“Come in.”
I twist the doorknob and push open the door, stepping inside.
A man stands behind a desk at the edge of the room; his back is to me, and he’s gazing out the glass windows that line the room. All I see is wavy dark brown hair, cut neatly in shape, just like his body. His suit barely holds together from his muscles, and for some reason, I can’t stop staring at his tight, round ass.
For a second, there’s nothing but silence as we both stand still without flinching, without so much as an exchange of words or a breath taken.
Only one thing is going through my mind right now … Who is this man, and what will he make me do for his money?
Max
Accompanying Song: “Eyes On Fire” by Blue Foundation
I peer down at the people below us, wondering what they’re thinking as they stroll through the streets, going about their day as usual. I wonder if, somewhere in the back of their minds, they ever wonder if there’s more to this life than what they can see or what they know. If they even realize how much of their life is not really in their control.
A wicked smile forms on my lips as I slide my fingers off the windowpane, a silhouette of my handprint slowly disappearing from the glass as if it was never there. Just like those thoughts.
I turn around slowly so I can get a good look at her from top to bottom. Even though I’ve seen her before, I can’t take my eyes off her. With her tall, lean figure and pronounced, dark eyes hiding behind hooded lids, she’s a sight to behold.
Seeing someone like that always fascinates me.
That look on her face … her fearlessness. It makes me shiver in excitement.
“Hello, Naomi.”
“How do you know my name?” she asks, her eyes narrowing.
Of course, she immediately wants to know everything.
My lips curve into a smile; a little voice in my head is tempted to tell her the truth, but the devil inside has taken control, and he wants to play.
I place my hands on my office chair and say, “Sit.”
It’s not a question.
She cocks her head and slowly crosses her arms. “First, tell me why I’m here.”
Such attitude. I love it, but she won’t beat me at my own game.
I lick my lips as I gaze directly into her smoldering eyes. “Why are you here? You’re the only one who can answer that question. But the question you really should be asking yourself is how badly do you want to hear my offer?”
She sucks on her bottom lip and frowns, but then her legs move in the right direction toward the chair in front of me. I pull my own chair back as she stands behind hers, and we both sit at the same time. Just sitting here, I can almost feel the electricity zing between us, teasing me. Showing me a glimpse of what lies ahead …
She doesn’t lean forward nor does she lean back as I entwine my fingers and place them on the desk in front of me. I do this with reason, just like anything else in life; to secure my position as the alpha in this room.
But she doesn’t seem remotely fazed by my blatant display of dominance.
In fact, with just her eyes, she’s deflecting it completely by looking over my shoulder instead of into my eyes.
What a brazen girl … Exactly my type.
“Money,” I murmur, the word like a gentle whisper disappearing into thin air.
However, this one word captures her attention immediately, her eyes honing in on mine like a hawk.
“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?” I ask, smiling gently, but she still won’t give me any emotion. Not even a single flinch. “Because of that note I sent you.”
“How did you get my address?” she asks.
I raise a brow. “Is that really what you want to know? Or do you want to know how to get your hands on this limited, one-time-only offer I can make you?”
She tilts her head back. “What if I say I’m not?”
I muffle a laugh. “We both know that’s a lie. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t.”
She repositions herself, casually lounging back in the chair. Resting her elbow on the armrest, she props her chin in her hand. “Do we?”
“I know you can’t pay your bills. I know you will lose your apartment. I know your bank won’t give you a loan and that your final chance is me.”
“How …?” she mutters.
“The hows are not important, Naomi. It’s the whys that matter. Ask the right question.”
She looks me dead in the eye as she asks, “Why would you want to give me, a stranger, money?”
I nod slowly, intrigued by her quick thinking. “Exactly.”
Her index finger touches her temple, and her skin wrinkles in the most beautiful way as she rubs. “You want to know what I’m willing to do for your money.”
“Hmm …” It makes me feel so good when she says it like that. It’s as if she can read my mind. It makes me want to grab her and fuck her pussy right on this very desk. I wonder if she can see that too.
I open a drawer and take out a small box, removing the engraved pen I use only for special occasions such as this. I grab the paper lying in the drawer beneath it and place it on the desk. Not too close but not too far either. I want to see her lean toward it. I want to see her ache for the answer. To know what it is that I want … so I can see all the emotions flood her face.
“You will receive fifty million dollars.”
Her eyes flicker with a certain greed I recognize all too well.
“If?”
I slide the paper closer to her. “You sign this.”
“What is it?” she asks, still not moving one inch.
I thought the mere tease would be enough for her mind to want to crack this puzzle, but it seems she’s a lot more stubborn than I presumed.
“It’s a contract. You will receive fifty million dollars at the end of our agreement … if you become mine.”
She squints. “Yours? Explain.”
The right side of my lips tug into a smile. I can’t help it; I love her sassiness. Too bad it won’t last.
