“Would you like both with the pink ribbon?” she asks.
Brad looks at Jane for her preference.
“Yes, that would be lovely,” she says demurely, still shy that the sales clerk knows she’s buying something so sexy.
“Wonderful choice, my dear,” she says.
“Pink for those gorgeous, rosy cheeks,” Brad says, kissing her lightly.
They leave the store and go back to the hotel. Jane is feeling a bit tired out from the day so far and wants to go to her room for a while.
“I have business plans for dinner,” says Brad. “We will have to see each other tomorrow afternoon. You’ll have a note waiting for you,” he says, kissing her on the lips. “Sweet dreams, darling.”
“Don’t work too hard, my dear,” she says, expressing her tender feelings for the first time.
Brad is touched at the endearment and feels the warmth of Jane’s gentle love in his heart.
Chapter 35
When Jane gets back to her room, she finds a huge bouquet of white roses. She is smitten and feels very special.
She opens the note in the card and it says, ‘Thank you for a beautiful day. I’m so glad you chose the ones with the pink ribbons. Please wear the white one tomorrow with the tutu in the closet. Meet me in the ballroom at two p.m. I won’t be able to see you until then. With love, Brad.’
How did he do that? How did he have that note written and delivered when they’d been together the whole time? He thinks of all the details.
She opens the closet and finds a tutu with multi-colored gemstones all over the chiffon. It is so delicate and funky at the same time. She puts it up to the corset and it makes her look like a wild, rocker ballerina. It’s so much fun.
She goes over to the mirror and brushes her hair, letting it hang loose. She puts on the robe and feels the gentle softness against her skin.
He treats me like such a lady, and I can’t help but feel beautiful around him.
She lies on the bed and falls asleep to the soothing sound of the fan.
When she wakes, she realizes she hasn’t called her mom since she left, and usually they speak on Monday nights.
“Hey, Mom, it’s me,” she says.
“Oh, Jane! Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick about you,” says her mom.
“Oh, Mom, I’m so sorry. I’ve had these rehearsals from hell that have been really taking their toll on me,” Jane lies. She doesn’t usually lie to her mom, so she feels a bit guilty.
“Oh, dear, please don’t ever do that to me again. It’s not like you to not call. I was nearly ready to send the police out to look for you,” her mom said with concern, and Jane knew it was true.
She likes hearing the sound of her mother’s voice, her loving concern coming through. Jane can hear how much her mom has protected her throughout her life, never wanting her to lose her innocence.
“I’m so sorry, Mom, you know I’d never want you to worry. The big city seems to take on a life of its own sometimes,” Jane says.
“Do you need money, Jane? Do you feel safe there? I worry about you every day, especially when I hear these news stories about young girls getting sucked in by gangs and drugs there. I couldn’t live with myself if I knew some horrible man was out to get you,” she said.
This brings up fear in Jane, wondering again if she can trust herself with Brad. She’s heard of drug rings and how older men will lure in younger women, giving them gifts, perfume, and all things lavish, just to drug them up and use them as sex slaves. Maybe this is what Brad is doing to her. Her mom is talking some sense into her, and she knows she has her best interests at heart.
“Don’t worry, Mom. I have a good head on my shoulders. You’ve taught me a lot about how to take care of myself,” Jane reassures.
“What’s that sound in the background, Jane? It sounds like waves,” her mom says.
“Oh, that’s my new relaxation music. It helps me go to sleep,” Jane says.
“Oh yes, I’ve heard about that. Let me know how it works.”
“Okay… Mom, I have to get going. I have to go and practice. I love you,” Jane says, not wanting to have to lie to her mom again.
“Alright, dear. I wish we could chat longer. I love you and miss you.”
“I miss you, too. Say hi to Dad for me,” she says.
“Yes, of course. Goodbye, Jane.”
“Goodbye, Mom,” she says.
