Red Hot Rose Boxed Set (9 page)

She was scowling.
 
“The most I’ve ever gotten was two hundred.
 
You are such a bitch for getting so much more than me on your first night.”

I laughed, pulling the curtain closed slowly, now not feeling quite as cheap as I had before.
 
“It doesn’t mean anything.
 
I didn’t take it anyway.”

“I want to pull the curtain open again and slap you right now,” she said.

“Well, don’t.
 
I’m almost done anyway.”
 
I shut off the water and pushed the curtain to the side, grabbing the towel she handed me.
 
“I couldn’t take it.
 
It made me feel like a hooker.”

“Yeah, yeah.
 
I know.
 
But you could have used that to buy all your books
and
pay for one of your classes.”

“Don’t remind me.”
 
I stepped out and went to our room, pulling my pajamas out of my top drawer and slipping them on.

Jessica sat down on her bed, lying back on the pillow and staring up at the ceiling.
 
“What did he want to talk to you about when we were leaving?”

“Nothing.
 
Something stupid.”

She turned her head to face me, as I lay down on the bed beside her.
 
I laid on my side so we could see each other.

“It’s not stupid.
 
Whatever it is, I want to know it.”

“Well, when that wench Jacqueline was kind of verbally attacking me, Alexander and I made up a lie about me being Alexander’s PR manager.
 
He just went with it for the journalists there and acted like it was true.”

“So … what did he say out front?”

“That he wanted to talk to me about it.”
 
I shrugged my one shoulder.
 
“It doesn’t mean anything.
 
He’s a politician.
 
He has a front to keep up.
 
I was the ho in the back room he had to hide.
 
It worked out for both of us.”

“Don’t call yourself a ho,” she said softly.
 
“You’re a brilliant girl with a heart of gold.”

I smiled at her loyalty.
 
“Jacqueline Silverman may not agree with you.”

“Well, she’s a dumb cunt.”

I burst out laughing at the vulgarity.
 
“You are
not
supposed to say that word, Jessica Lynn.”

Jessica rolled out of bed and pulled her dress off in one swift movement.
 
“Whatever.
 
I call it like I see it.
 
That woman is a gold digger and an opportunist.
 
She jumped from Alexander to that Flint guy as soon as she saw the writing on the wall.”

“What writing?” I asked, sitting up partway.

“My parents said Blackstone is losing in the polls.
 
They said he’s pretty much done.”

I laid back down, looking up at the poster of Cold Play on my wall.
 
Alexander’s much better looking than any of those guys
.
 
I vowed to myself that I was going to take down all my posters tomorrow.
 
They were too juvenile for a girl who was a fake PR manager.
 
I smiled, imagining myself actually working for the formidable Alexander Blackstone, ordering him around and telling him what to say and not say.
 
And where to touch me and lick me …
 
I quickly shoved those thoughts out of my mind and turned off my bedside lamp.
 
No use dreaming over impossibilities.

“Night, Jess,” I said, yawning loudly.
 
“I’m exhausted.”

“Yeah,” she laughed, “great sex’ll do that to ya.”

I gave her a raspberry and fell asleep just seconds later, dreaming all night of the handsome stranger who said nothing but made me beg until I cried out with joy.

I got home from my last class to find a low-slung sports car parked outside my apartment door.
 
As I got closer, I recognized the handsome man leaning against it.

Alexander Blackstone.

There was a moment when I saw him and he hadn’t yet recognized me that I considered making a u-turn and going in the other direction.
 
But then I admonished myself for acting like a silly child and kept on going, pulling my scooter up next to his car and shutting it down.
 
I took my helmet off and busied myself with dismounting.

Once I was standing on the sidewalk and my helmet was tucked under my arm, I looked up at him.
 
My breath caught in my throat, first with surprise at how handsome he was in the light of day and then with aggravation.
 
I never realized how annoying it could be to have such a hot guy standing in front of me, especially when I could very possibly have bugs in my teeth.
 
I didn’t bother reaching up to touch my hair, much as I wanted to.
 
I knew it was a hopeless mess, probably even flat in some spots from the dumb safety gear I had to wear.
 
I could feel the sweat trickling down the side of my face, the sun having baked my head as I rode home.

“Hello, Rose.”
 
He wasn’t smiling.

“Hello, Alexander.
 
What are you doing here?”

“I told you I wanted to talk to you about that position.”

“How did you know where I live?”

“I asked your former employer.
 
I hear you no longer work there.”

“I couldn’t do it anymore.
 
I have a … pretty full schedule.”

“I’m glad to hear you’re no longer working there.
 
But not so much about the schedule.
 
I will make many demands on your time, I’m afraid.”

I snorted.
 
“I’m not sure how you plan to do that since I told you I’m not interested in working for you.”

“I’m prepared to make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

I shivered despite the hot sun, not even sure what he meant; but the look in his eye was dangerous.
 
Dangerous, as in it brought me flashbacks of last night in his office.
 
I cleared my throat and began walking towards my door.

“There’s nothing you could offer me that would tempt me to work for you,” I said over my shoulder.
 