“Mine … to do with whatever I please.”
“Like a sex toy.”
“More than that.”
“Your girlfriend?” She makes a face, and it amuses me.
“Not just that.”
“Then what?” Judging by the tone of her voice, I can tell she’s agitated.
“Anything and everything.”
Her face only hardens more.
“For fifty million dollars, you want me to be your sex doll?”
My brows draw together. “Sex doll? That sounds so crude.”
She sighs and closes her eyes, her hand dropping to her lap again.
“Fifty million dollars. After three weeks,” I add, and I place the pen on the piece of paper in front of her.
Suddenly, she gets up from the chair, her face completely void of any emotion. “You’ve got the wrong girl.”
She turns around and starts to walk away, not even granting me one more look. I know what she thinks. This is illegal. Who am I to even ask? What am I thinking? Have I lost my mind? She could sue me or call the cops for even suggesting the idea.
But she knows just as well as I do that no one will believe her.
Besides, we both know she needs this, so it’s just a matter of time before she comes knocking on my door.
With a grin on my face and the memory of her perfectly swaying ass as it leaves through my door, I say, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
3
Naomi
Accompanying Song: “Anne” by Santigold
The next day
Drip. Drip. Drip.
I rub my temples, trying to ignore the sound, but it just won’t go away.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
I should find another job. I should ask more banks for loans. I should ask for a delay in payments. I should …
I sigh. I should do so many things, yet I already know none of them will work remotely as well as the offer I was given yest
erday. But the thought of what it means makes me want to tear my hair out.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Still, sitting here in my apartment doing nothing drives me insane.
I stare at the note lying on the table in front of me; the words beckon me, calling to me in a devious way. Money. It’s all I see. All I need. But am I willing to give myself to a man I don’t know? A man I’ve only met once?
Then again, I doubt it’s going to go further than just a fuck here and there. A sex doll to the richest man in town can’t be that bad. Or maybe I’ve just lost my mind. Giving away your body to a man you don’t know can be quite risky, to put it mildly. But let’s face it—where that man lived or worked proved the amount of money he has, and I bet that isn’t even one percent of his wealth. The man reeked of money, and it made me so hungry I could practically eat him for lunch. Not to mention he was hot.
Three weeks of him doing anything he wants with me … is that really such a punishment?
The single lit light above me flickers, just like my resolution. And when it finally goes out, I blow out my final breath before I make up my mind.
My home, my job, my life, my family … it’s all falling apart at the seams, and I’m not letting it crumble. Not if I can help it. And damn me for wanting to make it big, but I will not settle for anything less than what he’s offering me.
I plant my fist on the table and get up, determined to make this choice, even if it’ll drown me.
So be it.
At least, I’ll have the money to wipe my tears away.
Accompanying Song: “The Demon Dance” by Cliff Martinez
An hour later
My hand hovers over his door, but before I can knock, the already familiar voice booms through the wood. “Come in.”
Did he know I was coming? Maybe the man downstairs called him to say I was going up. Or maybe he’s just been waiting for me all this time. The thought creates goose bumps on my skin. It’s not every day that a man is that determined to make me his. Then again, I’m a liar if I said it doesn’t spook me a little and turn me on in a way I can’t explain.
It’s like a game to him, and that intrigues me.
So I twist the doorknob and step inside his office once again.
The smile that greets me as he stands up from his chair makes me shiver in place.
“Hello, Naomi. I’m so glad you decided to return.”
Again, that voice that makes me melt. God, I hate it so much … that I love it.
“Hello …”
“Oh …” He steps away from his desk and comes toward me, holding out his hand. “How rude of me. I never introduced myself. Max Marino.” Before I know it, he’s grabbed my hand and shaken it, his firm grip all that I can focus on as our skin touches for the very first time.
When he releases my hand, I can still feel his warmth tingle underneath my skin. As he walks back to his desk, I quickly wipe my hand on my skirt and follow him.
His fingers briefly skim across the paper lying neatly on the desk in front of the chair where I’m supposed to sit. “You’re here to accept my deal,” he says promptly, not even a hint of hesitation in his voice.
He cocks his head and peeks at me over his shoulder, his fingers sliding across the desk until he’s behind it again and facing me. I stand with my heels planted in the carpet, but when my legs shake, I immediately start walking.
“Yes,” I answer, and I sit down on the chair opposite to him.
The smile on his face is devious. Telling. Like a young boy who just won a game of catch-me-if-you-can, even though I guess him to be somewhere near thirty. I’d like to wipe that smirk off his face, and I’m sure I will … after I receive that fifty million dollars.
“Good,” he muses, placing a pen in front of me. “Read through the contract before you sign.”
I cock my head. “What makes you think I’ll agree to the terms you’ve laid out?”
“Because you want this money more than anything, and you’ll do whatever I say to get it.”