Jane hangs up the phone and feels just awful. She never wants her mom to worry, and now she has had to lie to her. Jane has never lied to her mom before, and what if she was right? What if this was some scheme to lure her into a drug or sex ring without her even knowing it?
Now, her mom doesn’t know she is in some foreign country. What should she do? Not to mention that driver she spoke to earlier had warned her about Brad.
Jane is feeling panicked now and is looking at the situation through a different set of eyes. She sees all the gifts and can make a case for how he is grooming her to be his little princess. He could easily have connections to criminals, she’s sure of it. At the moment, she is trapped here and there isn’t a way out. She is nervous and afraid, but what can she do about it now?
Jane decides to go out on the beach to relax and think about these things. She heads down to the lobby and asks the front desk if she can borrow a beach umbrella and get room service delivered there.
Jane orders a piña colada, takes off her clothes revealing the white bikini underneath, and lets the sun comfort her. Thoughts and feelings are swimming in her head, and she has no idea what to do about them.
There is a gentleman on the beach, with dark hair and sculpted abs.
“Do you mind if I join you?” he asks.
For some reason, Jane feels like she’s betraying Brad just by talking to this man.
“I don’t bite,” he says.
Feeling mistrusting and on edge, Jane replies, “Well, I really don’t know that, do I?”
“No, I guess you don’t,” he says. He reaches out his hand and says, “Hi, my name is John. I’m gay.”
Jane smiles, feeling a bit relieved that he’s not interested in her.
“Oh, well, that’s a relief,” she says. “Yes, please have a sit.”
They proceed to get to know each other, laughing, talking, and getting along. He makes everything feel normal. They head back from the beach and go through the hotel lobby.
“Lovely to meet you, John. I hope you have a good time here,” Jane says, the front desk overhearing.
“And you, Jane,” he replies, going in the other direction.
Jane walks back to her room, feeling more at ease that someone else knows her here.
Chapter 36
As Brad leaves Jane behind to head back to his workspace, there is a warm glow over his heart. It is so good to experience these feelings of love again.
He thinks about how enticing she looked in that corset and can only imagine how she will look in the black one. Her pale, soft skin next to the garment will make her look like a vixen.
He can’t wait to kiss those little rosebud tits, sucking, then twirling his tongue around them, pinching them lightly to get her all excited. Brad can feel another hard-on coming, and he can hardly contain himself.
He turns around and goes back to his hotel room. Fumbling with the door, he finally gets inside. Taking his tie off and untucking his shirt, he unfastens his pants and pulls down his white cotton boxers. He unbuttons his shirt and drops it to the ground.
In his room is a row of mirrors. He goes over to them and studies himself. His biceps are pretty well-developed, and his abs are looking tight. He’s been exercising every day, and he feels like it’s finally paying off.
“Looking pretty good there, Mr. Halliwell,” he says to himself.
He sees his hard cock and imagines that Jane is there, ready to do whatever he tells her, dropping to her knees and wrapping her mouth around his dick. He imagines her sucking and tasting him, getting him harder and h
arder. Holding her head, he teaches her how he likes it—hard and fast, pushing and pulling back and forth.
He imagines her wearing the corset with nothing on the bottom, and seeing her ass in the mirror. She would have on bright-pink lipstick, marking him with the color. She would suck him so loud and hard, slurping sounds echoing all around them. She’d be getting all horny for him while he watches her and strokes her cleavage.
Brad keeps stroking his cock, the blood rushing from his balls into the shaft, causing it to pulsate more and more until he comes all over the mirror as he lets out a huge groan.
“Suck me fast, you slutty princess!” he shouts out. “Show me the best you’ve got.”
He falls back on the bed, his hand sticky and covered in sperm. The ocean breeze wafts in and he falls slowly asleep.
Luckily, he had set the alarm on his phone to remind him of his business meeting. He gets up, goes to the shower, and gets dressed again.
He can’t believe what Jane brings out in him, this sweet girl from Utah. My God, what is happening to me?
