigarettes he smokes.

That’s a threat. Next time won’t be this pleasant, he seems to say.