“I’m sorry you wasted your time.”
 
I reached into my bag to get my keys out.
 
It was only when I was at my door that I realized he’d followed me.

“How can you possibly know that when you haven’t heard my terms?”

“I just know.”

“I’m surprised.”

I stopped fishing around in my backpack and looked up at him.
 
He was disturbingly close, and I could smell his cologne.
 
It was just as potent and effective as it had been last night.
 
I felt myself go moist again and tingles in my breasts.
 
Shit.
 
“Okay.
 
I’ll bite.
 
What are you surprised about?”

“I would have thought you’d taken a few courses on networking and business negotiations.”

“I have.
 
Several.”

“Well, then … why not put your education to use and do something to help your situation?”

“What situation?”
 
I eyed him suspiciously.

“You need money for school.
 
You need work experience if you’re going to find a solid position when you graduate.
 
It could be I’m offering things that could help you, but you’ll never know if you don’t hear me out.”

I gave up trying to find my keys, dropping my bag to the ground in front of my door.
 
“Why?
 
Why me?”

He shrugged slightly, giving me no answer.

I snorted.
 
“Whatever.
 
I’m not a hooker, so you can forget the whole Pretty Woman thing you’ve got going on here.”

He frowned.
 
“Pretty Woman?
 
What’s that?”

I looked at him incredulously.
 
“The movie?
 
Pretty Woman?
 
Julia Roberts and Richard Gere?
 
Like, one of the most romantic movies of all time?”

“Sorry.
 
Never heard of it.”

I bent down, searching through my bag again.
 
“Whatever.
 
I’m not looking for a job.
 
I’m fine.”

“That’s not what I heard.
 
And for the record, I didn’t think you were a hooker.”

“Then why did you try to pay me after … well … you know.
 
After.”

“Because you were working as an escort.
 
You went above and beyond.
 
It’s not unheard of in that industry to receive tips.”

“My going above and beyond, as you call it, was me just having a good time with a cute guy at a party.
 
It wasn’t my job.”

“I got that, when you left the money on my desk.”
 
He pulled an envelope out of his back pocket, folded in half.
 
“Here.
 
Take it.
 
You can use it towards tuition or rent.”

I barely spared him a glance.
 
“Keep it.
 
It’s ho-money.
 
I’m not interested.”

He laughed.
 
It was so shocking a sound coming from him, my head jerked up of its own accord.
 
His features quickly went back to their mask of seriousness, making me think that I had possibly imagined the whole thing.

“Fair enough.
 
But I have booked us a reservation at The Breakwaters in Palm Beach for eight o’clock tonight, so we can discuss our deal.
 
So if you don’t want to arrive late, you need to start getting ready.”

I finally found my keys and stood up, smiling at him in disbelief.
 
“You aren’t hearing me at all, are you?”

“No.
 
Not when you’re saying no, I’m not.”

“Well, I have homework.”

“It’s Friday.
 
You can do it Sunday.”

I unlocked the door and stepped inside, purposely keeping him out in the hallway.
 
“I have plans for Sunday.”

“Cancel them,” he said softly, moving closer to the space I’d left open in the door.

I could see his full lips, just inches above my own now.
 
His face was clean-shaven, but still, I could see where the shadow would be coming in soon on his chin.
 
He nearly overwhelmed me, just standing there like that in front of me, and all I wanted to do was throw myself at him again.
 
It made me angry at myself, that I was so easy.
 
A pretty face and hot body is all it takes, damn the personality.
 
What the heck is my problem, anyway?
 
I refused to consider that his powerful position in town or his money had anything to do with his attraction.
 
But if it wasn’t that, what would it be?
 
It’s not like he was Mr. Personality or anything.

“Listen, Mr. Blackstone …”

“Call me Alexander.
 
Or Alex.”

“Listen, Alexander.
 
I’m flattered, but I’m really not interested.”
 
Yes, I’m lying, but I’m just going to keep doing it because you are pure trouble, Alexander … Alex Blackstone.
 
“I appreciate your offer, but I’m afraid I have to say no thanks.”

“I’ll be here at six to pick you up,” he said.

I opened my mouth to protest, but I didn’t have a chance.
 
He pushed the door in and grabbed me around the back of my neck, pulling my face to his and crushing his lips against mine.

The passion ignited immediately, as if the embers from last night had never even died down.
 
Grabbing me and forcing me to kiss him should have enraged me, but all it did was enflame me.
 
I let the door go, and it swung all the way in, allowing him full access to pull my body up against his.
 
He was already hard, I could feel it through the thin material of my shorts.
 
He shoved his way inside, shutting the door behind him.

“I thought about you all night,” he whispered against my neck, his lips moving to suck where he had just nipped me.
 
It sent shivers through my entire body.
 
His hands slid down, both of them cupping my backside and squeezing, pulling my cheeks apart which only served to heighten my arousal even more.

“I can’t do this,” I whispered back, totally lying to him and me.
 
Truth was, I
could
do this.
 
I just knew I probably shouldn’t.