Sugar Sweet

by Christine d'Abo

  Marissa quickly took her makeup off, before climbing between the sheets naked. The darkness wrapped around her, temporarily lulling her into a false sense of security and into sleep.

  * * * *

  “Bullshit it didn’t work out for you.” Naomi twisted in her seat to better glare at her. “Dude, I saw how many men flagged your profile. And there were some really hot ones there too. So, it’s not that, which means it’s you.”

  Marissa leaned her head back and let out the most dramatic sigh she could muster. This wasn’t how she wanted this conversation to go. “Am I not supposed to have second thoughts about this?”

  Naomi mimicked her position, turning her head just enough to be able to give her excellent side-eye. “I didn’t.”

  “You didn’t question the idea about offering yourself up to some random stranger, to doing anything they want for money? Not even once?” When Naomi shook her head, Marissa snorted. “Now I’m calling bullshit.”

  “Fine, maybe a bit before the first date. But it turned out to be so freaking awesome. He took me to the symphony and out to dinner. Then we went back to his place and—”

  “I don’t need to know the sex parts.”

  “And we talked. Dude lost his wife three years ago. They never had children and he was lonely.” Naomi smiled and leaned in closer. “We talk a lot on symphony nights. They had season tickets and he didn’t want to give them up, so that’s why I’m there. I do give him the occasional blow job, but that’s totally my idea.”

  Marissa groaned and covered her face. “Why am I such a prude?”

  “Don’t have a freaking clue. It’s just sex. As long as you’re the one setting the limits, who cares? You’re both consenting adults.”

  “But one of those consenting adults has all the power in the relationship. I promised myself I wouldn’t get into a position like that again.”

  The door to the classroom opened, cutting off the rest of Marissa’s words, as their professor walked in. “Good morning. I have your test results.”

  Naomi groaned. “I fucking bombed that one.”

  “You always say that and you do fine.” It had been their third test of the semester, and the first one she’d even felt remotely challenged with. She hadn’t had quite enough time to prepare due to needing to pick up an extra shift, and the thought of her marks slipping even a little freaked her out.

  Their professor dropped a stack of tests on the corner of her desk, before she flipped open her laptop and connected it to the projector. “You can pick them up on your way out. Today we’re going to start our next unit on small business finance.”

  Marissa had to push away all thoughts of sugar daddies, money, and sex. This was one area of her business that had caused her the most problems. She’d be dammed if she let her attention wander. Flipping open her text book, she sat up and got to work.

  Chapter 6

  Marissa was exhausted by the time she got home. She’d had to race from her last class of the day to her job at the Pear Tree, where she waited tables until late. By the time she got onto the bus to head home, her feet screamed at her to get off them already, while her back ached in places she hadn’t previously been aware existed on her body.

  The movement of the bus nearly lulled her into a light sleep, when her phone beeped. It was a text from a number she didn’t immediately recognize, though the message told her enough for her to know who the sender was.

  Friday night, 8pm. The Catch. I’ll send a car.

  Vince certainly knew how to woo a girl. Marissa continued to stare at the words long past the point of necessity. She’d read about The Catch in a blog post online describing the most expensive and impressive places to eat in Toronto. Never once did she consider the possibility that she’d ever have the opportunity to eat there. It was a far cry from the Pear Tree and the free food she’d eat in the kitchen on her breaks.

  God, she should say no and end things before they got started. She wasn’t going to go through with this beyond the first date, so there was no point in leading him on. Though he had paid for her new dress and it wasn’t like she was going to have many opportunities to wear it. Why not play dress-up again, take one night to relax and enjoy herself at someone else’s expense? She’d let him wine and dine her, then tell him it wasn’t going to work and thank him for the meal. Saturday, she’d go back to her normal life of waiting tables and studying.

  What harm could it do?

  She quickly thumbed in her response. I’ll see you then.

  Cinderella could go to the ball and come out the other side unscathed. She’d just have to be certain not to leave any glass slippers behind.

  * * * *

  Vince glanced down at his phone when it buzzed in his hand. Good, she’d agreed. It was strange not knowing what the outcome of his request would be. Even though she’d been the one who’d proposed the compromise, he hadn’t been entirely certain that she was going to follow through. There’d been something about the look in her eyes that had screamed that she didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him. Not that he blamed her in the least, given the nature of their relationship.

  Caroline was flicking through emails on her phone, but he knew she was paying as much attention to him as he was to whatever she was reading. Placing his phone face down on the desk, he leaned back in his seat. “Do you still have your friend over at The Catch?”

  She glanced up at him over the top of her glasses. “Yes. Why?”

  “Think you could get me a reservation for two on Friday at eight?”

  “That’s short notice. I don’t know if Danny can work his magic.”

  “I have no doubt he’ll come through for you. Book the private room if it’s available.”

  She rolled her eyes and went back to her emails. “Fine. Your ten pm call just got cancelled.”

  “Shit.” He’d been trying to get Jace on the phone for weeks now. “Did he say why?”

