Veiled Deception

chapter 2

Leila couldn't take her eyes off the strange man as he walked up to her in the dimly lit alley. Every part of her was urging her to run, to get as far away from this dangerous situation as she could. But she found herself rooted in that same spot, and her body betrayed her misgivings.

Up close, she could make out the aristocratic traces of the man's chiseled features and the penetrating depth of his blue-green eyes. He carried himself with an unmistakable aura of power, misery, and wealth. From the elegant cut of his suit to the shocking red color of his thick hair,

"Who are you?" Leila's voice came out in a hoarse whisper, taking an involuntary step back as he walked up to her slowly.

Amusement flickered across the stranger's face as one part of his lips quirked up. "Someone who can change your situation if you're amendable." His gaze slowly raked over the oversized clothes hanging off her slender frame. "Which it seems you very much are."

Leila's cheeks flooded with heat at his arrogant assessment. She opened her mouth to protest, to tell him exactly where he could shove his proposal, but he spoke first.

"My name is Damon Knight. And I'd like to make a suggestion, Miss...?"

"Reynolds," Leila added warily. "Leila Reynolds."

Damon Knight's smile widened a bit. "Well then, Miss Reynolds. What if I told you I could ensure you never sought money or comfort for the rest of your days?" "That I could pull you out of your misery and give you the life you deserve?"

It was a daft proposal, one that any sane person would have outright rejected on the spot. And yet, his words wrapped around her like a siren's call, filling her with dangerous yearnings she couldn't quite extinguish.

Perhaps it was the lingering pain of her illness or the bone-deep tiredness from being homeless once again. Or maybe it was the wild desperation of having nothing left to lose. But whatever the reason, Leila wasn't running.

"I'm listening," she said at last, holding Damon Knight's smoldering stare as she awaited the details of his offer.

As the details began to spill from his lips, Leila felt the world shift on its axis. Because if this mysteriously wealthy man was to be believed, her life was about to change forever. Damon Knight observed Leila with an inscrutable expression, as if weighing her resolve. When he spoke again, his deep voice held a tone of certainty.

"My proposal is this - enter into a contract marriage with me. Become my wife, at the least on paper."

The words hung in the air, the weight of the words slowly registering in Leila's mind. She blinked rapidly certain she must have misheard him.

"I... Excuse me?!!" she sputtered out a disbelieving laugh. "A marriage contract?! With a complete stranger I just met in an alley? You can't be serious."

Damon's smile didn't waver. in fact it seemed to take on an almost predatory edge that sent a shiver down Leila's spine.

"Oh, but I am deadly serious, Miss Reynolds." He started idly tracing the platinum ring on his finger. "I require a wife for... certain situations. And you my dear, from what I can see, are in dire need of help. It's a mutually beneficial agreement."

Disgust twisted in Leila's gut at his explanation, at the absolute audacity of this obscenely rich man making such a shameless proposal to a poor, homeless wretch like her. A sordid deal, plain and simple.

"You think you could just just buy me?" she spat out, anger briefly overriding her fear. "Like a few glorified escort?"

Rather than looking offended, Damon looked slightly amused by her outburst, as if her indignation was all part of his expectation.

"Come now, Miss Reynolds, you're far too jaded. I'm not looking to simply bed you, as I'm certain scores of guys would line up to do... given even Half a chance."

His eyes slowly traced the curves barely concealed beneath her ratty clothes, making heat prickle across Leila's skin. She clutched her robe tighter in an unconscious defensive gesture.

"Then what exactly do you want from me?" she demanded, proud of how steady she managed to hold her voice.

Damon's gaze slid back up to meet hers, and Leila felt like he could see straight through her, all her fears and insecurities laid bare before this mysterious stranger. When he finally spoke, his words were covered with a darkish form of promise.

"You'll become my wife, my companion, and take your place by my side for whatever function and affairs that require your presence." His eyes glinted with some thing touching on wild hunger. "And in return, you will want for nothing. No more illness, no more destitution. You'll live a life of opulence, and your every wish and desires will be met."