Laura

 

 

 

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. He’s kidding, right?

“Submit to you?” I ask incredulously. “What the hell do you mean by that?”

I have a pretty clear idea of what he’s talking about, but I’m not ready to admit it. The shock is still too new, too deep, for me to even consider having a normal conversation with him yet.

He reaches for his glass and nonchalantly takes another drink from it, seeming to ignore my outburst in response to his ridiculous offer. I’m boiling with indignation and frustration, and I can only imagine the expression on my face, but here he is, taking his sweet time to give me an explanation.

“It means that I want you,” he shrugs simply. “I want you to give yourself to me. For one night, just one night.”

“You want to fuck me,” I breathe, my voice trembling with hurt, and I’m sure tears are starting to form considering how my eyes feel like they’re burning.

He cocks his head to the side.

“That would be part of it,” he nods calmly. “But not all of it. A simple fuck is not what I want – need – from you.”

A tight knot forms in my chest, making it harder to breathe. I’m so appalled at his offer, so hurt and humiliated. Is that how little he thinks of me? That I’m so dead poor and desperate that I’d be willing to sell myself to him?

“I’m not a prostitute,” I enlighten him.

His eyes are set on mine, an earnest expression gracing his handsome face. He’s wearing a black suit and tie, appearing even more dressed up than he did on the evening of the event. Did he have another appointment before me, or is it just proper etiquette to dress up when negotiating with a whore?

“I know that,” he says. “And I’m sorry if I insulted you.”

He gives me a moment to react to his apology, but I don’t acknowledge it.

“But I still think you’re intrigued by my proposal,” he adds. “In many ways.”

I shake my head. “I don’t understand why you’d think that.”

His smile suggests that he’s not taking my refusal seriously.

“Why don’t you just ask me out like a normal person? Why this… proposal?”

He shrugs.

“Because that’s how it has to be,” he says matter-of-factly. “Miss Brown, I’ll be honest with you. I’m not looking to date you. This is not about roses, fancy dinners, and holding hands. It’s about one night. One night during which you’ll submit yourself to me, entirely and completely, and be mine.”

He pauses and leans forward then, reaching for my hand. I flinch, but don’t move my hand away when he begins intertwining his fingers with mine. His touch is warm and soothing, but electrifying at the same time. I want to pull away from him, but I can’t. 

What does this man want from me?

“I’m sure you must have a lot of questions,” he says. “I’m ready to answer every single one of them, but you’ll have to speak to me.”

I glare at him. “What makes you think I’m even considering this?”

He shrugs, completely unfazed by my irritation.

“You’re still here,” he simply says, casting me a knowing look before he pulls his hand away from mine.

I catch myself involuntarily seeking to follow his hand when he moves away.

He notices my reaction, too.

Damn.

“How much money are we talking?” I dare to ask, still not looking at him.

He lets a few moments pass by without responding. Instead, he watches me, observing, waiting. I could be wrong, but he appears to be somewhat disappointed.

He opens the folder that’s before him on the table, and pulls out a piece of paper. He slides it over for me to see.

“The financial portion of the proposal,” he says, nodding toward the piece of paper in my hands. “All of it.”

I inspect the paper he’s given me. It’s an agreement listing a bunch of dollar values, each linked to certain conditions and bonuses. He even includes value-added tax, as if this was a legal business contract. I almost want to laugh, but the number that’s written on the bottom of the page steals my breath.

“Seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars?!” I exclaim, lifting my eyes to meet his gaze. “Are you kidding me? Is this some kind of sick joke? If so, it’s not funny at all –”

“I’m dead serious,” he says, not blinking.

We exchange a silent stare for a few moments, and then he removes the piece of paper from my hand.

“Two hundred and fifty thousand up front,” he says, giving voice to something that was listed on the paper. “If you agree. It would be paid to you the moment you sign the contract, before anything else even happens.”

He pauses, before he adss: “Plus bonuses for anal, bare–”

“Yeah, I can see that,” I interrupt him.

I’m dumbfounded trying to process what’s happening here. There’s a voice inside my head – Layla’s voice – chastising me for even hesitating.

“What the hell is there to consider?” I hear her yell. “He’s handsome, he’s sexy. You would have slept with him anyway! And the money! It would be enough to pay off your debt, and the perfect amount to start a new life, even give college another chance. Anything!”

Anything. I could do anything with this money. I would finally be free from the horrible debt that’s been weighing on me for years.

I’d be free.

But this is so wrong. Do I really want to sell my body? Especially since this would be my first time with a man. I’ve told myself over and over that I’d wait for the right one to come along, the special one. And now I’m considering selling my virginity? Isn’t that against everything I stand for?

Then again, what do I stand for? Eternal poverty and struggling, because that’s the noble way to do things? It sure as hell doesn’t feel noble.

But next to these thoughts, I can’t fathom the fact that he’s even making this offer. He doesn’t look like someone who needs to buy women for pleasure. He could have any woman, any time. Why on Earth would he pay out such a substantial amount of money for just one night – and with a woman like me?

“I don’t get it,” I give voice to my doubts. “Why are you doing this? Because let me tell you, there’s no need for it. A man like you could have any woman he wanted.”

He flashes his gorgeous smile, the one that makes my stomach do funny things.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he says. “But trust me when I tell you that this is the only way that works for me.”

He pauses, fixating on me as if he wanted to make sure that I’m listening.

“This about more than just sex,” he says. “You have to understand that.”

“I thought this is just for one night,” I say, nodding toward the paper in his hands. “Or, twenty-four hours to be precise. At least that’s what it said.”

He nods.

“Yes, but a lot more than just sex would happen during those twenty-four hours, Miss Brown,” he says. “You’d give yourself to me. Your only reason for existing would be to please me – and receive pleasure in return.”

It’s hard to ignore the jump my heart makes at his words.

Please him...

Why does that turn me on? The tingling in my core is new to me. I shift around in my seat, as if I that would calm my hungry body. This offer will be hard to turn down.

And I have to turn it down, right?