He walks away after shoving the door open wider to make a point. I am his property. I have no rights.
Once Felix is out of earshot Gabi throws her grey sweats and a t-shirt at me to wear. “Hey, how you doing girl?” She smiles at me softly and moves over on her bed—a silent invitation for me to sit down.
“Well, besides being assaulted by disgusting Felix, I am okay. I met a new guy tonight and...” I sigh dreamily. Thinking of James makes what just happened with Felix seem like a bad nightmare. I know that I just met him, but I can’t stop thinking about him. James.
I smile at Gabi and she reaches over and squeezes my hand. It feels so good to have some time with her. She is my only family now and the only one whom I can trust.
Gabi walks to the door and almost closes it. It is a rule that we have to keep doors open. We work it so they leave us unsupervised in rooms where we can come and go most of the time by keeping the doors open. Believe me, having access to the bathroom whenever you need it is a major plus it’s almost worth having only an illusion of privacy.
“And?” Gabi puts her hands up, emphasizing the question. “Give it up girl. What is going on with you?” My only family and friend knows something is different. This was not an average date with an ordinary client. Her intelligent eyes search my face.
Where do I start? How do I convey my feelings and not make it sound cliché? Do I dare tell Gabi I met the most amazing man tonight and he swept me off of my feet? Do I admit he is the sexiest man alive? Should I describe him as a hunky-but-debonair combination of JFK, Jr. and Jason Lewis?
But here is the kicker—he did pay for my company—he is that kind of guy.
Is he though? That plaintive internal question alone makes me sound like a sucker. I must be losing my mind.
I look nervously at my friend and begin to explain. “Umm...where do I start, Gabi? He is gorgeous, sweet and a total gentleman. I have never met anyone like him.” Gabi raises an eyebrow. I laugh a little, without mirth. “I know, I know,” I admit. “Yes. He paid for me.”
Gabi narrows her eyes and pulls no punches, saying, “Okay. I am not going to tell you how crazy that sounds because you know, right? So does this Prince Charming have a name?” She crosses her arms and rolls her eyes at me.
“Oh Gabi, I know, I know! I sound like an idiot. But it really felt different with him. His name is James Hunter.” Yikes, just saying his name out loud gives me butterflies.
“James, huh? Well it sounds like he did a number on you. If a guy pays to have sex with a hooker than he is scum, chica. You need to get that through your love-sick brain of yours,” Gabi cautions with a little pat on my arm.
Now I am rushing to explain. “The thing is, Gabi, we didn’t have sex. He ran me a bath and we had dinner and champagne. Oh! And he bought me clothes. And some lingerie! Does that sound like a scumbag?” I get up and pace the room trying to keep my voice down as to not be overheard.
“Hmmm...he sounds like the biggest scumbag of all,” Gabi says, with an angry frown on her face. “To play with your emotions like that is awful. It should just be wham, bam, and get out of here, ma'am. This prince of yours sounds like a player. Be careful, Eva,” pleads my friend.
I know that she is right. I need to keep my guard up. I can’t recover from another broken heart. Trust, love, and men just don’t seem to add up for me. The only man that I ever could trust was my papa. Now he’s gone.
What is worse is that the remnants of my so-called family are the reason that I am in this situation. Max and Matt brought me here with broken promises and greed in their cold hearts. After my dad passed, things changed drastically.
Gabi and I sit silently for a little bit, enjoying the comfort of each other. Despite the hell we live in and the degradation we experience on a daily basis, our friendship brings both of us some solace.
Finally, I get up. “You’re right, Gabi. I am probably just losing my mind. Thanks for the talk. I’m exhausted. Nighty night, sleep tight,” I say as I walk through the room towards the hall.
“It’s okay E. They can’t stop us for dreaming for better things. Nighty night, don’t let the bedbugs bite.” Gabi giggles as she says this. She hadn’t heard these American sayings until she met me and I always get a giggle out of her.
I walk into my room and curl up into bed, confused from my night and beaten down from my run-in with Felix.
Closing my eyes I can see James’ piercing eyes appraising my naked body as I stand in front of him streaming water and bubbles from the bath. I touch my face where he touched it and slide my hands down to my neck where he nibbled, sucked and licked my sensitive spot. Oh James!
I want to rid myself of the rank memory of Felix’s hands as he touched me and I imagine instead James’s strong, warm hands on me. I start to stroke myself as I think of him. I whisper his name as I caress my folds and slowly rub my clit. I can visualize him laying next to me touching me slowly and then faster as he finds just the right spot to make me scream.
My other hand explores my body as I caress myself as James would. I slide my hand from my inner thigh to my waist where I tickle my stomach softly. Moving up to my breasts, I cup them at first to feel the weight of them, and then begin squeezing them. They are soft and full and I find myself pushing them into my roaming hand, inviting them to enjoy being touched. I pinch my right nipple and twist it a little as it hardens, and find myself getting breathless and wet, reacting to the sweet sensation.
