Love Is In the Air Volume 1

by Susan Stoker

  Hard limits were to be addressed prior to engaging in any acts.

  Key performance objectives were to be mutually agreed upon.

  And once the session started, I couldn’t stop it unless the client broke a previously negotiated item. Changing objectives or limits during the session was strictly prohibited. While JBI required consent, it did not allow its escorts to function as teases who reneged on certain requests.

  Each statement curled in my gut. I’d expected to be looked at tonight—the dress guaranteed it. But I hadn’t anticipated this.

  Alas, the final stipulations of the document taunted me.

  Another one thousand dollars will be deposited once the shift is completed. Failure to stay until the requisite hour forfeits any and all bonuses.

  Meaning, if I didn’t remain, I’d lose half the money for this audition. And I couldn’t afford that. I needed those funds. It would serve as a healthy down payment to Corban, a show of good faith that would hopefully be enough.

  I had no choice.

  I had to sign.

  And so I did, another piece of my existence being given away to someone else to manage. It seemed the only part of me I owned these days was my heart.

  “Thank you,” the woman said, taking the clipboard and pen from me. “Enter through those doors. You’re candidate number seventeen, meaning sixteen have already arrived. I suggest you not waste time and get started.” Her hazel eyes twinkled, not in a condescending way but in a humored one. “Good luck, sweetheart.”

  I nodded, my tongue too thick in my mouth to speak. Why had I been among the last to arrive? Because they wanted me to fail? Or because they thought the others needed more time? Why not have us all arrive at once?

  Stop thinking and just move, I told myself, my stilettos wobbling as I took a step. I winced and fought the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose.

  I can do this.

  One night.

  Two thousand dollars with the potential for more.

  Go in there, smile, and socialize. Maybe you’ll meet someone interesting.

  I swallowed. The last interesting person I met was Corban, and that hadn’t ended well.

  “Is there a problem, Liani?” the woman asked, picking up on my hesitation.

  “No,” I managed to say, the sound coming out on an undignified croak. I cleared my throat and tried again. “No, I’m fine. Just considering my strategy.”

  She chuckled. “I suggest you enter first, then consider. It might help you see what you’re up against.”

  Something told me that would do the exact opposite, but I nodded again and grabbed the handle. A snick of sound indicated she’d hit a button of sorts to unlock the doors. Then I pushed one open and stepped over the threshold.

  Wealth and opulence hit me at once, the decorations screaming elegance, from the leather seating to the crystal glasses and the very finely dressed men and women mingling throughout the room. My black gown—the same color as my hair—fit right in, as did the gold cuff glinting in the sensual lighting.

  Windows overlooking Manhattan spanned the back wall of the large space, a bar situated in one corner, and two men in suits stood guarding a hallway to my right.

  The bedrooms.

  Right.

  I went toward the bar instead, needing some liquid courage. There was nothing in the paperwork about not being able to drink. Besides, a glance around showed everyone had alcohol, even the other females wearing gold cuffs like my own.

  Of course, all those women were already chatting up men in suits.

  Most of the males in this place were old enough to be my father. Not that I ever met my sperm donor, but I imagined him to be in his forties or fifties.

  The bartender slid a glass of champagne my way. “Compliments of the gentleman at the end,” he said, nodding toward a silver-haired man at the edge of the bar.

  Well, that didn’t take long, I thought, smiling at him as I lifted the glass to my lips. Too bad you look far too old to provide appropriate entertainment.

  Or maybe that was exactly what I needed.

  A man who desired to just… talk.

  Hmm.

  I started toward him, when a shiver of awareness danced over my skin, causing my focus to shift to the entrance. An eerie hum of energy swam through the air, tickling the hairs along my arms.

  And then he entered.

  A god in an all-black suit.

  My lips actually parted because wow. This man put all the others in this room—hell, this city—to shame. And the way he carried himself as he entered said he knew it, too. He possessed the stature of a person used to others bowing to him in every way.

