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Crikey, these people are so weird and creepy, I just want to get out of here. It feels like I am constantly being talked down to. What is this place? Alcatraz? After she’s gone, I hurriedly drink my tea and wolf down my breakfast then, throwing on the dressing gown, go to the bathroom to clean my teeth and take a quick shower. I find the steaming hot jets of water purifying and come out of the cubicle feeling refreshed.
Patting my hair dry with a towel, I return to the bedroom to find a gorgeous green dress laid out for me on the bed.Another gift from Alex.But where the heck are my clothes from yesterday? Crouching, I look down the side of the bed and see my old ballet pumps, but my jeans, T-shirt, bra and knickers are nowhere to be seen. Straightening up, I put my hands on my hips and scan the entire room, but there’s definitely no sign of them.
My brows snap together.
What on earth have these people done with my stuff?
Perhaps Mrs Bullivant put them in the wash, which is fine, but it means I’ll have to travel home wearing no underwear. Too bad, I don’t plan on hanging around waiting for clothes to dry. Whatever happens, I refuse to allow anything to slow me down, I just need to get home as soon as possible.
After I’ve finished drying my hair, I slip into the dress which fits perfectly and is made of the most wonderfully soft material. With a scooped neckline and slightly tailored waist, it reminds me of something vintage from the 1950s and I absolutely love it.
Smoothing down my hair, I sit for a moment on the freshly made bed (Mrs Bullivant must have done a little housekeeping while I was in the shower) and gaze around Alex’s bedroom. It’s a truly amazing space full of antique furniture and ornaments on the mantlepiece which look as if they cost a fortune. Despite its splendour however, the room is tinged with a dark atmosphere like everything in this house, and I remember Alex’s comment about this place being a beautiful prison. Just how many years did he spend locked up in this place? Magnificent as it is, I could see how monotonous and dull it could become if this were my only living space.
After a while, I get up from the bed and walk across to the large sash windows that look out over the extensive grounds of Claremont Hall. It is truly a breath-taking sight filled with a patchwork of perfectly maintained flower gardens, a boating lake and never-ending hills of green.
Out of nowhere, my body switches to high alert as the bedroom door opens and I hear the sound of soft footfalls on the carpet. Even before he approaches, I can feel Alex’s dark aura seeping in, engulfing me with a mixture of both excitement and fear. My shoulders stiffen and I flinch inwardly at the prospect of what is to come.
Refusing to turn around, I continue to gaze out of the window at the panoramic views of the estate, willing myself to stop trembling. I utter a gasp as he places two strong hands on my shoulders.
“That dress looks stunning on you,” he murmurs. “It fits so perfectly. Do you like it?”
“Y-yes,” I whisper. “I love it. Thank you.”
Slowly, his hands travel from my shoulders down to the sides of my arms before gently but firmly gripping hold of my waist. Then, with a low growl, Alex presses himself up hard against me, and my knees go weak as I feel the enormity of his erection. For long moments, he strokes his wood up and down my bottom, touching, teasing, the thin material of my dress the only barrier to us making direct skin-to-skin contact.
With a quiet moan, I throw my head back and close my eyes as sticky juices trickle down my thighs. Once more, my body has taken on a mind of its own and I’m like putty in his hands. Then, mercifully, Alex releases me, and his voice resumes a business-like tone.
“Just so you know, Jessica, I spoke to my bank this morning and arranged for the funds to be deposited to your account today. The next time you check your balance, you should see it in there.”
“That’s wonderful news, I can’t thank you enough. You’ve been so good to me.” Flustered, I bite my thumbnail and continue staring out the window. My mind has gone blank and I can’t think of anything else to say. Much as I want to, I still can’t bring myself to look at him.
“You’re going to need to give me your telephone number,” he says suddenly.
“W-what?”
“I’m going to need a number to contact you on to discuss the dates your mother is due to fly out to Germany. Remember, I’ve still got to buy those plane tickets and make arrangements for the hotel. It makes sense for us to swap numbers now, so we don’t have to keep passing messages through the escort agency.”
Oh, my goodness. He’s right, but Jesus, I can’t have him calling my house phone. What if my mother picks up?
Tucking a hair behind my ear, I try desperately to think of an excuse. “I, um, that is…”Shit, I can’t think of anything.There’s no way out of this. “Can’t I just take your number and I’ll call you instead? If you tell me when a good time would be to call you…”
Alex’s tone darkens. “Why? Is there a problem with me having your phone number? Don’t you want me to be able to contact you?”
“No, no, there’s not a problem, of course you can call me…”
“Good. There’s a notepad and pen on the cabinet over there. Write it down now.”
Obediently, I do as I’m told while inwardly cursing myself for not having prepared better for this conversation. I thought I was so smart. I’d assumed that after today, we would have no need to ever speak to each other again, but of course, we still have outstanding business to settle that conveniently allows Alex to have access to my personal contact details. I’m such a fool.
After I’ve written down the number, I say, “Listen, if you call and my mother answers the phone, please can you tell her you’re from Storm Models Management.”
“Let me guess. Cynthia doesn’t know about the escort work.”
“No, she doesn’t, and she’d go completely ballistic if she did, so please, when you do call, be discreet, okay? I need to keep this just between the two of us. She thinks I earned this money through modelling jobs, and I want to keep it that way.”
“No problem. I promise not to upset the applecart.” Then suddenly I’m in his arms again and my head starts to spin. Alex’s lips find mine, covering them with a savage kiss and all my silent protests drain away to be replaced by a wild beating of my heart. His hands travel down my spine and roughly grope my backside, making me moan inadvertently. For an interminable time, I remain locked in his arms enjoying this sweet surrender, until finally, he releases me.
“Don’t go home yet. Can’t you at least stay for the afternoon? I could show you around the grounds of the estate, show you my orange groves. Then we can have lunch alfresco style on the terrace. I just want some more time with you. What do you say?”
