When Lust Turns to Love

Chapter 2

Justin Royce's POV

I glance again at her sleeping form beside me and back to the email at my phone's screen then back to her again. She is sleeping comfortably with her bare arms under her head. The white blanket wraps around her naked body and I swear it’s a scene to behold. She’s like a beautiful goddess sleeping peacefully.

Last night was so... amazing, more than amazing, the best that I have had so far. I couldn't believe she is a virgin and I got her first. Somehow it makes me feel a bit guilty but at the same time it makes me feel proud and pleased. I had one-night stands with different women before but this is the first time I've done it with a virgin. I feel that there's something about her that I could not comprehend and it’s poking my interest.

I turn my attention back to the email and it contains her personal details. I never order my personnel to search and obtain profiles of women I had one-night stands with. However, I just woke up and found myself wanting to know more about her. I found her wallet and phone at the backpocket of her jeans and saw her real name. I couldn't understand the feeling but she is the first woman to get my curiosity perked up. Was it her beautiful face, or her perfectly-shaped body, or her virginity I just claimed ? Or something about her?

I debated for a few minutes before sending her name to my personal investigator and after an hour, he sent me an email.

Her profile says her real name is Hannah Towers not Jenny as she had claimed last night. Her parents both died in separate years but she was able to support herself and graduated college. At present, she is working as a home-based tutor for teenagers.

What caught my attention are her bank account details stating how she monthly saved up money then all of a sudden, she withdrew it all in two days. There is a short informal note attached in the last part of the email sent to me by my smart investigator after further digging within a short span of time.

Constantly receiving death threats from a group of loan sharks. Probable reason: Unpaid borrowed money with increasing interests.

I glance back at her peaceful sleeping face. Who would have thought, a pretty lady like her is shouldering such a large debt? How the hell did she end up going across some loan sharks? How is she coping up with all this? Is this the reason she planned on wasting herself last night?

I should just get up, don my clothes on and disappear like I usually do after one-night stands but here I am, thinking of a plan. A plan I could only think of with great temptation and she will probably refuse but I want to take my chance and do whatever it takes.

****

Hannah Towers' POV

My eyes feel so heavy as soon as I open them and I want to shut them again and get back to sleep but a godlike face greets me, thus waking my senses and chasing away the sleep I was planning to have again.

"John." I whisper faintly. How long has he been watching me sleep? He is already dressed and is sitting across the bed staring down at me.

"Good morning, Hannah." I shiver when I heard my true name. The memories last night were clear: how he approached me and we talked and laughed together, and then... we ended up in this room and... I start to feel disgusted at myself for giving up my virginity to a stranger and now that stranger knows my real name.

I look up to his face and it was emotionless. His lips are set in a tight manner. His eyes void of the emotion last night. What happened to him? He doesn't seem to be the John I met last night. Gone is the playful and flirtatious John. This time he has that unexplainable aura surrounding him.

"I...I-Im sorry..." I cover myself with the duvet and sit up but I can't seem to find my voice to continue and apologize to him for lying about my name.

"Hannah Towers, aged twenty-five, an orphan, and a home-based tutor." He narrates details about me in a taunting voice. I stare at him and notice his hand holding my wallet with my identification card in it. I look down and stare at my fingers trying to make up some excuses.

"I'm Justin Royce." He suddenly speaks up making me snap my head back to him.

"What?"

"John last night was an alias so I also lied about my name. I think it's fair enough we call it quits about our identity."

I frown at him. He dares to make me feel bad for lying about my name and then confesses he did the same. I should get out of here, get away from him. I think he’s bad news.

I grasp the blanket and wrap it around me before standing up but then I end up letting out a whimper as the pain shoots from my core. Damn! I didn’t know it would hurt like this after last night.

John... I mean, Justin stands up and slides beside me with a worried look on his face. "Are you okay?"

I tighten my grip on the duvet around me. "I’m fine. I just want to take a shower."

"Sure." He steps aside and leads me to the bathroom. Along the way I notice that my clothes are already neatly folded and are on top of the couch. I blush in embarrassment. Did I sleep for too long? What else did he do while I was asleep?