  He owned the suite with each step, drawing several stares to his chiseled features.

  Perfection.

  I had no better word for it. Everything about him was pure male perfection.

  He moved with a purpose toward the bar, ignoring everyone and everything in his path. Including me, as he paused at the stool to my right to order an expensive label of scotch.

  I considered stepping backward, or shifting around him to join the elderly man at the end, but my feet refused me. Just as I couldn’t stop myself from studying his profile.

  Straight nose.

  Square jaw.

  Eyelashes of the darkest shades.

  Thick, nearly black hair.

  And eyes the color of the deepest depths of the ocean.

  “It’s rude to stare,” he murmured, smirking at me. “Although, I suppose I can forgive the boldness if you promise to kneel for me later.”

  Warmth crept up my neck at his words, as well as being caught in the act of gawking. An apology slipped to the tip of my tongue, only to be beat out by a witty reply: “I can think of worse punishments than having to kneel for you.” What. The. Hell. Was. That?

  His eyebrow lifted, his lips curling into a devastating grin. “Perhaps we’ll explore those, too.” He fully faced me, his elbow resting on the bar. “In fact, I’m certain we will.”

  The promise underlining his tone sent a bolt of lust straight to my gut. Confidence was an aphrodisiac, and this man redefined the meaning of the word.

  “Liani,” I said, holding out my hand.

  A flicker of surprise entered his irises, as if he hadn’t expected me to introduce myself. Was that against the code? Because no one told me not to say my name.

  “Liani,” he repeated as if tasting the word. “That’s not your full name.”

  An odd thing for him to say, but he wasn’t wrong. “No, it’s not. It’s short for Kailiani.”

  Another wave of surprise loosened his features, as if he’d not expected such a name.

  “It’s Hawaiian,” I explained awkwardly.

  He tilted his head to the side. “Is it? Because I swear it’s the name of a siren.”

  “From mythology?” I wondered out loud, thinking back on some of my college courses. “I’m not sure. I’ve not heard of a Kailiani. I just know it stems from Kailani in Hawaiian, which does mean ‘the sea’ or ‘the sky.’ ” Why am I jabbering about this? This was not seductive conversation and had to be the wrong way to persuade a man into an arrangement.

  “Fascinating,” he replied. “I’m Nero. Greek for ‘water.’ ”

  My lips curled. “Some might say we’re meant to meet, then.”

  “Many would, yes.” The bartender returned with his drink, but Nero didn’t touch it, his attention solely on me as his gaze danced over every inch of my dress. “How old are you, Kailiani?”

  I almost told him I preferred to be called Liani, but the way he spoke my name made it impossible to voice a correction. Because it sounded so perfect from his lips, so right. And wasn’t that strange? I barely knew this man, yet I could swear I’d heard him call me Kailiani before in my dreams.

  He looked at me expectantly, reminding me that he’d just asked me something.

  My age.

  Right.

  “Twenty-two,” I replied honestly.

 
; Then wondered if I was supposed to be giving these details about myself. I knew my home address was a secret to be kept from all clients for security purposes. Not that any of them couldn’t find me if they wanted to. If these wealthy men wanted to find someone, their bank accounts could afford them whatever information they desired.

  “So young,” Nero mused, a glimmer in his eyes.

  I studied his crisp suit, athletic physique, and handsome face. “You can’t be that much older. Maybe thirty.”

  His lips quirked up on one side. “Oh, I am much older than thirty.”

  “Somehow, I doubt that,” I replied, taking his flirtatious bait. “Thirty-five at most.”

  He chuckled. “I’m beginning to think you actually don’t know.”

  “Should I?” Was he someone famous that I should recognize? Because I sucked at the who’s-who socialite game. I was too busy surviving to memorize bachelor profiles. Assuming all the men here were even single.

  Maybe I should be researching some of these men. The last thing I wanted to do was get in the middle of a troubled marriage.

