AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I guess I was just too busy with college, and then with making ends meet, to even try to find someone to be with, you know?” she admitted. Kady knew it was odd for someone her age to still be a virgin in this day and age, but she was never one to party, and she hated
the idea of hooking up with a random stranger. It had just never appealed to her.
“Well, if that’s true, then I suppose I won’t have to be worried that I’m paying dividends on somebody else’s investment,” he pointed out, a touch of humor in his deep voice.
“Oh, that’s such a terrible way to put it!” Kady protested, unable to hold back a scandalized chuckle.
“Maybe, but true nevertheless,” he said. They had reached the door to his office now, and he released her hand so he could open it.
“You know what, I—” Kady blurted out as she stopped, staring at the giant hard wood door, glistening with age, use, and polish. Its intricate scrollwork and expensive looking heirloom doorknob in complete opposition to her own state of dress, not to mention the state of her life. Where that door could take an earthquake and keep standing, she was caught in a current and felt like she was swiftly getting pulled under. “I really think this was a dumb idea. I should just—I should just go now. I’m sorry if I’ve wasted your time.”
“Kady, wait—”
“I’m sure that you can pick one of the other girls, and they’re probably all really good at having sex and all that,” she continued, not listening to him as she started backing away from the door, him, and this whole mad idea.
“Kady!” he said firmly, taking both her hands and giving her a little shake, forcing her gaze to meet his own, struck by the sincerity in his eyes.
“Wh-what?” she asked, looking up at him.
“The other girls have already left,” he told her then.
“They—what?”
“I’ve already chosen,” he explained, and she stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.
“But—but I didn’t even agree to do it yet!” she gasped. “I didn’t know how I was going to feel about this when I came in here. I didn’t know you’d want the—the intimacy as well as the outcome.”
“Kady, you are the only girl I want for the job,” he commented, and she could see the truth of his statement shining in his eyes. “And so I had the others sent away. That means if you leave as well, I’ll have to start all over again. Are you going to make me start all over again?”
“I—well—hey, it’s not that hard for you to find another girl,” she said, looking down at her feet. “I have a driver outside who was waiting for me anyway. I could just go—”
“And where exactly did you intend to go, sweetheart?” he wanted to know, his voice kind even though the words cut her deeply. “You just said that you didn’t even have a destination. Besides, your driver was already sent away along with the other women.”
“He was?” she gasped.
“I’ll tell you what: stay here tonight and think about things. And then if tomorrow you want to leave, I’ll have you taken to anyplace you want to go. Deal?”
“I-I guess we could do that,” she said, mentally acknowledging that she really didn’t have anywhere else to go, and this sure beat that run-down motel.
Archer stepped forward and tilted up her chin, sensation erupting from the point where his fingers brushed her skin with a feather light touch. “Good. Then I shall do my very best this evening to make you want to stay.”
“W-want to—want to stay?” she stammered, closing her eyes to block out his enigmatically mesmerizing gaze, missing the way his dark gaze swept tenderly over her features, finally settling on her lush mouth. “How are you going to—hey, what are you--?”
Archer kissed her softly on her lips, making her eyes pop open again. But he didn’t try anything else, the startling kiss over as soon as it had begun, and he released his grasp.
“Come on then, I’ll show you to the room you could have and you can get some rest,” he said. “I’ll have the maid let you know when dinner is finished, which shouldn’t be for at least a couple of hours. Okay?”
Speechless now, Kady was barely able even to nod.
Chapter 8
The room Kady had been left in was probably bigger than her entire apartment had been. It had its own bathroom with a jetted garden bathtub, and the toilet even had a lever you could use to spray your backside like a bidet. She didn’t even know they made those as combos!
Rather than take the nap as Archer had suggested, Kady found a giant bottle of expensively scented bubble bath and got into the tub first. The heavenly scent of roses and jasmine greeted her nose as she relaxed more than she’d been able to for years. Putting thoughts of tomorrow or even this evening from her mind, she just let it all go and enjoyed her moment.
She had to admit that she would love to get used to this bathtub. It was a hell of a lot better than anything she’d ever had the privilege of using before. And the soaps, too. He must have spent a fortune just on those alone.
After about an hour, Kady held up a hand, inspecting her prune-like fingers. She sighed in regret as she decided to get out and dry off. She stretched and yawned, then headed for the huge, soft looking bed. She curled up on her side in the cocoon of the red brocade comforter and silk sheets. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.
