by Maggie Cole
"Why would they be okay with us saying no?" I ask.
Star's eyes turn to slits. "These men are rich. They are cocky and looking to relieve stress. They are not rapists. They know you have the choice and hold all the cards. It's the only time in their lives they don't have complete control. But I won't lie. It is a challenge for some of them to see if they can get the girl they want into their bed. So you must be prepared for them to continue to approach you even when you've already said no."
Blood pounds hard between my ears, and I gaze around the room. Then I freeze when I get to the suite positioned in the center of the room. Colton stands at the window. His jacket is off, sleeves rolled up, and forearm full of tattoos in full view. He takes a sip of his scotch and focuses on me.
"He doesn't invite women into his suite," Star says.
I jerk my head toward her. "What? How is that possible?"
"He almost always stays in the bar area unless he has out-of-town business colleagues he's entertaining. Those men are all STD tested before they come in here as well. They also have to sign a release agreeing to the rules and aren't allowed to make any agreements that involve my girls outside the club."
"But the other members can?" Cee Cee asks in a disapproving tone.
"Yes. The members are vetted. They understand what they have here can be taken away. They won't risk it."
I tap my fingers on my drink. "What does he want from me?"
To sleep with me.
Star raises her eyebrows. "I don't know. You'll have to ask him. But the other girls will be jealous."
"Why?"
She snorts. "Did you look at him?"
My face flushes.
"Ah. I don't need to explain any further."
"What do you get out of this?" Cee Cee asks.
Star takes another drink and smiles at her. "You ask smart questions. I am the manager. I get ten percent of anything anyone makes. The girls, the bartenders, etc."
"So, you don't dance?" I ask.
"I do, but I only have specific men I dance for. They pay me extra to be exclusive to them."
"What does Jasmine get for your ten percent?"
Star laughs. "She gets my guidance and support. She gets my protection. And no one comes through the door without paying the house. I am the house."
I take a sip of the drink.
Could I do it?
There are so many men.
I survey the room again. The diversity of women surprises me. All sizes, shapes, and ethnicities are represented.
Star leans forward. "I suggest you always negotiate for your gentleman to pay me my fee. Then you don't get a cut."
"They will pay more?"
She snorts. "What they pay us is pocket change. It's hard to comprehend but the truth. Always negotiate higher. Always have them pay my fee."
"And that's why she makes the big bucks," Cee Cee teases.
I lock eyes with her. "What do you think?"
Cee Cee shakes her head. "I can't make this decision for you."
"But if you were me?"
She says nothing. I already know the answer. There is no choice. My daughter needs to live and stop being sick all the time. This is the answer to my money problems.
I turn to Star and put on a brave smile. "Okay. I'll do it. But I'm not sleeping with any of them."
She rises. "Come with me. It's time for your first job."
"Tonight?"
She tilts her head and squints. "You don't want to make money tonight?"
"I... I wasn't... I'm not even wearing anything sexy."
Star nods to the window. Colton is still staring at us, and I wonder if he's looked anywhere else while we've been talking. "I don't think it matters what you wear. I suggest you take his money while he's interested. The one thing Colton Ash doesn't do is come back here unless he's entertaining business associates. So if you've caught his eye, I'd cash in on that while you can."
4
Jasmine
Star drops me off at Colton's suite and leaves. My stomach flips faster.
Colton's cocky expression does nothing to cool the heat burning between my legs. "Are you going to come in or stand by the door the entire time?"
I twist my fingers. Think about Abby. I manage a smile. "Should I sit?"
"Do you want to sit?" he asks in a teasing tone.
I tighten the grip on my hands. "I...um... I'm not..." I glance out the window. Cee Cee is sitting at the table with Star, watching me.
What am I doing here?
Colton steps forward, and his scent wafts in my nose. "Why don't we sit down and talk."
I glance up. "Talk?"
His lips twitch. He steps closer and twists a lock of my hair around his fist and lightly tugs it. "Do you want to do something else right now?"
I open my mouth and shake my head, not sure what to say.
He laughs then releases my hair. "I'm teasing you." He steps back and holds his arm out for me to take a seat.
I perch myself on the end of the couch and cross my legs.
Colton's eyes drift to my thighs. He studies every part of my body. His eyes could be lasers, burning heat straight to my core. He reaches my face. "Do you want a drink?"
"No. Yes. No. I'm not sure." I bite my lip, not sure if I should be drinking or not.
Probably not.
He continues assessing me then picks up a metal pitcher of water and a glass. He fills it and hands it to me. "Maybe water is better right now?"
"Yes. Thank you." I accept the water, immediately taking a cool drink.
He chooses the seat next to me so our bodies touch. A trail of tingles races up my thigh. I inhale sharply. He leans into my ear and says, "You should never go into a man's suite until you've agreed upon your terms."
I turn quickly, and he glances at my lips. "I don't know what I'm doing. I'm sorry. I should go." I rise, and he pulls me down on his lap.
"Don't go."
My heart hammers against my chest cavity. My mouth goes dry.
