Chapter Two
1397 Words
The wine was good. Really good. Probably cost more than my textbooks for the semester. I took a sip, trying to calm my nerves, trying to pretend I belonged in this world of marble floors and million-dollar views.
Ethan watched me from across the room, and I felt naked even though I was still fully dressed.
“You’re nervous,” he said. Not a question.
“A little.”
“Don’t be. This is just dancing, right? That’s what you do.”
Right. Just dancing. I could do that.
I set down my wine and pulled out my portable speaker, setting it up near the windows. The view of the city stretched out behind me, but I couldn’t focus on it. Not with Ethan’s eyes tracking my every movement.
“Whenever you’re ready,” he said, settling onto the leather couch. He looked relaxed, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. The way his fingers gripped the armrest.
He wanted this as much as I did—maybe more.
The music started. Something slow and sultry that I’d practiced a hundred times. I closed my eyes for a second, found my center, then started to move.
The dress came off first. Slowly. I let it pool at my feet, revealing the black lace underneath. When I opened my eyes, Ethan’s jaw was clenched so tight I could see the muscle ticking.
Good.
I moved closer, swaying my hips as the music guided me. This wasn’t like dancing at the club. This was intimate. Personal. Just him and me and the electricity crackling between us.
I danced between his legs, close enough to feel the heat radiating off him. Close enough to see his pupils dilate.
“Aria.” My name came out rough. Strained.
“Hmm?” I turned, gave him a view of my back, the way the lace dipped low.
His hands were on my waist before I could process it, pulling me onto his lap. I gasped at the contact, at feeling every hard inch of him beneath me.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked, his voice wrecked.
Everything in me screamed yes. My body was already arching toward him, already wanting more.
But I remembered Sierra’s warning. Boundaries. Stick to them.
“That’s not allowed,” I whispered, even though my lips were inches from his.
“What if I paid you more?”
The question hit like cold water. Right. Because that’s what this was. A transaction.
“I’m not a prostitute,” I said, pulling back. “I dance. That’s it.”
Ethan’s eyes flashed with something—regret? and he immediately let go of my waist. “f**k. I’m sorry. That came out wrong.”
“Did it?”
“Yes.” He ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. “I don’t usually… I’m not good at this.”
“At what? Paying women?”
“At wanting someone this badly.” He stood up, putting a distance between us. “From the moment I saw you on that stage, I couldn’t look away. And now you’re here, I can barely think straight.”
“What do you want from me?” I asked quietly.
“More than just dancing.” He turned to face me. “I want you. Your time. Your company. I want to take you places, show you things, be with you.”
“For how long?”
“A year.”
My heart stuttered. “A whole year?”
“In exchange, I’ll pay you well. Very well.” He named a figure that made my head spin. “Monthly. Plus I cover any expenses when you’re with me. Clothes, travel, anything you need. And you’re mine exclusively. No more club. No other clients. Just me.”
I tried to process what he was offering. That kind of money for a year, I could pay for Granny’s surgery, her medications, and my tuition. Everything.
“What exactly would I be doing?” I asked carefully.
“Accompanying me to events. Dinners. Trips. Being available when I need you.” His eyes darkened. “And yes, eventually, more than just dancing. When you’re ready.”
“Sex.”
“If that’s what you want too.”
The air between us was thick with tension. Want. Need. Confusion.
“I can’t do a year,” I heard myself say. “Six months. That’s all I can give you.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened. “Six months isn’t enough.”
“It’s all I have.” I lifted my chin. “Take it or leave it.”
We stared at each other. Some kind of standoff where I had no idea who had the power.
Finally, he smiled. Slow and dangerous. “You drive a hard bargain.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Six months,” he agreed. “But the payment stays the same as if it were a full year. Consider it a signing bonus.”
“That’s too much”
“It’s what you’re worth to me.”
The way he said it made something warm unfurl in my chest. Something dangerous.
“There are rules,” I said, trying to regain some control. “Boundaries.”
“Like?”
“No s*x until I’m ready. You don’t get to pressure me.”
“Agreed.”
“I still go to school. Finish my classes. This doesn’t interfere with my education.”
“Of course.”
“And after six months, we’re done. Clean break. No strings.”
Something flickered across his face, but he nodded. “Clean break.”
“Okay.” I took a breath. “Then we have a deal.”
Ethan closed the distance between us in two strides. “We should seal it properly.”
“How?”
His mouth was on mine before I could finish the question. The kiss was hungry, demanding, everything I had been trying to resist. I kissed him back just as desperately, my hands tangling in his hair, my body pressing against his.
This was a mistake. I knew it was a mistake.
But damn, it felt good.
When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Ethan rested his forehead against mine.
“Six months,” he murmured. “Starting now.”
“Starting now,” I agreed.
He kissed me again, softer this time. “My lawyer will send over the contract tomorrow. Make sure you read it carefully. Ask questions if you need to.”
“Okay.”
“And Aria?” His thumb traced my bottom lip. “The no s*x rule? I’m going to make you want to break it. Just so you know.”
Heat flooded through me. “You can try.”
His smile was pure sin. “Challenge accepted.”
-----
I left his penthouse an hour later, my lips swollen from kissing, my body still humming with unfulfilled desire. The whole elevator ride down, I kept touching my mouth, replaying everything that had just happened.
I’d just agreed to be Ethan Blackwood’s… whatever this was… for six months.
I’d just sold myself.
No. Not sold. Made a deal. A business arrangement that would save Granny’s life and finish my education.
That’s what I kept telling myself as I walked out into the cool night air.
My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown
A text came through from an unknown number saying the contract would be ready tomorrow, and that his lawyer would send it to my email. He told me to sleep well, that I would need my energy.
I stared at the message, my stomach doing flips.
Another text came through saying that for the record, I was an incredible dancer, but he was much more interested in everything else I was.
I saved his number. Ethan.
Then I typed back.
“Goodnight Mr Blackwood.”
His response was immediate.
“It’s Ethan. And tonight was very good”.
I smiled despite myself and started walking toward the subway.
My life had just changed completely.
I just hoped I hadn’t made the biggest mistake of my life.
But as I touched my still-tingling lips, remembering the way he’d looked at me, the way he’d kissed me like I was air and he was drowning…
I had a feeling six months wasn’t going to be nearly enough.
- Writer