  Caroline sat up as she scanned the email. “He didn’t say specifically, except to say that a previous call he’s on is running late. Want me to reschedule?”

  Vince had agreed to back a new casino development project months ago. The company had some sound ideas, and Vince wouldn’t have put his money down if he’d thought for a minute the venture wouldn’t have been a success. Leaning back in his chair, Vince closed his eyes and groaned. “Yes. I don’t want to let this go too long. I have more than enough on my plate and this deal should be an easy win.”

  “I’ll make a note.” Caroline’s thumbs flew over the phone’s keyboard before she looked back up. “Your first call tomorrow morning is at nine with the Peter Thornton from New York for the GreenPro sale. Did you want me to get the boardroom for the call, or did you want to take it in the office?”

  “I’ll take that one in my office.” His dad had threatened to come in for it, claiming he knew exactly how to twist Peter’s arm to get him on board with Simon. “Don’t put it on my calendar though. I don’t want Dad to know the time.”

  Caroline’s frown made her look far older than he knew she was. “It’s not like he has access to that. He shouldn’t at any rate.”

  “He’ll find a way.” It was crazy how inventive his father could get when he wanted to be involved with a deal. Never when Vince needed him though. God, never then.

  Giving his head a shake, Vince stood up and stretched. “It’s late and I’m done in. Let’s call it a night.” He came around the side of the desk, held out his hand and helped his assistant up. “Do you need a ride home?”

  “I have the car.” She crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. “You never said who you were meeting for dinner Friday.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “It’s that girl, isn’t it?” Once he’d told her about it, Caroline hadn’t held back her displeasure about his taking over of his father’s crazy sugar daddy plan one bit.
And while she would do everything he asked her to do, they’d worked together too long for him to rub her nose into something that he knew she disapproved of.

  Still, this was his best option to present himself as a respectable man, without putting his personal life in the line of fire, for a business deal that he didn’t want to make in the first place. “Yes, I’m meeting Marissa.”

  “I thought you were going to pay her off and send her on her way?”

  “I was. But while my father’s methods are horrible, in this one instance his general idea was sound. Simon will be more amenable to listening to my offer if he thinks I’ve somehow gotten a woman to not hate me. Paying for that is far easier than finding someone.”

  Caroline looked away. “I doubt you’d have any issues finding someone to help you out.”

  “Not without them expecting something in return. At least this way we’ve negotiated everything up front. Easy and done.” Well, not exactly. “As long as I can convince her not to leave. She was willing to go for one trial date to see how things went before she made her decision.”

  Caroline’s eyebrows shot up. “To see how things…was she going to dump you? After the yacht?”

  “Apparently, my asshole nature was on display.”

  She snorted. “That’s a given. And she wasn’t won over by your charm and wit? Maybe she’s smarter than I gave her credit for.”

  Yeah, he really didn’t want to get into this with her. “For the record, she only took three hundred from the money I had for her. And she only took that because I pulled the price tag off her dress.”

  “Of course, you forced her hand.” Caroline punched his arm. “Didn’t peg her as having a backbone. I guess I’m slipping in my people-reading abilities.”

  Vince turned her around and gave her a gentle push out the door. “That’s because your boss works you too hard. Go home and rest. Sleep in tomorrow and I’ll see you after lunch.”

  “You’re leaving too, right?”

  “In a minute. Just want to answer a few emails and then I’m out of here.”

  She shook her head. “Sure you will. Don’t stay too late. You don’t want to miss your call tomorrow. Goodnight.”

  “Night.”

  Vince waited for Caroline to leave before he turned to his computer and scanned his emails. He even went so far as to open one, half reading it before he closed it just as quickly. His eyes closed and he couldn’t help but let his memories of the night on the yacht with Marissa wash over him.

  She really was one of the most attractive women he’d seen in quite some time. Not glamourous, or pretty in that magazine Photoshopped way. Her beauty was disarming. He’d had to fight the urge during their entire conversation not to reach out and touch her. Not in any sexual manner, just this strange urge to feel that she was a real person.

  He’d done his best not to openly stare at her, but that had been far more difficult than he’d originally assumed it would be. On a whim, he opened up the millionairesugardaddies website and went to her profile. Maybe if he’d done that before taking his father’s place on the yacht, he might have been able to prepare himself for her.

  Yeah, probably not.

  He clicked through the few profile pictures she’d uploaded. While they clearly showed she was beautiful, if anything, they’d understated her features. The pictures hadn’t captured that sparkle in her eyes every time she was silently judging him. Nor was there any way he could have prepared himself for the intoxicating scent that he caught a whiff of whenever she’d stood close. If it was a perfume, it wasn’t one he was familiar with.

  It had been tempting to press his nose to the side of her neck and simply breathe her in, to imprint that scent in his mind, to feel her body heat against him. Somehow, he’d managed to hold himself back. Still, it had him questioning everything about the date.

