Page 23 of Rotanev
Awareness trickled up my spine as I walked, Nero’s gaze a brand against my back. There was no doubt in my mind who owned me in this moment. I would happily remain here, basking in his attentions forever. Not practical, but nothing about dreaming was ever considered realistic.
Veronica stood waiting for me just inside the bathroom while pretending to touch up her overdone eye makeup. She batted her lush, dark lashes at me and smiled. “I take it you got the job?”
Ah, right. In my hurry to prepare for Nero today, I’d forgotten to text her and give her a heads-up. Since she was the one who’d introduced me to JBI, and vouched for me, I definitely owed her a debt of gratitude. “Yes. They just called a few hours ago.”
“And you already have a date?” She smiled, waggling her eyebrows. “A sexy one, too, from the looks of it.”
“He’s… yeah.” I had no words to describe Nero Rotanev.
“I bet he’s kinky as fuck.” The statement was pitched low, for my ears alone. “I mean, there has to be a reason a man that good-looking needs, well,us.” She giggled and started applying lipstick. “Of course, most of them are just too busy succeeding in life and want something noncommittal with an expected end date.”
I frowned at her words, mostly because of the truth behind it. “Is it normal to spend a week with them?”
“Oh yeah. I’ve got mine through the weekend.” She grimaced, then shrugged. “But it’s worth it.”
“What’s the longest you’ve done?”
“About a month, but Sophia just spent two years with hers.” Veronica’s hazel eyes met mine in the mirror. “Honestly, I think she had begun to believe it was love. But he dropped her for a fresh new thing just last week. Sophia’s a complete wreck over it.”
I didn’t know Sophia, but I felt for her. Two years had to feel like a breakup.What if Nero kept me on for that long?He said he didn’t share, made it very clear that he didn’t want me to schedule anyone else. Would he do the same? Had he already done that to someone else at JBI? I knew nothing about his background, nothing about whom he had purchased before me.
“So let that be a lesson to us all,” Veronica continued, oblivious to my thoughts. “Never get attached, because they certainly won’t. You’ll be discarded the second he finds his next pretty conquest.”
Her comment, while meant to apply in general, stung. Because I had felt something forming between me and Nero that could bemore. I couldn’t explain it, just an instinct that had me feeling far too comfortable in his presence.
But she was right.
This arrangement could only be temporary.
Not only as a result of him hiring me to please him, but also because I had no intention of making this a long-term endeavor. Once I had the funds to pay off Corban, I was done. I’d finish school and leave New York City for good.
“Earth to Liani,” Veronica said, waving a hand before my eyes. “You’ve totally spaced out on me.”
“Sorry, I’m just exhausted.”
She smirked. “All that work under the table?”
My cheeks heated in response. “I thought we weren’t allowed to talk about any of this?” It was in the contract I had signed during the interview process. Client confidentiality was extremely important to JBI for obvious reasons.
“Yeah, yeah. As you’re my childhood bestie, I think we’re fine.” She winked and picked up her purse. “But I should get back to my date before he wonders what’s taking me so long. I just wanted to say hi!” She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. “Welcome to my secret life.”
I scoffed at that. “Not a secret when I already knew, V.” She’d been involved with JBI since right after high school, and while she never shared the dirty details, I knew what she did for a living. It was the path she chose instead of college. Now that I saw the financial benefits, I understood why. She could always go to school later—and pay for it up front—when she tired of dating rich guys for cash.
“Yeah, yeah. But I only let you skim the surface. Now you’ll be as deep as me andreallyget it.” She pulled away with a wink. “Oh, and hey, at least he’ll help you fix that V-card problem you’ve been carrying around.”
“Veronica!” I smacked her arm, my face turning beet red in the reflection of the mirror.
“Oh my God. He already did, didn’t he?!” She guffawed so loudly that the woman entering the bathroom actually paused to gape at her. Not that Veronica noticed. She often existed in her own world. “How was it?”
“You know I can’t answer that,” I hissed.
“Oh, come on. You can give me an enthusiastic smile that I can interpret appropriately, or continue scowling like that, which I don’t believe for a second.”
I just shook my head. “You’re incorrigible.”
“And you’re totally holding out on me.”
“You know why.”
