Page 75 of Emerald

“Thank you. I appreciate you coming to see me,”I say, standing up, wrapping my arms around his waist, and hugging him.

“You’ll be at the gala, won’t you? You won’t leave before then?”he asks as he pats my hair.

“I’ve never been to a gala before, of course I will be there,”I say, looking up at him.

He grabs my throat and then squeezes it.“Send me pictures of the dresses you try on. I want to choose. The thought of you wearing something for me makes me hard.”He pushes his hardness against me.“If I had more time, I would fuck you right now but I’m running late.”

I try to swallow against his hand. “I’m a little sore this morning,”I confess to him.

His fingers relax against my neck.“You are?”he asks, feigning concern. I nod.“Okay, then I will let you rest. My wife arrives tomorrow from Paris. It will be hard for me to see you before the gala next week,” he explains.

Placing my hands on his chest, I let my fingers flex against his suit.“I don’t want to get you into trouble with your wife, so I understand.”

Manuel grins.“You’re such a fucking good girl, I don’t know how I got so lucky.”He leans in and kisses me. It takes everything in me not to gag as his lips press against mine.“I will see you after the gala where we can have some fun. Don’t forget I want photos.”

“I promise. I’ll send photos.”

He places a kiss on my forehead and strides out of my room. I hear him say goodbye to Nash, and then the front door shuts behind him. I reluctantly step out of my room into the living area where Nash is standing, glaring at the door Manuel exited through.

“Are you okay?” he asks, rushing toward me when he notices me standing there.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m great, actually.” Nash’s brows pull together. “He's going to leave me alone until the gala.” Nash seems surprised. “His wife is coming back from Europe, and I can’t be his date anymore.”

“He told me. Asked me to bring you as my plus one.”

I grin. “He said.”

“And this works for you?” Nash asks.

I wrap my arms around his neck. “Other than sending some photos of me in dresses, he’s going to leave me alone. Which means …” I bite my lip, nervous about what I’m going to ask. “Which means maybe you and I can spend some time together.”

Nash’s brows rise high on his face. “Like a date?” he questions me.

“Yeah. Just you and me pretending this life doesn’t exist for a while.”

“You know that Manuel has eyes and ears all over this peninsula. If we are seen together, it will get back to him,” Nash warns. Oh. Of course it will, my face drops. “Hey,” he says, tipping my chin up to look at him. “He doesn’t have access to myhome, and I may know a couple of beaches where his tentacles don’t reach.”

“I need to get out of here for a while,” I confess to him.

“Okay, then get changed. Grab your swimwear and I’ll take you out.”

I’m so excited as I race back into my room and get ready.

My phone buzzes and I see that Manuel is messaging someone. I haven’t checked my phone once since I got home, which was stupid of me.

Manuel: Just checked in on Carmen and she is fine. I knew she would be. That girl was born to be used.

Unknown Name: Her tight little cunt last night was heaven.

Manuel: She’s a fantastic fuck.

My stomach rolls. But I shake it away, I’m not going to let these men ruin my day.

Unknown Name: You’re lucky she helped you complete the initiation for your boys.

His boys? What initiation.

Manuel: Why do you think I blindfolded her? Make her think it was part of the kinky games we were playing. She probably thought it was my friends fucking her.

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