  Nero finally took a sip of his scotch, his gorgeous eyes regarding me the entire time. Then he set it to the side with a finality. “Mmm, all right, little one. I’ll play, but only because you have me intrigued. An hour ought to be enough to break you, yes?”

  My eyebrows rose. “Break me?” I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of that. And yet, the devious twinkle in his gaze had me wanting to say yes anyway.

  He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. “You did agree to kneel for me, did you not?”

  My thighs clenched in response. “Oh. I, yes. Yes, I did.”

  “Then I want an hour,” he replied, his palm falling to my hip. “Alone.”

  I inhaled sharply, his scent—crisp as an ocean breeze—overwhelming my ability to think. There was something I should do, words I needed to say. But as he drew back to stare down at me through his hypnotic irises, all I could do was nod.

  Everything about him struck me as a take-charge kind of man. He required submission, and some ingrained part of me readily gave it.

  “Is that a yes?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.

  “Yes,” I whispered, unable to utter another sound. I couldn’t believe I was actually agreeing to this, to an hour alone with a man I didn’t know. But this entire week had been about doing things outside my comfort zone, from the interview to the mostly nude photos I took afterward to showing up tonight for this audition.

  It was exciting. Terrifying. Thrilling. Intoxicating.

  Because even without the guarantee of payment for tonight, I’d be tempted to follow this man. He was that charismatic that the idea of a one-night stand more than appealed to me. And I’d never done anything of the sort.

  Actually, my experience bordered on pathetic. Which evoked a whole flurry of concerns.

  What if I don’t satisfy him?

  What if I mess this up?

  What if he finds out I’m—

  His hand lifted and curled around the back of my neck, his mouth still at my ear. “What happened to my confident little nymph? Do you want to kneel for me or not?”

  My insides melted at the prospect, my heart skipping a beat. “Yes,” I said, louder, a needy moan slipping through at the end. No one but him could have heard it, but it gave me away completely. And the look darkening his expression confirmed it as he shifted back to study me.

  “Now I want ninety minutes.”

  I swallowed. “Okay.” I’d give him three hours if he wanted it.

  He smiled. “Give me your wrist, Kailiani.”

  “Yes, sir,” I whispered, holding up my hand.

  “Oh, darling vixen, the things I am going to do to you…”

  I quivered at the darkness of his words, suddenly wondering if I’d just made the biggest mistake of my life. But as his fingers wrapped around mine, I realized I had no choice.

  Those were the rules.

  Once an arrangement was struck, I could no longer negotiate.

  And I’d just given him complete control with a few meager words of acceptance.

  He pressed his watch to my cuff, his lips forming a predatory grin. “You’re mine now, little siren.”

  2

  Nero

  This was not part of the plan.

  Alas, Kailiani wanted to play. So, we’d play.

  However, I didn’t believe this innocent act for a second.

  No, she had something nefarious planned, just like the day she’d escaped me. And I couldn’t wait to beat her at her own game.

  Because I would not lose again.

  Even if it meant fucking the truth out of her, something I’d enjoy since her body and heart were both owed to me. A deal struck generations ago, destroyed by her defiance.

  Well, I had her now. And punishment would be served.

  “I can think of worse punishments than having to kneel for you.”

  Mmm, that sassy little comment had hardened my cock instantly. Fuck, just being near her again aroused me more than anyone or anything else had in the last millennium of my existence.

  Which, of course, only made me hate her more.

  That didn’t mean I wouldn’t take her first. It was my due, after all, and the dilation of her pupils said she wanted it, too.

  Damn.

  This was not how I’d anticipated our first reunion to go after all this time. I’d expected her to run, had even looked forward to the chase. Yet, she’d quite literally fell at my feet, or had readily volunteered to.

  Now it was time to see if she meant it.

  With my palm against her exposed lower back, I guided her toward the two humans guarding the hallway of bedrooms. This whole new era of technology on Earth pleased me because it meant I didn’t have to degrade myself by speaking to these unworthy creatures. I merely held out my watch, one of them scanned it, and the other escorted us to a room.