Heading down to the lobby, he is all set to meet a business colleague.
“Mr. Halliwell, good to see you. You’re looking good these days. Is the fresh, tropical air helping you out?” asks Marcus.
“You could say that. A whole lot of freshness does wonders for a man’s life. You know what I mean?” he responds.
They find a spot to sit and start their meeting. He looks over toward the lobby and sees Jane walking with a handsome man beside her. She’s laughing, and it looks like they have become quite acquainted.
Brad is crushed.
How could she do this to me? I never would have seen that in her.
For the rest of the business meeting, Brad is distracted and can’t keep his head on straight. He just nods, smiles, and continues on. By the end of it, he feels quite depressed.
He wants to go up to Jane and demand to know what the hell is going on. Then he wavers and tries to find the reason why she’s finding this man attractive instead of him. His mind is racing with panicked thoughts and he is terrified to discover the truth.
When they finish, Brad goes up to his room, taking a bottle of wine with him. He spends the evening in, watching crappy, black and white movies.
He goes over his lifetime of feeling cheated on, disappointed, hurt, and betrayed by women. He beats himself up, thinking he should have known better.
It seems that Jane will go after anyone who shows her attention, but really, doesn’t she get that I don’t want to share her?
His mind can’t stop the feelings of anger, sadness, and rage. How will he even address this with her? Is he even allowed to be jealous at this point? They aren’t a couple or anything.
He torments himself all night long, having dreadful nightmares. He can’t sleep or settle down. When he gets up in the morning after only four hours of sleep, he gulps down an energy drink and drags himself out of bed.
Down at the restaurant for breakfast, he mopes over his eggs and toast.
“Good morning, Mr. Halliwell,” says the waiter.
He doesn’t respond, which is unusual for him.
“Freshly squeezed orange juice, sir?” he asks.
“Nah,” he responds. “Can you get the hotel manager for me?”
“Is there something you’re unhappy with, sir?”
“Yes, but it’s not you. It’s something else.”
“Okay, sir, just a moment,” he says politely.
The office manager comes over.
“Please, have a seat. I have something to ask you and it’s rather private in nature,” says Brad.
The hotel manager feels concerned, wondering if there is something the staff has done wrong.
“Yes, sir, what is it? You know we always want you to be happy,” he asks.
“Well, honestly, I know this sounds ridiculous, and I know you are sworn to confidentiality, but I need this one favor,” Brad pleads.
The hotel manager has never seen Brad like this before. Usually, he is way more in charge of things.
“Sir, what is it? Of course, you know we greatly respect you,” the manager reassures.
“Well, yesterday afternoon, there was a gentleman that Jane was walking into the lobby with. A handsome man,” Brad explains.
“Oh yes, John Millbrook, our hotel’s accountant,” the manager explains matter-of-factly.
Brad feels embarrassed to even ask more questions. Normally, he doesn’t show he cares this much for a woman.
“John Millbrook. What do you know about him?” Brad asks vaguely.
“Well, I’m not sure what you want to know. Business-wise, he is reliable, dependable, very good at what he does,” the manager outlines.
“No, I mean about his personal life. Is he single? Married?” Brad presses.
“Oh, I see. Well, he’s quite a private man, but I do know he’s interested in men,” the manager tries to explain discreetly.
“Oh, he’s gay?” Brad suddenly feels happier.
“Yes, I believe so, sir,” the manager replies, wondering if perhaps Brad is now interested in men.
“That’s all I need to know,” says Brad, chuckling a bit. “You know, I thought he was hitting on Jane. Wow, am I ever relieved,” Brad says with a smile.
The manager now realizes what Brad was fishing for.
“Jane is a gem,” he says. “Is that everything, sir?”
“Yes, that’s everything. Thank you.”
“Good day.”
“And to you,” says Brad, getting started on his eggs.
