Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 106806 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106806 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
“We’re driving to New York,” he says.
“In what car?” I don’t have one, and Oliver sold his.
“My buddy is loaning me his until I can arrange for another. It’s no Viper, but it’s reliable. You want to pay me back, and this is how we start.”
“Do I get to know what this favor is, or do you intend to keep me in suspense?”
“It’s simple.” When he reappears in the kitchen, his hands are full of shopping bags. He holds them out for me. “You’ll wear these things, sit at the bar at a fancy restaurant, enjoy an overpriced martini, and make meaningful eye contact with the guy at the bar.”
“Any guy?”
“No. A very specific guy.”
“How do you know he’ll be there?”
“Because he’s obsessive about routine. When he’s in New York, he goes to Clementine’s at nine every night, where he drinks a double of his favorite bourbon.”
“Seriously? That predictable?”
“Like clockwork.”
I stare at Oliver. My gut says I can trust him, but intellectually, I realize this is all too good to be true. “Who is he?”
“A businessman who has something of mine. You’re going to help me get it back.”
With a skeptical frown, I take the bags, gaping when I register the logo on each. The biggest bags are from Louis Vuitton and Louboutin. The smallest bag is from Tiffany, and the bag in between is from Bergdorf. “These are for me?”
“Yes. For next week.”
“How did you know my sizes?”
He shrugs. “Your stuff is here. It was easy enough to find out.”
I can’t bring myself to be annoyed with him over that because I’m sick to my stomach at the thought of how much money is hanging from my fingertips. Even though I’ve never worn anything so expensive—at least not in my adult life—my mother is obsessed with appearing wealthy and scours the internet for affordable secondhand high-end brands. I know how much this is worth.
“You should probably try it all on so I can arrange for replacements if anything doesn’t work on you,” Oliver says.
I finally tear my gaze off the bags and meet his eyes. “Why the fancy clothes?”
“Anything else and he won’t come near you. He’ll recognize the value of everything in those bags, and it will put him at ease.” He jams his hands into his pockets, and his jaw tightens. “He’s the kind of man who is too jaded to interact with a woman beneath his social status.”
“Because if I go in there in my own clothes and . . . make eye contact, he’ll think I’m a gold digger.”
“Something like that.”
My skin goes cold. It’s not what you thought. It’s worse. “I’m not fucking a stranger, so if you—”
“Savvy. That’s not what this is.” He holds my gaze for a long time, sending my heart racing faster and faster with each second. “I promise he won’t lay a finger on you. That’s not what he’s looking for. But I’ll be watching from the bar across the street to make sure you’re safe every moment.”
“So that’s all?”
He blows out a breath. “I want you to stay here too. I’m only in town until early December. I want you to stay here until I move out.” He folds his arms. “And before you give me that look, I’m asking you to live in my loft, not to be my sex toy.”
“Why?”
“Because I want certain people on this campus to know you’re not available.” He shoves his hands in his pockets. “Actually, consider it part of the deal.”
“You want me to wear fancy clothes and drink at a bar to attract the attention of some guy, and you want me to live here? And in exchange, my brother’s debt to you is paid?”
“Yeah. Is that going to be a problem?”
I study the bags again. “I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to.” He nods toward the bedroom. “Now go get some sleep. You had a hard day.”
I bite my bottom lip. “I’m sorry that I thought . . .” God. I’m mortified. What did I think I was doing? Was I really going to give him a blowjob just to prove a point? “I’m sorry.”
I head down the hall and reach for the bedroom door.
“Savvy?”
I turn. “Yeah?”
“When I let you get on your knees for me, we’ll both know you want to be there. Got it?”
I don’t reply, just shove into the bedroom and shut the door behind me, but not even the silence of his bedroom can calm my racing heart.
Part Five
PRESENT DAY
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SAVVY
“What do you think?” I lift my arms out to my sides. “Does this look okay?”
Alec sweeps his tongue across his bottom lip as he looks me over. “I think I need you to turn around. You know, so I can do a full inspection.”
Little butterflies shimmy in my stomach. I bite back my grin and do a slow turn. We didn’t talk all week except for a few texts solidifying our plans for this weekend. He offered to let me stay at his place—Plenty of bedrooms. This isn’t a proposition.—but I passed. Taking him up on that offer seemed too intimate, and I’m trying to keep my boundaries clear for both of us. But then I got to the hotel and the lady at the front desk said someone had bought me a massage so I could relax before my big night. So much for boundaries, but isn’t that just like him? Too sweet and caring to worry about rejection.