"Another thing you should never do is allow a man to keep you in his room if you don't want to be there." He cocks his eyebrow.
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.
His face turns serious. "You're here for a reason?"
Abby connected to machines in a hospital bed fills my vision. I blink hard and nod.
"Okay. So am I."
"Oh?"
"How much for exclusivity?"
Exclusivity? "I don't understand."
He traces my jaw. "I don't want any other man in here having any access to you. How much?"
The air becomes thick. I take shorter breaths, shaking my head. "You only want me in your room?"
"Yes. Or anywhere I choose. But no one else can have you."
"Have me?"
"No touching, no dancing, no flirting with any of them. No deals. You are mine and mine alone. How much?"
I would be his.
Yes, please.
No. This is not a relationship.
"What would you expect from me?"
His lips curl. "Whatever I want."
"I won't sleep with you," I blurt out.
He leans into my ear. "I don't pay for sex. When you sleep with me, I'm not paying you." His tongue hits the back of my ear.
My pussy clenches. I gasp.
His hand massages my ass.
I close my eyes, softly moan, then realize what is happening. I pull away from him, and I rise to leave. "This isn't going to work. I'm sorry—"
"Stop," he commands.
I freeze.
He pulls me back on his lap. "Tell me how much you want."
"I'm not having sex with you. I can't."
"You have a husband or boyfriend?"
"No."
"You're a lesbian?"
"No."
He glances at my lower body. "You have a chastity belt under there?"
"What? No! I—"
His face breaks out into a huge grin.
He's teasin
g me again. "I'm not letting anyone pay me for sex."
His face falls. "I already clarified I'm not paying you for sex."
"Then what are you paying me for?"
"Exclusivity. You're at my beck and call. When I tell you I want to see you, you stop whatever you're doing and meet me wherever I tell you to."
"I have other jobs."
"Quit."
"I can't."
"Do they pay you as much as this?"
"I don't know what this pays."
"Tell me what you want."
"You haven't said what I'm going to be doing when I'm with you."
"Yes, I did. I told you, whatever I want."
"But I said I won't sleep with you."
"You need to work on your listening skills. I do not pay for sex. Never. I don't need to.” His cockiness reappears on his face.
I'm so out of my element here. I can't do this.
I get up. "You're not answering my question. I'm not doing this. Thank you, but no thank you." I get to the door, and his hand comes over the top of my head.
He slams it into the door. "Wait."
I jump and spin. "You're scaring me."
His eyes widen. "I am not a man who hurts women. If I frightened you, I apologize. Don't go."
I focus on his chest. Abby's face once again haunts me.
"I will give you a thousand dollars when you leave if you sit down and finish negotiating with me."
I gape at him.
Is this guy crazy?
Yep, he has to be.
One thousand dollars just to sit down?
"Fine. Please step back."
He exhales and obeys.
I walk to the armchair so he can't sit next to me. "I won't agree to anything unless I know what I'm getting involved in."
The cockiness he had earlier disappears. "You're smart to ask. Don't go into an agreement with any man unless you understand what you will be doing."
"And we would be doing…?"
"From time to time, I have events to go to. You will be my date."
My closet full of yoga pants and second-hand store dresses comes to mind. "I don't have fancy things."
"I will take care of it. Anything you need comes from me as a gift."
Events sound easy. I can do that.
"That's it?"
A smoldering expression crosses his face. "No."
"What else?"
He licks his lips, and his eyes wander over my body. I try not to squirm. He says, "When we are in here, you will also dress in what I provide."
"So, I'll be clothed?"
"Until I tell you to take it off."
My heart races. I glance out at the room full of people.
"I will shut the shades. I will not allow any other man to see you."
I'm at a strip club. I agreed to work here. This isn't unreasonable.
How far can I fall?
It's not about you. It's about getting Abby her treatments.
"Okay, on the clothes, but what will I do when I am in here?"
"Whatever—"
"Don't tell me whatever you want. I need you to be a little more specific."
He rises and holds out his hand. When I don't take it right away, he says, "Take my hand, Jasmine. It isn't sex."
I release a big breath and obey. He pulls me up and leads me to the window. He stands behind me, circles his arms around my waist, and leans close to my ear. "You see all those women?"
I tell myself not to sink into him, but I do. "Yes."
"What are they doing?"
I glance around. "Dancing."
"And?"
"Talking."
"Keep going."
"Drinking."
His breath hits my neck. "Do you see them touching?"
Almost all the women are touching some man. "Yes."
"And are they having sex?"
"No."
"Okay, so is it clear what I'll be paying you for?"
Can I really do this? The women all look comfortable and secure in what they are doing. I'm going to have to do it in private with Mr. Lickable focused on me.
"I don't know how to do what they are doing. I haven't done this before."
He softly chuckles and traces his finger over the curve of my waist. "I think it's all learnable. Don't you? Plus, it's just us."
Would it be better out there with others watching or just us in here?
How am I even going to do what those women do? I don't know the first thing about dancing or stripping.