  Brilliant.

  Kailiani shivered as the door closed behind me, her big brown eyes sliding to the ground in a beautiful display of submission. How far would she take the act? Would she go as far as to allow me to fuck her? Or would she break before I had the chance?

  The notion of it fluttered over my skin, exciting my nerves.

  Oh, I wanted to test these boundaries, find out how far I could push before she caved.

  “Remove the dress,” I said, not bothering to waste any time. We only had ninety minutes, and I required all of them to win this little battle of wills.

  Uncertainty lined her shoulders, confusing me. As a siren, nudity shouldn’t bother her in the slightest. She spent most of her life naked in the waves. Although, oddly, I couldn’t scent the ocean on her.

  When was the last time you went for a swim? I wanted to ask. Most of her kind couldn’t stand to be on land for too long. They craved the sea, much as I did.

  “Is there a problem?” I demanded.

  “N-no. I’m just… Never mind.” The tinge of fear in her tone confused me even more.

  I almost fell for the act, almost asked her to finish the original sentence, but her spine straightened as if she’d made some sort of decision.

  She lifted her nimble fingers to the straps of her dress to drag them over her shoulders to her lightly toned arms and then downward to expose her beautiful breasts. I’d seen them once upon a time, in the waves of our home. But I’d never been given the opportunity to touch them.

  That would change tonight.

  I would possess every inch of her. Every moan. Every breath. She wouldn’t inhale without smelling the sea and my underlying power. And once she was addicted, I’d shatter her. Leave her to the depths of the ocean in despair, where she belonged.

  No one defied me and got away with it.

  Not even someone as gorgeous and alluring as my Kailiani.

  But she deserved a special brand of discipline. One that would leave her alive and miserable and forever thinking of me.

  The gown pooled at her feet, lea
ving her clad in a simple black thong.

  Exquisite.

  Her eyes remained downcast, the dark waves of her hair cascading over her shoulders like a black waterfall. So stunning. I couldn’t wait to wrap those strands around my fist as I drove into her mouth.

  Hmm, but first, I wanted to taste the forbidden fruit of my existence. The one who had escaped my grasp without a backward glance. The female who had nearly destroyed my soul by shattering our tentative bonds.

  I grabbed the back of her nape—not so tenderly—and yanked her to me. Her lips parted on a gasp as I took her mouth in a vengeful kiss underlined in fury. A mortal would break beneath the pressure of my tongue, but Kailiani accepted it, her svelte siren form capable of withstanding wrath better than most.

  Still, she trembled, flinching as I dominated her in a way only a god could.

  If she hoped I would go easy on her, she’d thought wrong. I’d craved this moment for centuries, searching for her tirelessly. She was my single regret, the literal bane of my existence. My runaway betrothed, the one who disappeared on what should have been the most important day of our lives.

  So, instead, I would have her on Earth. Tonight.

  Not the ritual I had planned.

  But it was the one she now deserved.

  This would be degrading.

  Painful.

  And righteous.

  She inhaled sharply as I finally released her, her eyes smoldering with arousal, not horror. Such a good little actress, pretending to like this. But I knew the truth, and she would soon admit it out loud.

  I grabbed the elastic of her thong, snapping it with a flick of my wrist and sending the fabric to the floor with what appeared to be a key. Eyeing the item, I cocked a brow at her.

  “For my apartment,” she explained, her voice a breathy come-hither sound that made my balls ache.

  And here I’d thought only blood could entertain me.

  No, I wanted her wet in an entirely different way, and her bare mound would provide me with an unhindered view. “Go lie on the bed, knees up, legs spread. I want to see your cunt, Kailiani. Show me how much you want me.”

  Something we both knew she couldn’t actually do, even if she wanted to fake it.

  The body gave a woman away, and the second she showed me that dry pussy of hers, I’d have her right where I wanted her.