Page 12 of Inside the Maelstrom: Part One
“Most people would know that meant I didn’t want anything to do with you, dickhead.”
“Not even if I fly you around the world on your literary search for salvation?”
Her whole body froze. “What?”
“I will pay for your entire trip. First class. To whatever destination you need to see to ‘find’ yourself.”
She stared at me again, her mouth falling open. “No.”
Now it was my turn to gape. “No?”
She shook her head, taking a giant step away from me. Well, as far as she could go in a tiny closet. “No. Do you need me to say it in Spanish? No.”
I smothered a smile. That was pretty fucking cute. “Why not?”
“Are you serious right now?” She took a deep breath. “Why do you think? I am not prostituting myself for an around the world trip. Ask Esther. She’d happily do it, and you’d probably only have to take her to Vermont.”
I snorted. “Viva, that was unnecessarily catty.” She snorted back, giving me a glare that burned even in the darkness. “There's no strings attached to this. Except that you have to let us tag along.”
“Us?” she squeaked.
“Me, Otto…” I paused. “And Sampson.”
She went to step around me but slammed straight into my chest, and I wrapped an arm around her back to hold her steady. It made her body press against mine, and I resisted the urge to push her against the door and grind against her until she was mewling.
Instead, because I wanted something, I gently set her right. She was shaking her head, though I could tell she was turning over my offer in her brain. “You don’t even know where I want to go.”
I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Anywhere.”
“That’s insane.”
I sighed; this part was dull. “Look. I wasn’t kidding about being bored. Plus, I saw your face when I assumed your parents refused to pay fifty grand for you to galavant”—I looked down at the book in her hand—“around the world. Maybe in eighty days?” I paused, and tried to be as earnest as possible. “I want to justdosomething. Preferably somewhere outside the country.”
She hesitated then, like taking this thing for herself was too much, but if she was doing it for me, it might be okay. She looked like the type, really. Bleeding hearts, or maybe people who never believe they’re worthy of getting what they want unless it also benefits someone else. A poor person's problem—not an affliction I suffered from.
She chewed her lip. “My parents won’t go for it.”
I lifted my hand and let my fingertips trace the curve of her cheek. She stiffened but didn’t move away. “Better to ask forgiveness than permission.”
“There’ll be rules.”
I snorted a laugh. “I wouldn’t expect anything else. Hit me with them.”
“No sex.”
I screwed up my nose. “No sex unless you give express and enthusiastic consent.” I grinned. “Gotta keep your options open. I saw you eyefucking Otto.”
“Fine,” she huffed. “But I’m going to pay you back.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sure, I’ll even do low interest so you can finish paying me back when you're sixty-seven.”
She crossed her arms, which made her breasts sit up higher, and I tried not to look. Emphasis ontried.“And you don’t ask questions. We go where I want, when I want.”
I nodded, my grin growing wide. “Done. We leave Friday at four a.m.” I stepped closer to her, boxing her between my body and the door. “But to keep up the ruse and maintain my reputation, I’m going to have to kiss you a little, make it look like you were just in here giving in to my charm, rather than planning a great escape.”
“Fine.” She pouted like it was a hardship, obviously not realizing I could feel the racing of her heart against my chest.
I grabbed her chin and tilted her face up, only just seeing the outline of her features in the light through the cracked door. “Remember what I said about express and enthusiastic consent?”
