Page 111 of Enthrall Ecstasy
“Why are you doing this,sir,” I answered sharply.
“Sir.”
“You wanted Hillenbrand. I’ve brought Hillenbrand to you.”
“But this is L.A. You’re going to get us thrown out.”
“In that case, you will have failed.”
“What happens then? You’ll drive me home?” she said bitterly.
“Either you obey, or you don’t.”
“And if I don’t?”
I glanced at my watch again, at the second-hand dragging time along with it.
“Comply. Or you won’t meet the deadline.”
Maybe this was a punishment for me threatening to throw Carl Jung’s book into the pool. Okay, it was a collector’s item, but I never would have done it. I loved books too much. He didn’t know that, though. How could he? We’d hardly spent any time together.
Shay was asking me to do something exhilarating and filthy and daring and all kinds of wrong.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t chosen someone who was devastatingly gorgeous. The thirty-something looked like he’d stepped off the cover ofGQ. And the woman beside him was just as stunning.
They were glamorously intimidating.
He looked like a young Marlon Brando, all moody and handsome with an aura of unpredictability. She looked like a vintage princess, perfectly made-up with a flawless dark-skinned complexion and flowing hair.
Shay’s demeanor had now become intimidating.
As soon as I stood up to make my way over to them, he’d probably grab my wrist and pull me down. Maybe give me a dashing smile.
Though right now there was no sign of him changing his mind.
He was apparently waiting to see what I’d do, leaning back against the booth as his fingers trailed through his beard, possibly trying to imagine the scene.
Scanning the restaurant’s patrons, I imagined what they would do when they saw me under the man’s table.
Shay gestured to the waiter. “I’ll tell him we’re leaving.”
“No.” I rested my hand on his.
He was threatening to cancel dinner. Cancel me. I hadn’t come this far to fail this early by tripping over my own fear.
I had nothing to lose.
I wasn’t brave enough to crawl—not in front of this type of crowd, even though it had been an order. That alone would draw immediate attention.
Elegantly, I rose and edged out of the booth, glancing back at Shay, making sure there was no doubt in his mind that he wanted me to perform an elicit act on a stranger.
His focus returned to Brando across from us.
I began walking slowly toward them.
Such an act—one I hadn’t decided if I was going to commit—was socially forbidden. Yet I couldn’t help considering it.
All I had to do was look into that man’s soul to see if this was something he’d like. Something he might be into.
