Page 51 of Purchase Power
She retracted it. “Don’t feel sorry for me about that. I denied myself plenty these past few years. If giving my body to someone for a large sum will bring a boon to my family, then so be it. It’s just sex, right?”
That wasn’t how Lucy saw it, but she didn’t know how to sensitively convey that.What year is this, anyway?Kelsey hadn’t only denied herself pleasures. She didn’t even have thechanceat a normal life. Girls her age should have at least kissed someone by now! Never mind dating… sex… falling in love and thinking about forever…
Of course, most of it was silly. That was the point, wasn’t it?One thing for it to simply never happen to someone her age… but to actively avoid it for some greater family good? It’s so twisted.No wonder Kelsey looked unsure about everything she did. Without someone telling her what to do, what to eat, and how to breathe, she was a lost little puppy hoping for someone to put a leash on her. At least then she was reassured that she could never wander away from home.
“Mr. Hayes is a bit much,” Kelsey suddenly continued, “but he seems to have a good heart. And he’s not too bad to look at.”
“No, he’s not.” He had that ruffian charm to him. Not quite a bad boy, but very much what passed for a class clown in a preppy school. He was young, fit, and had a bright future ahead of him. Lucy had only known him for about an hour, but he had already made her laugh more times than she could count.And Noah likes him…Noah couldn’t be more different from David. Wasn’t that how it worked sometimes, though? “So what’s the problem?”
“He’s outright told me that he’s not interested in virgins. He says it’s too much pressure, especially since he now knows my background. I think he’s afraid of traumatizing me, or something. Honestly…” Kelsey’s weak smile didn’t do much to help. “I think my wedding night to my original fiancé might have been more traumatizing. He had a girlfriend, anyway. He would never have been as true to me as I would have been expected to be toward him.”
“Mr. Hayes sounds like a good guy.”Thank God she didn’t get Noah, then.Considering their first time together… sure, Lucy may have been weak in the knees and trembling in orgasm, but she knew what to expect. Hell, she got turned on by Mr. Rochester in his moody Thornfield Hall. She liked it a little rough and distant. The way Noah took her was absolutely animalistic, and it bent her toes and stroked her ego.He makes me feel like a whole sexual being. We’re not even in love, but he knows exactly how I like it already.That was the confusing thing for Lucy. They weren’t in love, but theymadelove. In their own silly, twisted way. “If you want him to be your first, I say you should ease his worries by showing your genuine interest in him. Maybe he thinks you don’t want to do it. That you’re waiting for love, or that you’re absolutely disgusted by sex altogether. I mean, maybe you are. What do I know? But from only hearing your story, my thinking is that even if you break the contract and go back home, your brother is gonna send you back out there again. And you might not get someone as nice as Mr. Hayes again.”
“Yes, I have thought about this. I’ve also thought about telling my brother to go fuck himself instead.”
Lucy let out a low whistle. “So you are a little tigress, huh?”
“I may have been kept in a cage most of my life, but that’s given me plenty of time to think and plan ahead.”
“Damn, girl, that’s the way to do it.”
Kelsey grinned. “You think so?”
“Hell, yes. Be the master of your own sexual destiny. Give Mr. Hayes a knockout strip performance and start talking dirty. Or write him some sexy letters to get him thinking about you. I dunno. Do what you think sounds hot! You were selling an experience, right? Then give yourselves an experience. Have a full-blown courtship that culminates in sex. I mean, that sounds pretty hot, honestly. And remember, you don’t have to have full-blown intercourse the first time you fool around. There are so many other bases to score first!”
Finally, Kelsey allowed a genuine giggle to cross her lips. “You’re so sweet, Lucy. How are things with Mr. Gabriel? He seems…”
“Moody? Brooding? Straight outta a Brontë novel?”
“I was going to say Jane Austen, but Brontë might be more accurate.”
“Yeah, well,Jane Eyreis my favorite novel, so I keep calling him Mr. Rochester in my head. I’ve been staying at his house, too, out in the countryside not too far from here. Yeah, it’s really called Gabriel Manor, but I call it Thornfield Hall. You catch my drift?”
“Sure. I’ve never read that book, but I catch it.”
“Oh, you should read it! Best book ever! Especially if you like moody bad boys and sassy, independent female leads.”
“But how is he in bed?”
“Who?” Lucy had been halfway to standing up when Kelsey’s question knocked her back into her seat. “Mr. Rochester?”
“Sure.”
Lucy grinned. “I have no complaints. He knows what he’s doing. I mean…” She lowered her head, and her voice, as if another woman were about to come through the restroom door at any moment. “We did it in the back of the limo on the way over here. For real. I just climbed in his lap and went to town on that nice dick of his.”
She feared that might have been too much vulgar imagery for Kelsey, but Lucy was treated to a tight, sly grin. “That is definitely hot to think about. I’m sure Mr. Gabriel knows how to seal the deal.”
“Yeah, well… be glad he didn’t bid on you, I guess. Because the first thing he did after saying hello to me was bend me over and sample the goods.”
Kelsey’s face darkened. “I thought that’s what Mr. Hayes would do. Or take me somewhere that night. He was so drunk…”
“It was hot for me, don’t worry. Honestly, the more I think about that night…” Was it really a whole week ago? “The more turned on I get. Maybe I should suggest we reenact it.”
“I’m surprised that someone like you is so impressed with these men.”
“What does that mean?” Lucy asked.
“Just… you’re a professional escort, right?” The way Kelsey said that, with her hair twirling around her finger, implied that she meant due respect. “You’ve been with many men.”