  Why would someone like Marissa feel the need to ask for help through a site like millionairesugardaddies? Sure, it was easier than getting a loan, but there had to be more to it than that. He pulled out his phone and stared down at her last message. In a few days, he’d have her sitting across the table from him and he could ask her all the questions he wanted.

  But did the answers really matter?

  She had her reasons for starting an account as much as he did for agreeing to take her on. This was supposed to be just another business arrangement, and he should damn well keep that in mind. There was no reason to try and dig deeper than the surface. She had her life and he had his. She’d have been vetted by the site so he had to assume she passed the background checks they’d had in place. Still, he hated not knowing everything.

  Caroline claimed it was one of his biggest weaknesses. He liked to think it was one of his strengths. Learning as much as he could about any investment opportunity ensured he didn’t make a wrong choice and fuck things up. Marissa was an investment in his reputation. He’d be a fool not to learn everything he could about her.

  Besides, Google was his friend.

  It didn’t take long for him to type in her name and find her social media accounts. He’d have to remind her that if they went forward with everything, that she would need to keep all accounts of their adventures off Facebook. Shit, she should have it set to private, regardless. Didn’t she know about Facebook stalking?

  He clicked through her pictures, looking at her smiling face and those of her friends. Most of the images were from high school, with some newer ones from her time at college thrown in. There was a large gap in time, which could simply mean she hadn’t posted a lot over that time. Given how many images were here before and after, he assumed the missing time had to do with her ex.

  It would have been nice to know his name, in case Vince needed to prepare for some backlash. Another note he’d have to ask her over dinner.

  Vince shut down his computer and gathered his things. It was nearing midnight and by the time he got back to the house he’d be more than ready for his run. He’d started the habit years ago after his father’s last run in with the media. He hadn’t been able to go out into daylight without being mobbed by paparazzi, which had taken away his ability to run. So, he’d switched things up, running once he got home from the office and long after most photographers had given up their wait. It was far easier to slip out of the house and simply become another random person on the streets under the cover of dark.

  Since then, he’d grown to love the solitude.

  Toronto in the summer was beautiful, the glow from the city lights giving the streets and trees an ethereal glow. He rarely listened to music, instead enjoying the steady thump, thump, thump of his feet pounding against the concert sidewalk. Now that fall was upon them, the evening air cooled enough that he could wear his long-sleeved shirt with his shorts, his ball hat covering his head and masking curious glances. It was the only time he could simply be Vince, Toronto native, lover of pizza, and Game of Thrones, and not Vince Taylor, multimillionaire business investor with two fucked-up parents who had a very public divorce and subsequent public shaming.

  Grabbing his things, he strode for the elevator. Yeah, he’d go for a run tonight. It would help clear his mind of Marissa, business ventures, and drive away the loneliness.

  Chapter 7

  Marissa felt far more comfortable in the black dress tonight. Maybe because she owned it now, after having taking the three hundred dollars she’d gotten from Vince and made a payment on her credit card. It wasn’t glamorous, trying to be fiscally responsible, but it felt good to have some measure of control.

  Even if that meant having to kick a multimillionaire to the curb.

  And what the hell was wrong with her?

  Marissa waited for the driver to open up her car door in front of The Catch. It was less weird getting into the limo this time around, even though she wasn’t willing to let him pick her up at the house. This was the last time she’d be getting picked up a
t any rate. Though she’d half been expecting Vince to be in the car this time, and had been disappointed when the door was opened to reveal an empty backseat.

  The moment she stepped onto the sidewalk, helped out of the limo by the driver, her gaze landed on Vince. He stood on the sidewalk, his dress shirt opened at the neck and framed by a perfectly fitted suit jacket. She’d been so stunned by the unexpected sight of him, she stumbled on the edge of the curb.

  “Let me help.” He seamlessly moved past the driver, capturing her hand in his and helping her out. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to be there to pick you up. I got caught on a call and couldn’t leave sooner.”

  It had been a week since their last meeting. Marissa fought to keep her mouth shut as the sound of his rich baritone voice washed over her once more. “Thanks. And that’s fine. I figured something like that had happened.”

  They’d spoken by text a few times since she’d said she would agree to come tonight. Nothing overly long or intense, mostly Vince asking her the occasional question and her thumbing a brief response. It had been strangely reassuring that he was at least curious about her, and not has cold as he’d come across on the boat.

  Sorry, yacht.

  Vince frowned down at her. “I don’t think I want to know what went through your mind.”

  “Just a little mental self-correction.” She dropped his hand and straightened up. “Well, Mr. Taylor, I have to say I’m impressed. I’ve heard so many amazing things about here, but I never in a million years thought I’d ever get to eat here myself.”

  “Please call me Vince when we’re in public.” He held out his arm for her to take, but kept his gaze averted. “I wouldn’t want anyone to think we’re anything but on a first name basis.”

  It was strange, he was still wearing that blank expression on his face, cold and unimpressed, but Marissa couldn’t help but notice there was something else there. It was as though he was trying to stare at her from the corner of his eye. Filing that away in the back of her mind, she let him lead her into the restaurant.