“No,” I reply quickly. I laugh. “Don’t flatter yourself, Jaxon. I pity you and your lifestyle, that’s all. You’re missing out on so much and I don’t understand why.”
“You don’t need to understand anything,” he growls, his eyes darkening. “It’s not in your job description to understand me. Or to help me. You do what I ask of you, you get paid, everyone is happy, okay?”
“You said I’m going to be helping you destroy someone. Why?” I challenge, not ready to give up just yet. This is the closest I’ve come to cracking that outer shell since I’ve been here. I need something, anything, to make me feel like there’s a point to all of this.
He laughs and closes his eyes, resting his head back on his pillow.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
“If you expect me to help you, then I’ll find out now.”
His eyes fly open. A smirk appears on his lips as he stares at me with an expression I can’t read. I shift nervously, waiting for him to respond. Did I really just speak to him like that? Sometimes I can’t believe what flies out of my mouth. It’s like I have no filter. What if he does something to me like he did to his girlfriend? How long would it take for people to figure out I was missing? I shudder, disguising my discomfort by repositioning myself on the bed.
“Despite what you might believe, I’m not in the habit of destroying people unless they deserve it.” His voice cuts through each word, making me jump, his eyes holding mine. I hold my breath as he moves closer to me.
He’s opened the door and I’d be a fool not to ask—I’m here to get a story. “Did your girlfriend deserve it?”
His eyes widen. I gasp as his fingers close around my wrists. He flips me back onto the bed and straddles me, pinning me down. I cannot believe I just said that. Do I have some kind of death wish?
“What did you say?” he asks.
“I’m sorry,” I say, breathless. My heart pounds violently in my chest as I struggle unsuccessfully to free my arms. “I didn’t mean—”
“Oh, I think you did,” he says with a smirk. “You’re a nosy little one, Charlotte.”
My heart races as his fingers trace around my neck. His eyes narrow as he leans closer to me, the tension in his hands growing. I swallow hard, trying not to show my fear, but deep down inside I’m shitting myself. Irrational thoughts race through my mind, but none that make me feel in danger. I can’t explain why, but it’s like I know he won’t hurt me.
His girlfriend probably thought the same….
I block out the voice in my head and focus on my breathing, which has shallowed.
“Are you scared of me, Charlotte?” He lies on top of me now, his grip on my neck tight, but not tight enough to restrict my breathing. I wet my lips and force myself to look him in the eye.
“No. I don’t think you would hurt me.” My voice falters, and he smiles, tightening his grip ever so slightly.
“Are you sure about that?” He smirks and presses his lips against mine. My heart pounds as his lips invade me. I couldn’t fight him even if I wanted to. The more time I spend with him, the stronger my desire for him grows. Being with Jaxon is like an addiction I need to feed. Every interaction gives me a little more insight into who he is.
“Yes. I don’t think you’re capable of causing me pain, at least not the kind of pain I don’t want.” His eyes flash with annoyance, probably because he’s never had someone fight him like I am.
He releases his hold on me and stands up. Without a word, he walks over to the window and gazes out. I get up and eye the door. Do I leave? I have no idea what he’s thinking or what is coming next.
“You’ll find out everything soon enough, Charlotte. For now, try not to annoy me anymore than you already have.”
I scurry toward the door, my heart in my throat. I have no idea where my sudden confidence to confront him came from, but I was lucky it ended the way it did. What if I was wrong? I shiver, thinking about how that could’ve ended.
No. He wouldn’t hurt me. I can’t explain why I believe that, but there is something about him that makes me sure my instincts are right. Despite the front he puts up, I don’t believe he’s a bad person, and I’m determined to break down his shell. One way or another, I’ll get through to him.
I have to. My whole career rides on it.
Chapter 11
Jaxon
“Charlotte,” I say into the phone, “may I see you, please?”
We haven’t spoken since two nights ago, when I invited her up to the ballroom. Truth be told, I’ve been avoiding her. I hate the way she’s gotten under my skin. I’ve dealt with women who think they know everything before, but the difference with Charlotte is she’s on the right track.
“Certainly. Are you in your office?” she asks, her voice breathless. My cock twitches as I imagine the words forming on those plump red lips, and then those same lips forming around my shaft.
“No. Take the elevator up to the top level. I’ll buzz you in.”
“Okay. I’ll see you soon.”
I place the phone back in its cradle and stand up, walking over to the window. I have a magnificent view of the grounds and the hills surrounding my property from all my living areas, but from this window it is the best.
To the naked eye my private living areas might not seem too different from the rest of the mansion, but there are subtle differences here for only me to enjoy, from the expensive bottles of whiskey lining the bar to the small trinkets from my time spent traveling the world when I was younger. They all show a side of me that I’d much rather keep hidden. I wander over to where a small abstract painting hangs. The deep red strokes painted with such force contrast dramatically against the pure white starkness of the naked wall behind it. I purchased it from a young girl on the streets of León for much more than she was asking, and I remember the haunting look in her eyes all too well. There was something about her story that touched me. She reminded me a lot of my sister. It had been a long time since I felt anything other than anger and emptiness, and I never have again since.