Slowly my orgasm builds within me. My inner walls tighten as my hand moves faster, feeling my body heat up. I run my other hand through my hair and pull on it as I imagine James would. Finally when the tension has built to an almost unbearable crest, I experience the sweet release and softly moan, “James, I am yours.”
I quietly sob in the pillow afterward, knowing that the feeling of love-making and passion will probably never be mine with James. Only in my fantasies will I ever experience it. My heart is telling me to believe in the elegant man I met tonight. But I know that Gabi is right—he is just another John. He is not different.
CHAPTER 5
IT’S A DATE
I'm set for my date with James in an hour and I am giddy. I am trying to hold it together but the anticipation of seeing him again makes me flustered.
I know I am using the term date loosely. It feels like a date to me and my stupid, hopeless romantic heart. This seems dangerous, and I know I need to stop feeling like this.
Alexi tells me that I must dress up because James is taking me out as his “arm candy” this evening. Although I pretend to fuss over what to wear in front of Alexi, I know that I am meeting James at his suite first so he probably will have an appropriate outfit for me there. I enjoy keeping that little nugget of information to myself.
As we drive over the bridge toward downtown Portland, I can’t help but look at the twinkling city lights with rose-colored glasses. James is waiting for me amongst those lights and I feel like I could burst with anticipation.
“Have a fun time tonight, Sophia, But don’t get used to this guy’s treatment. Felix is considering sending over Misty to him as a gift tomorrow to make sure he’s happy if you can’t get the job done,” cautioned Alexi with a menacing tone.
Misty is one of Felix’s girls and one that I definitely don’t trust. Sharing a client with her would be an absolute nightmare. At best, such a deal would result in a painful beating, at worst....I don’t want to think about it.
Relishing her power, Misty loves ratting on the other girls and is not adverse to creating the lies that trip them up with the bosses. The worst rumor going around about marvelous Misty was her snitching on her supposed best friend, Emily. Emily was going to try to escape and Misty passed on the news before she could do so.
All of a sudden Emily disappeared. We heard she had been moved to what is known as “the single-wide.” The single-wide is the absolute worst place you can imagine. It is a room lined with a bunch of sound muffling curtains where they drug you senseless. Y
ou lay there getting raped, day and night, until you die. It is a slow and horrific death-sentence. I tremble with the thought of me, or anyone I care about, ending up there.
We pull up to the hotel and I hop out without saying a word. I wave off Alexi and turn to see the bellman opening the door for me. I take a deep breath in and let it out as I count to ten. This is feeling like life and death for me now. I need to make something happen between James and me tonight.
“Good evening, Sophia. So good to see you again.” James stands there holding the door open for me with his charming smile.
My worries evaporate instantly as I look into those sparkling dark eyes of his. I feel an instant connection to his heart as if we are tethered together by a silken cord.
“Good evening, James. Thanks for inviting me back.” I try and match his endearing gaze with a slow sway of my hips and a soft smile.
James looks extremely handsome tonight. He is dressed in a dark tailored suit and crisp white shirt with a dark blue patterned tie. If you Google tall dark and handsome, an image of James would top the search results.
I reach my hand up to his face and kiss that dimple of his. “What do we have in store for tonight? Perhaps we can both take a bath together?” I give him a little wink and stand there with a hand on my hip waiting for his reaction.
“Perhaps, Sophia.” He says it almost like a question and there is a twinkle in his eye. “As you know, you can change into any of the dresses in the closet that you would like. We are going out to a cocktail party at an art gallery in the Pearl District tonight.”
I look down at what I am wearing and I know that I need to change. My dress is a little worn around the edges and what girl doesn’t love to wear a new dress and shoes out on the town? I squeal with glee inside but keep a straight face. “Thanks, James. I will be right back. Unless you want to help me get dressed.” I raise an eyebrow enticingly.
He stands there for a minute and I can almost see his internal struggle. He shifts weight from one foot to the other and runs his hands through his thick, curly black hair.
“I think that I will wait for you here and enjoy the surprise,” he finally decides, with a wistful look. I leave him standing in the living room as I walk back to the guest room.
I pick a black wool dress with tapered sleeves, looking demure from the front but cut very low in the back. I pair the dress with a pair of black ankle boots and black stockings. Damn, I look hot! I appraise myself with a nod to the full-length mirror before walking back out to meet him.
He stands from his perch in the wing backed chair and clears his throat. “You look stunning, Sophia. Really. Beautiful.”
We stand there eyes locked on each other and again I feel that silken tether. Oh James, please don’t break my heart.
Taking my hand in his, we leave the suite and take the elevator down to the lobby and to the waiting limousine.
He opens the car door for me instead of his driver and extends me a hand so I can easily scoot into the back seat. Real gentlemen do exist and he is one of them. Dare I believe this?
As the door closes I breathe in the smell of rich leather and enjoy the comfort of the warm car. He joins me on the other side of the seat and we depart down Sixth Avenue towards the Pearl District.
