It’s as if Travis knows that his surprise announcement has knocked me for a loop, because he gives me a moment, not saying anything as he coolly gets out of the tub, water spilling off of his hard body.

Maybe I just heard him wrong. Did he really say something about hiring me for an additional two weeks? It could be that I misheard. After all, I’m not exactly functioning properly after he gave me those all-consuming orgasms. I’m still dizzy and hazy even now.

As I sort everything out, I stay silent. Water drips from his chiseled physique onto the plush rug near the tub. He reaches over to yank a thick white towel down from the nearby golden rack then starts to dry himself. He’s not looking at me.

It strikes me that he’s being way too casual. Even more than usual, which is saying a lot.

Reality hits me, and I lean back in the tub. My god—I didn’t mishear anything that he said. He actually did offer me two more weeks of this arrangement, and I get the definite feeling that this is a big, big deal for him.

He wraps the towel around his hips, tucks it in, and roughly runs his fingers through his dark hair. “You weren’t expecting this.”

“Not even remotely,” I reply.

He tugs another towel off the rack then holds it out in a silent demand for me to get out of the tub. I stand, awkwardly squeezing water from my sopped hair, and then step onto the rug. He gives me the towel, and I wipe my face off then dry my hair. At the same time, I hear Travis grabbing another towel, then I feel the smooth, nubby texture of the cotton against my shoulder as he dries my skin.

Need flares in my belly, and the breath-stealing sensation isn’t exactly helping my mind to clear.

“I know your mother’s expecting you to go to her,” he says. “But if you should decide to accept my offer, the terms of our agreement would remain the same. That means another one hundred thousand dollars for your family’s future.”

“The money would be nice,” I say as he slowly dries my other shoulder. I throw away the towel I’d been using on my hair. “I told Mom that I fell into a temporary job helping to manage an estate here in New York, but she has no clue just how much I’m being compensated. I said I was taking the place of a regular employee during his vacation.”

“So this fictional employee just takes another two weeks off.”

“And maybe I just happen to invest well in the stock market to eventually explain all my earnings.”

Travis continues rubbing the water off my back with that sexy, confident detachment I’m so used to, but I’m surer than ever now that his cockiness is covering up something deeper within him. Does he want me to stick around that badly?

How badly?

It occurs to me that I might have some leverage here, and I need to know just how much. “I suppose it’s a lot less work to keep me around than to bid for another girl on the website and then break her in.”

He mutters something that I take as agreement. Then again, he’s stroking the towel over my bottom now, and there’s a good chance he’s getting turned on. I sure as heck am as I bite my lip, trying to suppress my beating lust.

Then I swallow and say, “If I did stay on, I...I would extend my stay two more weeks under one condition.”

He stops. “A condition.” The word is a near growl of impatience and sharp surprise.

“Yes.” I want his hands on me again, but I won’t let that sway me into backtracking. “Being left alone in this apartment day after day makes me lonely and depressed, Travis.”

“You haven’t been so alone lately.”

“I never know when you’re coming and going. Unless…” I swallow again. “Unless you can guarantee your time to me.”

“Unacceptable.”

“So is staying here by myself.” I didn’t mean to ask for more of his time necessarily. I’m only maneuvering to what I really want. “This place is gorgeous, of course, but sometimes I feel as if I’m in a dollhouse, left halfway undressed until you decide you need me again.” I’m knee deep in negotiation, so I might as well get in up to my neck. Forging ahead, I say, “Living here just reminds me of how alone I really am.”

And it reminds me of his other women, too, but I’m not about to say that.

He’s staring at me, something like anger flaming in his gaze. “So exactly what the fuck is this condition, Nova?”

Just say it. “You’ll let me stay in your place…with you.”

My audacity shocks even myself.

Something shifts in his gaze. It’s a new kind of remoteness. “I’ve never done that with a woman before. The reason I put you up here is so I have some personal space.”

“And I have too much of it.”

He shakes his head, his smile bitter as he starts to turn away.

I steel myself. “I don’t want to be kept in a separate apartment anymore. That’s the only thing I’m asking for, my only condition.”

Wow, I sound firm. Where did that come from?

A muscle twitches in his jaw, and my stomach drops. I actually feel ill. Why did I have to push him? What the heck was I thinking? I want more than anything to be with him, but I think I overplayed my hand…

Stupid me. What have I done?

His voice is thick when he finally answers. “I’ll contact the website to extend the contract.”

I blink, not absorbing his words at first. Did he just agree?

He agreed!

Then reality hits, splintering through me. He…agreed. Two more weeks of Travis. Two more weeks of trying to fight my growing emotions for him…

He drops the towel to the floor and, before my mind can think any more thoughts, he sweeps me around, bringing me into a wicked, steamy kiss that has me clutching at him.

Two more weeks of pure ecstasy.

* * *

After Travis makes me come hard for him once and again in that apartment, no time is wasted on relocating me.

With a negligent command, he orders me to get dressed then to call my mom to inform her that I’ll be delayed for two weeks. Then he demands that I leave any and all packing to his employees,

And Travis’s residence doesn’t disappoint.

He shows me around his two floors and twenty rooms. Along with more bedrooms than he needs and everything else that my apartment had, Travis has access to an inside pool with Roman statues, a wine cellar, an art gallery, and a grand marble staircase. And the kitchen… Like my former apartment, this one also has an island and high-end appliances, but there’s also a brick wood burning stove, plus a coffee bar.

“Why do you ever leave this place?” I ask Travis after he shows me to my room, which seems to have been inspired by an Italian villa, Roman-style. Silk pillows are piled on the bed, and a fresco has been painted on the ceiling. The place has a wide-open feel with sheer curtains draped by the bed, airy and free.

It hasn’t escaped my attention that Travis has maintained his own personal space by giving me my own quarters, but I’m more than happy with how the negotiation went.

“I’ll take your question as a rhetorical one,” he says dryly.

I glance at him. He changed into one of his designer suits. It’s as if he wanted to send me another clear message: even though he gave in to this condition of mine, he’s still the boss.

My blood races in my veins. I like having him that way. I don’t dare let him know though.

“So,” I say, sitting on the bed with a bounce, “when can I cook you a meal in that dream kitchen, Mr. Star?”

At my mischievous smile, he crosses his arms over his chest.

Roger that. He’s obviously given me enough leeway today, so I won’t butt up against any more of his boundaries. For now.

“Don’t get too relaxed,” he says. “I’m taking you to Jean-Georges tonight.”

That’s a definite five-star restaurant. It’s on Central Park and features some very fine dining.

I stop bouncing around on the bed, because I can sense the direction Travis is heading. He’s letting me know that, even though he relented with letting me stay here, things are back to business.

“Anything in particular you’d like me to wear?” I ask.

“Yes.” His gaze brushes heat over me from across the room. “When your clothing arrives, I expect you to put on that white Valentino gown with the diamond-studded sandal pumps. I’ll set out the matching earrings and bracelet on your vanity table.”

Most certainly back to where we started. “When should I be ready?”

“In two hours.” He starts to leave, then pauses. “And I want you to do something, Nova.”

I nod.

“Throughout dinner,” he says, “I want you to think about what’s going to happen when I get you back here tonight. I want you to think about how, first, I’m going to get you out of that dress, then, second, I’m going to fuck you thoroughly and ruthlessly.”

My lips part, my body feeling as if thick, warm cream has just been poured all over the outside and inside of me. It pools between my legs, bubbling.

With an arrogant grin, Travis leaves me alone, and I fall back onto the luxurious bed.

In case I had any delusions about scoring a victory today, Travis has just let me know that he’ll always be in charge.