Tell him you can't do this.
The memory of Abby's almost-lifeless body a few months back when I thought we were losing her cuts through my soul.
I don't have any other options.
"Tell me what you want, Jasmine, to quit your jobs."
I want my daughter to live.
I keep my eyes shut, leaning against him, smelling his sexy scent, and feeling the beat of his heart against my head. This isn't anything I thought I would ever be doing. But if he will give me the money I need to save my daughter, then there aren't any choices to make.
"I can't quit my main job. I need my insurance, and when this is over, I still have to have it. I'll quit my other two."
"I'll add you to my company payroll and benefits."
I open my eyes and tilt my head. "That's very generous, but I need insurance forever. I... I have reasons I need it."
"Would ten years of benefits give you enough security?"
Shocked, I try to find words.
He mistakes my silence. "Twenty years?"
I don't think my pulse has ever beaten so hard outside of the hospital.
"I'll put it in a contract. Benefits for twenty years. When this is over, I'll give you an ongoing stipend of five thousand dollars a month, along with your benefits package for the duration of whatever is left on the time."
I could stay home with Abby and spend time with her.
She has preexisting conditions. I can't just switch insurances without reviewing it.
"Ten thousand a month," he says.
Holy…
"I think it's a fair offer. Or is there something else you want in order to quit your job?"
"I need to review your coverage."
"One thing I do, Jasmine, is take care of my people. I have the best of everything, including my benefits."
I've dealt with enough insurance issues every time my employer changes companies to save a few bucks. "I'm sorry, but I won't agree to quitting until I review your policy."
"Is there something specific you're looking for? I highly doubt it isn't covered, but if it isn't, I will make sure it is."
I sternly reply, "I will let you know after I read through it." Something tells me not to tell him anything about my personal life or problems. And right now, I'm an emotional basket case. Every other minute, I seem to erupt in tears. The last thing I want is Mr. Lickable, who wants no drama and is offering to solve my money issues, to see me cry.
He lowers his voice. It softens a few levels. "You don't want to tell me what you're looking for?"
I shake my head.
"I will allow you to review it, but you must promise me if there is something not in it you need, then you tell me so I can add it."
I don't respond to his request for my word. Instead, I blurt out, "Are you an honest man?"
He doesn't hesitate. "Yes."
"So, you aren't lying right now?"
"About what?”
Am I in some sort of dream where my money issues go away and I can have hope for Abby again? Or a nightmare where I will wake up tomorrow and he'll have changed his mind?
"This is a crazy proposal. At least, for me it is. I don't live in your world."
"Maybe you should step into it."
I ignore his statement, which makes it sound like it's so easy to just go from my state of drowning poverty to his lavish lifestyle. "When you say you're going to do these things, do you ever go back on your negotiation?"
His lips graz
e my ear. "I am a man of many things. Rich. Selfish at times. Unable to not go after what I want." He pauses then says, "Some people might call me a bit obsessive. Right now, I want to have you at my beck and call, doing the things I demand. What you should know about obsessive men is, they don't stop wanting when they close their eyes at night."
I need to hold on to something, so I reach for the window in front of me.
He steps forward and presses me closer to the glass then growls, "How much?"
I need twenty-five thousand each week of treatment.
"I'm also impatient, Jasmine. Give me your daily rate."
"How many nights a week will I see you?"
"Once. Three times. Every day if I wish. It depends on my schedule. But I reserve the right at any time to see you. So if I want more, I get more. And it isn't only nights. If I want you at five in the morning, you will come to me."
I have to make sure I have someone to watch Abby.
I always figure it out. This will be no different.
If I got five thousand a day, I could have the money in a few weeks for the first treatment, a week and a month at the longest if he only saw me once a week.
I need five grand for the deposit now.
I tilt my head up. "Five thousand a day. Cash."
"Done."
"Until I see the contract and your benefits, I won't commit to anything. And I want five thousand for tonight's negotiations.”
He steps back, walks to the wall, and moves a picture. A safe is behind it, and he punches in a code. It's full of cash. I've never seen so much in one place before.
An impressed expression fills his face. "Well done. You are smarter than you think." He grabs a stack, counts out ten bills, then picks up another stack and adds it to the loose cash. He shuts the safe and adjusts the picture over it.
My insides shake.
The blue in his eyes reflects his satisfaction. He steps forward and puts the cash in my hand. "Six thousand. One for staying and five for negotiations."
I try to breathe. I have her deposit. Do not cry in front of him.
I clear my throat and stand straighter. "Thank you. I need to leave now. I didn't come prepared to stay long. Oh, I also require you to pay the extra ten percent to Star so it doesn't come out of my five thousand."
More approval crosses his face. "Done." His eyes roam on my lips. "Give me your cell number and email. My assistant will send the insurance policy information tonight. You will have a contract in your mailbox in the morning. Tomorrow, I will have my HR department contact you to add you to my benefits. And I need you to go shopping. I will courier a card for you to use at your discretion."
