AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Miss Julietta?” he inquired, meeting my gaze for the first time. His hair was sandy brown and thinning. He looked to be in his late forties, early fifties. His smile was tight, and I wondered if he knew exactly what it was I was doing.
“Yes.”
“Allow me to take you to Mr. Vortega. He was held up with a meeting, but he told me to assure you he wouldn’t be much longer.”
“Oh, um, okay,” I answered.
The driver opened the door and I took a final deep breath to steady myself before sliding into the car. Once the door was shut, it almost felt stifling, even with the cooler air pouring from the vents.
The driver took his seat, the divider down.
“My name’s Maxim, by the way,” he called back to me.
“Nice to meet you,” I said a little weakly.
“There’s a dress on the seat across from you for you to change into. Just press the button above your head to lower the screen should you need anything.” The car began to pull away from the curb before the solid black screen between me and the driver had lifted.
My stomach lurched. I let my gaze slide to the seat where a long, pale pink box sat, tied with black ribbon. How I hadn’t noticed it earlier, I wasn’t sure.
I blinked at it, not comprehending Maxim’s words right away. Kieran bought me a dress? And I was supposed to change into it right now? In a moving car?
I pulled the edge of the black, velvety ribbon, caressing it between my fingers before I took off the lid of the box and set it aside.
Inside was a dress I’d have sworn was made purely of liquid gold. I held it up by the slender straps and the fabric pooled on the floor. A slit ran from the bottom and nearly up to the torso on one side. I swallowed hard.
It was beautiful and sexy.
I didn’t care for dresses all that much, but one didn’t turn their nose up at such extravagance when they were being paid twelve million dollars.
My phone chimed with yet another text, and I saw the words from Kieran: Do you like it? A smile crept onto my face. I did like it. But it felt wrong to wear something so decadent. Even if I wouldn’t be wearing it for very long.
My stomach flipped nervously.
I began to undo the laces of my Converse, feeling my pulse spike yet again. At this rate I was going to die from cardiac arrest.
I tossed my shoes to the floor and slid off my socks, adding them to the pile. My shirt came off next, leaving me in my bra for the scant seconds it took to carefully slide the dress over my head. It was tight in the bust, pushing my breasts up. Once it was in place, I slid my jeans off, admiring how the black lace panties I’d chosen complemented the gold so nicely.
I smiled down at what I could see of my appearance and then frowned. My Converse surely wouldn’t go with such an elegant dress.
Leaning forward, I spied something beneath the tissue paper in the box and lifted the crinkling sheets. A dazzling pair of sleek black heels made my breath catch.
I took out the first, eyeing the heel like it might bite me. Would I even be able to walk in these?
The car braked hard, sending me tumbling onto the seat in front of me with a shriek. A moment later I opened my mouth to ask what had happened, but the door was thrown open.
Romero’s furious face sent my stomach dropping. I don’t think I’d ever seen him look so angry. Cold dread and paralyzing terror overtook me. He dove for me, catching me by my wrist before I could escape, and hauled me out.
I barely had time to snag my book bag, but my clothes were left in the limo.
“My clothes,” I protested.
“Not a fucking word,” he growled.
My mouth clamped shut. In the street, I saw that the limo had been physically blocked by a black SUV. Traffic all around us was backed up. People honked and peered out of their cars to see what was going on.
To see me, in a stunning dress, yet barefoot, being dragged by a large, muscled man—who in that moment could have passed for a dangerous criminal—and shoved into the back of the vehicle, the man climbing in behind me.
My chest ached with each violent thump of my heart. I couldn’t look at him. He’d somehow known where I was going.