A soft knock on my door drags me away from my memories. I look up and see Charlotte standing there. I take a moment to enjoy the way her long curls fall over one shoulder and the way her posture is pushing out her breasts. My cock aches as I catch a glimpse of her creamy white skin through one of the undone buttons on her almost-transparent shirt. I shift, the outline of her erect nipples unmistakable. She almost has me forgetting why I called her in. And it wasn’t to fuck her, no matter how badly I want to right now. I clear my throat and wave my hand impatiently.
“Come in. Close the door, please.”
She walks in and glances around, uncertain in her movements. God, I love how she tiptoes around me. But as timid and shy as she is around me, I know that spark is inside her somewhere.
“I’ve never been in here before,” she whispers, as if she’s confessing some big secret.
I laugh. Of course she hasn’t been in here. My living areas are off-limits to my girls under every circumstance. I’m careful to keep my needs as far away from my personal life as possible, because once emotions are involved, judgment can so easily become clouded. All the same, I need her to think she means more to me than the others, and if that means opening a small part of myself up to her, then I’ll do it.
“Nobody comes up here. This is the only place in the world I have to be alone.”
I study her face, trying to ascertain her mood. I pushed her the other night and I need to be sure she isn’t going to break. Her questions about Brynne caught me off guard. I’m determined to find out where that came from. The media documented Brynne’s disappearance, but she is the first person to flat out ask me what happened. Was that just curiosity, or is there more to it? Either way, I’ll find out. If that means letting a little of my guard down, then I’ll do it. She has no idea how important she is to my plan.
If she’s playing me, then I’ll play her right back.
“If you want to be alone so bad
ly, then why all the women? Why have them live here?”
I stare at her, my stomach twisting into knots as I try to figure out how to answer her. Why is it every time she speaks to me I feel like she’s trying to unravel me? She has this way of making the most innocent question seem so damn personal.
If she were anyone else, I would have gotten rid of her by now. But I can’t do that with her, not only because I need her but also because…I shake my head. Hell, I don’t even know what’s going on in my head right now. She’s so fucking scared of me, but then out of nowhere comes her fire. I’m not used to having to answer to anyone. But it’s more than that. I’m not used to having someone care enough to question me.
“Because I can’t not have company. I need to keep myself busy, or I’ll begin to overanalyze things,” I respond eventually. As soon as the words come out of my mouth, I regret them. There’s a fine line between being honest and baring my soul. If there’s one thing I’ve learned the hard way, it’s that honesty exposes the most vulnerable parts of you. I need to keep myself at a distance or God knows how this will turn out.
“Surely there are other ways to keep yourself busy,” she argues, and I want to laugh, because the last thing I need is her playing doctor on my soul.
“Am I paying you to counsel me, Charlotte? Pardon me, but I could’ve sworn I hired you for your body, not your mind.” My voice is loud and condescending. Her face immediately reddens.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“I don’t need you to apologize, just understand that I’m not a problem for you to solve.” I stand up and circle the room, ending up in front of her, where I reach out and cup her face in my hand. “I need to explain a few things to you. Things that I hope will leave you with a better understanding of what I want from you.”
I motion to the two-seat leather sofa against the far wall.
“Sit while I pour us a drink. Wine?” I ask curtly, holding up the bottle. I turn before she can reply and walk over to the bar, where I prepare our drinks.
“It’s ten in the morning.” She laughs, raising an eyebrow.
“And your point is?”
She moves over to the sofa and sits, crossing one leg delicately over the other. I suck my chest in, wetting my lips as I focus on those long, lean legs. My thoughts cloud. What are we doing here again?
“Here.”
I hand her a glass and sit opposite her. Taking a long sip of my scotch, I savor the rich taste of what equates to nearly a hundred dollars a glass as I mull over what I’m about to tell her. The other night proved she trusts me, but I need more than that. I need her to understand. The only way she’s going to do that is if I explain a few things to her.
“You asked me when we were last together what I want from you.”
She nods, her eyes widening as though she’s surprised the conversation is taking this direction.
“Ryan, the man you met the other night? Kasey’s father?” I begin. She nods and waits for me to continue. “He’s also my business partner and my father’s old friend. He took something from me a long time ago, and it’s time he paid for what he did.”
“What did he do?” she asks softly.
“The less you know the better. He’s a bad man. He has no idea what I have on him. I’ve held it close to me for fifteen years.”
“Why now, then?” she presses, sitting forward. I study her face, looking for any indication that she knows more than she’s letting on. Her wide eyes and innocent expression aren’t fooling me. I know she knows about my situation. There isn’t a soul in this world who doesn’t associate my name with what happened to my family.
“Because fifteen years is long enough to hold onto what I have.”
“Is this…is this about your parents?” she asks softly. My head jerks in her direction.
“What do you know about my parents?” I ask, struggling to keep my voice even. Talking about this always gets my guard up, even when it’s me leading the conversation.