Chapter 37
Just before two p.m., Jane heads down to the ballroom, her ballerina outfit covered by a long, cotton overcoat. She stands out from the crowd of people wearing shorts and tank tops, like a princess with an elaborate gown walking through the crowd. People look at her with a feeling of awe, thinking she somehow looks regal.
She opens the doors and a waft of cool air comes out. The floor is made of a fine bamboo, and one of the walls is made of glass, looking out onto the beach. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
She takes off her overcoat and hangs it on the hook. She does a toe-heel step around the room, as well as a few twirls. It feels like she hasn’t danced in ages. She usually dances every day, sometimes twice a day. Her body feels stiff from traveling and all the stress of the past few days.
Jane doesn’t hear the ballroom door open behind her. Brad stands by the wall and watches while she moves and twirls, getting lost in her own world. He moves his head to the side and takes in her delicate nature, so gentle, soft, kind, and graceful, yet bold. Exactly what he saw that night at the theatre.
Jane spins, and spins, and spins, then notices Brad there. She stops, feeling shocked and a bit embarrassed.
“Oh, how long have you been here?” she asks meekly.
“Long enough to see how beautiful and talented you are,” he says.
He knows all the right words to make Jane feel at ease. She gently walks over to him and gives him a peck on the cheek.
“Is that all?” Brad asks, grabbing her by the waist, pulling her into him, and kissing her on the lips. Jane surrenders and feels so safe. She loves being held by him. When they stop, he looks at her and moves her hair aside.
“Jane Bryden, you keep getting more and more beautiful the longer I know you,” he says.
“Well, how can that happen?” she says, with a smile on her face.
“Because you are beautiful inside and out,” he says, grabbing her hand and spinning her out, then back to him.
“Will you dance for me, Jane? My own private dance?” he asks.
“It would be my pleasure,” she says.
Jane starts spinning and twirling, lifting her leg and taking leaps into the air. It’s as if she has wings. She floats and falls so easily, runs and contracts with passion. Jane twirls around Brad and wraps her leg around his, pressing her body against his.
She can feel his cock getting hard against her belly, and she i
s so pleased that she is able to arouse him this way.
“You really are the sexiest woman alive, Jane. You take my breath away,” whispers Brad in her ear.
His breath sends tingles through her, lifting the hairs on the back of her neck. She pulls away, trying to play a bit hard to get.
Brad smiles, appreciating her willingness to not be too easy.
Brad pulls two invitations out of his pocket.
“Ms. Jane Bryden, I am wondering if you will accompany me tonight for a special, black tie affair,” he asks, waving the cards in the air.
“Whatever will I wear?” she asks.
“Don’t you worry about that, my girl. What you’re wearing right now is perfect,” Brad comments.
“Oh, don’t be silly, Brad. I can’t wear this to a black tie event. Everyone will think I’m a floozy,” she says.
“Well, not at all, because you will be a special feature there,” Brad assures.
“Whatever do you mean?” Jane asks, confused.
Brad shows her the invitation. On the invitation it says, ‘Special Guest Dancer—Jane Bryden,’
Jane feels a bit horrified and confused.
“Do you mean I’ll be dancing in front of your friends?” she asks, feeling a bit icky.
“Well, they aren’t really friends. They are very notable people in the business world, and they are supporters of the arts,” he explains. “I want them to see your talent, Jane. That is why I organized this event.”
Jane feels flattered that he would go to this length for her.
“For real? I thought you were just wanting me for my body,” she says, half-jokingly. “You actually care about my career, too?”
“Of course! Though your body is driving me wild, I see your heart that dreams and aspires. You’ve worked hard to get to where you are, and you deserve the support,” he says, tenderly.
Jane is touched and feels so cared for. Life has been so hard and lonely since she moved to New York. All worries of drugs and sex trafficking have faded away.
“But this isn’t my usual style, Brad, you know that,” Jane says, pointing down to her outfit.
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