“That’s true. That’s the business here. Besides, Miquela… you need to remember. I’m not your girlfriend, regardless of how you introduce me to your family.”
“That was a cover!”
“I’m sure, but you need to keep that in mind. I’m your mistress, not your girlfriend. There’s a reason I have to draw that line.”
What was she doing? Alluding that Miquela was forgetting what they were at the end of the day? Service provider and client… what a clinical way of looking at it. Wasn’t that how she used to see it, though? The whole point of paying a woman for superficial affection was to keep annoying things likeemotionsandexpectationsout of the picture.
Look how that had backfired.
“You don’t feel anything for me at all? You said…”
What a fool she was. June hadn’t really meant it when she said she loved her, too. That was an act. Miquela had paid her for that. At no point had June been anything more than a glorified mistress. There was a reason she was one of the best in the world.
A fool. Such a fucking fool.
June stepped forward, taking Miquela’s hand in hers. Such a soft, warm touch. Miquela almost believed there was trust and desire in it.
“Anything I feel for you besides respect and friendliness is irrelevant. I have a job to do. Going forward, I need you not to be jealous. Do you understand?” She said it so gently that Miquela almost missed out on the meaning.
“I understand. I’m sorry if I ever gave you reason to doubt me or my intentions.”
She said it, yet the words were jumbled in her throat. Only years of thorough practice at orating during meetings allowed her to say those words clearly and confidently.
“You’re special to me, June. That’s all.”
She managed to keep herself together… until June embraced her. Then every bet was off.
Had she intended to seduce her? Was this a job still, or did she really want to be with her? Did it matter when June was in her arms, kissing her, touching her where it mattered most?
Miquela hadn’t intended to make love to her. She would’ve been content with a mutual understanding about what they wanted from their arrangement. Because that’s all it was, right?
So why did Miquela swear she felt nothing but love emanating from her?
Maybe she really was that pathetic.
Pathetically in love, that was.
Chapter 4
June
Did June understand what she was getting into when she kissed Miquela? Ha! No.
She was all words. All bluster. Everything she was good at being, but also everything that would one day be her downfall.
If her downfall hadn’t already arrived.
What was supposed to be a sweet kiss turned into way too much more within a few seconds. One moment, June was giving her a kiss of understanding, and the next? Her tongue was halfway down Miquela’s throat, and her hands dove for what kept her clothing on her body.
What the hell had happened to her? She never did these things unless money was necessary to square away a relationship. Miquela was good for every cent she offered. She would always come back for more, unless she one day grew tired or found herself a real girlfriend to be monogamous with. That’s how it worked. Every client who ever declared love for her eventuallygot over her rejection and found someone new and more compatible with their hearts and lives.
Over the past several weeks, two more had stepped forward, citing their great devotion to her. June didn’t know if it was age or what, but she found herself slowly falling for them as well. Or at least she thought it was something like love. When a girl had never really been in love like that before, how did she know that’s what it was?
She knows. She has to know. June never intended to succumb to love early on a Wednesday afternoon, but here she was, losing the battle against her world-shattering emotions.
Was it Miquela? Was it something about her? Not just how hot and rich she was… but how kind, how compassionate, how devoted she was to June, even though she paid for her presence? No one had treated her like that before. Not even the others who said they loved her. Most of those clients had other lovers they saw, anyway. They even openly talked about them in front of her. It made it easier to let them down.
“You don’t need me. Go to one of your other girls from now on.”