“What if I’d like to negotiate better terms for myself?”
“No. These terms are the only ones I’ll take.” He crosses his arms. “Take the deal or leave it. There is no in-between.”
Fuck him for being such an asshole about it.
Grinding my teeth, I mull it over a bit. “How far does this contract allow you to go?”
“Anything and everywhere. There is no limit.”
“Toys? Anal? DP?”
He taps his pen on his desk, the left side of his lips briefly perking up. But there’s no answer.
“Bodily harm?” I swallow away the lump in my throat. Still, nothing. “Could I die?”
His eyes shut, and he muffles a short laugh. “If you died, there’d be no way for you to collect your fifty million dollars.”
“Convenient,” I say, leaning back.
He places his hand on the paper. “This is not just a contract for you. It’s a contract for both of us. And if you read this small line here, it says that I must give you the fifty million dollars at the end of our agreement as promised.”
I narrow my eyes. “But that means you get to do anything to my body. You could break my bones or cut me up. You could scar me for life and then still give me the money, and our deal would be valid.”
He frowns as I continue.
“You could even kill me after giving me the money.”
It takes him a while to formulate an answer. “I suppose that’s true … but where’s the fun in that?”
I raise a brow. “I want immunity.” I place my hand just below his, staking my claims over the contract. “If I take this deal, I will give you myself for almost an entire month to do with as you please, but … there will be no permanent changes made to my body, whatsoever, whenever.”
He smirks, like he knows that even if he agrees, it would still be a possibility that I’d end up with a debilitation and that I’d still only get my fifty million dollars as a comfort prize. But I’m not finished yet.
“And … if you do not follow this contract, you will give me fifty percent of the shares that you hold over your company … and my parents will receive the other fifty percent as well as the total fifty million dollars that was promised to me, should I die. Just as insurance for my wellbeing.”
His frown deepens.
“Oh, don’t be surprised. Of course, a man with your wealth has a company. Probably something like a bank. Or multiple. The only question is how much of it do you actually own?” Now, it’s my turn to smile.
“Enough,” he says through gritted teeth.
“Great. Then you’ll surely agree it’s only fair. Money is your life … so a life for a life.”
His lips twitch, and he leans back in his chair, staring at me from a distance. “You want to play hard …”
“I know you want me more than I want you.”
“Wrong.”
“You chose me for a reason,” I muse. “I know you want me to believe I’m just some random girl to you, but I know I’m not. There are a million girls across the globe who’d want this just as badly, but somehow, you picked me. That’s not a coincidence.” I press my elbows against my boobs as I lean forward, watching his eyes go down the slope of my shirt. “You. Want. Me.”
For a while, he just stares. Blatantly stares at my chest. Like he’s counting his money’s worth. Like he already owns me.
“Fine. Deal.” He raises his brows. “My shares of the company I work for in exchange for your life. I’ll make the amendment in the contract right away.” He turns to face his computer, quickly typing something and printing it out to add another paper to the stack beneath me.
I hold out my hand. “Let’s shake on it.”
He reluctantly gives me his hand, his grip even firmer than before. After that, I pick up the pen and read the document through completely. It states all the rules, which includes my inability to say no. It also says that my family and close friends will be contacted through my own e
mail, stating that I’m going to be on vacation for a month and won’t be bringing a cell phone. Supposedly, I’m going off the radar to take a break.
Below that, it asks for my account name and password. Of course, he wants access to that. They don’t want me to send secret messages. I smirk, seeing through all of his little plans.
At the bottom of the document are two names. Naomi Lee. Property of Marino. That last line makes my skin crawl.
Still, I sign at the bottom. While I put the final dot on the i, I ask, “When does the contract start?”
The wicked smile on his face makes me quiver in place. “Now.”
4
Max
Accompanying Song: “Eyes on Fire” by Blue Foundation
Minutes later …
As we sit on opposite ends in my limo, I can’t take my eyes off her. Her olive skin glistens in the sun as it shines through the window she’s looking through. She hasn’t looked at me since she slid into the car with me. I wonder if she’s upset about my proposal, if she has any regrets … whether she’s preparing for what’s to come.
She should.
This isn’t just some ordinary deal, but she’ll find out soon enough. Then again … she isn’t an ordinary woman either.
I admire her from a distance, but my fingers can’t help but reach for her face. I gently slide back a few strands of her black hair and tuck them behind her ear. Her eyes flash as she turns her head, her face still completely blank. I wonder what’s going on inside that brain of hers. If it’s just as beautiful as her body in that skirt.
I can’t wait to peel it all away, layer by layer, until nothing is left.
My hand caresses her cheek gently. She doesn’t lean away, even though I expected her to, with her feistiness. Instead, her lips tip up into a smile. How strange … and delightfully pleasant.
“Why are you smiling?” I ask.
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