“N-not much,” she stammers, her face coloring. “I mean, what happened is public knowledge. But I only know what I’ve read in the newspapers, which wasn’t much. You did well making sure the media didn’t run away with the story.” She pauses and exhales, her cheeks flushed. I watch her closely, not sure what to make of her behavior. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Forget I said anything.”
My eyes don’t leave hers, even when she looks away. This is making her much more uncomfortable than I was expecting. It’s almost like she’s hiding something.
“All you need to know is that Ryan is not a good person. Are you with me on this? Because if not, you may as well leave now.”
She swallows, her expression torn. I’m bluffing about her leaving, but there’s no way she’d know that from my expression. I’m a master at masking my feelings.
“What do you want me to do?” she asks nervously.
“I need you to gain his trust.”
She snorts and I raise my eyebrow. Her jaw drops.
“Are you serious?” she gasps.
“Do I look like I’m joking, Charlotte?” I deadpan. “Don’t try to seduce him, because he’s too smart for that. All I need is for him to believe you’re working against me, and I’ll handle the rest.”
“How am I supposed to do that?” she says with a laugh.
“I don’t know, by lying to him?” I reply, an edge to my voice. Anyone would think she’d never told a lie in her life. “Tell him what he needs to hear to believe you.” She glances down as my hand moves over her thigh. “You’re a bright young thing, Charlotte. You’ll figure it out. While I have you here…”
My voice trails off as my fingers move under her skirt, resting between her bare thighs. Her body responds to my touch, tensing as I creep closer to her warmth.
“Come here.”
I wrap my fingers around her wrist, tugging her forcefully over to me until she’s straddling my lap. I raise her skirt so her ass cheeks are exposed, digging my nails into her soft skin. She groans, pushing herself up against me, her body grinding against mine.
“What do I get if I do this for you?” she asks suddenly.
“What do you mean?” I ask, confused. I’m already paying her to fuck me, and now she wants more? I’m both impressed and annoyed by her nerve.
“Not this.” She blushes, her gaze falling. “What you’re asking me to do to Ryan. What will you give me in return?” I drop my hands to my sides and stare at her, wondering if she’s serious.
“How about the salary I’m already paying you?” I say drily. She at least has the decency to blush again.
“This isn’t part of my job description,” she argues. Her gaze holds mine, refusing to waver. As pissed off as I am that she’s fighting me on this, I’m actually impressed at her spark. It takes a lot to stand up to me, and she’s doing it consistently.
“Your job is to do whatever I ask you to do,” I fire back. “What do you want? Am I not paying you enough?”
“No, it’s not that,” she hesitates. “I want more of you. You have all these girls….I want you to use only me.”
I laugh, because that is the last thing I expected to hear from her, even though it has already been true. Since her arrival I’ve played only with Charlotte. I have to wonder where this is coming from. I refuse to believe for a second that she has feelings for me, considering the short space of time she’s known me. It has to be something else.
“You have no idea what I use the other girls for,” I chuckle. “I cuff you to a desk and fuck you senseless, and suddenly you’re an expert on what I like? What makes you think you can handle what I like, Charlotte?”
She sits forward, positioning one hand on my shoulder while the other works to lower my zipper. I smirk as her fingers sneak inside, wrapping around my cock.
“What makes you think I can’t?” she challenges.
Chapter 12
Charlotte
Wow, that was intense.
&
nbsp; I stare at my reflection in the elevator mirror, trying to process what just happened, as I ride down from Jaxon’s private floor. I did not expect him to request a favor from me, nor did I think I’d have it in me to barter on the terms. Jess would be so proud of me right now. I can almost hear her egging me on.
What am I getting myself into? He’s right, I have no idea what he’s into, but the only way I’m going to gain his trust is by being around him as much as I can. And I can’t deny that the idea of his using me in every way possible turns me on like nothing else.
Back on my floor, I walk quickly toward my room. As always, the hallway is empty. Why do I never see anyone else here? Surely these girls don’t stay holed up in their rooms waiting for his call? Why would they put themselves through that? The money’s good, but it’s not worth your sanity. I’ve been here two weeks and I’m already going crazy with the amount of time I’m spending indoors.
My heart pounding, I creep down the hallway in the opposite direction from my room. My feet pad along the soft gray carpet toward a closed door. My hands shake as I reach for the handle. I’m surprised when it opens. Before I can talk myself out of it, I’ve opened the door and stepped inside.
A woman sits on the floor, casually flipping through a magazine. She looks up.
“You’re not supposed to be in here,” she says, alarmed. She gets to her feet and moves away from me. From the safety of the other side of the room she studies me. “You’re the new girl, aren’t you?” Her tone is almost accusing, and I find myself feeling bad, even though I’ve done nothing wrong.
“I’m Charlotte,” I say, trying to be friendly.
She frowns at me. “I know who you are.”
Well, this is awkward. I don’t know what I was expecting, but her attitude toward me is baffling. She’s so cold.
“What’s your name?” I try again, using the same friendly tone.
“Kendra,” she mumbles. Her dark eyes flash. “You’re going to get us both into trouble,” she hisses. “As if you haven’t messed things up enough already.”
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