Once I am inside the bathroom, I immediately let the warm water cascade down my body hoping to wash away the drifting memories from what happened last night. I feel dirty and embarrassed with what I did. It’s the alcohol’s fault. I was too drunk and I was not aware of what I was doing.

Oh right, blame the alcohol, my inner self rolled her eyes.

I scream internally, I guess it’s all on me. I was out of control and too mesmerized by his looks.

When I get out of the shower, Justin hands me a paper bag with fresh clothes. I take it shyly and in no time I emerge fully dressed with jeans and a sweatshirt.

Justin is sitting on the couch with a thoughtful look on his face. He seems to be thinking something serious with the way he his rubbing his index finger across his jaw.

"I...last night, I..." I couldn't find my voice. I want to tell him to just forget about what happened and I will just move on with my life just like nothing happened.

"What do you want?"

What? I frown at him. His stiff voice and the way he speaks gives me the impression that he's not playing around.

"Let me rephrase it, how much do you want?" he regards me with a stoic expression that it is so hard to read what he is thinking and there is something in his voice that changed. Gone was the playful and humorous John I knew from last night. His voice holds authority and it gives me the creeps.

"I... John, sorry, I mean Justin, I don't know what are you talking about."

"I've had women like you before. You offer me your body knowing I can pay you with a big sum of money."

His words cut through my heart and I feel the anger surge in my veins. He thinks I'm that kind of woman?!

“And I know there's a huge debt running after you.”

My anger was replaced with shock. "H-How did you know that?"

"Hannah, I have my own ways." Justin replies while twirling his phone on his hand. "And I have an offer you wouldn't resist."

"No."

He seems surprised with my answer.

"No, I will not accept whatever that is." I'm surprised with how I sound strong right now.

"Are you sure, Hannah?" he raises an eyebrow. "I already deposited half million dollars in your account."

What the? Half million dollars?

He raises my phone and I bet he already has gone through my messages and contacts while I was asleep. "I'm pretty sure the loan sharks will be very glad to get paid today, right Hannah?"

I feel the tears in my eyes but I hold them back. My mind suddenly goes back to the memory of death threats on my door and the abrupt visitations of the loan sharks to force money out of me.

"What's the deal?" I almost choke on my words.

A victorious smile fleets across his face for a second before it disappears. "Two months, Hannah. For two months, you give me what I want and I'll pay you."

"And what... do you want from me?" it comes out as a whisper and I could barely hear it.

He looks at me amusingly and smirks. "I think you know what I mean, Hannah."

Damn! I feel my knees go weak.

"But... two months?" I almost shriek at him.

"Yes, and this," he pulls out a check from his wallet and scribbles something before handing it to me. "Twenty-five thousand dollars for today."

I gape at him and I suddenly have the impulse to grab the check and tear it into pieces before his very eyes. I want to shout at him that I won't let him pay for my body and use it whenever he could. But... do I have a choice?

Yes, I clearly have. I can just refuse it and get out the door and never look back but why do I feel like it is not an option?

I slowly raise my hand to accept the check and it feels foreign in my palm. I look down and clearly, twenty-five thousand dollars is roughly written across the small piece of paper.

"Two months? Can't we...uhm..." Damn it, why am I stuttering? My knees feel weak and my voice seems to be stuck on my throat.

"Okay, here's the catch, Hannah. If you finish the two months, I will pay you a million dollars. Real talk."

My eyes are about to jump out. A million dollars?

"But only after two months. If you back out and stop midway, I won't hold you back but you won't receive your bonus at the end." He smirks evilly and I suddenly have the urge to claw his blue eyes out even though they got me in the first place.

I fist my hands at my side and gulps. My response at this moment will turn my life around completely. Can I handle this? Should I choose to throw away my dignity to save myself from death in the hands of those cruel loan sharks?

I grit my teeth as I whisper the single word, weakly surrendering to the fleeting sense of courage I felt.

"Deal."

It was a weak and agonized whisper but it was my voice.