He slides closer to me and softly kisses the back of my hand. He looks at me intently after he does this and my butterflies are back. Oh, James. What you do to me. I smile invitingly.
“I want this to be a special night for us, Sophia. I probably shouldn’t say this but, I can’t get you out of my mind. You have corrupted me,” he sighs as though it is a bad thing.
This is more than I could have hoped for and my heart beats faster. Words escape me, a weak “Oh?” is all I can muster in return.
James looks at me tenderly. “Yes, Sophia. You have invaded my thoughts and dreams. Most of all you have compromised my plans.”
In the dark of the back seat the street lights flash shadows across his face. I can see the pain and hunger in his eyes. Why would being with me cause this kind of suffering? I want to erase that pain, every bit of it.
“Oh James.” I lean my body in and touch his face and kiss him deeply. Parting his lips softly, my tongue explores his mouth passionately. He kisses me back with force and our kiss deepens. He lays me down on the back seat and runs his hands through my hair and stops to look at me.
“Sophia, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I want to take you home and protect you from all of this.” He places kisses along my jaw line to my neck. “I feel a connection with you like I have with no other,” he whispers thrillingly in my ear.
Answering him with joy and wonder, I reply, “I feel the same way, James. Meeting you has changed everything. You are not like any man that I have ever met. You make me feel so very safe and special.”
As I bravely admit my feelings to him I can feel tears swell up in my eyes. I am thankful that it is dark and we can confess our feelings in the soft and forgiving velvet of the night.
We embrace and my hands slide down his back and I hug him tightly. “Please don’t break my heart,” I beg him. “I can’t bear another loss.”
He cups my face as he kneels down in the limo to look into my eyes. “The thing is, Sophia, I came to Portland for another reason. I am looking for someone and I don’t want to put you in danger.” He looks at me gravely and I know he is serious.
“James, I know they are suspicious of your intentions. Last night they...they interrogated me.” How can I tell him what happened to me—what Felix did? It is humiliating.
“You don’t have to explain, Sophia. This is what I am talking about. I don’t want you to…” James begins.
I cut him off mid-sentence. “No, you don’t understand. We need to convince them you are the real-deal or they are going to send you another girl to test you. You are in dangerous territory, James.”
My voice cracks and I stifle a sob. I can’t bear to share him with another girl and I am terrified of what they will do to him if they discover he is looking for more than an escort.
“I don’t want to hurt you or force you to do anything that you don’t want to do.” He looks away and at that moment I can feel the car slow down as we pull up to the gallery.
He pushes a button on the ceiling and tells the driver to wait a moment.
Before he continues, I take up the conversational thread, “James, let’s not tell each other our sob-stories tonight. I want this night to be special, too. Let’s enjoy ourselves and have fun. Then you can take me back to your suite and you can do what you want with me. I am yours. I have wanted you the moment we met.” I take a deep breath in and wait for his response.
He gives me the gorgeous smile that shows off his dimple as the interior lights turn on in the limo. “My sweet Sophia. You are a beautiful, smart, and sexy woman. I am all yours, too,” he says with real feeling.
He opens the door and holds his hand out for me as we walk hand-in-hand entering the Blue Sky Gallery. Electricity runs through us with our intimate connection.
My thoughts are drifting back to our conversation in the limo as the music pounds through the gallery and chatter fills the room. He stops a waitress to pick up two glasses of wine and passes one to me.
I need to help him. The guys I work for are nasty and I know that more than anyone. I need to help him because I know somehow that helping him find his missing person will help me to find myself: Eva Zajak, a missing 15 year old girl who was taken to a very bad place and has completely lost her way in the world. Me, and my much younger self.
For a few moments I lose myself in my own sad story. Then I notice that James is sipping his wine and studying my face, so I give him a smile, trying to hide the dread that I feel.
James smiles brightly at me and holds out his arm. “No worries tonight, right? Tomorrow is another day. Let’s enjoy tonight. Come with me.”
I slide my hand through and hold onto his strong bicep feeling secure and happy again. We wa
lk to the back of the gallery and meet one of the featured artists. My eyes scan the walls and the bright colors dance in front of me. The artwork is delicate, detailed and beautiful.
“Sophia, this is Meena Sanpanit. Meena, I would love for you to meet Sophia.” James lets go of my arm so we can shake hands but instead Meena leans over and motions to kiss my cheek. She is shorter than me by several inches and I lean down to follow her lead.
James admires the artwork with conviction. I can tell from his face that he is really passionate about her work as he points to a canvas with a field of lotus flowers. “Meena is from Thailand. This is all traditional artistry passed down from generations. Isn’t it incredible?”
Just then another fan of hers walks up and starts to ask her a question. We take that moment to walk away and immerse ourselves into the beauty of the paintings hanging on the wall.
Finding Eva (Sophia Noire Series) Page 3