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“Yes…” My voice had risen an octave. “Of course they are.”
He didn’t seem satisfied with my answer as he pushed away his plate, eyeing me the whole time.
“I’ll pay for you to stay in a hotel until you find a place to live.”
I gasped. “What? But that’s ridiculous. You don’t even know me, and after, you know, we do the thing I came here to do, I’ll be out of your life forever. You’ll never see me again.”
For a second, he looked as thoughI’dslappedhim, but the mirage was quickly replaced by a scowl. “That’s irrelevant.”
“I don’t need a sugar daddy.”
He half-laughed. “I’m not old enough to be your sugar daddy.”
“Age isirrelevant,” I said, throwing his own words back at him. “I don’t need a man to take care of me.”
“Maybe not. But I won’t take your virginity then send you back to the mainland homeless.”
“It won’t be your problem. I’m nobody’s problem.” I heaved out a breath and looked away. “It’s pointless talking about it anyway. We should be discussing what I came here for.”
“What is there to discuss?”
I flicked my eyes back to him. “When are we going to do it?”
“When you’re ready.”
“I’m ready now.” My voice was low but didn’t conceal the tremble in my words.
He shook his head. “No, you’re not. You said you wanted to get to know me. So, here I am. Get to know me.”
I felt hot blood rush into my cheeks. “Fine. What happened to your face?”
His jaw ticked to one side. “Too soon.”
My heart sank. “When will it not be too soon? You’re planning on keeping me here until you feel it’s the right time to tell me what happened?”
“You’re the one who thinks you need to know in order to get to know me.”
“When will you tell me?”
“When I’m ready.” His eyes blackened and even his clear one filled with shadow.
I looked around as my mind scrambled for things to talk about, questions to ask. I raised my eyes to the ceiling, noticing for the first time a chandelier that was adorned with thousands of crystals. “Is this a… ballroom?”
I felt his gaze roam every angle of my face. “Yes.”
“Well then, maybe we should dance.”
“Sure,” he replied, lifting his wine glass again.
“I’m being serious.” I turned to face him. “I can’t be in a ballroom for the first – probablyonly– time in my life and not dance. What kind of a date would that be?”
“I don’t dance.”
I had reached the end of my tether and then some. “Then let me dance with one of your security men,” I said with a huff. “There are enough of them around the place and there’d be even less chance of me escaping.”
He watched the last of his wine dance in the glass before tipping it back. “You won’t be going anywhere, Rose.”
I thinned my lips, frustration bubbling up inside me, then he snapped his fingers.
